Romans 13:1-7

Romans 13:1-7

1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

Paul wrote a lot about submission. He said in this passage that how we obey authority figures is how we obey God. It is this way because authority and government figures are put there by God Himself. So the heart of the matter is that the same attitude I have towards them is the same attitude I have towards God. Why would I be unwilling to submit? Because I think I'm bigger and better than the system God has set in place? God forbid.

Lately I've been wondering if I have it too good for my own good. Though I'm not wealthy by the United States' standards, I have all the money I could need. I have a beautiful wife. I have enough power to make me feel important. A family who is there for me. A church that listens to my opinions.

It's just that in all of those blessings, I lose my need for God sometimes.

Maybe a little bit of poverty is what I need. Maybe that will give me a need for God again.

I don't want to be that way. I want to be dependent upon God. It's just that when everything is going right, it seems I have no need to be.

I pray much more often when there's something wrong than when everything is going well.

I think that's sinful. How dare I use God as my out. He's my lifeline. He's the red phone. He's the last resort. I'll do all I can do, and if all of that fails, then I will finally try God.

God forbid it.

Maybe I need to give something up, or maybe God needs to take something away.

God,
Do what you would. Don't give me so much that I forget from whence it came. Overwhelm me with your presence. Take something away if You would--so that I may better understand my dependence on You. Help me see where You are. I want to be a part of that.
Jacob

Romans 12:1-2

sitting on our couch
babysitting anna belle this weekend
need to read for seminary class
need to study for small group

Romans 12:1-2

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Living sacrifice--as opposed to a sacrifice a Jew might offer, a living sacrifice is one that doesn't die on the spot. The symbolism Paul is presenting is for man to offer himself as a sacrifice in the same way that a Jew would offer a burnt offering for a sacrifice. You were never supposed to offer an animal that was second-rate or "spotted." Every burnt offering was supposed to be the best you could afford.

Renewal of your mind--interesting that Paul associates holy living directly with the mind. To live a holy life, a person must change the way they think about things, and that happens by offering up one's self as a "living sacrifice" to God.

To find the will of God, we are supposed to use our "renewed" minds. God does not expect to have to tell us every single step of the way (although He is capable). He expects us to offer ourselves to Him, let Him renew our mind, and then that gives a renewed Christian the ability (along with guidance from the Holy Spirit) to discern the will of God.

God never expects us to be zombies for Him. He expects us to use our renewed minds that lead to discernment. That is how one can know the will of God--those things that are good, acceptable, and perfect.

Romans 9:1-5

1 I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— 2 that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. 4 They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. 5 To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.

If anyone ever had any question as to how much Paul cared about his fellow race, the Jews, this passage should set those assumptions quiet. If Paul could have been "cut off from Christ" for the sake of his fellow man, he would have done so.

I don't know of many for which I would give up my place in Christ. Paul claimed that the Holy Spirit testified of the fact that he would have done so for his countrymen.

How ironic that Paul was willing to give up everything he had in Christ for the Jews who hated him so. They assumed that Paul was speaking directly against their heritage and religion. In their mind, Paul was a heretic who was trying to abolish their entire way of life. Quite the contrary, Paul was trying to give them life, and "life more abundantly."

Lord, give me a heart for people like Paul had a heart for people.

Romans 9

sitting on our bed
just had a weird dream
6:30 am

This passage is very interesting. I will save my thoughts for after I read Forlines' commentary on it. It seems very difficult, and I don't want to say something that isn't true. It just sounds incredibly Calvinistic from first look, so I want to get the real meaning based on greek words before I say any more.

The Lord is good. Our church is having a conference called "One Vision: 08." In the conference, we partner with 6 or so missionary families and their work, as well as a few things here in Nashville that need partners. One is the Hope Clinic and the other is the Nashville Rescue Mission.

I am wanting to see if the One Vision actually has plans for us to literally reach people in Nashville with the gospel, instead of paying other people. I don't feel right about just paying someone to do my job.

Also, Pastor Mike began the process for me to begin being licensed. I'm excited about it.

Romans 8:31-39

sitting on our bed
about to get in the shower
just had a shot of honey for some energy and to get rid of morning breath a little--that stuff is gross

Romans 8:31-39

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised— who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,

'For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.'

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

These are difficult passages for me considering I am Arminian. Not that I think these verses prove Calvinism, just that I have never had these verses explained to me fully from an Arminian perspective.

Surely though, Arminianism never states that Christ decides to give someone up because of anything. Rather there are those who once received Christ who choose to ignore the leading of the Holy Spirit in his or her life. After time, this results in a rejection of Christ. This passage is not saying that the love of Christ fails us. For it never does. Arminianism says that it happens the other way around--we reject Him.

The separation the Apostle Paul are referencing goes back to suffering. He is saying, "Will any of this persecution make the love of Christ null-in-void?" By no means! We are His because of what Christ has done. The one who did not spare His own Son is the one who is on our side. So what kind of persecution is going to cease that from happening? None!

The passage points out that persecution is part of life.
The passage points out that through Christ, persecution is overcome.

Romans 8:12-17

I read it today. Very busy time. Lots of deadlines at work. I have a book report to finish tonight, as well as study for small group Sunday. So don't count on me writing about this section any time soon.

Romans 7:13-25

Sitting on our couch
Just made Lyns some toast with my mom's strawberry jam
About to study for tomorrow's small group

Romans 7:13-25

13 Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. 15 For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. 16 Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. 17 So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. 18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. 19 For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

Jacob's Verse 13 Paraphrase
Did I become spiritually dead because of the law? No way! It was actually sin that caused me to die spiritually. But sin had to have its true identity shown. If no one revealed to sin what it was, then no one would know. This is what the good law did. Because of this, sin is known by all to be despicable--and it truly is.

This makes me think of the fact that some people don't call sin what it is. We like to say that abortion and homosexuality are "viable choices" instead of calling them sin. I like to justify being deceitful instead of calling that a lie--sin. It's the effect of not having the word of God as a standard. If it isn't, then the standard becomes the common practice. And when humans make up the law of common practice, it will continually get worse and worse. Always deteriorating.

It's not that sin wasn't so before the law. This passage implies that sin is intrinsic. Despite what someone knows, despite their experiences, sin exists in that person.

Jacob's Verse 16 Paraphrase
If I try to do good things, then I am literally attesting to the fact that the law is good. Because if I am trying to do "good" and that action is in line with the law, then I am equating "good" with the law. So my attempts to be good are really a testimony to the goodness of the law.

In reality though (as verse 15 attests), when I try to do good things, I'm not doing the things I naturally want to do. I am doing things that go against my nature--things I hate to do.

There is a huge battle going on inside of every believer. On one hand, we know the law of God in our minds, and we long to follow it. On the other, our flesh is crying out to be satisfied, and it is our natural desire to do so.

I think this passage needs some more attention to it. I'll focus on 21-25 tomorrow or Monday.