1 And so it was with me, brothers and sisters. When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. 2 For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. Paul held the equivalent of a PhD in religion for his time. He knew the right words to speak and to write to effectively communicate his point. However, once... Read more
Why does humility matter? Because all we have and all we are comes from God. Read more
It has been said people don't care what you know until they know that you care. There is much truth to this saying. Read more
Romans 15 begins Paul’s wrap up of his great theological treatise. In the process, he offers a glimpse of the purpose behind the past writings of Scripture given in the New Testament. Verse four shares: For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. Notice the details Paul provides: First, he makes clear that everything that was written... Read more
Romans 14 addresses the issue of disputable matters among Christians. The chapter’s opening words set the tone: “Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.” The first word, “accept,” provides the basis for this issue. There are the foundations of the faith, then there are the disputable matters. On the disputable matters, we are to be accepting, knowing where we believe yet showing grace to others. The goal is not to place any “stumbling block” in... Read more
Romans 13 offers a convicting insight regarding a Christian worldview of government. The chapter’s opening verse sets the tone: Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Government comes from God (Not the devil, contrary to popular opinion.). Interestingly, these words were written when Nero was Paul’s governing leader, a tyrant much worse than most (if not all) of today’s... Read more
Be transformed. This is the power of the gospel. Paul wrote in Romans 12:1-2: 1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing... Read more
Any theology that does not lead to humble worship of God is bad theology. Read more
Romans 10 is a very personal chapter for me. At the age of 17, I had been living a very selfish lifestyle inconsistent with a person who claims to follow Jesus. One early summer morning, I awoke with a heavy conviction that I can only explain as coming from God. I turned over in my bed to find a Bible I had on the floor. I simply opened it and began to read whatever page unfolded. The page that unfolded... Read more
Our relationship with God is often misunderstood. We often believe God loves us because of something we have done or dislikes us for something we have done wrong. However, nothing could be further from the truth. In Romans 9, Paul speaks of the real reason behind our connection with God. We read in verse 16: “It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.” Some read Romans 9 and question how God could be loving... Read more
Holy Writ
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