The Everyday Prayer

Re:Verse passage – Romans 6:1-14  (day five)

As a believer, do I ever get to do what I want?  Maybe that means my wants and desires are the same selfish and morally destructive preferences and priorities that are indicative of sin and rebellion. My rules. My wisdom. Maybe that means I am declaring myself righteous. Then, NO. Notice the “logic” (or rationalization) in 6:1 – I can still act and think like I want to (pre-salvation) because that will bring even more grace from God to me. Makes God seem like a genie at our disposal. We become the sovereign.

But, if in this new life (verse 4) of having been justified and made righteous, my thoughts, desires, preferences, and priorities are transformed into the same ones that Jesus had, and that I choose them in order to glorify God (declare Him to be the sovereign), then the answer changes to Yes. That’s the work of grace. We are free to live like that- to live united with Christ and to live free from sin and “do what we (now) want to do” (what we were created and designed to do- trust, obey, serve, follow, and glorify Him).

Re:Verse passage – Romans 6:1-14  (day four)

Death no longer has any power over us. Of course, we will all experience death one day. But because of Christ’s death and resurrection, death no longer has the final word. This means something for our eternal life, in that we know an eternity spent in the presence of God awaits us when we experience bodily death on earth.

It also means something for our life now, that the reality of death, sin, and decay no longer have the final word even in our current days. Christ’s death broke the power of sin once and for all. We are “dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.” The sin that seems to have its claws stuck in you doesn’t have the final word, Jesus does. The propensity you have toward pride, anger, lust, fill-in-the-blank does not determine your identity, Jesus does. Your worst day doesn’t define you any more than your best day, Jesus does. While we surely continue to dig up and throw out the sin in our lives, our current stage in that process does not define us. Because of Christ, the power of sin and death no longer have control over us. Our identity is caught up in the grace and mercy of Jesus. This gives us hope for our days now and for eternity.

Re:Verse passage – Romans 6:1-14  (day three)

¹¹So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus. (NLT)

There is a finality here to what Paul is saying about sin in our lives. As Aaron said yesterday, we will always confront our bent nature, but the power of sin over us is broken through Jesus Christ. This encourages me and comforts me to know that the same power that defeated sin and death already lives in me! This should change our outlook on sin and Satan. Rather than being timid and fearful about our enemy, the devil, prowling around to devour, we can be strong and courageous knowing that the power of the Holy Spirit is living in us and makes us alive to God through Jesus.

So, while we fight temptation and our bent nature, we can know that “the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)” God reminds us through Paul that there is no ground for the power of sin over us once we become His children. Be encouraged, today, to stand in the power of Jesus and be used as an instrument of His grace!

Re:Verse passage – Romans 6:1-14 (day two)

 but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. v. 13b

We are prone to sin. Let’s get that clear from the beginning. Paul however makes it clear we were dead, but are now alive. How much are we focusing on living a resurrected life? As adopted children and heirs to the kingdom, how does this change your outlook and mission? Don’t misunderstand me, we must always confront our bent nature; but we must act in the power of the Spirit to live with purpose. How can this mindset change your understanding of your calling? Jesus’ resurrected life was filled with purpose and power, and we should live as though it was meant for us as well. Present your whole self as an instrument of righteousness and get to work.

Re:Verse passage – Romans 5:1-8 (day seven)

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

At our High School Beach Retreat this weekend, our theme was “Who is Jesus?” I asked a  question that I believe we should all answer, “When was the last time you were genuinely curious about who Jesus is?”  Curiosity creates wonder. To become more like Jesus we need to become more curious about who He is, and in turn, that will create a sense of wonder in our heart. Watch this:

All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. John 1:3

who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Phil 2:6-7

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. Mark 10:45

The Creator of us loves us so much that He came down to us so that He could serve us in order that He might raise us up. Jesus loves us so much that He reached down into our darkness to pull us up into His light. Jesus loves me, this I know!

Re:Verse passage – Romans 5:1-8 (day six)

“Through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.” Romans 5:2

We sometimes describe salvation as though forgiveness were the end of the story. Jesus died, our sins were forgiven, and our record was cleared. That is extraordinary grace, but Paul says there is still more.

John Chrysostom, archbishop of Constantinople in the fourth century, wrote:

“If God brought us near to himself when we were far off, how much more will he keep us now that we are near!… What grace is it that we now have access?… For we were not reconciled merely in order to receive forgiveness of sins; we were meant to receive countless additional benefits as well.”

Through Jesus, former enemies have been brought near to God. We have peace with him, access to his presence, the gift of the Holy Spirit, and hope of sharing his glory regardless of the circumstances we face.

Grace is not only the doorway through which we entered; it is the place in which we now stand. The God who reconciled us has so much more to graciously give us.

Re:Verse passage – Romans 5:1-8 (day five)“and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”  One of the bigger storylines (meta narratives) of the Bible is Hope. Hope that we have lost/forfeited and then provided/gifted by a gracious God. The scriptures describe hopes that can never fully deliver, and direct us to discover a true hope that promises to give everything we need- God’s hope. God’s Word guides us away from people, places, and priorities that deliver false hope, while compelling us toward a lovingly wise and eternal God who endlessly supplies hope for His glory and our good. One last insight. Hope’s address and location are even closer than you might think.  Inside us. Look no further than your own heart to find it. As believers, hope lives in us because the Holy Spirit has taken up residence in our hearts, and even now the gracious and glorious God lives in us bringing (pouring out) His hope, to us, with Him, in us.

Re:Verse passage – Romans 5:1-8 (day four)

The NLT version of this text describes our position before God as “undeserved privilege.” Because of the work of Christ on our behalf, we can now stand confidently before the Father with peace and joy knowing we are awaiting an eternity spent in his glory. We’ve done nothing to earn a place in his presence. No matter how hard we try, we will continue to come up empty handed in an effort to earn a place in the Kingdom. But because of Christ’s sacrifice, we’re given the undeserved privilege of eternity with God.

This is an encouraging text, although when we read a little further, Paul is discussing this idea in relation to suffering. When we stand in this privileged position, our experiences of suffering are even turned for our good, producing endurance, character, and ultimately a renewed hope in the work of Christ. In our undeserved privilege, we can call upon the God of the universe in our suffering, knowing that he meets us in the lowest of places. While we were helplessly disconnected from God by sin, he entered into our hopeless state and offered us eternal life. Now, in our times of suffering, we’re reminded that God continuously enters into our lowest lows and offers us undeserved hope.

Re:Verse passage – Romans 5:1-8 (day three)

⁵and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Raise your hand if you want suffering! I highly doubt any of us would gladly and willingly accept suffering as a means of understanding God’s love a little more. But, that is what we need sometimes. I love that through Paul here, God reminds us that hard times and rough patches are not worthless. They are a means of producing in us an understanding and witness to God’s immeasurable love, mercy, and grace on us. It is through hard times and rough patches that we come to understand that God truly is capable of always being there with us and guiding us through “to the other side.”

Paul’s words in verse five indicate that God’s love is not just allotted out to us little by little. Rather, it is “poured out.” It is in excess. It is more than enough. Paul’s word usage reminds his readers of the way the Holy Spirit is promised in Acts 2:17-18 and Joel 2:28-29. The Holy Spirit is with those that suffer, so that through suffering we might grow closer to the Lord and understand His love all the more.

If you are in a rough patch, having a difficult time, or suffering right now, be encouraged. It is not worthless. You have the Holy Spirit to help you, guide you, and remind you of the goodness of God! Let your hope reside in the Lord because God will come through.