¹ Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? ² Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? ³ Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? ⁴ For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.

Keep On Sinning

Paul is now turning his attention to the Gentiles in the Roman Church. So far, most of his correction has been directed at the Jewish Christians, who were trying to make others obey certain aspects of the Law (such as circumcision). He’s made it clear that if you try to follow one aspect of the Law, then you will be held guilty for all of it. In other words, it’s all or nothing. Either the Law is the standard of judgement or it’s not. Either Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law or he didn’t.

The Gentiles were very comfortable with the notion that Jesus fulfilled the Law. They believed strongly that the Law no longer held any control over their lives. It is the era of Grace, after all. However, they went further and believed that it didn’t matter what you did. Any behaviour was acceptable because Christ has already paid the price. Some Gentiles were even taking yesterday’s passage and suggesting that since God shows up with more grace in places where there is more sin, then the more we do, the more opportunity to show off God’s grace!

Paul wants to address this way of thinking. He’s wants to reveal the ridiculousness behind the statement. And the first thing he address is the idea that we can do whatever we want as Christ followers.

At Bikers’ Church we define a Christ follower as someone who believes that “He is God, I’m not.” And then lives according to that principle. In other words, they live life as if someone else – God – is in control. We’re no longer in charge. We give that over to God. Therefore, we lives our lives not for our own pleasure. Not to fulfill our own desires. Instead, we live with the desire to honour God and to fulfill his purpose and desire for us.

Paul suggests the same thing in this passage. We die to ourselves when we turn our lives over to God. He’s in charge. Are you living that way?

My prayer: God, forgive me that far too often I try to take back control of my life. I crave, desire, and want, and then do things that do not honour you. I am selfish. I know it. Forgive me. My heart truly is to live for you. To do your will. To see your purposes lived out in my life. And yet, I cannot do it without you. For you are God, I am not. And so, I ask you again for help. Give me the strength to live each day for you. Amen.

Until tomorrow.

²⁰ God’s law was given so that all people could see how sinful they were. But as people sinned more and more, God’s wonderful grace became more abundant. ²¹ So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Grace Abounds

I have a friend who is starting a church in Las Vegas. He was a fairly successful church planter in Virginia Beach. That church grew fairly quickly. Heck, he even wrote a book. But then, he felt God leading him to take his wife, two kids, and his “stupid dog” and move to Vegas. To start a church. On the strip. You know that strip. You can read about his adventures by clicking here. Keep him in your prayers.

I went to Vegas as part of my twenty-five day road trip. You can read about my experience in Vegas here. But, for those too lazy to click on the link, let me sum it up by saying that it was obvious to me why they call it “sin city.” It was also very obvious that there is a lot of pain and hurt in Vegas. The Vegas strip is all about hiding from the pain and hurt. Pushing it down. Pretending that life is just a party and who cares about the issues that keep trying to surface. Gamble, drink, and snort them away.

It’s a city like Vegas that makes me love this passage even more. The more people sin, the more evident the grace of God is revealed. The more people try to hide their pain, the more God wants to penetrate the broken heart and pour in his hope. It’s why Vegas needs someone as God-loving as my friend. To bring a message of hope.

But if we’re honest, pointing to Vegas when we talk about people sinning more is really a cop-out. After all, those people who are sinning more in Vegas? They’re not usually from Vegas. They’re from your town. And mine. In some cases, they may even be you or me. They come from all over the world. Why? Because all over the world there are people who sin more, cry more, despair more. People who need the grace of God to abound more.

I’m so thankful that God doesn’t get scared when he sees a lot of sin. He doesn’t cower when the level of sinfulness rises. Instead, he just shows up with even more grace. More mercy. More hope. More love. He’s bigger than anything that can try to come against his message. And that’s good news.

My prayer: Lord, I’m so glad that even in my darkest of days, you are there. When sin seems to overwhelm me, you are there. When all seems lost, you are there. Your grace abounds even more. And more. And more. I take hope in that today. I celebrate your grace. I’m amazed. Amen.

Until tomorrow.

¹² When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned. ¹³ Yes, people sinned even before the law was given. But it was not counted as sin because there was not yet any law to break. ¹⁴ Still, everyone died—from the time of Adam to the time of Moses—even those who did not disobey an explicit commandment of God, as Adam did. Now Adam is a symbol, a representation of Christ, who was yet to come. ¹⁵ But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. ¹⁶ And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. ¹⁷ For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.¹⁸ Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. ¹⁹ Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous.

The Second Adam

The doctrine of “original sin” is somewhat unique within Christian theology. The nature of The Oil Change makes it impossible for me to adequately explain in it’s entirety. However, in very simple terms, the doctrine of “original sin” states that we are all born with a sinful nature. That sinful nature is passed on through generations and can find it’s origin in the fall of Adam (and Eve) in Genesis 3. Adam’s sin brought upon us all the judgement of sin.

Many argue, and I am one of them, that you don’t have to look far to find the fruit of the sinful nature. A child naturally tests the rules and guidelines of parents. We have to teach our children to be generous because it is natural for them to think of themselves first. I am always amazed when a parent first realizes that their child has attempted to lie to them about something minor. Many parent’s are horrified that their kids have been so terribly influenced by their friends to disobey. And yet, it comes naturally for them. It’s in our nature. And it’s been passed on since Adam.

Jesus breaks the bondage caused by original sin. Theologians sometimes refer to Jesus as the Second Adam because he came to break the curse of the First Adam. Jesus doesn’t reverse Adam’s sin, but he does provide us with the ability to walk free of it. When you turn your life over to Christ and invite him into your life, the Bible tells us that your nature is changed. We become a new creation, a new person (see 1 Corinthians 5:17)

I’m not a big fan of the phrase, “I’m just a sinner saved by grace.” If you’re a Christ follower, that’s simply not true. You were a sinner. But that was before you were saved by grace. You are no longer a sinner, because your nature has been changed. Paul never refers to the Church as sinners. Most of the time he calls his readers “Saints.”

Imagine how differently people would behave if they stopped seeing themselves as “sinners saved by grace” and started to view them more biblicaly as “saints who occasionally sin.” I don’t know, it’s just a thought.

My prayer: Lord, far too often I see myself in a way that is much different than how you see me. I see myself as a sinner. As unrighteous. As bad. While I may do bad things, may behave unrighteously, and often sin, you don’t see me the way I see myself. You see me as holy, righteous, and good. In fact, you see me as a saint. Not because of anything I’ve done, but because of Jesus Christ. Would you help me see myself the way you see me? Amen.

Until tomorrow.

⁶ When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. ⁷ Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. ⁸ But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. ⁹ And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. ¹⁰ For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. ¹¹ So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.

Demonstrating Love

I’m always amazed when people focus in the later part of this verse and seem to forget the beginning part. People will ask me why it says we were “God’s enemies.” They focus on the negative wording rather than on the part that says how God demonstrated his love for us by sacrificing his son while we were still sinners.

Since some will have trouble moving forward unless I explain the “enemies” part of this passage, let me take a minute to give you my thoughts on it. Yes, we were once enemies of God. But it wasn’t the real “us” that was his enemy. It was the sin that had control over our lives. You see, God is absolutely holy. All sin is his enemy. And so, the sin that was within our nature battled against a holy God who wanted abundant life for us.

And yet, it was while we were still in that state: sinners, opposed to God, that he sent Jesus. And it was through Jesus’ death on the cross that the power of sin over our lives was broken and suddenly our nature was free to be connected once again to God.

But think about how he did it. While we were still enemies he demonstrated incredible love. Would you do that? Could you do that? If someone was directly opposed to you, their very nature hated everything you represented. They denounced you, mocked you, blamed you. Could you show the depth of love that God demonstrated? Would you sacrifice your family for an enemy?

God did. How incredible is that?

My prayer: Lord, it’s truly amazing. Grace. Undeserved merit. No, it’s more than just undeserved. It’s not just that I didn’t deserve your love. It’s that I deserved your wrath. I deserved punishment. And yet, while I was in that place of deserving the worse, you instead gave me the best. You gave me your son. Wow. Thank you. Amen.

Until tomorrow.

³ We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. ⁴ And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.⁵ And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

Hope In The Midst Of Trials

If you’re reading today’s devotional and you’re facing a difficult scenario, you might find Paul’s words a little shallow. It’s like the friend who says to you, “Well, hang in there, it’s going to get better!” In many ways, it’s cold comfort. Your trail may be huge. The pain very real. The fear of what tomorrow holds quite significant. And then you read, “Hang in there, your trial builds character!” Not exactly what you need to hear, is it?

So, read it again.

Only this time, read it right. And let the words sink in. Because what Paul is saying is far more powerful than simply, “Hang in there!” No, Paul wouldn’t dismiss our trials that lightly. He wouldn’t just toss out the whole, “Hey, I’m praying for you!” or “Well, sucks to be you, eh?” lines that we often here from people.

You see, Paul’s been there. He’s faced trials and problems. In fact, few of us could relate to the types of issues that Paul has had to deal with. Some of you are familiar with what he endured: five times he was whipped, three times he was beaten with rods, once he was beaten with stones, three times he was shipwrecked, once he spent twenty-four hours adrift at sea. And those are just some of the things he has faced! (see 2 Corinthians 11:24-27)

One of his most revealing comments, and one that helps explain today’s passage a little better, is found in 2 Corinthians 1:8-11. In that passage, Paul admits he believed he would die as a result of the trial he was facing. He, and his companions, were “crushed and overwhelmed beyond our ability to endure … in fact, we expected to die.” Perhaps some of you can relate to that level of despair. But Paul’s not done. He goes on to say these words, “As a result, we stopped relying on ourselves and learned to rely only on God … we have placed our confidence in him, and he will continue to rescue us.”

And that’s where today’s passage fits in. You see, Paul’s saying far more than simply, “Hey, your trial will build character.” No, he’s encouraging those who face trials to not lose sight of the God who stands with you in the midst of your trial. If you choose – and the choice really is yours to make – you can allow the trial you face to take you on a journey that will bring you to a place of confident hope in God. That journey goes through a season of character development, to a place of celebrating salvation, past the potential for disappointment until it brings you right into the arms of God.

Your trials can break you. Or, your trials can be the catalyst to take you deeper into the love and strength of God.

Paul allowed his trials to lead him on a journey to God. And because he did, he was able to say some of the most inspirational words you’ll find in Scripture. You can read them in Philippians 4:11-13. “… I have learned to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.”

Only someone who has face great trials can truly appreciate those words.

My prayer: Lord, I will not allow my trials to overcome me. Instead, I make the decision to take a journey. It begins in the place of pain and uncertainty that I am currently experiencing. But that is only the starting point. This journey takes me from my trial to that place of complete comfort that is found in your arms. My trials will not push me away from you, they will cause me to run to you. Into your arms. The strength I need will come from you. The hope I crave will be found in you. No matter what today or tomorrow holds, I trust … you. Amen.

Until tomorrow.

¹ Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. ² Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

Peace With God

I love the phrase peace with God. It says so much. Without realizing it, many people spend much of their lives striving to find peace with God. Again, we don’t call it that. We think we are looking for purpose, or fulfillment, or whatever, but what we are truly looking for is peace with God.

Peace with God brings all those other things. When we understand our relationship with God and live out our purpose as a result, we find fulfillment in everything we do. It really is that simple.

Paul refers to it as a place of undeserved privilege. And it’s exactly that. I wont rehash everything that I’ve said over the past week other than to remind us again that we did nothing to achieve peace with God. We simply accepted the gift of grace offered to us by Jesus Christ.

You know what I’ve discovered? Usually, when my heart is troubled and I feel unsettled or frustrated with where my life is at, it’s usually because I’ve wandered a bit from that place of peace with God. I’ve started to do things my way, according to my wants and desires. When I readjust my priorities and turn back to that connection with God, I quickly find the peace I crave once again.

If you’re there: that place of turmoil or frustration, perhaps it’s because you are doing the same thing. If so, then today is a good day to readjust your priorities again. It’s a good time to turn back to the undeserved privilege you have as a follower of Christ.

My prayer: Lord, thank you for the peace that we can experience with you. It is a peace that remains true even in the midst of the greatest of storms. Thank you for offering me peace with God. Forgive me when I stray from that place of peace. And when I do, help me get back on course. Amen.

Until tomorrow.

¹⁸ Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. For God had said to him, “That’s how many descendants you will have!” ¹⁹ And Abraham’s faith did not weaken, even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—and so was Sarah’s womb.

²⁰ Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God. ²¹ He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises. ²² And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous. ²³ And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit. It was recorded ²⁴ for our benefit, too, assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. ²⁵ He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.

God’s Promises

I’m pretty sure that most of us would not be thrilled if God promised us the same thing he promised Abraham. For those who don’t know the story, you can read it in Genesis 18. God promises that Abraham and his wife Sarah will have a son. Not only that, but their descendants will be as numerous as the stars. So far, most of us wouldn’t have a problem with such a promise. However, at the time God made this promise, both Abraham and Sarah were in their 90’s! Again, I don’t think too many of us would be thrilled with that promise.

But Abraham believed by faith. His faith continued to grow until he saw the promise of God fulfilled. I love who Paul describes Abraham’s faith: He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.

Do you have that kind of faith. Some days I do. Some days, not so much. However, I want to have that kind of faith all the time.

The fact is, God’s promises are true. When he promises something, we can count on it. It will happen just as he said it would.

And what’s the promise that Paul is telling us we can have complete hope is true? That Christ paid the price for our sin. We are free. We are accepted by God. He does see us as righteous. It’s true. Stop striving. Stop trying to earn God’s acceptance. It’s done. It’s a promise we can have confidence in.

My prayer: God, you know how I waiver. I doubt. I fear when I should trust. As the Apostle Thomas asked, “I believe. Help me with my unbelief.” That is my prayer today. I do believe that your promises are true and trustworthy. Yet, help me when I doubt. Help me when I second guess. Strengthen my faith. Amen.

Until tomorrow.

¹³ Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was based not on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith. ¹⁴ If God’s promise is only for those who obey the law, then faith is not necessary and the promise is pointless. ¹⁵ For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!)

¹⁶ So the promise is received by faith. It is given as a free gift. And we are all certain to receive it, whether or not we live according to the law of Moses, if we have faith like Abraham’s. For Abraham is the father of all who believe. ¹⁷ That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.

Two Choices. Now Decide.

It really does boil down to two options. Either we emphasize the Law, and demand that people follow it to the letter in order to experience forgiveness from sin. Or, we accept the gift of grace and recognize that it isn’t in what we do or don’t do, but in what Christ has already done.

It can’t be both. Not for you nor for those you want to point a finger at. It’s one option for everyone.

Again, the choice we make will determine how we view all that we do as Christ followers. It doesn’t change that God calls us to a certain standard. Sin is very much a reality in today’s age. What changes is the attitude with which we face God’s standard. Do we face it with the pressure of having to obey God or face his wrath? Or do we face it with the desire to please a God who has done so much for us.

That attitude is determined by how you view forgiveness. Is it based on what we do in obeying the Law or is it based on what unmerited grace. You decide.

My prayer: I chose to base forgiveness on unmerited grace. By faith I once again receive all that you have done on my behalf. I choose to live my life according to your plan because I recognize that what you have in store for me is more wonderful than anything I could imagine on my own. Take my life and let me live freely for you this day. Amen.

Until tomorrow.

⁹ Now, is this blessing only for the Jews, or is it also for uncircumcised Gentiles? Well, we have been saying that Abraham was counted as righteous by God because of his faith. ¹⁰ But how did this happen? Was he counted as righteous only after he was circumcised, or was it before he was circumcised? Clearly, God accepted Abraham before he was circumcised!

¹¹ Circumcision was a sign that Abraham already had faith and that God had already accepted him and declared him to be righteous—even before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the spiritual father of those who have faith but have not been circumcised. They are counted as righteous because of their faith. ¹² And Abraham is also the spiritual father of those who have been circumcised, but only if they have the same kind of faith Abraham had before he was circumcised.

A Sign of Faith

If only we could learn from the past. If only we’d stop having the same disagreements and battles within the Church. If only we’d stop pointing fingers. I’ve said it before in this devotional, and I’ll probably say it many more times, but those who are quick to judge others clearly do not have a good grasp of grace in their own life. If you saw your massive debt paid off by a stranger (to use yesterday’s example), you would not look at someone else’s debt and tell them how foolish they are. Instead, you would look at them with empathy and then tell them about the one who pays off people’s debt.

In the New Testament, Jesus encouraged us to be baptized in water. Baptism wasn’t done in order to be saved. Rather, it was a symbol of the change that had already happened. It is an outward, visible sign of a transformed heart. Paul suggests that circumcision was no different for Abraham. It was a sign of the faith he had inward.

As soon as you make the outward act – whether it is circumcision, water baptism, or something else – a requirement for salvation, then grace is no longer unmerited. You have to do something to earn it. Paul is making it clear to the Jews in Rome that they cannot require the Gentiles to be circumcised in order to be part of the Church. To do so would negate the power of grace for all of them. It must be avoided.

I have no problem with encouraging people to respond outwardly as a sign of what has happened inwardly. (Of course, I’m grateful that I’m part of the era of water baptism rather than circumcision!) However, when we do a water baptism service, we make it clear, baptism isn’t saving anyone. It’s declaring what has already happened.

My prayer: Lord, help me. It seems so easy to fall back into the trap of pointing fingers. It seems to run in my nature to want to earn my salvation. And yet, I know I can’t earn it. Help me see when I’m shifting my focus from gratitude to trying to earn your love. I need to be reminded often of the grace that is mine simply by receiving it. Amen.

Until tomorrow.

⁴ When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. ⁵ But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners. ⁶ David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for it:

⁷ “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. ⁸ Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of sin.”

Free Money

Yesterday, Paul referenced Abraham, one of the most highly respected people within Jewish culture. Today, he uses another of the key people in Jewish history: David. And he uses an example that is easy for all of us to relate to: earning a living.

Imagine you were sitting at your dining room table working on your personal finances. You feel burdened under the weight of your debt. Spread across the table are all kinds of bills. Mortgage, credit cards, car and motorcycle loans, etc. It’s overwhelming to see how much debt you have. As you start to work out the numbers it becomes too much, and you feel the tears coming. Some of you can relate to this scenario. It hits close to home.

Now, imagine there’s a knock on the door. You try to compose yourself as you stand up and walk towards the door. As you open it, you are greeted with a stranger. “I’m wondering if I could have a minute of your time.” He says, and you immediately assume he is a salesman. You start to close the door on him, but he asks again, “Please, I promise I’m not trying to sell you anything. If you’d only give me a minute, I could change your life. I wont force what I’m offering on you, and if you choose to close the door on me, I’ll leave, but if you give me just one minute, I have something that will give you hope.”

Hope? How does he know you were feeling hopeless? You stand there and debate with yourself. Do you close the door or do you let him in. Finally, you decide to give him the time he is asking for. You invite him in. He tells you that he knows about the burden you are carrying. He knows about the pile of paperwork on your table, and the amount of debt you’ve accumulated. And then he offers to cover your debt. To pay all the bills and give you freedom from a burden you cannot resolve on your own.

Now, go to the day after the bills were paid off. You’re sitting at the table again. Only this time, there are no bills screaming at you. You feel completely free. The burden is gone. The main took care of something that wasn’t his and he did it without any strings attached.

How would you feel? Would you be smug? Would you feel like you deserved the treatment from the stranger? Or, as you thought of him, would you find your heart overwhelmed with gratitude?

THAT’S what Paul is driving at when he quotes David. “Oh, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of sin.”

My prayer: Lord, I had a debt that I could not pay. It was beyond my ability to fix. I had broken the Law far too much. My record of wrongs was great. And yet, you stood at the door and knocked. When I invited you in, you offered me a gift that I did not deserve. You wiped away my record of wrongs. You gave me a clean slate. Words will never be adequate to express the gratitude I have for what you did for me. Lord, you have my heart, my life. Amen.

Until tomorrow.