Romans 8:28-34 (NIV)
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
31 What, then, shall we say in response to this? 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, along with him, graciously give us all things?
33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.
34 Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
You can read all the verses above, but pay special attention to verse 30. People ask me if I believe in once saved always saved and I say yes if the person is really saved then they will stay saved. The key is if they are saved and in the end only God knows and that person, but surely not us. A principle that is used in interpreting the Bible is that a person should always take the clearer passages over the more obscure ones. I am aware of the other passages that seem to lend themselves to losing your salvation, however upon a closer look at those passages you will see that most of them are written to the Jews who had converted to Christ. The Jews had special issues in coming to Christ. They wanted to bring Old Testament practices with them while following Christ. When you read chapter 8 of Romans, especially from verse 28 till the end, it is so clear that when God has you in the Body of Christ that He does not remove you. Look at verse 30 again and you will see that all of this salvation work is His work and it is completed. God already sees us as glorified--period. I do not find a clearer passage on this subject of eternal security. My joke is that God does not write our name in the Lamb's book of life in pencil. Look at the implications in the following verses of 31-34. Our response to this truth is one of security, because if God is for us who can be against us?! No one or nothing can be against us. We are free to move about the cabin--amen.
It is not your hold of Christ that saves you, but his hold of you!
Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834–1892)
Monday, May 31, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
Romans 8:28-30 (NIV)
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
Please read these verses very carefully. These verses are misunderstood more than about any that I know of in the Scriptures. Perhaps, if you have time, write down what you think these verses are saying to us as believers. When you write something down it forces you to really come to grips with words and remember words matter.
I believe the biggest problem is the word 'good.' Many want to snatch this word out of the context of these verses and make it say something that is not there. I would say about half of the people that do this 'good' thing are people who have sinned and are trying to justify what they have done. They will say, "Well, pastor, you know God works these things out for the good." The question is for the good of what? The what comes down to the purpose. This 'good' is tied to those who have been called according to His purpose. In verse 29 the purpose is revealed as His followers becoming like Jesus Christ. We will sin, but it is not so we can become more like Jesus Christ. When we sin we must repent and ask God for forgiveness. When God forgives He wipes the sin away forever. I am not saying that God can't take our sins and use them for His glory. What I am saying is God does not take our sin and help us become like Jesus Christ.
I believe in predestination, but not as the many of the philosophers speak about this subject. Most who believe in predestination wind up becoming fatalist. They will say, "Well it is God's will." When they say that it means we are to just sit back in whatever circumstance and just take it. The atheist who is a fatalist sees the world in that the fix is in the DNA. We have no control over our circumstances, therefore we just hang on for the ride. No where in the Scriptures does it teach fatalism. Look at the context of the word predestined and you will find that it is in context of Christ followers being conformed to Christ's image. We as followers of Christ are destined to be like Jesus. If any fix is in, it is that God is going to deliver on His promise!
Are you aiming to become like Jesus Christ in your character and in your mission? What action steps are you taking on a daily basis to create an environment for this growth to happen?
A Christian is:
a mind through which Christ thinks;
a heart through which Christ loves;
a voice through which Christ speaks;
a hand through which Christ helps.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
Please read these verses very carefully. These verses are misunderstood more than about any that I know of in the Scriptures. Perhaps, if you have time, write down what you think these verses are saying to us as believers. When you write something down it forces you to really come to grips with words and remember words matter.
I believe the biggest problem is the word 'good.' Many want to snatch this word out of the context of these verses and make it say something that is not there. I would say about half of the people that do this 'good' thing are people who have sinned and are trying to justify what they have done. They will say, "Well, pastor, you know God works these things out for the good." The question is for the good of what? The what comes down to the purpose. This 'good' is tied to those who have been called according to His purpose. In verse 29 the purpose is revealed as His followers becoming like Jesus Christ. We will sin, but it is not so we can become more like Jesus Christ. When we sin we must repent and ask God for forgiveness. When God forgives He wipes the sin away forever. I am not saying that God can't take our sins and use them for His glory. What I am saying is God does not take our sin and help us become like Jesus Christ.
I believe in predestination, but not as the many of the philosophers speak about this subject. Most who believe in predestination wind up becoming fatalist. They will say, "Well it is God's will." When they say that it means we are to just sit back in whatever circumstance and just take it. The atheist who is a fatalist sees the world in that the fix is in the DNA. We have no control over our circumstances, therefore we just hang on for the ride. No where in the Scriptures does it teach fatalism. Look at the context of the word predestined and you will find that it is in context of Christ followers being conformed to Christ's image. We as followers of Christ are destined to be like Jesus. If any fix is in, it is that God is going to deliver on His promise!
Are you aiming to become like Jesus Christ in your character and in your mission? What action steps are you taking on a daily basis to create an environment for this growth to happen?
A Christian is:
a mind through which Christ thinks;
a heart through which Christ loves;
a voice through which Christ speaks;
a hand through which Christ helps.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Romans 8:26-27 (NIV)
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.
All of us need help at one time or another. The truth be told we need more help than we care to admit. It is not in most peoples nature to say that they are weak. We have all been told, "put your best foot forward or there is no second chance for a first impression." People have learned that others can exploit your weakness. However, that is not the way of the church and for certain is not the way of the Lord. I am not saying it doesn't happen in the church; it is not the way of love.
The Lord knows how weak we are and especially in the area of prayer. One leader says we are a ten in some area but we also are a one in some other area. The Spirit of the Lord has come to set us free, to give us victory over sin, and to help us in our prayer life. I do not know the inner workings of the Spirit, but we can trust Him that when we pray God is there to help and not to exploit our weakness. The Spirit of God does not work independently of God's will. This is a comforting thought when we are trying to intercede for ourselves, friends, and family. There is a mystery in the prayer life. Join in the mystery and ask God to use you.
As artists give themselves to their models, and poets to their classical pursuits, so must we addict ourselves to prayer.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834–1892)
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.
All of us need help at one time or another. The truth be told we need more help than we care to admit. It is not in most peoples nature to say that they are weak. We have all been told, "put your best foot forward or there is no second chance for a first impression." People have learned that others can exploit your weakness. However, that is not the way of the church and for certain is not the way of the Lord. I am not saying it doesn't happen in the church; it is not the way of love.
The Lord knows how weak we are and especially in the area of prayer. One leader says we are a ten in some area but we also are a one in some other area. The Spirit of the Lord has come to set us free, to give us victory over sin, and to help us in our prayer life. I do not know the inner workings of the Spirit, but we can trust Him that when we pray God is there to help and not to exploit our weakness. The Spirit of God does not work independently of God's will. This is a comforting thought when we are trying to intercede for ourselves, friends, and family. There is a mystery in the prayer life. Join in the mystery and ask God to use you.
As artists give themselves to their models, and poets to their classical pursuits, so must we addict ourselves to prayer.
Charles Haddon Spurgeon (1834–1892)
Monday, May 24, 2010
Romans 8:22-25 (NIV)
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?
25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
Listen to Paul's words as he describes what creation is experiencing while awaiting it's redemption. He is saying it is "groaning" as if it is in labor. We, with the Spirit in us, also groan as we await our adoption. This is the tension that we have to live in. It is the tightrope that we must walk in this life. The temptation is to go off and isolate ourselves in order to moan and groan in private until our Savior arrives. The other option is to join the world in full force and drown out the moaning by all the stuff here. We must not choose either of these options, but rather choose to live here with His light shining through us even though we groan. When I sit down with my unchurched friends or my lost churched friends and get real about the pain of this life and the difficulties I have faced, that does not send them packing, it draws them. Life is not pain free. Life is not without loss. What we need is hope. This hope of which Paul refers to is not hope in hope. The hope we need is rooted and grounded in the truth that we are children of God. God is coming back for us and in this we can have our hope. We have hope right here and now that the life we live for Christ is not going to be tossed out at the end of the game. We have hope of transformation and even the transformation of the society we live in. The two great awakenings brought with them tremendous societal transformation. Perhaps, and this is the kicker, we must wait patiently!! Wow, anything but that word. Waiting is bad enough, but to wait patiently is to say we cannot wait with an "attitude."
Here is a little exercise you can try today. Every hour, on the hour, purposely connect or reconnect with God.
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?
25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
Listen to Paul's words as he describes what creation is experiencing while awaiting it's redemption. He is saying it is "groaning" as if it is in labor. We, with the Spirit in us, also groan as we await our adoption. This is the tension that we have to live in. It is the tightrope that we must walk in this life. The temptation is to go off and isolate ourselves in order to moan and groan in private until our Savior arrives. The other option is to join the world in full force and drown out the moaning by all the stuff here. We must not choose either of these options, but rather choose to live here with His light shining through us even though we groan. When I sit down with my unchurched friends or my lost churched friends and get real about the pain of this life and the difficulties I have faced, that does not send them packing, it draws them. Life is not pain free. Life is not without loss. What we need is hope. This hope of which Paul refers to is not hope in hope. The hope we need is rooted and grounded in the truth that we are children of God. God is coming back for us and in this we can have our hope. We have hope right here and now that the life we live for Christ is not going to be tossed out at the end of the game. We have hope of transformation and even the transformation of the society we live in. The two great awakenings brought with them tremendous societal transformation. Perhaps, and this is the kicker, we must wait patiently!! Wow, anything but that word. Waiting is bad enough, but to wait patiently is to say we cannot wait with an "attitude."
Here is a little exercise you can try today. Every hour, on the hour, purposely connect or reconnect with God.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Romans 8:18-21 (NIV)
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.
20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope
21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
When we as humans receive our ultimate liberation, then all will be set free. When we sin it never just affects us, there are always others involved. Adam and Eve sinned and the whole creation was rocked!! Paul uses some unusual language to help us understand how intertwined our lives are with creation. Did you notice? "The creation itself waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed." Paul gives life to this called creation. I do not advocate a new age type "energy" however, Paul is using human attributes to describe what is going on in this place called earth. God made this place and the Lord loves it all, and is redeeming all of it. Yes, God loves us more and gave His Son to reconcile us to Himself. The benefit though is to all creation. When we sin it affects others, on the positive side when we do deeds of righteousness that also affects others. We must wait along with creation in eager anticipation for Christ's coming to gather us unto Himself and rescue the whole place.
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed.
20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope
21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
When we as humans receive our ultimate liberation, then all will be set free. When we sin it never just affects us, there are always others involved. Adam and Eve sinned and the whole creation was rocked!! Paul uses some unusual language to help us understand how intertwined our lives are with creation. Did you notice? "The creation itself waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed." Paul gives life to this called creation. I do not advocate a new age type "energy" however, Paul is using human attributes to describe what is going on in this place called earth. God made this place and the Lord loves it all, and is redeeming all of it. Yes, God loves us more and gave His Son to reconcile us to Himself. The benefit though is to all creation. When we sin it affects others, on the positive side when we do deeds of righteousness that also affects others. We must wait along with creation in eager anticipation for Christ's coming to gather us unto Himself and rescue the whole place.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Romans 8:15-17 (NIV)
15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."
16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.
17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
We have exchanged the spirit of fear and bondage for the Spirit of freedom and sonship!! Paul wrote Timothy and said, " For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." 2nd Timothy 1:7 Our true freedom comes from our being reconciled to our Maker and Savior, God Almighty. We call this God, Father! It is unbelievable that we are encouraged to dive deep into our Lord and to be on such familiar terms with this God that we are to cry out "Papa!" We are called God's children. We were once children of darkness and served that kingdom, but because of the grace of God we are now children of light. Know this, that it is God who brings us the inheritance thing and not ourselves or each other. God gives us all things just as He gives all things freely to His Son Jesus Christ. Yes, God treats us just like His Son Jesus Christ. This is phenomenal stuff and we should stop and give thanks to God. Amen? AMEN!
God carries your picture in his wallet.
Tony Campolo
15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father."
16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.
17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
We have exchanged the spirit of fear and bondage for the Spirit of freedom and sonship!! Paul wrote Timothy and said, " For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." 2nd Timothy 1:7 Our true freedom comes from our being reconciled to our Maker and Savior, God Almighty. We call this God, Father! It is unbelievable that we are encouraged to dive deep into our Lord and to be on such familiar terms with this God that we are to cry out "Papa!" We are called God's children. We were once children of darkness and served that kingdom, but because of the grace of God we are now children of light. Know this, that it is God who brings us the inheritance thing and not ourselves or each other. God gives us all things just as He gives all things freely to His Son Jesus Christ. Yes, God treats us just like His Son Jesus Christ. This is phenomenal stuff and we should stop and give thanks to God. Amen? AMEN!
God carries your picture in his wallet.
Tony Campolo
Monday, May 17, 2010
Romans 8:5-8 (NIV)
5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace;
7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.
8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
I would encourage you to read the book by John Stott on Romans. Romans chapter 8 is a filled with tremendous truths about our walk with the God. It is one of the premiere chapters on our walk in the Spirit.
If I am counting correctly, Paul uses the word 'mind' in these 4 verses, no less than 5 times. Paul is wanting us to mind our P's and Q's. Our mindset is so important in anything we do. When we go to work our mindset can be one of disdain or we can take our work as a challenge and ask God to help us make it a ministry. If a believer still has the mindset that their life is their own then the results for that believers life will be radically different than those of a believer who has the mindset of surrender to the Lord and His Spirit. This mindset principle works in sports, family, marriage, and and yes the church's life. Our mind as a believer is to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. What does a person look like that has their mind controlled by the living Spirit of God? How does a person whose mind is controlled by the Holy Spirit behave in life? There is only one way to please God and that is to be controlled by God's Holy Spirit.
The Spirit’s control will replace sin’s control. His power is greater than the power of all your sin.
Erwin W. Lutzer (1941– )
5 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.
6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace;
7 the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so.
8 Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God.
I would encourage you to read the book by John Stott on Romans. Romans chapter 8 is a filled with tremendous truths about our walk with the God. It is one of the premiere chapters on our walk in the Spirit.
If I am counting correctly, Paul uses the word 'mind' in these 4 verses, no less than 5 times. Paul is wanting us to mind our P's and Q's. Our mindset is so important in anything we do. When we go to work our mindset can be one of disdain or we can take our work as a challenge and ask God to help us make it a ministry. If a believer still has the mindset that their life is their own then the results for that believers life will be radically different than those of a believer who has the mindset of surrender to the Lord and His Spirit. This mindset principle works in sports, family, marriage, and and yes the church's life. Our mind as a believer is to be controlled by the Holy Spirit. What does a person look like that has their mind controlled by the living Spirit of God? How does a person whose mind is controlled by the Holy Spirit behave in life? There is only one way to please God and that is to be controlled by God's Holy Spirit.
The Spirit’s control will replace sin’s control. His power is greater than the power of all your sin.
Erwin W. Lutzer (1941– )
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