Romans 8
When we approach the Day of Pentecost, our minds are often drawn to the events of Acts 2, or to the instruction of the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians. We tend to think of the relatively spectacular events of the early church or of the public gifts of tongues and prophecy. These are certainly realities in the life of the Spirit-filled church, but when we pay attention to the New Testament we discover a wealth of information about the role of the Spirit in the life of a believer today. Why is the Spirit with us? What is it the Spirit does among us and in my life? One chapter in particular, maybe surprisingly so, provides us with a lot information about the work of the Holy Spirit.
When Paul opens Romans 8, we read one of the most pivotal moments in the epistles:
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” (vs. 1,2)
Paul has just described the back-breaking frustration we are left in, caught between the Mosaic law—that tells us what to do to please God—and the law of sin and death—that makes it impossible for me to please God on my own. The only thing that can break the tension set up in chapter 7 is the activity of the Spirit in me; the only thing more powerful than the law of sin and death is the law of the Spirit of life. Because the Spirit-with-us does its work, there is no condemnation for those in Christ. In other words, the believer no longer lives under the “continuous, low-lying black cloud” of guilt and sin (The Message).
Paul then introduces another facet to the Spirit-led life:
“in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (vs. 4)
The believer is described as someone who now has the option to walk according to a Spirit-lead life instead of being bound by sin and death. Not only are we asked to live this new kind of life, we are given access to the mind and will of the Father and the power to live it out through the work of the Spirit. The Spirit knows the mind of God (Rom 8:27), reveals it to us (1 Cor. 2:10), and empowers us to lead a new kind of life (Acts 1:8, Gal. 5:18).
The Spirit gives life to my mortal body: “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he…will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you” (vs. 11). I have the hope of eternal life with God and a taste of his presence here and now because the Spirit is with me.
The Spirit is my adoption document: “but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’” (vs. 14). I am heir to the kingdom of my Abba, Father because the Spirit dwells within me.
The Spirit communicates with me: “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (vs. 16). Elsewhere we know the Spirit communicates many things (John 14:26; 16:8-11), but here, the message is one of adoption, forgiveness, grace, and “no condemnation.”
The Spirit aids me in my weakness, praying through me and for me: “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words” (vs. 26). It is a great encouragement that the Spirit, who walks every step of life with me, is constantly advocating for me before my Father in heaven. Likewise, the Spirit provides for me a language of prayer I don’t always understand, but is nonetheless genuine intercession.
Paul also describes the Spirit as a taste of eternity. We, and creation, stumble along in a broken and deeply imperfect world, but because of the Spirit-with-us, we carry a seed of the kingdom of God. We are, so to speak, pregnant with eternity.
“For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” (vs. 22, 23)
Everything else we know from Romans 8 is true in our lives because the Spirit is the experiential, lynch-pin in the life of the believer.
“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose....If God is for us, who can be against us?...No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.... I am sure that [nothing] will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
God’s Spirit-with-us makes all this real.
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
God's Comfort to Baruch: Jeremiah 45
Jeremiah 45
Between the narrative of Jeremiah’s life and the list of prophecies against the nations, we read a small chapter concerning his scribe and close friend, Baruch. Though our attention has been on Jeremiah and what he has endured to bring God’s Word to his people, we discover that Baruch has been with him almost every step of the way, and suffered his own setbacks and frustrations.
To hear what chapter 45 wants to say, we need to review a moment in Baruch’s life. This chapter takes place in the “fourth year of Jehoiakim.” In Baruch’s timeline, this corresponds with the events of Jeremiah 36 where Jeremiah has Baruch transcribe everything he said and take it into the Temple to read it.
Imagine, for a moment, what it means for Baruch to transcribe Jeremiah’s words. First of all, Baruch is from a family of religious and political scribes. This is Baruch’s vocation, and he does it for God. He is not a prophet, politician, or priest that people should notice him as a powerful public figure. He is a scribe and he has decided to dedicate his gift to his God. In some ways, Baruch may be easier for us to relate to than Jeremiah. He is a common man who simply wanted to take what God gave him and use it for God’s purposes.
Secondly, this transcription had to have taken months to finish. Jeremiah could be a long-winded individual at times, and Baruch is tasked with handwriting each and every syllable. If a mistake is made, Baruch needs to start all over. No word-processing, no auto-correction, no short cuts. In every sense of both words, this was a labor of love.
Back in chapter 36, we read that Baruch is initially received well as a group of people sympathetic toward Jeremiah take Baruch and his scroll to the king. There, in his winter lodging before his fire, king Jehoiakim tears each column as it is read and throws it into the fire.
Baruch literally watches as his labor for God goes up in flame.
Baruch expresses himself to God:
“Woe is me! For the LORD has added sorrow to my pain. I am weary with my groaning, and I find no rest.” (vs. 3)
What would you counsel Baruch at a moment like this when he exposes his anger and anguish at the pain in his life? Would you tell him everything will be OK? Would you tell him that God works everything for good? Would you tell him God has a plan for his life? Would you tell him to search for sin in his life?
Here is the gist of God’s answer: “I know.”
This is comforting almost beyond words to me. I have a God who knows the evil in the world, the pain I suffer, and in fact, suffered it right alongside of me. I do not worship a God who is not touched by my anguish and sorrow (Heb. 4:14-16).
The payoff for Baruch is more than he could ever accomplish on his own or hope for as a reward for his labor.
"But I will give you your life as a prize of war in all places to which you may go." (vs. 5)
Baruch’s reward for his faithfulness is that God will go before him everywhere he goes and keep him in every situation. It is more than any of us has a right to ask for.
Express yourself to God. Remain faithful to your Savior. And the Father of all compassion and the God of all mercy will comfort you will the comfort you need.
Between the narrative of Jeremiah’s life and the list of prophecies against the nations, we read a small chapter concerning his scribe and close friend, Baruch. Though our attention has been on Jeremiah and what he has endured to bring God’s Word to his people, we discover that Baruch has been with him almost every step of the way, and suffered his own setbacks and frustrations.
To hear what chapter 45 wants to say, we need to review a moment in Baruch’s life. This chapter takes place in the “fourth year of Jehoiakim.” In Baruch’s timeline, this corresponds with the events of Jeremiah 36 where Jeremiah has Baruch transcribe everything he said and take it into the Temple to read it.
Imagine, for a moment, what it means for Baruch to transcribe Jeremiah’s words. First of all, Baruch is from a family of religious and political scribes. This is Baruch’s vocation, and he does it for God. He is not a prophet, politician, or priest that people should notice him as a powerful public figure. He is a scribe and he has decided to dedicate his gift to his God. In some ways, Baruch may be easier for us to relate to than Jeremiah. He is a common man who simply wanted to take what God gave him and use it for God’s purposes.
Secondly, this transcription had to have taken months to finish. Jeremiah could be a long-winded individual at times, and Baruch is tasked with handwriting each and every syllable. If a mistake is made, Baruch needs to start all over. No word-processing, no auto-correction, no short cuts. In every sense of both words, this was a labor of love.
Back in chapter 36, we read that Baruch is initially received well as a group of people sympathetic toward Jeremiah take Baruch and his scroll to the king. There, in his winter lodging before his fire, king Jehoiakim tears each column as it is read and throws it into the fire.
Baruch literally watches as his labor for God goes up in flame.
Baruch expresses himself to God:
“Woe is me! For the LORD has added sorrow to my pain. I am weary with my groaning, and I find no rest.” (vs. 3)
What would you counsel Baruch at a moment like this when he exposes his anger and anguish at the pain in his life? Would you tell him everything will be OK? Would you tell him that God works everything for good? Would you tell him God has a plan for his life? Would you tell him to search for sin in his life?
Here is the gist of God’s answer: “I know.”
This is comforting almost beyond words to me. I have a God who knows the evil in the world, the pain I suffer, and in fact, suffered it right alongside of me. I do not worship a God who is not touched by my anguish and sorrow (Heb. 4:14-16).
The payoff for Baruch is more than he could ever accomplish on his own or hope for as a reward for his labor.
"But I will give you your life as a prize of war in all places to which you may go." (vs. 5)
Baruch’s reward for his faithfulness is that God will go before him everywhere he goes and keep him in every situation. It is more than any of us has a right to ask for.
Express yourself to God. Remain faithful to your Savior. And the Father of all compassion and the God of all mercy will comfort you will the comfort you need.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Why do I Worship this God?: Jeremiah 44:15-23
Jeremiah 44:15-23
By now in the book of Jeremiah, God and Jeremiah have warned the people of Judah and Jerusalem that their rebellion would bring destruction, the destruction came, and they have been warned again that if they continue in their sinfulness they will suffer even more for their sins. Everything Jeremiah said would come to pass came to pass, and the people he talks with in this passage know it. So what might be their reaction to another warning and promise from Jeremiah: a warning that sin will bring more pain and a promise that repentance will bring the blessing of God?
“As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we will not listen to you.” (vs. 16)
That is a pretty straightforward response. Instead of listening to Jeremiah, they decided to move ahead with their pagan family traditions teaching their children how to worship foreign gods. Part of what is so valuable about their full response is their reason for ignoring God.
“For then we had plenty of food, and prospered, and saw no disaster. But since we left off making offerings to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been consumed by the sword and by famine.” (vs. 17-18)
In the Message paraphrase, they literally say, “In the good old days” things were great. What they are more than likely referring to are the days before Josiah’s reforms. Josiah, the last good king of Judah, tried to return the nation to God a generation before. For a while and in some circles the reform found fertile ground, but on the whole, it did not work. These people’s perception now is that things were all wine and roses before Josiah came along talking about God. Josiah’s reign coincided with the rise of their Babylonian conquers. In their minds, worshiping God fouled everything up.
Jeremiah responds by clarifying their memory. Instead of their obedience to God, it was their insistence on making offerings to foreign gods that brought disaster. In fact, when one traces the historical fact, Jeremiah is right. The way the rebellious people are remembering the past is exactly wrong.
If their facts are all wrong, why, then, did they make the religious decisions they made? In their perception of things, these pagan religions worked for them—they were religious pragmatists. As far as they were concerned, if religion did stuff for them, or if a god served their needs, that was all the reason they needed. Notice this decision has nothing to do with whether it is actually true or false.
Our culture views religion in general and Christianity specifically this way. As a whole, we want God and Christianity to do stuff for us. In light of the rebellious, doomed worshipers in Egypt, we need to pose this question: why do I make the faith decisions I do?
Is my faith about what “works” for me according to my own definitions? Is church about what they have for me? Do I read the Bible to find God’s promises to me? Do I worship when it fits my needs, my tastes, and my schedule? Do I pray because it may get God to do stuff for me?
Don’t get me wrong. These things are realities in my journey through life and faith. But, ultimately, do I come to Christ as a genie in the sky, or as the Creator and sovereign Ruler of the universe and Lord of my life? God resists being told what to do. The unfathomable riches of the Kingdom of God are open to the worshiper who humbly comes to God saying, “Thy will be done.”
By now in the book of Jeremiah, God and Jeremiah have warned the people of Judah and Jerusalem that their rebellion would bring destruction, the destruction came, and they have been warned again that if they continue in their sinfulness they will suffer even more for their sins. Everything Jeremiah said would come to pass came to pass, and the people he talks with in this passage know it. So what might be their reaction to another warning and promise from Jeremiah: a warning that sin will bring more pain and a promise that repentance will bring the blessing of God?
“As for the word that you have spoken to us in the name of the LORD, we will not listen to you.” (vs. 16)
That is a pretty straightforward response. Instead of listening to Jeremiah, they decided to move ahead with their pagan family traditions teaching their children how to worship foreign gods. Part of what is so valuable about their full response is their reason for ignoring God.
“For then we had plenty of food, and prospered, and saw no disaster. But since we left off making offerings to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have lacked everything and have been consumed by the sword and by famine.” (vs. 17-18)
In the Message paraphrase, they literally say, “In the good old days” things were great. What they are more than likely referring to are the days before Josiah’s reforms. Josiah, the last good king of Judah, tried to return the nation to God a generation before. For a while and in some circles the reform found fertile ground, but on the whole, it did not work. These people’s perception now is that things were all wine and roses before Josiah came along talking about God. Josiah’s reign coincided with the rise of their Babylonian conquers. In their minds, worshiping God fouled everything up.
Jeremiah responds by clarifying their memory. Instead of their obedience to God, it was their insistence on making offerings to foreign gods that brought disaster. In fact, when one traces the historical fact, Jeremiah is right. The way the rebellious people are remembering the past is exactly wrong.
If their facts are all wrong, why, then, did they make the religious decisions they made? In their perception of things, these pagan religions worked for them—they were religious pragmatists. As far as they were concerned, if religion did stuff for them, or if a god served their needs, that was all the reason they needed. Notice this decision has nothing to do with whether it is actually true or false.
Our culture views religion in general and Christianity specifically this way. As a whole, we want God and Christianity to do stuff for us. In light of the rebellious, doomed worshipers in Egypt, we need to pose this question: why do I make the faith decisions I do?
Is my faith about what “works” for me according to my own definitions? Is church about what they have for me? Do I read the Bible to find God’s promises to me? Do I worship when it fits my needs, my tastes, and my schedule? Do I pray because it may get God to do stuff for me?
Don’t get me wrong. These things are realities in my journey through life and faith. But, ultimately, do I come to Christ as a genie in the sky, or as the Creator and sovereign Ruler of the universe and Lord of my life? God resists being told what to do. The unfathomable riches of the Kingdom of God are open to the worshiper who humbly comes to God saying, “Thy will be done.”
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