Romans 4

Romans 4

Well, obviously, we're talking about faith here. I don't know how many of you are familiar with the full story of Abraham, but if you're not, you need to go back and re-read it. (CLick Here) This is the dude who took his son up on a mountain and was going to offer him as the sacrifice. That's right... he was gonna kill his son, because God told him to. I'm not going to ruin it for you. Suffice it to say, Abraham was found to have more faith than any man in the world. This is what Paul is talking about when he says it was recorded for our sakes. Not Abraham's.

This is important! Don't miss this. Paul is still setting up his letter here. I know we're in the fourth chapter, but still, Paul is educated. Remember? He knows he needs to set the stage and the groundwork for the bomb that he's about to drop, which is... Jesus is the Son of God. Moses' law is bunk, and the only way you can enter into heaven is to have... (here it is!) FAITH!. This is why Paul is spending so much time on this subject. The Jews and the gentiles were all aware of the story of Abraham. No one, believer or not, doubted the faith that Abraham had. And this is what Paul was trying to make them see. And here's why. Because Jesus had already ascended into heaven. The only way someone could become a Christ follower, is because they had faith that Jesus was who He said he was. Still holds true today.

So.... how's your faith? BIG question. I'll be honest with you. I've had times when my faith was weak. I think it's a natural occurrence. As long as we live on this world, we will always have Satan planting doubts about things in our lives. Especially our faith. The key is to stay in the word. Equip yourself with the spiritual armor that Paul talks about in Ephesians 6. And don't forget that you are the sons and daughters of THE King.... not "A" king, but "THE" King.

-Robbie

Romans 3

“But,” some might say, “our sinfulness serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how righteous God is. Isn’t it unfair, then, for him to punish us?”

This week we're looking at Romans 3.

Seriously? Do you know anyone who would adapt this theology? Ludicrous right? Not so fast....! I think we see it more often than not. I don't know that anyone actually has the conversation with anyone actually using those words, but when we continuously pursue sin, instead of our Father, isn't that what we are saying?

Yes, this may sound a little over dramatized, but it's the reality of it. We cannot take the stance that by sinning, we actually highlight God's righteousness. I've actually heard people say, "Yeah, but God still loves me". So? So what? I love my son, but when he acts up, or is just plain bad... I get all up in his mix! LOL. You don't think that God is going to discipline us? You're crazy! Just because He loves us doesn't mean that he won't hold us accountable and discipline us. To actually suggest that by sinning, we showcase how righteous God is, and that it is unfair for him to punish us, is only kidding ourselves.

Romans 2

So, Paul begins to lay the foundation to his argument for Jesus, in chapter 2 of Romans. Paul was very meticulous in how he approached the Jewish nation. He, himself, was a Pharisee. He knew the "law" as well as any of them. He persecuted the Christians, even unto death. So he knew the arguments that he would come against in proclaiming that Jesus was the messiah. So, as we begin this chapter, we see Paul starting from the beginning with them. He talks about how they believe that they can be saved through Moses' law. And, up until the life of Jesus, that IS how they were to be saved: through sacrifice and atonement.

What I get from this chapter (because obviously, he is talking to the Jew, not the gentile) is a lesson on how to effectively preach the gospel. Paul was VERY aware of his surroundings in every situation that he went into. Like I said, he was very smart. But street smarts is what I'm talking about. Not book smarts. Yes, Paul needed to have his education of the Jewish law in order to be effective with the Jews but it was his tactics that I'm referring to. We are told, that because we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, that we are more than equipped to share the Gospel. What I think we need to work on, is our tactics! We can't just beat people up with it. We need to understand who it is we are sharing with, and then understand how we are to approach it with them. We'll see in later chapters and all throughout scripture that the answer to that is "relationship". So for me, it all goes back to when Peter said, "Be prepared to give an account for the things you believe". I think we need to be aware of our surroundings and understand who it is we are talking to. And just FYI, the account that you are to give.... should be the testimony of your life transformation!

Love y'all

Robbie