God Speaks
Paul Writes a Letter to Encourage Christ Followers He Had Never Met
Verse of the Day: For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed–a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17 NIV 2011)
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We Respond
Romans 1
Reflection: The Apostle Paul had never been to Rome but really hoped to go there. He wrote this letter to introduce himself and his spiritual views of life and the world. He considered himself a debt-slave to God. He had been forgiven and chosen by God and sent out to tell other people about Jesus and what He had done for them. God made many promises through the Old Testament prophets. They wrote about the Messiah (the mighty son of God) coming as a descendent of King David and foretold all that He would do. Jesus was proved to be the Messiah by His Resurrection from the dead. If we accept these teachings by faith, we receive all the kindness of God. It will be poured out on us though we don’t deserve it because of our great sinfulness. Once we trustingly admit this to ourselves and to God, the Holy Spirit will empower us to take this great message to people around the world, so that they can believe in and obey Christ, too. This is why Paul so desperately wanted to go to Rome: he wanted to encourage believers there and be encouraged by them. He kept praying and looking for an opportunity, but God had other plans. Paul wanted to take this Good News to everyone regardless of their status in life. He definitely was not ashamed to tell people, “If you will truly trust in Christ, God will set you free from all your sin, guilt, and shame and give you the ability to live the way He wants. This is all done by faith.” The rest of the chapter tells how we got into this mess of sins and lists some specific sins for which people need to be forgiven. These sins have been ignored, trivialized, become culturally accepted, legalized, celebrated, even promoted; however, any and all of these sins can be forgiven and cleansed if we enter into agreement with God by faith.
Prayer: LORD God, this letter to the Romans is so packed with Your truth that it is hard to condense into a simple blog. Please, Holy Spirit, help people (myself included) to grasp all that You intend for this time. Thank You, LORD God, that Jesus paid my sin-debt by his suffering and death on the cross. Thank You for giving me the privilege of telling others that You did it for them as well. Thank You for Your promises in scripture, written centuries and millennia before You fulfilled them just as You said. Thank You that not only have You forgiven all of my sins, but (through the indwelling Holy Spirit) You have also given me the power and ability to live the right way. The bad news is that You named and condemned all kinds of sins here. The Good News is that You have forgiven every single one if we will admit them, believe the truth, and receive the forgiveness You provide. Help me and many others to walk that fact out in daily life. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, which one of these He wants you to work on or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will take _______ (a specific amount, time of day and date) to write out specific sins of mine for which Jesus suffered and died.
- Then I will thank Him for cancelling each one and write “forgiven” in red ink over it.
- If I’m having difficulty with the previous “I wills,” I will ask a trusted pastor, counselor, or mature Christian friend to help me.
- I will find, sing and/or play the song “The Old Rugged Cross Made the Difference.”
Romans 2
Reflection: In this chapter, Paul deals with people who judge others for bad actions while doing the same or similar things themselves. They feel that they have a right to judge because they are God’s special people. In His time and in true justice, God will punish such people (even His special ones). He doesn’t play favorites. Sometimes, He seems to delay that punishment. This great patience and kindness is meant to give people time to repent, to change their attitudes and actions from against God to for Him. God will eventually hold everyone accountable for what they have done, particularly in regard to His Son, Jesus Christ. This accountability will be based on what they know about God and His laws. Jews and those who have the Bible will be judged according to it. Those who do not have the Bible will be judged according to what God sees in their minds and consciences regarding Him and doing good. “[T]he day is coming when God, through Christ Jesus, will judge everyone’s secret life.” (Romans 2:16 NLT) If, however, we bring those sins to God and claim the forgiveness and cleansing made available through Jesus’ death in our place, we won’t have to face this judgment because Jesus already did. Out of gratitude, we ought to be telling everyone we encounter how they can be forgiven, too.
Prayer: Dear Father God, thank You for being the ultimate lawgiver and judge who holds people accountable for their actions. I humbly ask that You accept Jesus’s suffering, shame, and death on the cross as payment for my sins: _______ (name specific ones). I receive the forgiveness Jesus died to give me. On this same basis, I can and do forgive myself for ____ (name something specific), and I forgive _____ (someone specific) for how they harmed me (name the specific offense). Thank You for Your great patience and kindness in my life turning me to You instead of away from You. Holy Spirit, please help me to live out actions and attitudes that bring glory to Your name. Use me to draw other people to trusting and obeying Christ as well. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, which one of these He wants you to work on or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will ask God how I need to change my attitudes and actions so that I will be moving closer to Him.
- I will ask God to help me stop judging other people, especially when I do the same, similar, or worse things.
- I will look for a way to show kindness to my family member, friend, neighbor, co-worker, stranger, or an “enemy”, then carry it out.
- I will start a conversation with a stranger. Perhaps, they will be open to a discussion of Jesus. If God arranges, I will be prepared to tell the story of my coming to and growing in faith in Jesus.
Romans 3
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding Romans 3:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
1. God must judge all sin (even those of His special people).
2. People always sin, every single one except Jesus.
If God is going to judge everyone, what advantage do Jews (and others who believe the Bible) have? For one thing, they were chosen by God to receive His laws and directions for life, but you could say that most (including me) aren’t faithful in following them. Doesn’t our sinfulness show off God’s holiness, our lies contrast and magnify His truth? If Jews and other believers in God sin like other people, what is their advantage? Even the Hebrew Bible says, “No one is righteous–not even one. No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God. All have turned away; all have become useless. No one does good, not a single one.” Their talk is full of lies, cursing, bitterness, destruction, misery, and all kinds of fear (except the proper fear of God). (Romans 3:10-18 NLT) So whether we are Jewish or not, “no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.” (Romans 3:20 NLT) That’s all bad news! But the Good News is this: God, who is always righteous, just, and fair, has made a way to declare us not guilty. If we, each one, believe in our hearts that Jesus, the Son of God, shed His blood and sacrificed His life in our place, God will declare us righteous and set us free from the penalty of our sins. It’s not by our being “good enough.” It’s all by faith in Jesus.
Prayer: Dear Gracious God, thank You for choosing me and giving me the Bible so that I can know and follow You. But even with the Bible, I still mess up and sin. Lord, I admit that my sin caused Jesus to suffer and die. I believe that He rose from the dead just as He said He would. By faith I accept as fact that Jesus paid the death penalty that all my sins deserved, including _______ (name specific ones). Holy Spirit, You use the blood of Jesus to cleanse me of all the sin I bring to You. Then You come into my very being to take control over my life, making it more and more like Jesus. Therefore, by faith, I declare I am set free! I’m so filled with joy over this new sense of freedom in Christ that I want to share it with everyone. From here on You, Holy God, will give me the courage, stamina, and wisdom I need to do whatever You say for the sake of Jesus’ name and to honor Him. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, which one of these He wants you to work on or something else more personal that He points out.) With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will thank Jesus for suffering and dying on the cross for my sins.
- I will ask for the Holy Spirit’s power and instruction in how to live this new life.
- I will look for other people who have been set free by Jesus to be friends with (in a church?).
- I will tell friends and family members _______ (specific people) about this so that they can be free, too.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.