Reflections of Romans 7 to 11
Timothy Morton • August 3, 2020
Verses in Romans to be reflected on in this post: 7:4-6; 8:14-17; 9:14-18; 10:14-15; 11:2-6, 11:33-36
So, my brothers and sisters, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God. For when we were in the realm of the flesh, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in us, so that we bore fruit for death. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.
What was revealed to me in Romans 7:4-6?
In Romans 6 Paul spoke of our death to sin. Now he is speaking to our death to the law. Just like a woman who's husband has died can remarry and be joined with another man, we can be released from the law and be joined with Christ. What does it look like to bear fruit for God? Fruit is a by product of us abiding in Christ and receiving the spiritual nourishment that is needed to produce something that will reveal His work in us. This is a heart issue. We can go through the motions and "act" Christian, but there will be no real fruit in our lives. Paul is clear in Galatians 5 what this fruit looks like. Peace, joy, love, patience, faithfulness, goodness, kindness, gentleness, and self-control. Are these manifesting in our lives? Do others see it? Again, it is not us doing this on our own. These are fruits of the Spirit. The power of Jesus changing our hearts and desires. We must give Him the credit when we see it and tell others!
We all know what the opposite of this is. There is a battle going on. Our Flesh vs. His Spirit in us. The ultimate standoff. In a war, there are a series of battles. Sometimes the opponent might win a battle. We will fall short. Thanks be to God for forgiveness, mercy and grace so we can begin each day anew. But the war has already been decided. Jesus defeated death and sin. The spiritual forces we are up against only have so much power. The power that we have access to is greater. We are overcomers!
We have been released from the law. We are no longer a slave to sin or the law. The law does not justify us. The law does not sanctify us. How do we serve in the newness of the Spirit? Are we still stuck in a legalistic faith? Or do we see the works of the Spirit being made evident in our lives. I know this. I am not who I ought to be, but I am definitely not who I used to be. We are all a process. This process of being separated is called sanctification. It doesn't mean were better than anyone else. It means we are keenly aware of the source of our salvation. We are keenly aware of our sin. It all comes down to abiding in Christ and letting Him change your heart through His Spirit. It is not always a pleasant experience, but necessary for spiritual growth.
For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 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.
What was revealed to me in Romans 8:14-17?
Verse 14 states that others will know if you are "son of God" if you are led by the Spirit. Which comes first? I would say the we become sons first by repenting and believing. This gives us access to the Spirit of God. What does it look like when the Spirit leads us? We see the fruit of God. We cooperate with the leadings of the Spirit. We listen, and we obey out of a response to the love that God has shown us.
Being led by the Spirit is not like being slave to sin where we may be fearful of what will happen. We are adopted into God's family. We become His child. A child will call a loving father "daddy". This is a term of endearment and love. As His children, we should be joyful because we know where our identity is found. In Roman culture, an adoptive son gained all the new rights of the adoptive family, nothing in the past mattered.
I thought it was interesting that the even though we may not feel like a son of God, the Spirit testifies that we are. We don't have to worry if we really are His children. The Spirit says so.
There are benefits and responsibilities of being God's children. We have the privilege of relating to the Father just as Jesus does. We have an inheritance of being in the right family and being made right with God. Because we are His children, we will suffer for the Kingdom. This suffering is part of being a son. It is part of the package of being a true believer. We can't be glorified without it.
These verses were all very affirming for me. For a long time I did not put my identity in Christ. It was in fleshly desires. I wanted to be affirmed by my accomplishments. Validation from what I did. But now, my identity is in Christ. Even though I may doubt it at times, the Spirit of God testifies for me that I am. I have access to the Spirit and the Spirit is stronger than the flesh. I have a loving Father that I can call "daddy". I love my earthly father dearly. I have loved being a father myself. The love I have for my children is very strong. This is how God looks at me. Being adopted into His family means I have access to an inheritance. It means I can live eternally now and have the hope of being with Him eternally later.
What then shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy. For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.
What was revealed to me in Romans 9:14-18?
How do you create humility? Knowing who you are and who you are not. We can't look at mercy as a right for us to have. God chooses who He will have mercy on. He has a desire to show mercy. But he may choose to have someone be hardened. The Lord used Judas to help fulfill prophecy. We can waste a lot of time trying to figure out why God works the way He does. Let's put it this way. He created us in His image. He knows us better than we know ourselves. Faith requires a response from us. Toward the end of the chapter, Paul gets back to the lack of response of the Jews to the work of Jesus. The Gentiles pursued righteousness through faith and the Jews through the law. In order for me to believe and have faith, I need to trust in the promises of God. We have the advantage of having the complete work of the Bible. This is what makes Paul's letters so important. They were circulated and passed around and shared over and over. We have no excuse.
What still amazes me about Paul was his love for the Jews despite the fact that everywhere he went they were trying to kill him or throw him in prison. He was able to look over all that and never give up on delivering his message. He knew that there would be some that would believe and choose Jesus. Did God know who those are in advance? I am not going to worry about it. He is the potter and I am the clay.
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
What was revealed to me in Romans 10:14-15?
We have a responsibility for our faith. From Romans 9 alone we might think that salvation is God’s doing alone, but from Romans 10 we might think that salvation is man’s doing alone, together we see the matter from each perspective. I can remember being in Haiti and reading Romans 10 at Mission of Hope one particular evening and journaling on it. As missionaries, we were the feet of those bringing the good news! I felt honored and scared at the same time. Had the gospel really changed me? Am I worthy of this calling? What if they reject what I have to say?
The gospel requires a response. The Jews in Rome were not going to be influenced by what the read. They were going to be influenced by what they heard and saw with their own eyes. This did not happen without others preaching and being sent. Paul used scripture to reinforce what he was saying to the Romans. They would be familiar with the words. They had knowledge, but they did not trust in the work of Jesus. Paul was God's instrument. If they didn't respond to the gospel, it wasn't Paul's fault. He was worthy of the calling and we can be too!
Confession is about agreeing with what you heard. Believing in your heart is about trusting in the person and work of Jesus. People around us will hear what we say. What we say is important. They won't hear the "good news" unless we talk about it. What we say, how we say, and when we say is important. This is part of our responsibility in our faith. As a true believer, we are all "sent". God has called us into different places. He has gifted us in different ways. But the mission is clear. Preach the good news of the gospel. We do this with our words. We do this with our actions. We do this with sharing the inspired word of God. We do this through the power of the Holy Spirit working through us. This quote from Spurgeon stood out to me.
“We believe everything which the Lord Jesus has taught, but we must go a step further, and trust him. It is not even enough to believe in him, as being the Son of God, and the anointed of the Lord; but we must believe on him… The faith that saves is not believing certain truths, nor even believing that Jesus is a Savior; but it is resting on him, depending on him, lying with all your weight on Christ as the foundation of your hope. Believe that he can save you; believe that he will save you; at any rate leave the whole matter of your salvation with him in unquestioning confidence. Depend upon him without fear as to your present and eternal salvation. This is the faith which saves the soul.” (Spurgeon)
It is amazing that it can be that simple but so hard for us to commit to. Belief and confession results in righteousness and salvation. Do we believe just on knowledge alone? Not really, the Jews had knowledge. Paul had knowledge before he was converted. There needs to be a confession. An agreement. A professed commitment. You don't have trust without commitment. Then the work begins. The person and work of Jesus begins to change who you are and what you value. You start to value what Christ values. He valued the lost. He went to where they were. He met the needs to get their attention. He preached the good news with His words and actions. He lived it out. This is what He has called us to do. Press on brothers!
God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me?" And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace.
What was revealed to me in Romans 11:2-6?
In Paul’s day, Israel as a group generally rejected their Messiah. Yet a substantial remnant embraces the gospel of Jesus Christ, and God has often worked in Israel through a faithful remnant. We often think that God needs a lot of people to do a great work, but He often works through a small group, or through a group that starts out small. Though not many Jews in Paul’s day embraced Jesus as Messiah, a remnant did and God will use that small group in a big way. This makes me think about right now. On the outside looking in it may appear that followers of Christ are falling away and becoming less an less an influence on our culture. I think it depends on the narrative you believe as true. All throughout history there has been a battle for souls. God's plan will prevail. Will we be a part of the remnant or will we bow a knee to Baal?
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! “For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has become His counselor? Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?” For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.
What was revealed to me in Romans 11:33-36
As Paul considers God’s great plan of the ages, he breaks into spontaneous praise. This was an awesome way to put a bow on his message to the Jews and Gentiles of Rome. God still loves Israel. God's love has been extended to the Gentiles. Forgiveness, mercy and grace is for all of His people. His plan to make all of this happen is a mystery and we shouldn't feel the need to figure everything out. Paul realizes that God’s ways are past finding out, and God’s wisdom and knowledge is beyond him. You can’t out-give God. He will never need to repay a debt to anyone. It is all of Him: This plan came from God. It wasn’t man’s idea. It is all through Him: Even if we had the plan, we couldn’t make it happen. We couldn’t free ourselves from this prison of sin and self. It could only happen through Him, and the great work of Jesus on our behalf is the through Him that brings salvation. It is all to Him: It’s not for me, it’s not for you, it’s all to Him. It’s for His pleasure that we are created, and we find our fulfillment in bringing Him glory and honor. The fact that Paul can’t figure out God makes him glorify God all the more. When we understand some of the greatness of God, we worship Him all the more passionately.
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But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. What was revealed to me in Philippians 3:20-21? I love traveling to other countries to see how others live and learn about their culture and history. Every country has a story, and it can give us perspective into their way of life. It can be a little awkward at times because I am in a place that is not my home. I am going to stand out in the crowd because I am not from there. And even though it is fun and exciting to learn about unfamiliar places, it is comforting to know that I will be going back home at some point where I am a born citizen. This is Paul's point with the Philippians. He even takes it one step further. We are citizens in heaven. This is not our home. Even what you think is your home is not. We need to act in such a way that others know where are home is. We need to be excited about finally being home with Jesus. It is like the week before a vacation. Your excited because you are going to be going somewhere different. Your live with anticipation of what is going to happen. The vacation never lives up to the hype and there is always the dreaded trip back home. Brothers and sisters, we will not have to worry about that. We can live with anticipation every day because we know that this is not our home, and we will be with Jesus one day. Except this time, it will live up to the hype and more. This time, we will not have the dreaded trip back. Jesus will bring all things back into order and we will have heavenly bodies free from sin. We will be with God forever! Amen, Amen, Amen! What a great letter that Paul wrote to the Philippians! There are so many "friends" and "daggers". A had a pastor who taught scripture memorization, who put verses into these two categories so he could access them depending on what was needed for the situation he was in. He had also struggled with depression and anxiety and the "friend" verses comforted him. He also felt spiritually attacked at times and needed a "dagger" to fend off the evil one. Here is my "friend" and "dagger" from Chapter 4: Friend: Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Dagger: I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. What was revealed to me in Philippians 4:4-7 and 4:12-13? Paul’s joy was not based in a sunny optimism or positive mental attitude as much as it was the confidence that God was in control. It really was a joy in the Lord. When we live with the awareness of Jesus’ soon return, it makes it all the easier to rejoice in the Lord and to show gentleness to all men. Paul commands us to not be anxious. Worry is in fact a type of sin. God wants us to bring everything to Him. He already knows our requests before we say them, but He will wait for us to engage to work through our requests. I have a brother in Christ who has helped me with my prayer life. He lives by the adage "stop, drop, and pray". The peace of God does not just surpass the understanding of the worldly man; it surpasses all understanding. Even the godly man cannot comprehend this peace. When people seem to “lose” their heart or mind, it often is connected to an absence of the peace of God in their life. “There are a great many men that know a little how to be abased, that do not know at all how to abound. When they are put down into the pit with Joseph, they look up and see the starry promise, and they hope for an escape. But when they are put on the top of a pinnacle, their heads grow dizzy, and they are ready to fall.” (Spurgeon) Paul had to learn that contentment, is not natural to mankind. He lived it out. He was financially well off and he had been financially in need. According to Spurgeon, it is much harder to have a lot and be content. We start to think it is all about us and pride starts to seep in. This verse brings out the "dagger" to slay our pride. Paul had the ability to be content in all things because of the strength of Jesus. We must always also put this precious statement of faith in connection with John 15:5: for without Me you can do nothing. With Jesus we can do all things, without Him we cannot do anything.
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. What was revealed to me in Philippians 1:4-6? This portion of Philippians is very special to me. I will often send it as a prayerful thank you for those that have partnered with me in the ministry of FCA. Whether it is the faithful prayers, the sharing of time and talents, and even financial resources, these are greatly needed and appreciated. There would be no ministry of FCA without this. Those in Philippi got behind Paul because of who he was and his heart for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. His "work" was spreading this "good news" throughout the world. They would not be compelled to do this unless they believed in him and his work. He wants them to be encouraged even though they face opposition. He wants to show them that even though he is in prison, the mission doesn't change. In fact, it becomes more important. Our mission is to lead every coach and athlete into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and His church. This past year has been challenging for all of us. The opposition that we are up against here is nothing like what Paul went through, but we all have our own individual challenges that we are currently have or have had. The mission was clear back then and it is today. Our methods and strategies may have to change because of the circumstances we are in. God will complete His work! Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. What was revealed to me in Philippians 2:14-16? This chapter is all about humility. No one modeled this better than Jesus. The Philippians struggled with this. There is definite conflict among themselves or with God. One aspect of humility is how treat others in their presence. Do we act as if they have value? Or do we just want them to see our point of view as right and theirs as wrong. It's easy to treat someone well that believes like you and is a part of your circle. Do we see others as problems to be fixed? We can have the same attitude with God. It is easy to ask God the "why" questions when trials happen, or things don't go according to plan. We can become bitter and grumble instead of grateful and humble. Brothers, if we want to stand out and "shine like stars" we need to be different. We need to live in such a way that others will be curious as to why. We don't control how others will respond. We only have the ability through the power of the Holy Spirit to control our response. I had this quote that I would use with my players as I wanted them to be grateful for what they had and not bitter for want they didn't have: “Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain, and most fools do!”
So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. What was revealed to me in Ephesians 4:11-13? Not all followers are called into ministry, but all play a role in the body of Christ. I once heard someone say that God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the call. He can use anyone who feels called. I just took a spiritual gifts assessment to find out what my spiritual gifts were. It was very affirming. My top spiritual gift was teaching. Tied for second was faith and leadership. The assessment had this charge: Be bold in your faith walk and take it to another level in teaching others. There is power in your teaching. Do not hold on to anything but use everything in His name and use to build the body of Christ. Keep your eye on the vision God has given you! This statement applies to every believer! Jesus has gifted you for the work and vision He has given you! We all need to use our gifts to build up the body. As we continue to battle every day, stumbling forward in the grace of God, we will become mature in Him. We will equip others. We will help bring unity and not division. This is our charge. I am proud to be in the battle on God’s team as we lock arms spiritually each day. However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. What was revealed to me in Ephesians 5:33? If verse 33 in this great passage could be boiled down to two principles which must govern our thinking and our actions as married people, those two are: Husbands: Understand that you and your wife are one, are a unity. Wives: Understand that your unity has a head – your husband. These principles are easier said than done. Men and woman are made differently, therefore we communicate differently. A woman hears and sees things much differently than a man does. The key is that both in the marriage are accepting of God's plan for marriage and what His Word says about it. If I value my vertical relationship with God, then I will work under His authority and obey His Word. Therefore, I need to love my wife like Christ loved the church. I need to love my wife like my own body. I need to honor her as my helper. The better I love her with the love of Christ, the more motivated she will be to respect and honor me. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. What was revealed to me in Ephesians 6:12-13? After Paul has given us instruction on why we should love and how we should love, he is clear in where the real battle can be found. There are so many facets to the character of Jesus that we can identify with depending on where we are in our faith and what trial we are going through. I have spent so much time identifying what an authentic man of God looks like and acts like. Every day I try to identify with my warrior Jesus. There is no doubt, if you are striving to follow Christ and be an authentic man of God, YOU WILL BE ATTACKED! What is helping me is that we have a Lord that knows this. In fact, He created these spiritual forces. He only allows them so much influence. He has given us the "armor" to stand and fight them off. He Himself experienced all the temptation that we go through. As an athlete and coach, I loved the battle because it was an opportunity for two things to happen. I could beat my opponent and teach them something and make them better or I could be the one that is taught the lesson. It is all about perspective. We need to prepare. We need to know our opponent and how He is going to attack us. The Holy Spirit can give us wisdom in this area. The full armor of God can protect our weak areas. The full armor of God can give us the weapon to fight back. There may be times when it feels like the enemy is winning. There may be times when the enemy is getting into our heads and creating doubt. But remember this, Jesus has already won the war over sin, death, and the devil. It was finished on the cross and through His resurrection. He is right there with us every day like a great General leading us into our daily battle. He has equipped us and will never leave our side. In Him we can stand.
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. What was revealed to me in Ephesians 1:7-10? We have no redemption outside of Jesus and His blood. His good deeds did not save us. His wonderful teachings did not save us. Only His blood. It was part of the plan from the very beginning. God's grace is so immense that we struggle to comprehend it. Therefore, it is called a mystery. To those that do not know Him it is foolishness. To those that do not know Him they are destined to try to figure it out under their own wisdom and knowledge. Will power only takes you so far. I am learning that if I strive to work under the authority of Christ, God will reveal His great plan for me. Part of that plan will be the bringing of all things into unity. Right now, we see anything but unity in our country if you watch the news or spend time on social media. Satan is loving it when we get caught up in trying to be right and proving someone else wrong. He loves it when we spend all our time and energy trying to fix others to meet our agenda. Even the church itself is very divided. To call yourself a Christian today must come with some clarification. There are countless things that can divide. But God, is still working in the hearts of those who love Him. But Christ, is still changing the hearts of those that humble themselves and what to work under His authority and power. All things in Christ will be brought together in the fullness of the time. On that day there will be two things going on. There will be destruction and celebration. The challenge is to not fix others or condemn them. Only through the power of the Spirit can we love others and live our lives according to His principles. The whole book of Ephesians will help us with this! Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. What was revealed to me in Ephesians 2:19-22? Paul ended the last chapter by considering that the ultimate example of God’s power was the resurrection of Jesus. Now Paul considers what the implications of Jesus’ resurrection power are for our life. We have been reconciled to God through the work and life of Jesus. He loved us when we were dead. He extends His amazing grace to save us and create faith. He has an amazing plan for us to work through in the time He has gifted us. This is for all people, not just for the Jew. Unity in one Spirit. It almost sounds too good to be true, but it is! There is only one thing that unifies and brings everyone together into God's family. The chief cornerstone, Jesus. I found this in my research on the cornerstone: Since ancient times, builders have used cornerstones in their construction projects. A cornerstone was the principal stone, usually placed at the corner of an edifice, to guide the workers in their course. The cornerstone was usually one of the largest, the most solid, and the most carefully constructed of any in the edifice. The Bible describes Jesus as the cornerstone that His church would be built upon. He is foundational. Once the cornerstone was set, it became the basis for determining every measurement in the remaining construction; everything was aligned to it. As the cornerstone of the building of the church, Jesus is our standard of measure and alignment. Each of us are a brick in the building of the holy temple of the Lord. God dwells with us by His Spirit. Brothers, this is so foundational to our faith! May we see ourselves as builders of the holy temple and Kingdom of the Lord. Each decision for Christ is another faithful brick to add around our chief cornerstone! I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. What was revealed to me in Ephesians 3:7-9? This could only happen through the gospel, where all men have an equal standing in Jesus. This is the same gospel Paul is a servant of, because of the gift of grace given to him by the working of God’s power. Paul marveled at the grace given to him, by which he was called to preach the gospel that makes the mystery a reality. When we consider Paul’s personal history, we see that his calling really was all of grace. Paul’s passion was to make this gospel known to all people. He wants everybody to see and share in the fellowship of this mystery – which is a mystery precisely because it was unknown and unknowable until God revealed it. It demonstrates that these are not only facts to know but also a life to live, united in Jesus with other believers, without any separation such as existed between Jew and Gentile. There is so much richness in this chapter. The prayer at the end of the chapter is a wonderful encouragement to other believers who are trying to live out the gospel in their lives. The verses prior is Paul's way to explain what the mystery of the gospel is and the why we should be sharing it with others. The true gospel unifies and divides. The true gospel is a mystery. It was revealed with the finished work of Jesus on the cross. Paul was always marveled on the gift of God's grace because he remembered who he was. I have a bible study teacher at church who was saved when he was 35 years old driving down I-75. The mystery of the gospel finally became clear to him and he surrendered. His life is now dedicated to sharing in the fellowship of this mystery. It is revealed through His Word. It is revealed in the changed lives of others that we see. It is revealed by the Holy Spirit when a heart and mind are receptive. He has this quote that he uses that I think is so true of all believers who have surrendered. "I'm not who I want to be. I'm not who I ought to be, but I'm not who I used to be."
But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father." So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. What was revealed to me in Galatians 4:4-7? For those who were under bondage to the law, it may seem that Jesus’ coming was late. Paul assures us that it was at just the right time. Because Jesus is God, He has the power and the resources to redeem us. Because Jesus is man, He has the right and the ability to redeem us. But God’s work for us doesn’t end there; we are then elevated to the place of sons and daughters of God by adoption. It is fitting that those who are in fact sons have the Spirit of the Son in their hearts. This gives us both the right and the ability to cry out “Daddy!” to God our Father, even as Jesus did to His Father. There is a beautiful progression. First, we are set free from slavery. Then we are declared sons and adopted into God’s family. Then, as sons, we are made heirs. Wow! This is certainly something to celebrate today. This beautiful exchange we were talking about yesterday is again related by Paul. We are no longer a slave to the law. We have been redeemed through the power of Jesus. We are adopted into the family of God. We can not only stand righteous before Him, but we are also now part of His family. We have the full rights of any son or daughter. Because of this we are His heirs. What do we inherit? Eternal life. This should give us incredible hope and motivation today! What else do we inherit? Unending grace. When we fall short, and we will, we can get back up again and press on. Let us live eternally today and cherish the moment through the grace of God. May we act and speak in such a way that others are curious as to why. I pray for a divine connection so we can share the hope that we have. You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. What was revealed to me in Galatians 5:13? The great fear of the legalist is that liberty will be used as an opportunity for the flesh. The idea is that people will just go out and sin as they please, then say to a spineless God, “I’m sorry, please forgive me,” and then go on doing whatever they want again. Paul recognized the danger of this attitude, so he warned against it here. The flesh expects others to conform to us and doesn’t care much about others. But when we through love serve one another, we conquer the flesh. It isn’t through an obsessive, contemplative attitude of navel-gazing that we overcome the flesh, but by getting out and serving others. This whole conversation is coming to a crescendo with the church in Galatia. It comes down to decision that all believers must come to. Are you going to use your freedom to walk in the flesh or the Spirit? If Christ is "in us" then we have access to His Spirit. The Spirit teaches and guides us and gives us the courage and strength to win the daily battle. How do we know if were winning? You will act on the behalf of others more than yourself. You will see the fruit of Spirit manifesting in your life. Brothers, we can't take credit for this. It may not happen when we want it to. It may not happen in the way we want it to. If we are striving to be led by the Spirit of God, it will happen! Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. What was revealed to me in Galatians 6:7-10? For those who are hesitant to share in all good things with those who teach them, Paul reminded them of God’s principle of sowing and reaping. Their giving isn’t like throwing away money; it is like planting seeds, and whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. This principle has application beyond giving and supporting teachers and ministers. It has a general application in life; what we get out of life is often what we put in. Yet, Paul is not promoting some law of spiritual karma that ensures we will get good when we do good, or always get bad when we do bad. If there were such an absolute spiritual law, it would surely damn us all. Instead, Paul simply relates the principle of sowing and reaping to the way we manage our resources before the Lord. He used the same picture in 1 Corinthians 9:11 and 2 Corinthians 9:6-10. As we wisely manage our resources before God under the principle of sowing and reaping, we need patience. This is a fruit of the Spirit. This is because the harvest does not come immediately after the seeds are sown. Not losing heart, we seek to do good with our resources, and to do good to all – but especially to those who are of God’s family. The concept of sowing and reaping can sometimes create some confusion among believers. It is because of the mercy and compassion of God that we can have a home in heaven, despite our sin. We have sowed sin and corruption, and Jesus reaped our punishment on the cross. Thank you, Jesus! Sometimes, what looks like a harvest is not one. Look at the story of Job. His friends thought that what happened to him was a direct result of his actions. The story of the man born blind in John was similar. They thought that his parents were sinners and had done something wrong. Experiencing negative circumstances does not necessarily mean we have sown negative things. The principle of reaping and sowing is generally true, but not always at work in every situation in the way we might expect. “You reap what you sow” holds true both positively and negatively. When we are selfish, proud, unjust, sinful, and trusting in our own ability or worth to save us, we are “sowing to the flesh,” and destruction awaits. But when we are selfless, generous, kind, and depending on God’s provision and salvation, we are “sowing to the Spirit” and will reap eternal life. Faith in Jesus and the pursuit of godliness is “sowing to the Spirit.” His love is fertile ground.
