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Sunday Apr 24, 2022
Sunday Apr 24, 2022
This is a song I was trying to complete recording for Good Friday. It is a powerful hymn from Johann Heermann back in 1630, translated beautifully by Robert Bridges in 1897. I hear it in my mind as a 5-part set of layers of counterpoint, with each stanza working with the others. An ensemble at CCU did the song live in concert, but I don't have a recording of it.
Ah, holy Jesus, how did You so offend us
That sinful men condemn the one who would defend us?
You had the right to judge us all and to reject us
Protect us, Jesus.
Lo, the Good Shepherd for the sheep is offered
The slave has sinned and yet the son has suffered
So men are brought near bride of Him who bought her
Oh how He loves her
So who was guilty? Who brought this upon You?
Who did the treason? Who could be so untrue?
Am I surprised to find the traitor who denied You?
I crucified You.
For me, for me, kind Jesus was Your incarnation
Your bitter sorrow Your final obligation
Your bitter passion anguished death and final station
Were all for my salvation
I see kind Jesus that I could not repay You
But I could love You serve You and obey You
Think on Your pity remember Your love unswerving
Not my undeserving.
Tuesday Apr 26, 2022
Tuesday Apr 26, 2022
RIGHTEOUSNESS, SELF-CONTROL AND THE COMING DAY OF JUDGMENT
What would you say are the essential marks of the faith? I mean, what behavior or what attitude is vital to being in a relationship with God? More particularly, if you were speaking with a Jewish person about the gospel, what three topics would you speak about? Even more, what if that person was a government official? An official who was also your prison warden, and who had the power to set you free or to condemn you? Faith, hope and love? Grace, the cross, and the resurrection? Fulfilled prophecies, miraculous signs, and personal healing?
What I’m thinking is if I were before someone who had authority over my life, and that person were to ask me to defend myself, I would be talking about positive aspects of the Good News about Jesus. Things that would make the person think well of me, want to set me free, see that the other guys are the bad people in this series of events.
But that is not the conviction and practice of Paul. He truly demonstrates that his agenda is not his own safety or reputation, that he deeply cares for the eternal life of the person he is talking with, and that he knows human nature. He also shows at every step how he is coming closer to reaching Caesar himself with the good news of Jesus, just as had been prophesied earlier.
Here’s what Luke records about Paul’s conversation with Felix and governor and his wife:
“they listened as he told them about faith in Christ Jesus. As he reasoned with them about righteousness and self-control and the coming day of judgment, Felix became frightened. “Go away for now,” he replied. “When it is more convenient, I’ll call for you again.”
It seems counter-intuitive, to be sure. Yet if we reflect on it, maybe we’ll see why It makes sense to talk about these three things: righteousness and self-control and the coming day of judgment.
Righteousness. A Jewess is going to understand about the quest for righteousness. God requires everyone to be righteous, to do what is right, and to be in good standing with God. Righteousness is not achievable through keeping the Law, you know. Righteousness is granted to us by faith in Jesus Christ, the righteous judge.
Self-control. This is the second central topic of Paul’s explanation of the scriptures. When Paul wrote to Titus, he told the young evangelist to teach each of the groups of adults in the church: Older men, Older women, Younger women and Young men. Do you know the one thing that is in common for all four of those groups Titus was ministering to? Self-control? That’s right! How did you know that? Self-control is the art of saying no to the tempter and of guarding our language and thoughts. Self-control is the spiritual weapon we hold. Wisdom from above teaches us self-control. Without it, we will not see God.
The coming day of judgment. This is a central part of the gospel. It is not just a self-improvement course, after all. It is about salvation. Salvation of our souls from eternal condemnation. The coming day when all of us will be rewarded for what we have done while in the body. The day when Jesus reveals his lordship over the universe, and he sits in judgment of all souls. Some he will set on his right, and some on his left. He will then say to those on his right, “Enter the joy of your master.” But to those on his left he will say, “Depart from me! I never knew you.”
So, when I think about it further, it seems that those three words become essential parts of the good news about Jesus. Well done, Paul.
Notice the reaction of Felix: Felix became frightened. “Go away for now,” he replied. “When it is more convenient, I’ll call for you again.”
Why would he be frightened? After talking about those three topics, I would think that it would generate a genuine fear in me. Yet, the procrastination of Felix is clear: He tells Paul to go away for now, and when it is more convenient, he will call for him again. It’s the response that many of us give: “That’s sobering. I need to do something. But not now. Let’s talk later.”
May we all hear, repent and believe the good news on the only day that we have: today! Amen.
Tuesday Apr 26, 2022
Tuesday Apr 26, 2022
APPEALING TO A HIGHER AUTHORITY
If you have been following the podcasts of the last few days, you will recall my theory that Paul was intending to introduce the good news about Jesus to the leaders of the Roman government, including Caesar himself. So he went to Jerusalem, having been warned in city after city that being bound and imprisoned awaited him there. Once he arrived there, sure enough, trouble arose around him, and Roman soldiers had to whisk him away and then bring him to be questioned by the Jewish high council. From there, he has been taken to three different Roman authorities, defending himself and talking about Jesus to each one. They all have found him innocent, but drama still seems to follow him everywhere he goes.
And now he has come before Festus, the Roman governor. Festus finds nothing wrong with Paul, and he would be willing to let him go free, but there are mobs of angry Jews who would get all vigilante on him. Festus is walking a fine line here. He thinks maybe the best route is to send Paul back to stand trial in Jerusalem again. This is a religious matter, after all, and there is nothing in civil law that has been broken.
Festus asks Paul, “Are you willing to go to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there?”
But Paul replied, “No! This is the official Roman court, so I ought to be tried right here. You know very well I am not guilty of harming the Jews. If I have done something worthy of death, I don’t refuse to die. But if I am innocent, no one has a right to turn me over to these men to kill me. I appeal to Caesar!”
Festus conferred with his advisers and then replied, “Very well! You have appealed to Caesar, and to Caesar you will go!”
We are going to find out that Paul ends up in house arrest for two years, and then when there is a change in government, he is kept in prison indefinitely. Eventually, Paul is beheaded there in Rome, though that occurs after the time covered in the book of Acts. He appeals to Caesar, and it begins the end game for Paul.
It leaves me wondering about my own dedication to the good news about Jesus. Would I be willing to forfeit my freedom, my reputation, and my very life in order to be a witness in Washington, D.C. among staff members and lawyers and political fundraisers there?
Did it wear on Paul, the human? Yes, it did. While he was in Rome, he wrote “Demas has deserted me because he loves the things of this life and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus has gone to Dalmatia. Only Luke is with me. . . . The first time I was brought before the judge, no one came with me. Everyone abandoned me. May it not be counted against them.”
And yet, Paul knew why he was there—in Rome, on earth, among the living—and he did not give in to despair. He kept his eye on the prize and continued without equivocation to view the greater good being to serve a kingdom that is not of this earth.
Here are his next words in that same letter from Rome: “But the Lord stood with me and gave me strength so that I might preach the Good News in its entirety for all the Gentiles to hear. And he rescued me from certain death. Yes, and the Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely into his heavenly Kingdom. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.” 2 Timothy 4:9-18 NLT
“Lord, help me to live from day to day in such a self-forgetful way that even when I kneel and pray, my prayer will be for others.” (Charles Meigs)
Friday Apr 29, 2022
Friday Apr 29, 2022
SEE I TOLD YOU SO . . . IT’S OKAY
Paul is on a ship heading to Rome, placed under the custody of a Roman officer named Julius. They had several delays due to strong headwinds in the first parts of their journey. The captain has been trying to push through so that they will not be stuck in a distant, dangerous port through the winter.
Here’s how Luke describes the situation: “We had lost a lot of time. The weather was becoming dangerous for sea travel because it was so late in the fall, and Paul spoke to the ship’s officers about it.”
And since Fair Havens was an exposed harbor—a poor place to spend the winter—most of the crew wanted to go on to Phoenix, farther up the coast of Crete, and spend the winter there. Phoenix was a good harbor with only a southwest and northwest exposure.”
If I had been a Christian advisor to this group, I probably would have sided with the captain. Here’s a quick summary:
Paul: I believe there is trouble ahead if we leave now.
Julius: Captain, what do you think?
Captain: Fair Havens here is an exposed harbor. Let’s compromise. We should go on to Phoenix, on up the coastline.
Julius: So what do you think we should do?
Captain: I’d say let’s make a run for it
Julius: Sounds good. I’m with you.
Captain: Look! A light wind just began blowing from the south!
Julius: Sounds like the gods are telling us we’ll be okay!
Captain: Let’s go!
Julius: We’re with you all the way!
Paul: I’m telling you, troubles await.
Captain: We’ll be fine. We’ll just sail closely along the coast. What’s the worst that could happen?
(Later…)
Julius: Hey, we’re finally making good time. I’ve never been in a ship that went so fast! Well done, captain! Wait! Why are we going THIS way?
Captain: The storm is driving us out to sea! Lower the sea anchor!
Julius: The gale-force winds are continuing to batter the ship!
Captain: Throw everything overboard!
Julius: It has been days now!
Captain: All hope is gone! No one has eaten, we are exhausted, and we just might all die!
Paul: “Paul called the crew together and said, “Men, you should have listened to me in the first place and not left Crete. You would have avoided all this damage and loss.”
Captain: You are right! All is lost! Alas! I’ll go down with the ship!
Paul: But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down.
and he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.’”
Captain: What are you saying, Paul?
Paul: I’m saying I told you so, that’s what I’m saying. That’s because God told ME so. But now an angel of God has told me that I will surely stand trial before Caesar! And whenever God calls me “surely” I know it will happen as he said. . . . But, by the way, we will be shipwrecked here.
Captain: Huh?!
Paul: I told you so! But it’s okay. God’s got this.
As I say, I think I would have sided with the captain on this, being anxious to get home rather than spend months away due to bad sailing season. I might have taken the moment of good weather as a sign that we could sneak in the trip before the seasonal storms arrived. But, of course, I would have been wrong.
But God’s got this. I would have lost my ship and all that was on board. But my life would have been spared–spared to reflect all winter on Paul’s “I told you so.”
Sunday May 01, 2022
Sunday May 01, 2022
PROVIDENCE
Today’s reading provides us with an excellent example of Providence. You know about Providence, right? It is God’s “provision” (that’s why they call it providence, don’t you know) for people.
God regularly provides universally for mankind, with air, water, seasons and soil, health and happiness. Indeed, the sun, moon and stars agree with the rest of God’s creation that He provides what he deems to be in our best interests. But He also sometimes provides more particulars for someone. In God’s kindness, He gives special provision for his child in the form of unusual timing, special resources and improving health, insight and understanding.
Everyone lives with Providence, but not everyone sees it. Some see Providence as merely a happenstance of time, energy and matter, and all of life is a set of evolutionary battles, in which the fittest survive. Providence is chance.
Others interpret Providence as a kind of battle of the gods, with a kind of superstitious cause-and-effect to explain the twists and turns of life. Providence is superstition.
Perhaps Providence is best seen as a loving Creator who chooses to bless his creation from a motive of love and grace, while trying to steer them from immoral and sinful lives through what he provides. Providence is loving provision.
The story for us in this chapter involves Paul after the shipwreck near the island of Malta. Here it unfolds:
“The people of the island were very kind to us. It was cold and rainy, so they built a fire on the shore to welcome us.”
God has provided for Paul and his companions by rescuing them from the sea, and then bringing them to a friendly tribe of people. What are the chances, huh? God is good!
“As Paul gathered an armful of sticks and was laying them on the fire, a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, bit him on the hand. The people of the island saw it hanging from his hand and said to each other, “A murderer, no doubt! Though he escaped the sea, justice will not permit him to live.”
The people of the island are of the second group of superstitious people. Paul is shipwrecked, and he survives. But the gods wanted him dead, so they sent a poisonous snake to bite his hand and kill him. Seems pretty straightforward, right? The gods are angry!
But Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed. The people waited for him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw that he wasn’t harmed, they changed their minds and decided he was a god.”
Now the superstitious theology of provision turns on its head. The snake may have been a punishment sent by the gods, but apparently this stranger is stronger than the gods! That must make Paul a god himself! A god has come to visit us on Malta! Such providence!
Of course, there is another way to see the hand of Providence in this account. Which is that natural things occur—a snake is driven out by the heat and goes to hide in a woodpile. Paul just happens to pick some up. He is bitten. All of this was not a punishment, but a set of natural circumstances, explained by nature. Sometimes car wrecks and cancer, or war and famine simply happen.
But there is One who is stronger than nature, stronger than a poisonous snake He is One who is able to conquer and heal. And He is the One who is with Paul, as a follower of Jesus Christ. So the name of Jesus is the “natural immunity” that some might write off as coincidence or luck, and others might see as the active war between forces of good and evil.
But this particular set of Providential events is the backdrop for Paul to preach about Jesus, and the snake was a way of drawing attention to the power of the name of Christ. Paul doesn’t miss the moment, I’m glad to report. After healing the daughter of the chief official of the land, many showered honors on them.
And then when spring came, and it was time to sail away and complete their journey to Rome, guess what the people of Malta did? They “supplied us with everything we would need for the trip.”
How’s THAT for Providence?
Monday May 02, 2022
Monday May 02, 2022
HOW TO BEGIN A PRAYER FOR SOMEONE ELSE
“Heavenly Father, please bless and heal this person. May the eyes of their heart be enlightened to see you in everything, and may they know the peace of Christ, in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
What’s missing from a prayer such as this one? Hint: It is not what is being requested of the Father for that person. It’s how the prayer starts.
Some years ago, I wanted to learn how to pray for other people. I felt that I repeated myself with phrases that ended up sort of being my heavenly online order. “I want one of these and some of that for my friend.” So I decided to examine how Paul structured his prayers, as found in most of his letters. As I looked at all those prayers, one thing jumped out at me and has affected my prayers ever since.
I won’t tell you what I noticed. Instead, I’ll just copy the opening of several of Paul’s prayers.
Romans 1:8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.
1 Corinthians 1:4 “I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you belong to Christ Jesus.”
Ephesians 1:16 “I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly,”
Philippians 1:3 “Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God.”
Colossians 1:3 “We always pray for you, and we give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
1 Thessalonians 1:2 “We always thank God for all of you and pray for you constantly.”
2 Thessalonians 1:3 “Dear brothers and sisters, we can’t help but thank God for you, because your faith is flourishing and your love for one another is growing.”
2 Timothy 1:3 “Timothy, I thank God for you—the God I serve with a clear conscience, just as my ancestors did. Night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers.”
Philemon 4 “I always thank my God when I pray for you, Philemon,”
That’s right: every prayer has the words “you” and “I” and “God.” But there’s something else that you probably noticed as I had.
Especially if the person/people is a believer, it is probably best practice to start with thanking God for his work in that person’s life, as well as to thank God for that person themself. “Thank you for that person.” “Thank you that this person has faith in you and is your child. Thank you for rescuing them from darkness and bringing them into your kingdom of light. Thank you for the ways that this person has blessed my life, and that you have allowed our paths to cross.”
So, in summary: Thank God for the person, usually including something specific for which you are especially grateful. See what that might do for your prayers. Amen.
Tuesday May 03, 2022
Tuesday May 03, 2022
DOUBLE TROUBLE
Here is the puzzle of the day: Why did God give us the Ten Commandments and the rest of the Law, if He knew we were not going to obey it? What is the purpose of the Law? To guide us? Or to condemn us?
It would guide us, if we were capable of keeping it. And sometimes we are capable. But ultimately, when we consider the higher standards of Jesus, as outlined in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, we realize that all of us are bound to break virtually all of the commandments, at least by the higher standard that Jesus gave.
So now I have two problems, highlighted by the law. The first problem is that from the day that I broke the first commandment, I am a lawbreaker. As James points out in his general letter, if we break just one point of the law, we have broken THE law. So we stand guilty. I am a lawbreaker. If I think I can make up for missing one commandment by doing extra well the next day, I misunderstand the point of being a lawbreaker. I CAN’T make it up by doing two good things tomorrow, because any act (or omission) that breaks one point means that I have fallen short of perfection. So now it is clear that I have broken the law, and I must pay the penalty for breaking it. The penalty goes all the way back to the Garden, when God told Adam not to eat from the tree, or he would surely die.
“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Verse 23 NIV
But as I say, I am in double trouble. The first is that I am a lawbreaker. The second problem is that I am not CAPABLE of keeping the law, whether it is my first sin, or somewhere down in the quagmire of my messy self. I cannot keep the law. I can’t do it, even if I wanted to. And I don’t want to. Not really.
In short, you might say I’m in trouble with the law, and I’ve got a bad disease. I’m guilty and I’m dead. The law tells me I broke the rules. And my nature tells me that I am not capable of keeping the law, even if I wanted to.
This is why the hymn writer of “Rock of Ages” included the “double cure” line, “Save me from its guilt and power.” The guilt is for breaking the law, and the power is my inability to keep it anytime in the future. This, then, is what we need. We need to hide ourselves in the Rock of Ages, cleft for us. We need to let the water and the blood which flowed from his riven side to be the double cure for our double trouble: Save us from its guilt and its power.
“Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.” 3:20 NIV
Tuesday May 03, 2022
Tuesday May 03, 2022
TRYING A FATHER’S PATIENCE
Let’s zero in on a nuance of verse 2 in chapter 2 of Romans. Then we’ll talk about human parenting. Here it is in multiple translations:
“Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?” NLT
“Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?” NIV
“Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?” ESV
“Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” KJV
Maybe I’m seeing something here that is not parallel at all. And maybe I’m seeing clearly a parallel that is supposed to be true. Paul says God is kind, tolerant and patient, because he allows us to walk in sin without destroying us immediately. In effect, he is a Father who does not run his own house with an iron fist.
So whether it is Adam and Eve, where God used words to warn, but did not execute immediate punishment. Of course, there was punishment, and it was very significant. But there was not an immediate striking down of the man and the woman.
Here’s what I’m seeing: Sometimes a parent puts up with behavior that is really unacceptable in a child, and the child just continues to get worse. We sometimes call such a child a “spoiled child.” Because there is not a clear and consistent cause-and-effect relationship between their behavior and the parental response, the child continues to press against the patience of the parent.
One day the parent snaps, and a long lecture surprises the child. “Where did THAT come from?” The child asks. “Why was it okay all those other times, and suddenly it’s a big deal?”
Maybe when that happens, we call it poor parenting. Of course, more accurately it is poor child-ing. But we don’t have such a word, so we blame the parent. Would we also blame God for patiently allowing us to sin? Yes, I think some do. They say that the concept of “hell” to hold people in line seems archaic and unfair.
What would be “fair?” Would it be fair if God gave us a hand slap every time we do something wrong? If He did that, would we start to obey him, and would we love? I think the unintended result would be outward compliance but no love. If there were not a certain randomness in life, we would function like well-behaved little robots and living with a theology that includes instant karma.
Instead, God is patient and loving, and he puts up with sinful behavior while giving verbal warnings again and again. All the while, he is whispering to us, “If I love you more, will you love me less?” “Now give me your heart, dear child.”
God’s kindness leads to repentance. May we recognize it, appreciate it, and live within it. Amen.
Wednesday May 04, 2022
Wednesday May 04, 2022
I BELIEVE YOU
“I’m giving you this gift.”
“This? You’re kidding, right?”
“No. I’m serious.”
“But, why would you give me this?”
“Because I want to bless you.”
“But I can’t begin to pay you back for it.”
“I know. It doesn’t matter.”
“Well, at least let me do this.”
“No. Really. It’s not a payment. It’s a gift.”
“To be honest, I don’t feel like I deserve it.”
“That is not the point. It is a gift, not a reward.”
“How about I give you my old one in exchange?”
“It’s not a trade, it’s a gift.”
“What can I do?”
“You just receive it.”
“I don’t want to take advantage of you.”
“Trust me. I want you to have it.”
“You do?”
“Yes. I do.”
“I . . . Believe . . . you. Thank you.”
“What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.””
Romans 4:3 NIV
It’s called grace. I didn’t earn it. I don’t deserve it. I couldn’t be good enough for God to owe it to me. Grace makes my standing with God to be “as if” I were righteous. As if I had not sinned. As if I deserved to be in his family forever.
Those who are parents know about this. You love your child, not because they have been good enough, or because they have earned it, or because they love you back. No. The parent loves their child.
Having adopted children has taught us to appreciate this matter a little more than we did before. A birth child is in the family by blood. An adopted child is in the family by choice. In truth, every day we choose to love each member of the family, whether they are cute or loving or happy or not. Love is a choice.
Do we see that about our relationship with God? His love for us is a choice. Purely his choice, not ours. The best that we can do is to believe him when he tells us that he loves us and he wants what is best for us.
We can’t pay him back. We can’t be deserving. We are not on even ground with God. Neither was Abraham. He was simply chosen. Not worthy. Chosen. Not good. Chosen.
Do you feel it? Do you know the unconditional love of God? Do you believe that He wants to be with you? That He would die for you? It’s unbelievable. Too good to be true. That’s why the only thing we can do is to give up trying to be worthy, and simply receive God’s declaration that you and I are right with him. Amen.
Well I’ve wandered past the borderland of God’s intended will, where the wilderness of grace has just begun. And I’m drowning in an ocean deep of mercy and of justice. I’m going down and can’t escape the love.
And I’d like to do my part and start to meet You halfway coming. But I cannot take a step without a fall. And I’d like to think I’ll pay You back as if it’s just a loan. But addictions and amusements and accouterments will garnish every wage I’ll ever earn, and I find that I have nothing on my own.
So here I stand with nothing in my hand. And here I fall before Your glory. Now here I rise by your death and through your life, for I believe. Yes, I believe.
I believe, that I’ll receive the deed of love you offer me written there upon the cross in blood. And I will kneel before the place where justice kisses mercy and believe that love is more than just a word, and amazing grace is more than just a song.
Wednesday May 04, 2022
Wednesday May 04, 2022
BEING GOOD ENOUGH ISN’T GOOD ENOUGH
Some years ago I read a book with the catchy title Being Good Enough Isn’t Good Enough. That phrase captures the argument that Paul is making in the early chapters of Romans. He illustrates it with various examples, including these:
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 NIV
It was not AFTER I even WANTED to get my life together than Christ died for me to lift me up as a kind of heavenly self-improvement act. No, it is clear that he died while I was still a sinner.
It strikes me that Paul would have been especially aware of the power of this sentence for his own life. He calls himself the chief of sinners. He thought he was pleasing God, living a life of self-defined righteousness, but directly and violently opposing God’s people on earth. He was an enemy of Christ, even while Christ was dying for Paul himself! I suppose that put an end to any vestige of self-sufficiency that Paul might have been tempted to have when he was a Pharisee. He wasn’t even facing in the right direction, much less being righteous!
But while he was still a sinner, Christ died. And he not only died, but he died FOR HIM. For us. Christ was not just a victim. He was a sacrifice, with the likes of you and me in his mind as he gave himself up on the cross. It was, and is, the most astounding moment in history.
Paul goes on to say,
“For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!” Romans 5:10 NIV
Christ sacrificed himself. But when he came back to life, that was also for the likes of you and me. He came to save us, not just take punishment for us. He came to bring us life, not just pay for us by his death.
Have you ever reconciled financial records? It can take a long time of sorting through records, trying to figure out what the figures mean, and trying to remember what happened for this note to say what it does. Reconciliation is being made right. The numbers add up. Both sides of the column agree.
We are saved! Not just forgiven, saved! Saved by the resurrection!
Then Paul writes this:
“The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 5:20-21 NIV
Paul is saying that the point of the law was to help define just what sin is, so that we will not take anything for granted. Just as with family rules, so God made a set of rules by which we can know for certain that this is right and that is wrong. Sometimes we do right, but when we do wrong we can know it for certain, not just because of our conscience, but because there is something written that clearly defines it.
We have written laws in our land in order to clarify exactly what is okay to do. But mostly those laws are in place to give teeth to those who enforce them. “Hey, I think the speed you are driving seems unsafe.” “I disagree, but thanks for the advice.” “Sure thing. Have a nice day.” Does that help someone know just where the limit is for speed or reckless behaviors? Without a number, a written law, or a very burdened court system full of differing opinions, we would not even know what we can and can’t do. So the law tells us where the hard line is.
The Old Testament laws does the same thing for us. If in doubt as to whether I am doing the right thing, I can consult the commands in the law, and the law tells me when I have done wrong, and just how wrong it is. The more I have laws, the more guilty I become.
But all of that brings us to the immense generosity of the grace of Christ. The deeper the hole we are in, the more we are blessed by the hand up from out of that hole.
Thank you, Jesus, for keeping the law, and then bringing us with you forever! Amen.