One of the greatest chapters of the Bible

So today I study Romans 8, which some consider one of the greatest, if not the greatest chapters of the Bible. Let us not discount the rest of the Word, it is all valuable and good. But Romans 8, for you and I fellow Christian, is the best news we could ever receive and without it we would be totally lost.

I love reading Romans because it truly humbles me and reminds me of just who I am in light of Christ, which is worthless, but then lifts me up in ways I don't deserves and speaks of the promise of salvation and a life with Christ. How wonderful that we have these words!

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. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 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. (Romans 8:1-4, ESV)

Okay so first of all, I don't know about you but these first several verses have me more excited than a surprise trip to Disney World. (For those who know me, I know this sounds impossible but try to believe it). I AM NO LONGER CONDEMNED! Me, wretched sinner that I am, who could have done nothing to save herself on her own, is NO LONGER CONDEMNED. Uh, did I do that? No? Did you do that? No? Christ did that. God, the very perfect being who I had horrendously and continuously sinned against and hated, sent His son to die, to be separated from the Father, whom He is and enjoyed perfect fellowship with. Christ died on a cross, not only experiencing physical agony unimaginable, but then experienced the agony of God the Father looking down on Him as if He was the most disgusting and vile thing the Lord had ever looked upon. That is why the Lord turned His face, because He cannot have sin in His presence.
I love the working "has set you free" what a beautiful thought! And what have we been set free from? Sin and death! I mean come on, how can someone hear this and think "Oh nah... that doesn't sound cool." God has done what the law and we could not do! This is just great.

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit ofhim who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:5-11, ESV)

BAM there it is. Clear distinction, no second guessing. You live according to the flesh? You set your mind on things of the flesh. You live according to the Spirit? You set your mind on things of the Spirit. It's not rocket science. Bing, bam, boom, you have no excuse. You have your mind set on things of the flesh? Guess what, you're in hostility against GOD. Against the creator of the universe! You some kind of hot mess! And guess what, all those good things you did throughout your life, none of it can please the Lord because it's tainted by your worldly flesh! He won't even look at it!

Best way of explaining the "Why do bad things happen to good people?" that I've ever heard is this:

It has only happened once, and He volunteered.

Drop the mic. DONE.

But for us Christians, we still have to fight these fleshly bodies. Crazy, I know, but it's got to be done. Don't give in to your fleshly desires! It won't give you anything but a heartache and a distant relationship with the Lord. Distant, not because He moves away from us, but because we willingly move away from Him. Keep that in your brain.

Okay so this has been a lot for us to dwell on here so I'll do Romans 8 part 2 tomorrow.

I just made myself so excited I'm about to bounce off the walls. God is so good. I can't HANDLE IT!

Love Always,
Christina

Reflecting on Truth

So this morning I was woken up at 4:30 with racing mind and heart, unsure of why, oh why in the world I was awake. I'm talking awake like I had taken a shot of espresso and then run a marathon. I could only sit up in bed, holding my head in my hands and say "Lord, whyyyy am I awake?" I tried every comfy position I know to fall back asleep and nothing worked!

I came to the conclusion that the Lord wanted to talk to me. So I laid back down and began to pray. And while I had a sweet time of prayer, it's where He brought me in the Word that I want to talk about. I read a Psalm and Proverb for today, and then opened up Romans 7 to think about what sin is in my life and how often I can ignore it.

What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. (Romans 7:7-12, ESV) 

How crazy is it that if the Lord had not provided the Law, we wouldn't even know when we are sinning?!? How gracious is our Father to provide the Law for us to look at and know what is wrong and what is right! Looking back on classes I've taken about ancient cultures and religions, there is no religion out there that offers clear condemnation of specific sins, AND redemption all at the same time. It blows my mind when people choose another religion over Christianity because even from a logical viewpoint, Christianity is the only religion to offer this! I once sat through a class that one day scoffed and told jokes about Christianity and it's savior, they sneered at the commandments and the rebuking of sin. The very next day the class had a calm discussion about how Islam, condemning man to hell without any SURE salvation, was a logical religion and should be respected and "to each his own". I was baffled.

Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure. For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.

So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.(Romans 7:13-25, ESV)

Okay so this next bit I love so much because, I'm not sure about you, but I've been exactly where Paul's at in this passage and it's encouraging to know even Paul can look at himself and go WHAT THE HECK AM I DOING?
I mean, I cannot tell you the countless times I have been on my knees before the Lord asking for forgiveness and a repentant heart only to turn around and commit the same sin I was on my knees for!!
"For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that NOTHING good dwells in me, that is, my flesh." and then "For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am!"

For as long as we live on this earth, we will be at war with our flesh. My problem is that I too often rely on my own flesh and not the Lord. I believe I have the strength, will and drive to do anything righteous, but that is so wrong!

I'm moving on to Romans 8 and I'm excited to share with you all what I learn. But for this passage I just want to sit back and laugh at our silly circumstances and our foolish pride. Then I want to turn to the Lord, ask for forgiveness of my pride and distrust in the Lord and hand over my sins to Him, the only one who can conquer them.

Love Always,
Christina