Category Archives: Bible Engagement

The Romans Challenge: Salvation’s Certainty

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“As the Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”” 
Romans 10:11 NIV

The world is full of get rich quick schemes and self-improvement plans. It seems like the role of “life coach” is a booming prospect in a lot of circles. We, as humans, like to think we have found the answers to improve our lives and make us happy and rich. But time and time again, our plans fail…

There is only one way for us to truly be changed. There is only one way to find contentment and peace. This is found in a relationship with God. You and I were created for relationship with Him. We will not find what we are looking for chasing the latest fads and schemes.

The problem that causes all the discontentedness and disconnection in our lives, isn’t our lack of self realization. It is SIN and it is living according to our selfishness. Simply put, we need a Savior.

Jesus knew exactly what we needed when He came to provide the way for salvation. What is broken in us can be made new when we confess Jesus as Lord of our lives (turn our lives over to Him), and when we believe that He truly is our Risen Savior. God’s promise of New Life in Christ is certain. If we believe and if we call on Him, we will be saved. We are assured that we “will not be put to shame.”

God’s plan to renovate our spiritual hearts and to make us new are not some fantasy we chase. God’s promise of eternal life is certain. We won’t be disappointed or disgraced in the end. Plans for life change that fall outside of the truth of Scripture will always fall short. Because “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

Thank You God that You have provided all we need for us to have Your New Life that You offer us! Thank You for the certainty of salvation. We know You promises are true. What You say You will do. When we come to You and believe we won’t be disappointed. We “will not be put to shame.”

The Romans Challenge: The Word is Near

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“But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’ ” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim:”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭6‬-‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In 1987, the Rock band U2 recorded a song “I Still Haven’t Found what I’m Lookin For.” Its lyrics remind of this verse.

“I have climbed highest mountains
I have run through the fields
Only to be with you
Only to be with you
I have run
I have crawled
I have scaled these city walls
These city walls
Only to be with you.

But I still haven’t found what I’m looking for…”.

People are looking for truth. They are looking for peace. They are looking for the connection to someone greater… God. The problem is we feel like if we “ascend into heaven” or “descend into the deep”, we will somehow be able to make that connection. Or as U2’s song speaks of, doing all these great feats, we will finally achieve the goal. But, somehow we end up empty realizing, that we “still haven’t found what I’m looking for…” or EMPTY!

God is not like that. He says, “The Word is near you…” The Word is intimate, united in close ties of affection… as a close friend (Websters 1828)

John 1:1 tells us that Jesus is the Word of God made flesh. The Word is an expression that shows what is in the heart. What we speak reveals what is in us. God spoke when He sent His Word, Jesus, to show us what was in His heart toward us. This very Word made flesh, Jesus, is near us. He is intimate. He desires to be tied to us with great affection as a close friend.

We do not have to wander around looking for some truth or temporary joy to fill us. We can find what we are looking for in Jesus. We can receive God’s communication of Himself, His Word — Jesus, into our lives by faith. We can KNOW that He is near and that He is intimately acquainted with us as a Friend.

“The Word is near” us. May we receive Him by faith, and KNOW Him by pursuing a relationship with Him. This is His desire. It is what we were made for.

The Romans Challenge: Checking Off Boxes

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“Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

It is possible to do all the right “religious” things and miss the most important thing… relationship.

The Jews of Paul’s time did just that. They were “zealous for God, but their zeal {was} not based on knowledge.” The word zeal in this verse suggests a firey passion. They worked very hard to do everything that they thought would please God, but they missed the most important thing… the condition of their spiritual hearts.

We are no different. We can spend our lifetime “checking off the boxes” in terms of religion. Attend church… check. Read the Bible… check. Pray a prayer… check. Do a good dead… check. ETC. BUT, Our hearts can be FAR from God.

The whole point of Jesus coming was to fulfill all the “religious” requirements. He came so we could have relationship. Performance… “checking the box”… is a cold and dead religion. Jesus wants us to experience a relationship that is alive. He wants us to KNOW Him! This kind of know is more intimate than what we can experience with our spouse. It is more loving than a mother with a child. It is deeply personal.

Being zealous for God is a good thing! It is a firey passion, but this firey passion is based off of relationship. If it is just for “checking the boxes”, legalism, pride, and death will be the result.

Are you “checking the box?” Or is your relationship with God ALIVE? God is not looking for dead religion. He wants our hearts!

The Romans Challenge: The Patience of God

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“What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory— even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭9‬:‭22‬-‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

For many years, I struggled with the concept of the wrath of God. It seemed like God was an angry God, and that He was looking for the perfect opportunity to throw some lightening bolts toward us for messing up. What a lie I believed! God is a patient God!

In order to understand God’s patience, it is helpful to truly understand the nature of sin. Sin divides and separate us from God. This is because God is holy. He cannot have sin within Himself. Sin is like a spiritual cancer. It destroys our lives and will eventually kill us. Sin brings nothing but death, darkness, and destruction to our lives. God hates sin! This is because sin keeps us from being in a relationship that is close and connected to Him. God will eventually eradicate sin from our world when He comes in His judgement. He will end the pain and suffering sin has produced. He will make all things new. But for now He is patient in His longing to destroy evil. Why? Because He wants “to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy…”

He wants us to know Him. He has patiently waited for us to come to Him so He can have the opportunity to reveal Himself to us. God’s glory is the sum total of His attributes. It is who He is. He wants us to know—experience intimately— who He is. He wants us to know His perfect love. He wants us to experience His complete joy. He wants us to be intimately acquainted with His perfect peace.

We are the “objects of His mercy.” God’s mercy — His tenderness of His heart, His benevolence, His willingness to overlook our offenses (forgive) — is directed towards us! His plan for us is for us to know Him and through that knowledge, we will become like Him. We will display Him to those around us. We will make Him known. This is what God desires for us and intends for us. This is why He patiently waits for us to come!

God is continually holding out the opportunity for us to KNOW Him! Jesus provided all that we needed to be able to come close to God through His death, burial, and resurrection. God has given us the Holy Spirit to dwell inside of us so we can experience Him every moment of every day. God has given us His Word so we can learn about His character, His desires, and who He is. He patiently waits for us to come to Him and experience His glory — who He is!

Thank You Father for Your patience. We know Your desire is to end the suffering that sin has brought, and You wait patiently to execute your just judgements. This is because You desire for everyone to KNOW You! Help us to truly desire to know You more and to make You known to everyone You place in or path! In Jesus name!

The Romans Challenge: Chosen

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“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.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭9‬:‭15‬-‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I was not a very athletic kid. When I went out to play at recess, I was always the last one chosen for the kickball team. I can still hear the other kids as they picked their players. I was always one of the last few not chosen, “…ok (sigh) I’ll take Janet.”

God is not that way. It is not as if He was picking His team and then thought, “I have no other option… I’ll pick you.”

God deliberately chooses to have mercy on us. He knows all our shortcomings. He knows all our wrong choices… Still He has a tender heart towards us and calls to us to come to Him so we can be made new. God deliberately chooses to have compassion on us. He sees us in our broken mess and desires to heal and restore. Whatever our lives look like, He never says, “Go away! Your mess is too much for Me…”

What a beautiful truth! Our salvation/ relationship to God does not “depend on human desire or effort.” It is all dependent upon “God’s mercy.”

Thank You Father that You have chosen us to have mercy and compassion upon. You love us! That is enough! We do not have to do anything to earn Your love, mercy, or compassion. You chose to send Jesus. Jesus, You chose to die. And You have chosen to show us mercy and compassion in drawing us to Your side and saving us. There is nothing we have done, can do, or will do in the future to earn such a great gift! We love You! In Jesus name!

The Romans Challenge: The Children of the Promise

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“In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭9‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

As my kids were growing up, my husband and I took them to church faithfully. We talked about God often. I read them Bible stories and worked with them on memorizing Scripture. In all of this, I told them. I can tell you about God, but I cannot give you a relationship with God. You MUST get that relationship on your own.

The Jewish people thought they had the “in” with God. They were blood descendants with the Fathers of their faith. But they were missing something… relationship with God. This is not something they could receive as a physical inheritance. They had to receive the relationship by faith. “The children of the promise” are the ones who are “regarded as Abraham’s offspring.” 

“If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”
‭‭Galatians‬ ‭3‬:‭29‬ ‭NIV‬‬

When we come to Christ and accept Him as our Savior, we enter into a relationship with God. We become His child. We receive His promise of salvation for those who believe. We are “the children of the promise.” Our relationship with God as His child is not through a human pedigree or our personal efforts to live the best we can. It is not our own doing at all (no jumping through hoops). It is not the result of our relationship with our mom, dad, grandpa, or grandma (we don’t have to be biologically related to the right person.) Relationship with God comes from a personal faith — one on one. We believe and then we simply receive what God promised to us!

The promise is simply this:

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭9‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Thank You God for the simplicity of Your Good News! Relationship with You is received through faith in Your promise!

The Romans Challenge: If Only I Could

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“For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race,”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭9‬:‭3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

My youngest son Andy spent 6 days in the NICU after he was born. He was having troubles breathing. After having three babies with no major issues, it was shocking to me. All the tubes and wires attached to him, and the constant sticking him for blood samples was more than a momma’s heart could bear. One memory in particular still makes my heart ache to this day. The nurses came in to change his cpap prongs that went into his nostrils. They warned me that it might be best for me to not watch. As I was turning away, I happened to catch a glance of his tiny 8 lb 6 oz body arching off the bassinet as they pulled them out. He was obviously in pain. Oh how I wished I could take his place…

Paul starts of chapter 9 of Romans echoing that same kind of desire for his people, the Jews. Paul knew what it was like to check off all the religious boxes — having a religion— and not truly have a relationship with God himself. He also knew that one real encounter with Jesus, had changed him forever. This is what he longed for the people he loved to experience.

The Jews had it all. They had the “patriarchs (the Old Testament Heroes we read about today)and from them (the Jewish people) {was} traced the human ancestry of the Messiah” Jesus. God had been revealing Himself to their ancestors for centuries before, but when Jesus came they rejected Him.

This makes me think of our day and time. I’m a child of the 80’s. When I was growing up in small town, Missouri, it seemed that there was a church on every corner. People knew about God. America was considered a “Christian” nation. But we have drifted far from where we were.

The question that remains, “does my heart ache for those around me that have not experienced the same relationship with God that I have?”

Sin brings death, darkness, and destruction into our lives, but we have the remedy — Jesus! He came that we would experience abundant life. (John 10:10)

Father, help us to truly care for those around us who are lost in sin. Help us to give ourselves away to Your purpose of making You known. I ask for You to stir in our hearts to desire to pray for those around us and to obey You fully in what You tell us. So that Jesus would be lifted High in our lives, and others would come to know Him. First and for-most, fill us with Your love! So we love like You do, sacrificially. In Jesus name!

The Romans Challenge: Super Conquerors

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“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭37‬ ‭NIV‬‬

A couple of weeks ago my husband and I went to see the new Superman movie. I’ve been a fan of Superman since I was a kid watching the old black and white TV show. I watched Christopher Reeves as Superman in the 80’s. This ought to date me… Ha!

One thing struck me as I watched the movie. Different actors, different time period, BUT same basic theme. Things will get really bad. Superman will have an encounter with Kryptonite and ALMOST be destroyed, then he will be who he has been all along… Super! He will overcome. He will save the day.

As I was reading the verse above, the phrase “more than conquerors” stuck out to me. So I did a little exploring on Bible Hub. This phrase in the Greek is “hypernikomen” or “hyper” conqueror. Hyper means “over and beyond. Excess.” (Websters 1828 What came to my mind is the definition of “super” is exactly the same. You and I are “super conquerors” through Jesus who loves us!

What does this mean? Before you invest in a blue stretchy suit and a red pair of underwear to go over it. Let me explain. We, much like the fictional hero Superman, will encounter hardship. BUT ours is REAL LIFE… Paul described the hardships of our world as the possibility of famine, nakedness, danger and sword… BUT this is not going to be our defeated end. Through Jesus we will always overcome!

“If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31) This is the reality of a believers life! This is because “NOTHING can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

As a believer in Jesus, we are His! He has conquered the greatest of all enemies — death, hell and the grave. His victory has become ours! Our circumstances here on earth may seem very dire and may overwhelm us, but they are not the final say over our lives. No matter what we encounter, we are loved by the God who spoke the planets into being. He has set His affection on us, “and we know that for those who love God all things work together for the good…” (Romans 8:28)

Ok, maybe it wouldn’t hurt to get a T-shirt with a Superman “S” on it and start to wear it. But if we do, may it be a reminder, not that we derive some kind of superpowers from a fictional planet that our parents sent us to earth from. We are much more than that! We are “Super Conquerors” through Jesus, the God of the universe and beyond! He holds ALL power in His hand. No matter what we go through His love for us never changes. He is at work, and we can be confident that our end will be victorious in Him!

The Romans Challenge: Jesus Image

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“For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭29‬-‭30‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Last month, my husband and I went to Mt. Rushmore for the very first time. As we were driving through the Black Hills of South Dakota to get to its location, we were taking in the beauty of the mountains. Then the thought came to us, “who is it that just looks at a mountain and sees a monument with the faces of the Presidents? But not only that, they create it?” You and I are similar to that mountain in South Dakota. God looked at us and predetermined that He was going to create the very image of Jesus in us!

Though it is hard for me to comprehend and believe at times, this is exactly what God had planned for me, “before the foundation of the world…” (Ephesians 1:4 ESV) God has had a plan for you and me. He doesn’t see us as we do…sin scarred, messed up, worthless, etc. He sees us fully conformed to the image of Christ— beautiful. In fact, we can be assured that He has begun a good work in us and He will finish it! (Philippians 1:6)

God predestined. He marked out beforehand (Greek for “predestined”) what we will be. This predestination is a present process of a future hope. (Berean Study Notes — Bible Hub) What we are going through today is being used to produce our future that has a confident expectation of good. What is the good we expect? The greatest good we could ever experience is to be just like Jesus. God called us, or invited us (Greek for “called”) to this. He justified us through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. He provided the way for us to be cleansed of our sin and placed us in right relationship with Him. He has glorified us — made us His image bearers. This is what we are now, Jesus Image, here on earth. This is what we will become more and more of as we surrender our lives to Him!

What a wonderful promise for us now and the not yet! Being just like Jesus is our glorious future in Him!

The Romans Challenge: Suffering

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“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”
‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The images of “The Passion of The Christ” have been in my mind lately. Jesus suffered. What He suffered was for us to be able to see His glory — the sum total of all of His attributes. The prayer of Jesus right before He went to the cross has been echoing in my heart over and over again. “Not my will but Your will be done.” Jesus prayed, “Father, if You are willing, please take this cup from me.” He knew the price He would pay and the suffering He would endure. It wasn’t something He took lightly. BUT Jesus wanted only what His Father wanted, even if, it included suffering. His willingness to persevere means a victorious salvation for you and for me.

If I am to live my life as Jesus did, I will suffer. Jesus told us that our world was filled with trouble. Sin is still a factor and its consequences are far reaching. BUT we can take courage because Jesus has overcome.

The sufferings you and I are going through today are hard. We can allow it to make us bitter or we can allow it to make us better. It is our choice. As followers of Jesus, we have one aim — Be like Jesus! If we want to join Him in His victory, we will participate in His suffering. If we want to live as Jesus did, we must pray as Jesus did, “Not my will, but Yours be done.”

Whatever circumstance God has allowed into our life we can be assured He allowed for our good and for His glory. If suffering is what He has allowed, we know that His “glory will be revealed in us.”

Perseverance, in suffering, produces character, God’s character in us. (Romans 5:4) His glory — His complete attributes of love, joy, goodness, peace, kindness, etc. are revealed in us when we endure suffering.

Ultimately, when our final battle with the hardships of our world is fought, we will see Jesus face to face. We will finally be like Him in every way.

For now we are to rejoice in our suffering, because we know it is producing in us the very character of God.

Father, help us to keep in our hearts and our minds the suffering of Jesus. Help us to look at His example when hardships come. Help us to suffer as He did, fully surrendered to Your will. We thank You that as we do, we will also participate in Your victory. Help us to be like Jesus in every way, shape, and form. May our prayer always be, “Not my will, but Yours be done.” In Jesus name!