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Romans - Personal Responsibility

Personal Responsibility ...

Romans 12

 

            Paul just got finished telling his audience about spiritual guidelines from a theological perspective. Now, in Chapter 12, he will talk to the Roman believers regarding how to behave in this life from a spiritually practical perspective. Being a concept that applies to all those who are part of God’s family, this all applies to us today, therefore, God wishes us to give ourselves to Christ as a living sacrifice obeying the rulers of the land, loving our neighbors, and taking special care of those who have weak faith. In other words, Paul will be talking to the Roman church (and us) about living our faith each day.

            To start with, Paul “pleads” with his Roman brothers and sisters to give their all to God. This presents to us a perfect time to reflect on ALL that God and His Son have done for us. Without them we would remain in our sins with no hope of redemption. 

            Believers are to “be a living and holy sacrifice - the kind He will find acceptable.” According to the apostle THAT is true worship ... daily laying aside our own desires to follow Him...living for God, trusting Him to guide us by His Holy Spirit.

            Paul then warns the brethren to be humble in their own personal assessment, being honest to evaluate yourself against God’s standards rather than any other man. He asked them to allow “God to transform them into a new person by changing the way they think”. (v.2)

            He speaks of the gifts that God doles out to the brethren. We all have special gifts that can and should be used to teach, encourage, inspire, and console others in need. I call that “being Jesus to someone”. He also mentions that whatever we do in the name of the Lord is to be done gladly, with a selfless spirit.

            Paul talks to them about making their love for others genuine ... really love them. Hate those things that are wrong and “hold tightly to what is good” (v.9) He gives a final round of instructions to the brethren:  Bless your persecutors, live in peace, never take revenge ... 

With reference to revenge Paul quotes Deuteronomy 32:35, “’I will take revenge; I will pay them back,’ says the Lord.”  Instead do this: “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” [Proverbs 25:21-22] The apostle concludes the chapter with “Don’t let evil conquer you but conquer evil by doing good.” Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

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Word for the Day

 

Romans - God's Mercy is for Everyone

God’s Mercy is for Everyone

Romans 11:25-36

 

            Verse 26 of this final section of chapter 11 may appear to be a contradiction to what was said in the previous posting regarding all Jews not being saved. There are various ways of looking at the phrase “And so all Israel will be saved.”

 

1) Some scholars say this phrase means the majority of Jews in the generation prior to Christ’s return will turn to Christ for salvation.

2) Some say Paul is using the term ‘Israel’ to refer to the spiritual nation of Israel, comprised of both Jews and Gentiles who have received salvation thru Christ by faith.

3) Still others say that “all Israel” refers to Israel who as a whole will have a role to play in Christ’s kingdom.

 

Any of these explanations do not mean that every single Jew will be saved. Israel as a nation will be preserved. Anyone who has received salvation will receive eternal life unless they renege on the covenant of forgiveness established with Almighty God. While none of us had to pay for our redemption either financially or with our own lives, we are accepting a responsibility to follow God’s way of living using Jesus Christ as our example. If we turn our back on that responsibility, our spirit man will eventually begin to shrivel from biblical starvation. This world offers us NOTHING that can compare in any way, shape or form to that which God has in store for those who are faithful and true. 

The Jews were constantly turning their backs on God, yet He never stopped loving them. There is a big difference between loving someone and loving what they do. Man loves with conditions...God does not. He has the supernatural ability to love the heart of a man without judging him and gives him every opportunity to repent because of that love. God’s mercy is available to everyone of His creation. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible 

Romans - God's Mercy on Israel

God’s Mercy on Israel

Romans 11:1-24

 

            In this chapter Paul stresses that while all of Israel was considered God’s chosen people, not all Jews would be saved. Because of disobedience God cut them off from the godly root. According to Paul God’s choice to graft Gentiles to the root was a means of making the Jews jealous of them. There was a remnant of Jews that remained loyal to God and His statutes, for they were seen as righteous in light of their tie to Abraham. Being considered righteous and holy because of their affiliation with Abraham makes senses because it was God who told Abraham he would be the father of many nations. They were obviously not all sired by Abraham but considered heirs to righteousness because of God’s covenant with him.

            The gentile believers should never think they could not be cut off the same as the disobedient Jews, for if God would cut off the original, intended branches, then He would most assuredly not hesitate to cut off a branch that had been grafted in. The key is living a life of righteousness in Christ’s name, thus honoring God with your lifestyle. Our reward for living this way is eternal life with our Lord. Paul tells us in verse 23 that if the Jews set aside their unbelief they be once again be regrafted back into God’s “cultivated tree”.  

            Whether one can be welcomed back into God’s family after they had already known Him is a highly debatable topic. We aren’t speaking of an unregenerate man or woman who becomes born again, leaving his sinful lifestyle, but rather one who has tasted the fruit of God’s blessings only to turn away from God at a later date. In my opinionit would seem to be a matter of the heart. It’s true that God can harden one’s heart so that it becomes seared over along with their conscience, however, God knows each individual heart and its’ motivation. If someone turns away from God and at a later date recants that decision with a sincere and contrite heart, would God not entertain a reinstatement to right status with Him? God knows the beginning from the end and everything in between. He knows if you are sincere or not.  This topic requires more research, but my initial reaction is that it is possible, but may not be likely based on the frailty, selfishness and double-mindedness of man. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

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Romans - Paul's Heart for Israel

Paul’s Heart for Israel

Romans 10:1-4

 

            Paul shares his profound and sincere longing for his Jewish brethren to be saved. His singular prayer for them is that they would accept Christ as the foretold Messiah so that they might truly know God. Like anyone else in all of creation, the Jews must find redemption thru Jesus Christ. *

            Rather than living by faith in God, the Jews established customs and traditions which they added to the law in an effort to make themselves acceptable in God’s sight. However, human effort, no matter how sincere, can never be a substitute for the righteousness God offers thru faith. The only way to earn salvation is to be perfect and that is impossible. We can only hold out our empty hands and receive salvation as a gift.

            The crescendo to all this is what Christ accomplished regarding the law ... 1) He fulfilled the law - [“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.” - Matthew 5:17] and 2) He also terminated the law because compared to Christ, the law is powerless to save.

            For clarification let me say this: while scripture clearly states that to be saved we must believe in faith and you will be saved, there’s a little more to it than that. Multitudes of people go thru the motions of being converted, however, the point of their actions is lost on them. When saved we are a NEW CREATURE ... the old has passed away, behold all things have become new. The old man has died. We are from then on to emulate Christ each day. We will slip up and sin because we aren’t expected to be perfect. We ARE however expected to seek wisdom and guidance from the Holy Spirit within. To remain in right standing with the Lord we are to turn our back 180 degrees away from those things we used to do and walk in the light of God. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible

* Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

 

Romans - Israel's Unbelief

Israel’s Unbelief

Romans 9:30-33

 

Paul once again reminds his Jewish brothers that they cannot live by the law to please God, because the law couldn’t be followed perfectly. It was brought forth to shine a spotlight on the sins of man, not to bring about forgiveness. Eternal forgiveness only comes thru Christ.

            We today may still think that doing the ‘right’ things will honor God...things like attending church, doing church work, giving offerings and being nice to one another. We may very well believe these things are required, but this approach never succeeds. Pleasing God and receiving eternity as our reward comes to those who realize that they can NEVER be good enough and must depend on Christ. We are only saved by putting our faith in what Jesus Christ has done.

            The Jews DID seek to honor God but went about it the wrong way. Their adherence to the law thru rigid obedience did not work, although they felt that it was the correct path to take. They never quite understood that salvation depended on faith and not human effort.

            Quoting from Isaiah, Paul tells of a stone in Jerusalem that made people stumble and fall. That stone was the presence of Jesus Christ. His teachings flew in the face of the 100’s of made up rules that the religious leaders of their day forced on the people. Jesus was preaching and teaching the basic principles of the law without the somber result of not being able to fulfill them. God wishes us to emulate Christ in all we think, say, and do. We aren’t perfect, nor shall we ever be however, trying is the starting point and with the help of the Holy Spirit, success shall be found. Disregarding the law or Christ’s teachings is tantamount to insisting you can enter eternity all on your own. It will never happen. People want to control each situation in their life never realizing God cannot be controlled. Submission to God and His standards should be accomplished out of faith, trust, and love. Eternal salvation is what man receives thru faith. The Jewish religious leaders had set up a system that was based on the law exclusively, with no inclusion of Christ. This was because they didn’t accept Jesus as the long awaited Messiah. They fought against God and in the end felt victorious when they saw Jesus crucified. Little did realize Christ would rise from his grave thus fulfilling what He had promised. 

            The Jews unbelief was the millstone that pulled them down. The gift was presented to them and the Jews, as they had done so many times during their history, rejected Christ because He caused disorder in their orderly ranks by disagreeing with their system of belief. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Romans - God's Selection of Israel

God’s Selection of Israel

Romans 9:1-29

 

            In this chapter, the apostle Paul starts by declaring that he would rather die himself so that the Jewish people could live in Christ. That’s a bold statement that reveals the depth of his love for his people. We know, of course, that it’s thru the death of Jesus Christ alone that brings about salvation and not by any good deeds a person may do. 

            Paul tells the Roman church that during OT times Jews viewed God’s choosing of Israel as an adoption. God is sovereign, in that He is the one true supreme, and permanent authority over all. He chose Israel by His own authority based solely on His goodness and mercy. It had nothing to do with anything the Jews could ever do to win God’s favor.

            Many people still believe even now that they can gain eternal life thru human effort. It’s a fallacy ... sadly, many have been deceived by this false notion. They say they believe in God, yet live as they choose.  It should be noted that God does as He so chooses for His own purposes.

            Paul quotes v. 15 from Exodus 33:19 to give example to God’s purpose. It says, “I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.” The apostle adds on the following statement for clarification by saying: “So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it.”

            Though the Jews were blessed by God’s grace, they still strained at the leash having an inconsistent spiritual existence.  In spite of the Jewish people being chosen by God, there will be many of their number who will not spend eternity with Him. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource:  The Life Application Study Bible.

Word for the Day

 

Word for the Day

 

Romans - Nothing Can Separate Us from God's Love

Nothing Can Separate Us from God’s Love

Romans 8:31-39

 

                  Paul takes this opportunity to emphasize how much Almighty God loves His children.  Paul already said there was NO condemnation toward anyone who loves and serves God. So if Christ died to save us, why would He turn around and condemn us. He wouldn’t.

                  The apostle stresses that if God is working on our behalf, there is nothing on this earth, nothing either above or below us, that can defeat us or bring about separation from our God. Since God will not condemn us, who will? No one. Our sin condemns us, but once that sin is washed away and we stand pure and clean before God, nothing and no one could ever condemn us ... oh the devil will try relentlessly to condemn us to God or make us believe we stand condemned because of a slip up sin, but scripture is very clear ... NOTHING can separate us from God’s unconditional, eternal, ever-present love.

                  This is an important lesson to become saturated in. God’s love is so pure and relentless that you couldn’t get away from it even if you wanted to. Paul finishes chapter 8 by reiterating that NOTHING in all of creation is able to pry us loose from the continuous, affectionate, enduring love of our Creator God. He even loves those who have yet to enter His family. God detests some folks lifestyle, but He loves them. We too are not to be supportive of one’s lifestyle but ARE to love the person. We mustn’t allow any prejudices or pre-conceived notions regarding those who are different from us, whether brother or sister in Christ or someone far from God. This is how we win souls for Christ, to love them in spite of themselves ... just as God loved and loves us. 

                  As a side note, those saved people who constantly trip up when it comes to sin, need our support and prayers. The true test of a Christians walk with God is how he or she react to the sin that easily entangles us. Do they become defeated and slowly fade from view or do they bounce back, knowing they were wrong, seeking and then accepting God’s forgiveness and look once again to avoid future spiritual entanglements with the help of the Holy Spirit. Only you can defeat you. God won’t, the devil will try, but fail, especially if you refocus on the One whose love is genuine and eternal. You stand victorious because of God’s grace. Forget your troubles and cling to everlasting love. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible

Word for the Day

 

Word for the Day

 

        “To love someone means to see him as God intended him.” –                                                 

                                                        Fyodor Dostoevsky

Romans - The Future Glory

The Future Glory

Romans 8:18-30

 

“...what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are.” _{(Vv. 18-19)}

                  

                  I’m convinced that true patience is a gift from God. It’s probably true that everyone is patient to a point, but that last phrase negates perfection. At some point in time our human emotions take over and we begin to worry and fret about things that are transpiring in our life. For example, it’s pretty universal that no one really wants to wait for anything or anybody.  It affects both the saved and unsaved. 

            God’s promises are ‘Yea & Amen’, so when He makes a promise you can count on it coming to fruition. God’s timing isn’t the same as ours and that’s when we become impatient and begin to complain. Since we know we can trust God to do that which He’s said He would do, we can look at the waiting as the time our faith and trust grows. 

            I’m no different than any of you. I’m waiting for a certain promise from God to come about and it’s taking longer than I had first anticipated. Even though I’ve become very tired of things not materializing yet, I always come back to my spiritual roots and realize that I was never told when the promise would be answered. I must be patient and wait.

            Paul moves to the topic of prayer and the times we don’t know what we ought to pray. Scripture tells us one of the responsibilities of the indwelt Holy Spirit is to intercede on our behalf in words that line up with God’s will for us when we simply don’t know what to pray. In the end it is us who are to have the confidence in God’s perfect wisdom and timing.

            We find another promise from God to man in v. 28 when it says, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” That statement reinforces the idea that God can be trusted and relied upon to take care of all our needs. You see, we think we know what we need, but only God truly knows what our most important needs are and will meet them at the proper time and for His purposes. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory.

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible

            

Romans - Life in the Spirit

Life in the Spirit

Romans 8:1-17

 

“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.”

 

                  Had you ever considered the fact that those outside of God’s forgiveness are dead men and women walking? Their life is programed to sin, therefore they are already condemned to death because of their sin. 

Paul’s powerful statement “... there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus” applies to ANYONE who had and has received forgiveness for their sins washed away. “Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit.”

Though no one is obligated to follow their sinful nature, those who do not know the Lord intimately feel compelled to follow their naturally sinful inclinations. We are sinful at birth and accumulate condemnation as we live outside the will of God. I’ve often thought, though a morbid thought it is, that we are born to die, and it is only by the blood of Christ that we can short-circuit the path of death we are on.

Paul makes sure his readers understand that when we receive Christ into our hearts and lives we are able to follow the Lord because the Spirit of God is then IN us to lead and to guide. Can you turn to darkness after you’ve received God’s forgiveness ... sadly yes, but it would come from ignoring the Spirit’s leading and falling victim to sin’s wooing. This entails repeated sinning, not just one sin, for we all sin from time to time even as children of God.  Paul tells us “So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.” 

To stay safe within the sound of the shepherd’s voice, we must feed our spirit man relentlessly so as to allow your spirit to thrive and become strong. What is the point of becoming ‘saved’ only to live a lifeless, mundane existence that accomplishes NOTHING in the name of the Lord? Once redeemed we must feed off the zeal that exists in knowing the creator of all living things. 

Paul accents his statements regarding being an heir of God but saying that we will all “share in (God’s) glory”, however, there’s a foreboding end line which tells us “if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering.” “What kinds of suffering are we to endure? For 1^st century believers, there was economic and social persecution, and some even faced death. ... In many parts of today’s world, Christians face pressures just as severe as those faced by Christ’s first followers. ... Christians must not become complacent. To live as Christ did - serving others, resisting pressures to conform to the world - always exacts a price. Nothing we suffer, however, can compare to the great price that Jesus paid to save us.”

Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible.

Word for the Day

• 
  
• “Though our feelings come and go, God’s love for us does not.” C. S. Lewis
  

In His Name & for His glory, Richard Keller - Bread of Life Ministries

Romans - Struggling with Sin

Struggling with Sin

Romans 7:14-25

 

“So the trouble isn’t’ with the law, for it is spiritual and good. The trouble is with me, for I am all too human, a slave to sin.” _{(Ro. 7:14)}

 

            Too many believers see Paul as a Spiritual Superman and I must confess that I felt pretty much the same way, but when you read Chapter 7 from his letter to the Roman church you realize that Paul was “all too human”. He did what he knew not to do & avoided doing that which he knew he should be doing. Sound familiar? Are we not the very same way?? I would say this makes the apostle Paul incredibly relatable, wouldn’t you?

            Sin is ever-present and is constantly seeking to lure us from the peace and love of God. There is no shame or guilt involved in following God’s plan, but when we do things that fly in the face of that which God wishes us to do, we become ashamed of ourselves because we know better.

            Post crucifixion believers in Christ are under an umbrella of grace, therefore, there’s nothing we do after salvation that can commit us to hell once our sins had been expunged. 

Paul compares Christian growth as a prize fight as we fight against sinful impulses in an effort to please the Lord. Without the assistance of each person of the Trinity, which we are promised in scripture, we have no hope of avoiding living a sin riddled life. 

            Paul’s immense struggle should speak to all our hearts. He’s not being melodramatic, but frankly, just being ‘real’. It’s easier to draw closer to someone once you get to truly know them. Hearing Paul share his weakness that obviously frustrates him quite a bit, needs for us to acknowledge his difficulties and strive to thwart the same from happening to us. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His Name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible

Word for the Day

 

"God does not give us everything we want, but He does fulfill His promises, leading us along the best and straightest paths to Himself."

– Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Word for the Day

 

Romans - God’s Law Reveals Our Sin

God’s Law Reveals Our Sin

Romans 7:7-13

 

“Well then, am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! In fact, it was the law that showed me my sin. I would never have known that coveting is wrong if the law had not said, ‘You must not covet.’”

 

                  “Where there is no law, there is no sin, because people cannot know that their actions are sinful unless a law forbids those actions. God’s law makes people realize that they are sinners doomed to die, yet it offers no help. Sin is real, and it is dangerous. Imagine a sunny day at the beach. You plunge into the surf; then you notice a sign on the pier. ‘NO swimming - Sharks’. Your day is ruined, yet is it the signs fault? Are you angry with the people who put it up. The law is like the sign. We’re grateful for it, but it does nothing to get rid of the sharks.” *

                  Sin can deceive mankind and has thru the eons. The law reveals God’s nature and will for his people. If we focus on His great love for us, we will understand that God only restricts us from actions and attitudes that will ultimately harm us. We mustn’t feel we are being robbed of pleasure, for the Lord’s motivation is to only bless us. 

                  The more we allow ourselves to follow Christ’s living example the less of a hold sin will have a hold on us. We all have a free will to do as we please; however, this doesn’t give us the right to willfully sin without consequences. We are to bless others in God’s love. When we do what pleases us we are potentially exhibiting sin that can fool unbelievers and even fellow believers into sinning as well. We must strive to BE Jesus to all we encounter each day. Next time we will deal with the sin struggle that can affect us all.

                  Until then, walk with the King and be a blessing.

In His name & for His glory,

Richard Keller

Bread of Life Ministries

Resource: The Life Application Study Bible, *pages 2488-2489.