Dead to Sin…

Read: Romans 6
Marked: Romans 6:23, For the wages of sin [is] death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

In chapter 6 Paul makes the case that a believer consider themselves dead to sin, and alive to God. The struggle against sin is everyone’s battle, but in Christ we can overcome.

If we have truly died to sin we can’t live in it any longer (V2). In Christ we were baptized, buried, and raised to life, united in Christ, our old man was crucified with Him, that we should no longer be slaves of sin (V4-6).

The death Christ died, He died to sin once for all, but the life He lives, He lives to God. Our attitude should be same and therefore we should not let sin reign in our mortal bodies. Grace is not a license to sin, but grace set us free from the slavery of sin and we have become slaves to God (V15-22).

If we are tempted to sin we should remember that the wages of sin is death, but God’s gift to us is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Despised and Rejected…

Read: Isaiah 53
Marked: Isaiah 53:6, We all like sheep have gone astray; we have turned, everyone, to his way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all

Isaiah 53 is, perhaps, the most enigmatic chapter in the whole Bible. Who is it referring to?

The ones we often follow in this world are the best, the brightest, the strongest, the wealthy, or the famous. But this man didn’t have any of that. Matter of fact, there was no beauty that we should desire Him (V2). Instead of being admired, He was despised and rejected by men (V3). Yet, the text says, He bore our griefs, carried our sorrows, and was stricken and smitten by God, and afflicted (V4). His wounds were our transgressions, and He was bruised for our iniquities because we turned away and chose to do our own thing; going astray.

There is only one man in all of history whose short life reflects these passages; Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Peter, writing in 1 Peter 2:24, uses similar imagery, and, drawing comparisons to Isaiah 53, concludes it is Jesus.

Fallen Short…

Read: Romans 3
Marked: Romans 3:23, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

The Jewish people were chosen by God to bring the knowledge of God to the world. Though chosen by God, it was not because they were special, or more deserving, or qualified in some other sense, but simply because God chose them.

Paul states that both Jew and non-Jew are all under sin (V9) and that no one is righteous (V10). The law makes this clear, for no one has kept the law, and the whole world is guilty before God. Everyone of us has sinned and fall short of the glory of God (V23). The law can’t justify us. Only faith in the One who lived a sinless life can (Hebrews 4:15).

The Gospel…

Read: Romans 1
Marked: Romans 1:16, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

Paul had long desired to go to Rome to impart some spiritual gift to establish them (V11), and to preach the gospel (V15). The gospel concerns God’s Son Jesus Christ, born of the seed of David, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit, by the resurrection of the dead (V3-4).

The resurrection of Jesus is what sets the gospel apart from all other faiths. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:13-14, “But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.”

An empty faith has no value, but because Paul was an eyewitness to the resurrection (Acts 9) he knew the gospel was the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes. Paul went to great lengths to preach the gospel.

Follow Me…

Read: Matthew 4
Marked: Matthew 4:19, Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

As Jesus begins His ministry He is sent by the Spirit into the Judean wilderness where He fasted and prayed for forty days (V1). When He was at His weakest, the tempter, the devil, tempted Him, but Jesus steadfastly refused to follow the devil and relied on God’s word to see Him through (V4, 7, 10).

We all suffer temptation and we all follow something or someone. We are tempted in three ways. Through the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, or through pride (1 John 2:16).
However, Jesus came to do the will of God, not the will of Satan.

So who will we follow? Jesus calls us to follow Him (V19). Whatever our innate skill might be, He called fisherman; we might be lawyers, doctors, labourers, tradesmen, or housewives, even retired, but Jesus can use us and make us fishers of men, to preach the gospel of the kingdom like He did (V23), and as He taught others to do, if we follow only Him.

Fellowship…

Read: 1 John 1
Marked: 1 John 1:3, that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

John testifies that he was an eyewitness to the life of Jesus whom he calls the Word of life (V1). He says he saw, looked upon, and handled Jesus. To these things he bears witness of the eternal nature of Christ which was with the Father and was manifested to him. And so he invites us to enter into a relationship, not with a dead holy man, but with the living Saviour. And not only with Jesus, but through Him God the Father. The result of this fellowship is full joy (V4). Faith in Christ is a relationship, not a religious philosophy. No other religion claims fellowship with God in this way.

Assembling…

Read: Hebrews 10
Marked: Hebrews 10:24-25, And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Some believe that being a Christian and attending church is optional. But Hebrews shows us the importance of regular gathering, not to edify a building, but to edify each other. We are to stir, literally provoke, each other to love and good works. It is in our gatherings that we learn to serve and help each other, and others. If we don’t gather together how can we help one another to attain to all God has for us? Our common faith in Christ strengthens us. This is especially important when our enemy brings discouragement. Lone sheep are easy prey.

Two or Three…

Read: Matthew 18
Marked: Matthew 18:20, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”

We say, “There is strength in numbers.” And it’s true. But the power we have through prayer doesn’t require many to connect us to our heavenly source. Two or three is all it takes. Many revivals in history were begun by two or three fervently praying for God to move in them and in the lives of those around them. A small group doesn’t require much space; they can meet anywhere at any time. What matters is that they meet in the name of Jesus. He is the source. He is in our midst when we gather together in His name to find strength, comfort, and the power to do His will.

Peace with God…

Read: Philippians 4
Marked: Philippians 4:6-7, Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Many people are anxious today especially with all that is going on in Israel and elsewhere in the world. The news reports certainly don’t help with reports of escalation from various operators. Christ said these things would happen with ever increasing frequency (Matthews 24). But we have a means to combat our anxieties through prayer and supplication remembering that no matter what takes place in this world, we can speak to God about it anytime, any place. We can have peace in the most trying of circumstances guarding our hearts and minds with the promises of God. He has overcome the world.

Prayer…

I read: John 15
Marked: John 15:7, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”

Jesus identifies Himself as the source of all life (V1). Our role is to abide in Him as a branch abides in the vine, drawing from Him the life giving nutrients we need to live to bear fruit (V4). Jesus will not deny anyone what He has to offer if they abide in Him. Therefore, we can ask for what we desire, and the promise of the Lord is that it shall be done. But asking for what we desire is done with the goal of glorifying the Father (V8). We glorify God by keeping the commandments of Christ (V10). The fruit we are to bear is fruit that glorifies God, not ourselves.