August 14, 2024 — Suggested Reading: Romans 10:1 – 21

“The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved. The scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” But how are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him? And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” But not all have obeyed the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.” Romans 10:8-18

I have said it before, I will say it again, there is so much good stuff in Paul’s letter to the Romans. Here in chapter 10 we have such verses as 9 “if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” And verse 13, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” And verse 15, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news.” We have lost the practice of verse memorization in our confirmation classes, and our Sunday school classes, and in our own daily reading. Here, in Paul’s letter, are some great verses to commit to memory. Verse 15 is an adaptation of Isaiah 52:7 and is used by Paul to support his claim that faith comes by what is heard — especially in his day when most people were illiterate. When most people learn through hearing, then there obviously needs to be a plethora of people proclaiming the word of Christ. Paul’s point is that we must be the messengers of that word – even if we have the ugliest feet in the world – because our feet will be transformed just as we are transformed by the word of Christ.

Pastor Dave

August 12, 2024 — suggested reading: Romans 7:1 – 25

“What then should 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. 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 in the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. Apart from the law sin lies dead. I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died, and the very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. For sin, seizing an opportunity in the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and just and good. Did what is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, working 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.” Romans 7:7-13

Paul and the Law. Like all Jews, Paul believed that the law was “holy and just and good.” But Paul also saw a negative side to Torah (law). Paul knew that the Law causes sin to be known, and even incites sin, thus bringing G-d’s wrath. His road to Damascus revelation taught him that, despite his adherence to the law, his persecution of Jesus and followers of “the way” opposed G-d and also taught him that a relationship with G-d is grounded in grace, not law. As seen in the example of Abraham, law and circumcision are not the means to righteousness with God, but this is only found in faith alone. For the Christian, the only remaining use of the law is as a norm for behavior pleasing to God, made possible by the indwelling Spirit of G-d (Luther’s Third Use of the Law). (New Interpreter’s Study Bible, p. 2020)

This “Third Use of the Law” is not something to consider lightly — the law gives us a norm for how we should live our lives – or strive to live our lives. We still need laws that help us to find true boundaries to our living — laws that come from the commonwealth, and laws that come from the common understanding of right and righteous living, and the law that comes from G-d. Jesus will reduce the Ten Commandments to just two, the most important: love G-d, love your neighbor. It confounded the people of his day and it still confounds us – for we know this is how we are to live, but achieving it every day is almost impossible. But this is why we strive to live in this manner – for only through the Holy Spirit will we even come close.

Pastor Dave

August 13, 2024 — suggested reading: Romans 8:26 – 39

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified. What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:26-39

In Romans 8:31 and following Paul hits the highlight of his writing and his theology — meaning there is nothing more powerful than these words: “What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else. It is God who justifies. It is Christ Jesus, who died…who indeed intercedes for us. …I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

My friends, if G-d is for us — then nothing can take G-d away from us. It is not possible to be separated from the love of G-d. Oh, life can make us feel as if G-d has forgotten about us. The trials and tribulations of this life can make us feel as if Christ has abandoned us and try to make us believe that the Holy Spirit has decided that we are not worthy. But that is not G-d — that is simply life getting in the way of our relationship with Christ. Those feelings are the devil trying to get between us and G-d. NOTHING can separate us from the love of G-d in Christ Jesus…..live it, learn it, love it.

Pastor Dave