Not Guilty! - Romans 8:1

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

We are all, by nature justly condemned. “The wages of sin is death” (Rom 3:23). Condemnation is what we deserve. It is fair. But, to God alone be the glory, through Christ we are not condemned. Romans 8 begins with a declaration of the difference that Christ makes in a life. Here is one of the privileges of the elect – O! and it is a precious privilege – “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Hear those words precious believer and let them roll around on your ear as fine wine would roll around on your tongue!

Paul has complained to His God regarding the reality of the battle. There is a war waging and we are soldiers in the midst of this grand conflict. Romans 8 is full of hope for the weary warrior and it begins with this glorious declaration – “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!”

Matthew Henry writes, “It is the unspeakable privilege of all those that are in Christ Jesus that there is therefore now no condemnation against them. Paul does not say, ‘There is no accusation against them’, for this there is; but the accusation is thrown out. He does not say, ‘There is nothing in them that deserves condemnation’, for this there is, and they see it, and own it; but it shall not be their ruin. He does not say, ‘There is no cross, no affliction to them’, for this there may be; but no condemnation.”

Where does this freeing declaration spring from? It springs from the Lord Jesus Christ and our union with Him. Romans 8 is the result of Romans 6. By God’s doing, we are “in Christ” and because we are “in Christ” there is therefore now no condemnation! It is all of Him and none of us. Romans 8 is the result of God’s mercy given to us in Christ.

Keep in mind that Romans 8:1 begins with “There is therefore.…” For years I’ve been reminded to always find out what the “therefore” is there for! Context matters, it is important. (“A text without a context is a pretext for anything.” Yet a text within its context is eye opening and life changing.) Immediately prior to this wonderful statement, we have found Paul undone by the reality of his sin. Romans 7 ends with “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?” Paul is undone, as are we. What can he do? Nothing! and he realized it full well. What does he deserve? The wrath and displeasure of a holy God. Paul, when looking at his sin and gazing at the character of God is absolutely undone.

He’s just like Isaiah when he saw the LORD “sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted, with the train of His robe filling the temple.” Remember his vision? “Seraphim stood above Him each having six wings; with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called out to another and said, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy, isi the LORD of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.’ And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out…. Then [Isaiah] said, ‘Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” (Is 6:1-5)

Paul, when seeing his sin and seeing God in all of his holiness, is absolutely undone. We better be undone as well. If we aren’t then perhaps we are still dead in our trespasses and sins. “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?” “Woe is me, for I am ruined!”

O! But our God does not leave Paul there! He does not leave Isaiah there! He has not left Lori there and he will not leave you there! Paul declares “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Isaiah, the man of unclean lips, is sent a seraph with a burning coal to touch his mouth with fiery grace. Once that touch of grace is given the seraph declares “Behold, this has touched your lips, and your iniquity is taken away, and your sin is forgiven.”

See this same truth playing out at the beginning of Romans 8. Paul the unclean is touched by the grace of Christ and is now Paul the not condemned. How glorious is grace?!?! Here is what the “therefore” is there for. I am a woman of unclean lips and heart and mind and action. I am wretched. I am undone left to myself. But, I have not been left to myself. I have been united, by grace through faith, to the Lord Jesus Christ. And because of that reality “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Let it soak in. Let the healing oil of that promise run its course all this day. Walk in the freedom of God’s declaration. The wretched is made righteous. The unclean has been washed. “Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow.” The judge has spoken. I am no longer on death row. Christ was executed for me - in my place, for my sins - and “there is therefore now no condemnation.”

And Can it Be?

And can it be that I should gain an interest in the Savior’s blood? Died He for me, who caused His pain? For me, who Him to death pursued?Amazing love! How can it be that Thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

‘Tis mystery all! The immortal dies! Who can explore His strange design?In vain the firstborn seraph tries to sound the depths of love divine. ‘Tis mercy all! let earth adore, let angel minds inquire no more.

He left His Father’s throne above (so free, so infininte His grace!) Humbled Himself (so great His love!), and bled for all His chosen race. ‘Tis mercy all, immense and free; for, O my God, it found out me.

Long my imprisoned spirit lay fast bound in sin and nature’s night; thine eye diffused a quickening ray; I woke, the dungeon flamed with light; my chains fell off, my heart was free; I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

No condemnation now I dread; Jesus, and all in Him is mine! Alive in Him, my living Head, and clothed in righteousness divine,bold I approach the eternal throne, and claim the crown, through Christ my own.

Amazing love! How can it be that Thou, my God, shoulds’t die for me?

Charles Wesley, 1738

Not Condemned,

Lori

Final Warring Words. An Interesting Parallel - Romans 7 / Philippians 4

I have been really struck at the parallel between this passage that I've written on in the last two posts and the words of Philippians 4. In Romans 7 we've seen that Paul makes his complaint to God. Then he repackages his mind with reminders of what the struggle REALLY signifies. He makes his thoughts to dwell on the Word– it’s beauty and the joy it brings to his soul. Finally, He acts on that which he mind has been thinking.

Isn’t that Philippians 4?!?!

“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 comprehension, shall guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally brethren, whatever is true…honorable…right…pure…lovely…of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things; and the God of peace shall be with you.” (Philippians 4:6-9)

So, what are we to do in the midst of whatever "war" we find ourselves battling this day?

1. Make your complaint to the One who can do something about it – PRAY!

• "Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." - Philippians 4:6
• "Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation." - Luke 22:46
• "With all prayer and petition pray at all times." - Ephesians 6:18

2. Take your thoughts captive, repackage your mind with biblical thought. Stop listening to yourself and start talking to yourself – MEDITATE on truth!

• "Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, let your mind dwell on these things." - Philippians 4:8
• "For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh, for the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ." - 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
• "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." - Romans 12:2
  

3. Finally, do that which the law requires and which Christ enables – OBEY!

• "The things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things; and the God of peace shall be with you." - Philippians 4:9
• "But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves." - James 1:22
• "You have ordained your precepts that we should keep them diligently." - Psalm 119:4

May God grant us the grace and strength in the battles we face to wear His armor, to wield His Word, and to win in Christ.

Warring on,

Lori

War! Complaints and Comforts- Romans 7:14-25 Part 2

“For we know that the Law is spiritual; but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. For that which I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. But if I do the very thing I do not wish to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that it is good.

"So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which indwells me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish. But if I am doing the very thing I do not wish, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

“I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wishes to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.

“Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.” (Romans 7: 14-25)

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In my last post I began looking at Paul's description of the war that rages within each of us as believers. If you are a Christian, you KNOW that there is a war. (If you have no idea what I'm talking about then perhaps the question to ask is "am I truly in Christ?") As a believer, my flesh rages against the spirit. The old man rails against the new man. Sin clashes with sanctification. Boy, oh boy - does it ever. This section of Romans 7 is the story of my life!


Paul gets very honest here. Lori is striving to do the same. Paul acknowledges that there is a war and he shoots straight with his “complaints” regarding it. However, Paul doesn't complain just in order to vent. His complaints are made to his God. His complaints are prayers to the only one who can assist him in the struggle. As Paul offers his honest complaints to his all-sufficient God, he finds the true “comforts” that accompany him in his trial. In our warring are we complaining at God or complaining to Him? Do you need comfort in the midst of your battle? I know I do and Paul, the chief of sinners, will help direct us there in these verses.


First, the complaint. Paul talks honestly about the fact that sin still seems to be stuck to him. Even the regenerate man (even Paul) still sins. We never fully shake it in this life. Notice the following things from the text:

• He complains that "I am of flesh, sold into bondage of sin” (vs 14). Matthew Henry states that “even where there is spiritual life there are remainders of carnal affections.” Isn't that the truth! Justification was wonderful, sanctification can be painful, and glorification is beyond my wildest dreams! I can't imagine it but how I long for it! Oh to be free – not just from the guilt and the reigning power – but fully free. Gone! No more! Free from all sin in me, on me, around me. Lord haste the day when all the affects of sin's bondage are removed!

• He complains that “That which I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate” (vs 15). The same thing is expressed in verse 19: “For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish.” And then again in verse 21: "I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wishes to do good.”
  
  Repeatedly I find myself doing what I don't understand, practicing what I hate, and doing the very thing I do not want to do. Paul wanted to do the right thing. His heart longed to please his God. He desired to be perfect as his Father is perfect. But his desires and his practice just didn’t add up. Paul was human. Paul was just like me. See, it is “common to man!” He wanted to do the right thing but it seems he just couldn’t do it. I can't do it either - in and of myself. But Christ can and Christ did! Praise God for Christ's active obedience!

May we with Paul “not regard ourselves as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Ph 3:13-14). There’s that phrase again “in Christ.” There is the answer to the war. There is the Champion of the battle. There is the reminder from Romans 6 that enables us to endure under Romans 7 – “in Christ.” Stop fighting in your own strength and flee to His. I cannot kill and conquer sin but Christ can and Christ did! “Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” This remnant serves as a reminder of how much I need Him. May the battle drive me to my Commander in Chief and into the shelter of the shadow of His wings!

• He complains that “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh” (vs 18). Henry sums it up as follows: “There is no good to be expected, any more than one would expect good corn to be growing from a rock.” In and of myself I will produce rot. In Him I will produce righteousness. Our union with Christ is crucial. It is the axis upon which all good rotates. It is the center of our universe. His blood and righteousness are truly our beauty and our glorious dress. (Romans 6, Romans 6, Romans 6. ) In the context of Romans 6, Romans 7 doesn’t overwhelm. In the context of Romans 6, Romans 7 just makes us love Jesus more! Nothing good dwells in me. All goodness dwells in Him. Flee to Him battle scarred believer!!
  
  
  
• He complains that “I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind” (vs 23). Rebels and traitors! Christ is King of my life and yet my flesh does not want to submit to Him. My mind wants to argue with Him. Yet my heart longs to love Him and serve Him. Raging war!! Waging war!! The good news is that there is a war. Before Christ there was no war. I didn’t fight against my lusts, I gave into them. I wasn’t bothered by my pride, I boasted in it. I didn’t care about my sins, I reveled in them. Now there is a war. Christ is a wise ruler – and in His subduing of me He hasn’t treated me like Sherman and burned down all of Atlanta leaving destruction behind each step. No – He is gracious and slow to anger. He is patient and long-suffering. Sanctification is a process and He is processing me perfectly. The old Lori and the new Lori are at odds. Yet the King of Lori sits on His throne and rules in righteousness. Little by little He is refining me that I might appreciate the changes all the more. The very complaint of the war should be a reminder to look to the Conqueror of the foe!
  
  
  
• He complains “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?” (vs 24). Thanks Paul – who could say it any better? Boy has that ever been my cry over and over and over these past few weeks. Sin is troublesome! Its affects are painful and wearying. It scars us – it scarred our Savior on our behalf!! Again, even as I look at these words from verse 24 I’m hopeful because of the desperate cry that comes from my lips. “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?” My sin causes me to see my need. My current trial has caused me to have to look beyond Lori to Someone else to set me free from the body of this death. My cry, which is the same as Paul’s, is in and of itself a testimony of the grace of Christ that has “begun the good work” in me. Who will set me free?” Let us leave the complaint and turn to the comfort.
  
  

Paul has complained – and with some good reason. Yet he does not stay in that place. No! Paul turns from his sorrow to his Savior. He leaves his complaints behind and looks to the comforts of His God. In his trial he begins to take his thoughts captive to the obedience of Christ. He stops thinking on what is troublesome and starts thinking on what is true and honorable and right and pure and lovely and of good repute. He removes his gaze from the problem and sets his sights on the promise! May I, by grace, do the same.

He looks at the character of the Law which will point Him to the Great Lawgiver and the only perfect Law Keeper - Christ.

1. Paul reminds himself that the very struggle he is facing testifies that the law is good. “But if I do the very thing I do not wish to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that it is good.” (vs 16).

How easy it is to be overwhelmed by our sin?! How apt we are to just cry “uncle”?! We get worn out, in our own strength, and wallow for a while. However, as a true believer, we don’t stay there long. The filth begins to affect us. The stench begins to stalk us. The dirt eventually drives us to Jesus again. While the lying whispers of the enemy may cause us to despair of the law, the Lord of the law – who lived the law for us – bids us to rise, awaken, and clothe ourselves in Him. He makes us to see our sin for what it is and He makes us to see Himself for who He is.

“Wherever there is grace there is not only a dread of the severity of the law, but a consent to the goodness of the law. This is a sign that the law is written in the heart” (Henry). The war itself is an Ebenezer to take hold of.

2. Paul reminds himself of the joy he receives from the law. “For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man” (vs 22).

“Paul delighted not only in the promises of the word, but in the precepts and prohibitions of the word. All that are born again do truly delight in the law of God, never better pleased than when heart and life are in the strictest conformity to the law and will of God” – Matthew Henry. Wow! How true is that?! I’m reminded of how often I talk to my children regarding sin’s effects on us in this life – we become sinful and miserable. “The way of the sinner is hard.” “The wicked earns deceptive wages, but he who sows righteousness gets a true reward.” “But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.”

3. Paul reminds himself that he must act on the thoughts that he has taken captive and obey the law. “I myself with my mind am serving the law of God.”

Paul has taken his thoughts captive. He’s been repackaging his mind with what is right and true. Now that he has reminded himself, now that his “mind has been dwelling on these things,” now it’s time to act! “The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things.” (Ph 4:9 ) “It is not enough to consent to the law, and to delight in the law, but we must serve the law.” Lord – set my mind like flint to serve your law and not serve myself!

Paul looks at the conquering Christ. So must we. He alone is our hope!

Here is the solution, this is ALWAYS the solution. Paul fixes his eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of his faith. “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” If we look to ourselves, if we look to the surging storm waters we will sink like Peter. If we look to Christ we will walk where it seems impossible even to stand. Look to Jesus! Flee to Jesus! Fall on Jesus!

Am I at a complete loss in my trial, temptation and testing. Good!! I am a wretched woman. I cannot set myself free I can only dig a deeper hole. Who shall set me free? Who will be my deliver? It is Jesus. “If it were not for Christ, this iniquity that dwells in us would certainly be our ruin.”

Jesus! What a friend for sinners! Jesus! lover of my soul; friends may fail me, foes assail me, He, my Savior, makes me whole.

Jesus! what a strength in weakness! Let me hide myself in him; tempted, tried, and sometimes failing, He my strength, my vict’ry wins.

Jesus! what a help in sorrow! While the billows o’er me roll, even when my heart is breaking, He, my comfort, helps my soul.

Jesus! what a guide and keeper! While the tempest still is high, storms about me, night o’ertakes me, He, my pilot, hears my cry.

Jesus! I do now receive Him, more than all in Him I find; He has granted me forgiveness, I am His, and He is mine.

Hallelujah! What a Savior! Hallelujah! What a Friend! Saving, helping, keeping, loving, He is with me to the end.

(J. Wilbur Chapman, 1910)

I find myself at this moment with Paul – in absolute praise and thanksgiving of this One who has freed me from this body of death!! O LORD how wonderful you are. “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Selah!

Winning through Christ,

Lori

No Naked Soldiers, Please - Romans 7/ Ephesians 6

“For we know that the Law is spiritual; but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. For that which I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. But if I do the very thing I do not wish to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that it is good.

"So now, no longer am I the one doing it, but sin which indwells me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish. But if I am doing the very thing I do not wish, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in me.

“I find then the principle that evil is present in me, the one who wishes to do good. For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, but I see a different law in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind, and making me a prisoner of the law of sin which is in my members.

“Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.” (Romans 7: 14-25)

Conflict. War. Battle. Here is the struggle between sin and righteousness, grace and corruption. It is epic. It rages. It is real! I’m on the front lines in my own life even now.

It seems that most commentators look at this passage from two different angles. 1) It can be applied to the battle that rages in the midst of the process of regeneration where our eyes are being opened to the truth of the things of Christ but we’ve not fully taken them as our own. The war begins! 2) It can be applied to the struggles of the redeemed. The war continues as suddenly we find ourselves truly struggling against sin, self, and Satan. We're being sanctified but we're still imperfect. We are redeemed sinners, but sinners nonetheless. We want to please God / we want to please ourselves. Sound familiar? Then you're in the war too! I’m thankful that the battle is the Lord’s and that He never loses not a battle, not a soldier!

Before digging in to what is the current heart of the matter for Lori I want to touch on the first angle that has been mentioned - when the war first begins as our eyes are being opened to the truth. Matthew Henry writes : “The law may discover sin, and convince of sin, but it cannot conquer and subdue sin. It discovers the defilement but will not wash it off. It makes a man weary and heavy laden, burdens him with his sin; and yet it yields no help towards the shaking off of that burden; this is to be had only in Christ. The law may make a man cry out, O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me? and yet leave him thus fettered.”

He goes on to say, “Now a soul advanced thus far by the law is in a fair way towards a state of liberty by Christ, though many rest here and go no further. It is possible for a man to go to hell with his eyes open, and to carry about with him a self-accusing conscience, even in the service of the devil. He may consent that the law is good, may have that within him that witnesses against sin and for holiness; and yet all this overpowered by the reigning love of sin. Drunkards and unclean persons have some faint desires to leave off their sins, and yet persist in them.” How heart-breaking! Sin blinds. Sin binds. Only Christ can set us free!

Now, this second angle is where the rubber meets the road for me this morning. It is the struggle between sin and righteousness, grace and corruption, the old man and the new man. Here’s the battle I’m currently fighting - and will be, to varying degrees, until glory.

There are bits and pieces, fragments and at time large chunks (OK earth size globs) of corruption hanging out in me. It cannot be denied. My life shows it. The Word reveals it. “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 Jn 1:8). “If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (1 Jn 1:10).

Galatians 5 records the battle as well. “For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please” (Ga 5:17). The next few verses go on to describe in detail what these warring parties look like. “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are :immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealously, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these of which I forewarned you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. BUT the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”

It is clear – being saved does equal being sinless. There is NO perfection in this life. We are at war with the world, with the flesh, with the devil. We fight, we battle, we struggle. At least, we better be fighting, battling and struggling, for “that which we do sincerely strive against, shall not be laid to our charge, and through grace the victory is sure at last.” Christ fought for us and won the war through His obedient life, His sacrificial death, and His victorious resurrection in our place. His active and passive obedience are our hope in this conflict. The Lord Jesus fights with us now. We fight IN Him now and He is every interceding on our behalf.

This war is real. Don't deny it and pretend its not there. The war is real and so is the armor that God has provided for us to wear in the war. Look to Ephesians 6:13-18 to see what wondrous wear God has provided for us.

"Therefore take up the full armor of God that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view. be on the alert with all perseverance and
petition for all the saints."

The war is real. So is the armor for the war! May God make us strong and courageous. May He make us to put on that which He has provided. May He enable us to take that armor up that we may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything to stand firm may He make us to stand firm! May He grant us the grace to gird up our loins with truth, the strength to put on the breastplate of righteousness that comes from Christ alone. May our feet be shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace and may they be beautiful as they carry forth God's good news.

Oh Christian, by grace take up the shield of faith with which we will be able to extinguish all the flaming missiles of the evil one. Faith is given by God (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is God who has granted us saving faith may He be pleased to increase our sanctifying faith through the means of grace! He has given us the helmet of salvation and therefore, as His elect, we cannot receive a mortal head wound - though at times, in our flesh, we are certain that we will. We are safe and secure in every situation. We are assured though our assurance often falters!! "But Thou, O LORD art a shield about me, My glory and the One who lifts my head." (Psalm 3)

Our one defensive weapon is the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. May we be diligent to take it up and keep it sharp from much use. And as we use our sword may we pray for the illumining power of the Holy Spirit to use it well. May God make us a praying people! With all prayer and petition praying at all times in the Spirit. This is the armor that our Great Commander and Captain has provided. May we wear it well and may we bring Him glory in the war.

The war is real. Too often I try to fight naked. Oh, foolish soldier, put on the armor and fight with the assurance of victory.

Lori

The Law Is Holy and Righteous and Good - Romans 7:7-14

“What shall we say then? Is the Law sin May it never be! On the contrary, I would not have come to know sin except through the Law; for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said, ‘You shall not covet.’ But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment; produced in me coveting of every kind; for apart from the Law sin is dead. And I was once alive apart from the law; but when the commandment came; sin became alive, and I died; and this commandment which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me; for sin, taking opportunity through the commandment deceived me, and through it killed me. So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.
Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful. For we know that the Law is spiritual; but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.” (Romans 7:7-14)




Paul has talked a lot about the Law in the verses 1-6 and it could almost be contrived that He doesn’t care much for it. It’s not the Law itself that he is speaking of but the effect of the Law apart from Christ. In order to correct any misinterpretations as to how wonderful the Law is he writes verses 7-14 - the law is holy and righteous and good.


Matthew Henry breaks this section into three headings, and they are good headings. 1) The great excellency of the law in itself. 2) The great advantage that is found by the law. 3) The ill use that the corrupt nature made of the law.

1. The great excellency of the law in itself. So then, the Law is holy and the commandment is holy and righteous and good (vs 12)

“Laws are as the lawmakers are. God the great lawgiver, is holy, just and good, therefore His law must needs be so. The ways of the Lord are right. The laws design is good – it was given for the good of mankind. It makes the observers of it good. Wherever there is true grace there is an assent to this – that the law is holy, just and good.”

For we know that the Law is spiritual (vs 14). TheLaw is not man's words it is God's! Here Paul reminds us that the Law is spiritual words for men whose principle part is spiritual. It is a law for the soul. “Herein the law of God is above all other laws, that it is a spiritual law. The law of God takes notice of the iniquity regarded in the heart.”

2. The great advantage that is had found by the law.

a. It was discovering. I would not have come to know sin except through the Law, for I would not have known about coveting if the Law had not said ‘You shall not covet.’(vs 7)

The Law is like a level showing us what is not straight. It reveals our crookedness. “There is no way of coming to that knowledge of sin which is necessary to repentance, but by comparing our hearts and lives with the law. Particularly Paul came to the knowledge of the sinfulness of covetousness.”

Henry goes on to point out that “Paul had a very quick and piercing judgment, and yet never attained the right knowledge of indwelling sin till the Spirit by the law made it known to him. There is nothing about which the natural man is more blind than about original corruption.’ Therefore the Law had become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith (Gal 3:24). "

Through the light of the Law sin is exposed as sin. It is seen for what it really is. The beautiful rainbow of wonder and counterfeit light that sin attempts to deceive us with is revealed as the rotting, maggoty blackness that it truly is.

b. It was humbling.

Isn’t that the truth!! Paul thought himself alive (vs 9) but the Law showed him to truly be dead. We think we are OK. “I’m a good guy.” We are proud of our accomplishments and trust that, if there is a God, that He will reward us for our many good works. Sure we make mistakes from time to time, but on the grand scheme of things we are absolutely fine. “Not so!” says the Law. Paul had been a Pharisee. He was taught by Gamaliel. He was strict in his observances of what the Law said. The law was all over, in, around and about his head but it was far from his heart.

“But when the commandment came (not to his eyes only, but to his heart), sin revived, as the dust in a room rises when the sunshine is let into it. Paul then saw things in sin that he had never seen before. He saw sin in its consequences. He saw sin with death at its heels. He saw sin and the curse entailed upon it. The Spirit, by the commandment, convinced him that he was in a state of sin, and in a state of death because of sin.”

“Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” It humbles us by showing us what path we are truly on.

3. The ill use that the corrupt nature made of the law. “But sin, taking opportunity through the commandment produced in me coveting of every kind…”

Paul was enveloped in covetousness – literally in lust (not necessarily sexual lust, but lust in the general category). Outwardly he looked great. He did was he was told. Inwardly he was a covetous tomb! The law, apart from Christ, made him even more covetous. Our corrupt natures rage against this task master. We don’t like him and we want to lord over him. “You say I can’t do this – just watch me!!”

Henry reminds us that “ever since Adam ate forbidden fruit, we have all been fond of forbidden paths.”

He goes on to say, “For apart from the Law sin is dead, as a snake in winter, which the sunbeams of the law quicken and irritate. It deceived me. Sin puts a cheat upon the sinner, and it is a fatal cheat. It deceived and slew him. It wrought death in me by that which is good (vs 13). Nothing so good but a corrupt and vicious nature will pervert it, and make it an occasion to sin. Now in this sin we truly see sin. The worst thing that sin does is the perverting of the Law. Thus the commandment, which was ordained to life, proved unto death (vs 10). The same word which to some is an occasion of life unto life is to others an occasion of death unto death. The same sun that makes the garden of flowers more fragrant make the dunghill more noisome. The way to prevent this mischief is to bow our souls to the commanding authority of the Law of God.”

Lord – Please make me to bow under the authority of this Law, through Christ, more and more each day. O how I love Your Law – it is my meditation day and night. Make it a living lamp to my soul.

Loving His Law,
Lori

Married to the Law or Christ? - Romans 7:1-6

“Or do you not know, brethren (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over a person as long as he lives? For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband. So then, if while her husband is living, she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress, but if her husband dies, she is free from the law, so that she is not an adulteress, though she is joined to another man. Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit for God. For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.” (Romans 7:1-6)

Interestingly, each year as I read through Romans I find myself sort of skimming over these verses. I get excited about the Romans 6 “dead to sin/alive to Christ” stuff. Then I’m ready to hop past verses 1-6, hurry through verses 7-13, and plunge eagerly into verses 14-25 and the conflict of the two natures. This morning I am finding myself hitting the brakes on these first 6 verses and seeing some things I’ve never seen before. Particularly seeing how they are connected with what has gone before and joined to what will follow. I'm also very personally seeing how much they apply to me and this place where I’ve found myself during the past month!

Romans 6:14 declared “for sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace.” Romans 7:6 fortifies that reality by stating “but now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter.”

We are released from the harsh and impossible taskmaster of works righteousness. In Christ we have died to it. We are under its drudgery no more. Now we are under grace and serving in newness by the indwelling power of the Spirit. I’m free! I don’t have to do this myself. I’m free! I can do this in Christ.

Matthew Henry points out that “we are delivered from that power of the law which condemns us for the sin committed by us. The law says, 'the soul that sins shall die…'" Oh, but Christ says, 'I am the vine, you are the branches, he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing. Come to Me. all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you shall find rest for your souls. for My yoke is easy and My load is light.'”

Christ gives new life. The law rightly declares me guilty. The Living Logos declares me not condemned in Him. Christ has done for me what I could not do, He has given to me what I don’t deserve, and He daily grants me the strength that I do not have. “Jesus what a friend for sinners!” “He breaks the power of reigning sin, He sets the prisoner free, His blood can make the foulest clean, His blood availed for me.”

Mr. Henry also points out that “we are delivered from that power of the law which provokes the sin that dwells in us.” I’ve never noticed this before. Without Christ the law provokes the sin within. This is what the law, apart from the Spirit’s working does - it arouses our rebellion. “For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death.” The law, apart from Christ, just makes us mad. It makes us mad because we CANNOT do it. We CANNOT keep it. Therefore, it ticks us off and we rail against its commands! Boy, if that's not the picture of my life before Christ.

These words from Henry's commentary are incredible. He writes, “The law, by threatening, corrupt and fallen man, but offering no grace to cure, did but stir up the corruption. We being lamed by the fall, the law comes and directs us, but provides nothing to heal and help our lameness. We are under grace, which promises strength to do what it commands, and pardon upon repentance when we do amiss.” But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter. We are not under law, but under grace. Oh, how amazing that Christ has come to us with grace enabling us to walk in obedience to the Law with newness of life rather than with chains of death!

In Romans 6, Paul showed the difference between life in the land of law and life in the land of grace by comparing two masters. In Christ, we are under a new master. In Romans 7, Paul portrays this same thing by comparing two husbands. We were first married to the law. He points out that marriage is binding until the death of one of the parties. “For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living…” While her husband is alive she is not free to marry another. If she does, she is an adulteress. “So then if, while her husband is still living, she is joined to another man, she shall be called an adulteress….”

“Thus we were married to the law. For while we were in the flesh, the sinful passions, which were aroused by the Law, were at work in the members of our body to bear fruit for death. We were carried down the stream of sin, and the law was but as an imperfect dam, which made the stream to swell the higher. Our desire was towards sin, and sin ruled over us. We were under the law of sin and death, as the wife under the law of marriage; and the product of this marriage was fruit brought forth unto death. Lust, having conceived by the law, brings forth sin, and sin, when it is finished, brings forth death. This is the posterity that springs from this marriage to sin and the law.”

This is our natural marriage. But remember the words of Romans 6. “Knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin, for he who has died is freed from sin.” “Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin.”

Our first husband has died! He was a harsh tyrant and we are now freed widows. God has taken the life of this abusive spouse and He has raised up Himself as the kinsman redeemer!! Our second marriage is to Christ! We are no longer married to the law which we can’t keep. We are now married to the Logos – the Word made flesh and dwelling among us. We are one with He who has kept the law perfectly in our stead and who’s grace is sufficient, who’s strength is perfect, who’s presence is ever with us to enable us to obey out of gratitude rather than out of servitude! O Christ – how glorious You are and how marvelous are Your works for the sons of men!!

“We are married to Christ. We enter upon a life of dependence on Him and duty to Him. As our dying to sin and the law is in conformity to the death of Christ, and the crucifying of His body, so our devotedness to Christ in newness of life is in conformity to the resurrection of Christ. We are married to the raised and exalted Jesus!” (Matthew Henry)

Here’s the result of this wondrous union:

1. That we might bear fruit for God. "...that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, that we might bear fruit for God." (vs 4).

“One end of marriage is fruitfulness. Now the great end of our marriage to Christ is our fruitfulness in love, and grace, and every good work. As our old marriage to sin produced fruit unto death, so our second marriage to Christ produces fruit unto God. Good works are the children of the new nature. Whatever our professions and pretensions may be, there is no fruit brought forth to God till we are married to Christ.”

2. That we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter. "But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter."(vs 6)

We were obliged to serve before, we just weren’t able. We are still obliged to serve – our Husband makes us able. The former was absolute drudgery. The new- the now- is perfect freedom. In Him we are fully equipped for every good work. Zacharius cried out that the Messiah had come “to grant that we, being delivered form the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days.” That is what Christ has done. That is one of the things He is doing in me right now.

My Great Husband is doing for me in the midst of this trial. He gave Himself up for me. He is sanctifying me and cleansing me with the water of His word. And why? That He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she should be holy and blameless.

I've been married to Christ for 20 years now but these things are, in many ways, new to me. I suppose you could say that I have been committing adultery with the old, dead spouse. I have continued, at times, to be enslaved by the weight of his old ways and have not walked in the freedom that comes from this newness of life, this new marriage, this glorious Husband.

May God forgive all of us for cavorting with the dead and make us to be a devoted spouse to Christ. May we serve Him with gladness. May we, in utter reliance upon Him, bear much fruit for His kingdom. May good works be the offspring of our relation to our Husband - the Lord Jesus Christ.

Renewing my vows,

Lori

Gotta Serve Somebody - Romans 6 part 4

"For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law, but under grace. What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification. For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness.

Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death." (Romans 6:14-21)

Here in Romans 6 Paul “argues from the precious promises of the new covenant.” The new covenant of Christ's blood has made a change for us - an awesome change! “For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law; but under grace.”



Matthew Henry writes, “It might be objected that we cannot subdue sin, it is unavoidably too hard for us: ‘No,’ says he, ‘you wrestle with an enemy that may be dealt with and subdued; it is an enemy that is already foiled and baffled. Sin shall not have dominion.’



"Sin may struggle in a believer, and may create him a great deal of trouble, it may vex him, but it shall not rule over him. For we are not under law, but under grace. We are not under the law of sin and death, but under the law of the spirit of life, which is in Christ Jesus. New lords, new laws.



"We are not under the covenant of works, which requires brick, and gives no straw, but we are under the covenant of grace, which accepts sincerity as our gospel perfection, which requires nothing but what it promises strength to perform. It does not leave our salvation in our own keeping, but lays it up in the hands of the Mediator, who undertakes for us that sin shall not have dominion over us, who hath Himself condemned it, and will destroy it. Christ rules by the golden scepter of grace. We are under grace, grace which accepts the willing man, which leaves room for repentance, which promises pardon upon repentance. Shall we sin against so much goodness, abuse such love?”



Oh wretched folk that we are, how often we do sin against so much goodness and abuse such love? God forbid! God have mercy!


We are by nature slaves - slaves to sin. Honestly, as created beings we will always be slaves to something. As Bob Dylan put it “It may be the devil or it may be the Lord but everybody’s gotta serve somebody.” Gold star for Dylan! He hit the theological nail on the head there!



Henry states: “All the children of men are either the servants of God, or the servants of sin. We must inquire to which of these masters we yield obedience. Our obeying the laws of sin will be evidence against us that we belong to that family on which death is entailed. Our obeying the laws of Christ will evidence our relation to Christ’s family.” So - who am I serving? What verdict does the evidence point to?



After Paul declares that we are all servants of one of these two masters – sin or righteousness – he calls us to reflect on the past as part of our persevering in the present. Remember who you were and what you were and what its wages were. Verses 17-21 contains an argument for living to righteousness because of our former state of dying in sinfulness. In otherwords, we should live to righteousness because we realize what we were like and what we had done prior to righteousness being imputed to us. "You were the servants of sin. Those that are now the servants of God would do well to remember the time when they were the servants of sin, to keep them humble, and to quicken them in the service of God.” (Matthew Henry)



Over this past month I’ve had occaision to look back a bit at who I was and at what I did formerly - in my days before Christ. No one who knew me then could argue with the fact that I am not now who I once was. Yes, I'm a sinner still. I often slip and fall. “I am prone to halt and stumble.” Yet, I’m still not who I was. I am often sickened by my sin – even the initial crossings of it into my thoughts. I suppose there is a comfort in that. I am a "new creature in Christ." I'm reminded of Paul's words to the Corinthian church “And such WERE some of you’ but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” It's good to know that I'm a "has been" - it's good that Christ has made me a "were"!

Verse 18 reminds us that we have been "freed from sin" and have become "slaves of righteousness." Contained in this verse are two aspects of freedom. First, it is a "freedom from teh service of sin." Second, it is "a resignation of ourselves to the service of God." Here again, is a put off/put on. We must reckon ourselves as those who are freed from sin's service and we must resign ourselves to God's service. To live is Christ, to die is gain. May God help us to walk in the freedom that His Lordship has granted us.


In verse 19 Paul speaks to us plainly. “For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.” By God's grace we need to be as serious about walking in the newness of life as we once were about rotting in the deadness of sin! Set your mind, set your heart, set you will towards obedience. "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!"


Think about what sin brings. "Therefore what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death" (vs 21). Compare it to what righteousness brings. "But now havingn been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life" (vs 22). Sin results in further lawlessness. I am reminded of James 1 – “When lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.”

Henry asks: “Did you ever get anything by it? Besides future losses which are infinitely great, the very present gains of sin are not worth mentioning.” It is an “unfruitful service”. Its only outcome is death. It is also an “unbecoming service”. It is that of which we are now ashamed. “Shame came into the world with sin, and it is still the certain product of it. Who would willfully do that which sooner or later he is sure to be ashamed of?”

Think folks!! Death and shame are the only benefits that the profession of sin provides – some deal, eh?! By grace, through faith flee from being dead to sin. Instead, be alive to God in Christ Jesus. "Do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your mortal body (including our hearts and our minds) as instruments of unrighteousness; BUT present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.”

At the end of Romans 6, Paul lays the cards clearly on the table. In effect he declares “here’s the real deal.” In order to urge us to keep our distance from sin he holds forth eye opening truth that we might not be tricked by the devil’s schemes and by our own heart’s lusts. “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

“Here are good and evil, life and death, set before us; and we are put to our choice. The end of sin is death. Though the way may seem pleasant and inviting, yet it will be bitterness in the latter end. The wages of sin is death. Death is as due to a sinner as wages are to a servant. All that are sin’s servants and do sin’s work must expect thus to be paid.”

Look at the contrast. Sin’s wages = death. God’s free gift = eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. I am due death. Christ freely gives me life – life eternal -everlasting life! “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life!” (John 3:16)

Mr. Henry reminds us that “the way may be uphill, yet everlasting life at the end of it is sure. Heaven is life, and it is eternal life, no infirmities attending it, no death to put a period to it. This is the gift of God.”

I have earned hell. I can never earn heaven. But, in Christ it has been freely given to me!!! I have no one to thank but my God, my Christ for this gift. I am heavenbound by His doing. I am hellbound by my own. Yet He has called me from death unto life. He has promised to preserve me through this life. He has promised to bring me safely to heaven. I am safe, I am secure, I am His, He is mine. Lord – thank you for this gift. Make me to know that it is mine and make me to cherish it above anything this world could ever offer. “It is Christ that purchased it, prepares us for it, preserves us to it” (Henry). Thank you for Christ. Will I ever love Him as I ought?!

By grace alone,
Lori

In Christ - Romans 6 part 3

"What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin

that grace might increase? May it never be!

How shall we who died to sin still live in it?

Or do you not know that all of us who have been

baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?

Therefore, having been buried with Him

through baptism into death, in order that

as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father,

so we too might walk in newness of life.

Foir if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death,

certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection,

knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him,

that our body of sin might be done away with,

that we should no longer be slaves to sin;

for he who has died is freed from sin.

Now if we have died with Christ,

we believe that we shall also live with Him,

knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead,

is never to die again; death no longer has mastery over Him.

For the death that He died, He died to sin, once for all;

but the life that He lives, He lives to God."

(Romans 6:1-10)

Matthew Henry in dealing with our having been baptized into Christ states, “In general, we are dead to sin. Our baptism signifies our cutting off from the kingdom of sin. We are dead to sin by our union with Christ, in and by whom it is killed. All this is in vain if we persist in sin; we return to that to which we were dead, like walking ghosts. For he that is dead is freed from sin (vs 7); he that is dead to it is freed from the rule and dominion of it. Now shall we be such fools as to return to that slavery from which we are discharged?”

Surely I am often a fool. How I pray that God would grant all of us vision to see sin for what it is and to see Christ for who He is. Vision to see the reality of what Christ has accomplished for us and strength and power to walk and live in light of that accomplishment.

Christians, we are declared to be "in Christ." We have been buried with Him through baptism into death. We have been raised with Christ from the dead through the glory of the Father. Oh, please take these two truths to heart. God tells us they are a reality and we need His grace and mercy to live in light of this reality even though our sight is often so dim. In Christ - through our baptism/union with Him, we are dead to sin and alive to God.

Henry gives 2 points underneath this idea of our being baptized into Jesus Christ.

1. “Our conformity to the death of Christ obliges us to die unto sin.” Verse 6 tells us "that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin." Quoting Mr. Henry again, “The death of the cross was a slow death; but it was a sure death. Such is the mortification of sin in believers. The crucifying of Christ for us has an influence upon the crucifying of sin in us.” (We all need to remember that this is a slow work and not expect things to just be gone, over and done with. That's hard for teh perfectionist that still dwells in me!)

Verse 8 tells us that "we have died with Christ." Henry writes, “Baptism signifies and seals our union with Christ, so that we are dead with Him and engaged to have no more to do with sin than He had.”

Verse 4 reminds us that "we have been buried with Him through baptisim into death." “Our conformity is complete. We are in profession quite cut off from all commerce and communion with sin. Thus must we be, as Christ was, separate from sin and sinners. We are sealed to be the Lord’s, therefore to be cut off from sin. As Christ was buried, that He might rise again to a new and more heavenly life, so we are in baptism buried, that we may rise again to a new life of faith and love.” (Matthew Henry)


2. “Our conformity to the resurrection of Christ obliges us to rise again to newness of life. Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father. Now in baptism we are obliged to conform to that pattern… Conversion is the first resurrection from the death of sin to the life of righteousness.”

Notice two things regarding Christ's resurrection from the dead that should encourage us in our struggle to overcome the slavery of sin.

a. Christ rose to die no more. "Knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him" (vs 9). “Over Christ death has no more dominion; He was dead indeed, but He is alive, and so alive that He lives for evermore. Thus we must rise from the grave of sin never again to return to it."

b. Christ rose to live to God. "For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God." (vs 10). Pay close attention to these words, they are convicting. “He rose to live a heavenly life. He rose again to leave the world. Thus we must rise to live to God; this is what He calls the newness of life. We are to live by other rules, with other aims than we have done before. A life devoted to God is a new life; before, self was the chief and highest end, but now God.”

Dead to sin. Alive to Christ. Buried with Him in baptism. Raised with Him to newness of life. I cannot do this apart from Christ. I CAN do this because of Christ. O LORD – how greatly we need your mercy. How clearly we need your death and resurrection. Thank you for dying the death I deserved and for crushing the grave of sin through your resurrection power. Make me to love you and know the reality of my union with You - my Savior and my Lord!

United,

Lori

Dead and Alive- Romans 6 part 2

(This morning's post may be a bit different than some of the others. I have truly done a "cut and paste" job from my journal of several mornings back. Interspersed between my comments are some prayers that naturally flowed from my conviction by the word. I thought about re-wording the post and deleting the prayers, but decided to give you a bit of a glimpse into my heart.)

"Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God." (Romans 6:11-13)

"Consider yourselves to be dead to sin." Matthew Henry points out 5 things regarding this issue of mortification that are found in Romans 6. I will quote him at length.

1. We must live no longer in sin. (vs 2) Though there are none that live without sin, yet there are those that do not live in sin.

2. The body of sin must be destroyed (vs 6). The corruption that dwells in us is the body of sin. This is the root to which the axe must be laid. We must not only cease from the acts of sin, but we must get vicious habits and inclinations weakened and destroyed that henceforth we should sever sin. It is the body of sin that sways the scepter, destroy this, and the yoke is broken.

3. We must be dead indeed unto sin (vs 11). As the death of the oppressor is a release, so much more is the death of the oppressed. Thus must we be dead to sin, fulfill its will no more. He that is dead is separated from his former company. Death makes a mighty change; such a change doth sanctification make in the soul, it cuts off all correspondence with sin.

**4. Sin must not reign in our mortal bodies, that we should obey it (vs12). Though sin may remain as an outlaw, yet let it not reign as a king. Let it not make laws, so that we should obey it. Though we may be sometimes overtaken and overcome by it, yet let us never be obedient to it. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you may obey its lusts. Sin lies very much in the gratifying of the body. And there is a reason implied in the phrase your mortal body. It was sin that made our bodies mortal, and therefore do not yield obedience to such an enemy.

5. We must not yield our members as instruments of unrighteousness (vs 13). The members of the body are made use of by the corrupt nature as tools, but we must not consent to that abuse. One sin begets another; it is like the letting forth of water, therefore leave it before it be meddled with. The members of the body may perhaps be forced to be instruments of sin; but do not yield them to be so, do not consent to it.

LORD Jesus – You, through Your obedience, have justified me by faith. Through You, the love of God has been poured out within my heart through the Holy Spirit whom You have given. In my helplessness Christ died for me. You have demonstrated Your great love for me through His death. His blood has saved me from the wrath of God and has reconciled me, vile enemy that I was, to You. Grace abounds to me, a sinner. Let not sin abound as well. My sin is great - Your grace is greater. Make me to die to sin. Make me to hate with a holy passion. Make me to flee from every inkling of it and to avoid every appearance of it. Make me to be honest in my struggle with it. Let me not be proud or fearful of being seen as a sinner but make me to be forthright regarding my frailties and even more forthright regarding the God who rescues me from them. Help me to mortify the flesh – not only the outward physical manifestations of the flesh - but also the heart and mind manifestations of it. Grant me grace in this area of mortification for You have commanded me to be holy as You are holy. Equip me, in Christ, to walk in Your will for my life! I am needful of my own crucifixion. Through the power of Your own crucifixion have mercy on me a sinner.

Mortification is the put off. I must die to sin and self. Vivification is the put on. I must live to Christ. I must walk in the newness of life. I am not simply to break the old habits of sin. No, I must replace the habits with new habits of righteousness. Die and then walk!



[Lord – You have put me in Christ. You have united me with Him. You have grafted me into His body. You have purchased me with His blood. You have adopted me as Your daughter. You have taken my heart of stone and given me a heart of flesh. You have made me a new creature in Christ. Would You make me to live in the reality of those things. Make me to live to Christ. Grant me to walk in the newness of life! Enable me, by the power of your atonement to not simply attempt to stop the struggle with sin but to take hold of the obedience that you have prepared beforehand for me - that I might walk in it.]


Henry states, “Newness of life supposes newness of heart. There is no way to make the stream sweet but by making the spring so.” He goes on to say, “Walk by new rules. Make a new choice of the way. Choose new paths to walk in, new leaders to walk after, new companions to walk with.”



[Lord - Make me to walk in Your Word, to walk on Your path, to submit to Your Lordship and to surround myself with iron sharpening friends. Protect me from the counsel of the wicked, the path of sinners, and the seat of scoffers. Make me to delight in Your law and to meditate on it day and night. Firmly plant me like a tree by the streams of Your living water. Let me yield fruit in season, keep my leaf from withering, and make me to prosper in those things which will bring You pleasure and glory.]


Vivification – I am alive to God in Christ Jesus! Even so, consider yourselves to be dead to sin, BUT alive to God in Christ Jesus (vs 11). But, what does it mean to be alive? Henry points out that it is “to converse with God, to have a regard to Him, a delight in Him.”



[Lord – make me to seek You wholeheartedly. Make me to invest in You with my thinking and actions. Make me to pursue You first as I pursue family, friends, and the lost. May Your glory be the silver thread that runs through all my thoughts and actions. Be my all in all. Make my thinking to become praying. Make my musing to become meditation. Make me to delight in You and to see Your hand in all areas of my life. Encompass my every thought, word and deed. Make my conscience tender when I am beginning to wander into the valley of the shadow of death. Convict me of my transgressions and of my omissions. Let me see when I am living as a slave to sin and am failing in the command to be alive in You. In my failures grant me mercy and strength. Let me recognize my sinful steps that I might turn from my paths and walk in Yours. Whatever I do, make me to do it all for the glory of God! Whether I eat or drink may it all be lived to You. From this text I also note that I can ONLY be alive to God in Christ Jesus. Oh, how I am seeing that more and more – and yet will I ever see it enough?! Christ alone is the fountain from which this living can flow. I cannot do it myself. Again I am confronted with how desperately I need my Savior. Truly “there is no living to God but through Him. He is the Mediator and there is no intercourse between sinful souls and a holy God, but by the mediation of the Lord Jesus. In living to God, Christ is all in all.” Blessed Christ – my Savior and the Shepherd of my weak and weary soul – be my all in all.]


Verse 13 continues with the fleshing out of this putting on of living to Christ. “And do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; BUT present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.” We are to present ourselves to God as those alive from the dead.



We are to "present" – that is an action. It is something I must do and I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Strengthen me O my Lord!



We are to yield ourselves as instruments of righteousness to God. Henry states, “Not yield your estates to Him, but yield yourselves to Him; nothing less than your whole selves. Not only submit to Him, but comply with Him; be always ready to serve Him. Yield yourselves to Him as wax to the seal, to take any impression, to be, and have, and do, what He pleases.” Lord -Make me to yield and conform me to Christ.


We are to present ourselves to Him and we are to present ourselves ALIVE to Him. “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins…. But God being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved).” (Eph 2).



“To yield a dead carcass to a living God is not to please Him, but to mock Him.” He has made me alive – why would I flee back to the land of death and decay?! Oh foolish ones that we are– may God save us from ourselves!



[Lord - help me by the mercies of God, to present my body as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is my spiritual service of worship. Let me not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of my mind. Lord – that is Your will for me. Make your will a reality in me!]


Here is a final note from Mr. Henry, “The surest evidence of our spiritual life is the dedication of ourselves to God. It is to yield our members as instruments of righteousness to God. The members of our bodies, when withdrawn from the service of sin, are not to lie idle, but to be made use of in the service of God. The body must be always ready to serve the soul in the service of God. Thus (vs 19) present your members as slaves to righteousness resulting in sanctification. Let them be under the conduct and at the command of the righteous law of God. Let them be under righteousness resulting in sanctification, which intimates growth, and progress, and ground obtained. As every sinful act confirms the sinful habit, and makes the nature more and more prone to sin, so every gracious act confirms the gracious habit. One duty fits us for another; and the more we do the more we may do for God.”


[Lord – help me to consider myself alive to God IN Christ Jesus! Through Him, let me present myself to You. Let me, in my entirety, live as an instrument of righteousness. Make me to walk. Make me to serve. Make me to love. Make me encourage. Make me to mortify the flesh and live to You. Sanctify me and fit me to do my duty.]

God Forbid - Romans 6:1-2

“What shall we say then?

Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase?

May it never be!” (Romans 6:1-2)

Romans chapter 6 begins with a question. It's a question that connects it to Romans chapter 5. Paul asks, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase?” In the proceeding verses Paul has just proclaimed that Christ is the One who will make us righteous through His perfect life and sacrificial death. He has trumpeted the fact that we have “been justified by faith” and “have peace with God through Jesus Christ.” Precious promises of justification and reconciliation resound in every verse. Romans 5 ends with “where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.” It is in response to this stated reality that Romans 6 begins. "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase?"

How prone we are to take advantage of gracious people and of gracious offers. How prone we are to attempt to take advantage of our gracious God. “Oh, grace abounds – let me belly up to some more sin!! It’ll make grace all the more glorious!” Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is onto us and he knocks the question off of our tongues before we can even fully form it!

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase? May it never be!” Literally it is rendered – “God forbid!!” Presumptuous sin won’t make grace any grander. Instead it makes grace look cheap and cheap grace is not true grace. Cheap grace decieves us, only true grace can save us!

No, saving grace is costly, it cost Christ His life and with His life He bought us. We are not our own, we were bought with a price. Presuming sin spits in the face of saving grace. Is this not another of Satan’s lies to see us enslaved to our lusts? “Oh God is so gracious – go on and give in – Don't worry about it. He’ll forgive you.” To this lie may we, with Paul say “God forbid!”

Romans 6 holds forth the practical antidote for our prevailing problem. It offers us a put off/put on for presumptuous, increasing sin. Put to death the flesh - put off! Walk in newness of life - put on! The old timers referred to these things as mortification and vivification. Basically, it boils down to die to self and live to Christ. I suppose the question is - who am I living for? My flesh, my desires, my lusts, my wants, my supposed needs - or Christ?

Verse 2 declares that we have “died to sin.” What does that look like? Face it, in this life we will never be sinless. If for even a moment you are thinking that you are sinless or will be sinless then please pause and see that even now the sins of pride and self-deception have mastery over you. “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 Jn 1:8). So, we'll never be sinless, yet we have died to sin. What?

True, in this life we will never be sinless; however, there is a difference between my life as a lost sinner and my life as a redeemed sinner. Sin ruled me before I was put into Christ. It was my lord. It ruled my every action, word, and thought. Since then it still remains but it does not reign!

Sin was once a master that controlled me it is now a tyrant that pursues me. It hunts me down as a hound of hell and fights to overthrow me. Praise Christ it is a defeated tyrant. Its days are numbered and it will not follow me into eternity. Thanks be to God for Christ who has secured sin’s destruction and has granted us victory over its stalking! Our “old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.” I am no longer a slave. I am a son! And my omnipotent Father will not let His child fully fall!! SDG!

There is much more that could be said, but I will pause here for today. The fountain that flows from this chapter is deep and wide and it gushes forth freely. Realizing that, I’d rather take my time to sip and savor than to gulp and gorge and miss the true and lasting benefit. This morning, more than anything, may we walk away knowing that true saving faith is not a license to continue in sin. No! God forbid! Instead, it is an enabling of us to cease from sin. It is dying to sin and living to God and it is all of His free and abounding grace. "How shall we who died to sin still live in it?"

Dying,
Lori

A Second Stage of the Detour - Overview of Romans 1-5

Over the past few weeks, certain circumstances have caused me to truly recognize just how weak my own strength is, how feeble my own understanding is, and how desperately necessary it is for me to have a solid knowledge of the gospel – which is the power of God for salvation.

As I’ve shared, God is dealing with Lori right now in a pretty major way. He is humbling me and is making me to see just how truly needy I am. It would seem that, in His mercy, He is re-creating and refining me. To think that the High King of heaven and earth would care enough to take the time to make little old me more like Him is beyond amazing. But, that is what the Father does for His children. He doesn’t leave us in our sin. He doesn’t leave us to toy with things that aren’t good for us. He does whatever is necessary to make us holy and humble.

While traveling through this current wilderness the one thing that has been made abundantly clear to me is just how much I need Jesus. Sure, I’ve known that for 20 years but it is really hitting home with me right now. Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. Apart from Me you can do NOTHING!” Let that word resonate for a minute – NOTHING! Yet Paul encourages us with the fact that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” What a contrast! Apart from Him – nothing. Through Him - all things!

My moral strength is not enough to enable me to earn my way to God - I can’t be good enough for “there is no one good, no not one.” My mental strength is not enough to enable me to think my way to God – I can’t be smart enough for “a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” My physical strength is too weak, even on its best days, to reach heaven and holiness.

Recognizing these things, by the mercy of God, I find myself echoing the words of Solomon in prayerful meditation. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil. It will be healing to your body, and refreshment to your bones.”

I am seeing that I can do nothing of any eternal worth on my own and am seeing my need to do all things through Christ. "Apart from Me you can do nothing. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." It is in the gospel that being "in Christ" and doing "through Christ" is realized. In light of that my mind has turned to the book of gospel rich Romans – specifically Romans 6-8. Through Paul’s words I am learning to lean more on Christ and His finished work rather than on my own labors and understandings. Bearing my own yoke wears me out. In taking up His yoke I find rest for my weary soul. (Mt 11:28-30)

Taking a quick survey through Paul’s great letter to the Roman Christians I am struck at the logical nature and purposeful flow of this epistle. After a brief greeting to his fellow believers Paul in chapter 1 verse 16 begins the doctrinal portion of the book with these words:

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes… For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written ‘But the righteous man shall live by faith.” (Romans 1:16)

Paul unashamedly acknowledges that the gospel is what is needed by all. It is the power of God for salvation. He proclaims that truth right off the bat, for it is of first importance, and then he goes on to spend the remainder of the book fleshing out this glorious, powerful gospel for us - what it is and what it does.

Allow me to give an incredibly quick overview of the first 5 chapters in order to set the stage for what is so near and dear to my heart at the moment.

In Romans 1 Paul declares that clearly there is a God. He speaks of the general revelation of God as it is seen in creation and how that creative revelation is sufficient to leave us all “without excuse” regarding the fact that He exists. Creation bespeaks a Creator, it points to the reality of God and yet it also leaves us (because of our sinful state) under the "wrath of God." I thought it interesting that Romans 1 points out that in the special revelation of the gospel "the righteousness of God is revealed" but that in creation (apart from the gospel) "the wrath of God is revealed." It is the gospel alone that sets us free therefore, it is gospel power that all men so desperately need.

By nature we all “suppress the truth in unrighteousness” and left to ourselves we will always “exchange the truth of God for a lie, and worship and serve the creature rather than the Creator.” Natural revelation leaves us knowing that there is a God but still stuck practicing the things as are “worthy of death.” It leaves us with enough knowledge to justly damn us but without power to get free of that justice. Without the special revelation of the gospel, we are in a mess!

In Romans 2 Paul declares that this clearly revealed God who will judge us for our sins is an impartial judge who must deal with sin. Continuing with the closing thoughts of chapter one he writes: “therefore you are without excuse, every man of you…and we know that the judgment of God rightly falls upon those who practice such things.” It then goes on to point us to the character of our Creator God. It speaks of “His kindness, forbearance and patience.” And how those attributes should lead us to repentance. Apart from the Spirit's regenerating application of the gospel to our hearts and minds though, they don't. Our sinful, stubborn hearts continue to store up wrath for the righteous Day of Judgment. Left to ourselves, we are still in a mess, for God will “render to every man according to his deeds” and as Isaiah reminds us even our most righteous deeds are but filthy rags fit only for the fire.

Paul testifies that “There is no partiality with God.” We have all failed the test of perfection and He will not and can not grade on a curve. He will not wink at our sin and grant us a “get out of jail free pass.” No, this Judge cannot be bought or bribed. He is the holy and impartial God who “will judge the secrets of men through Christ Jesus.” This is the God before whom we must stand. Clothed in our own skin, trapped in our own sin, we will never be able to stand.

In Romans 3 Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit tells us a bit more about ourselves. He declares us to be sinners and shows us that God is right and fair to judge us. So often I hear people speaking as though God's calling us on the carpet for our transgressions is unfair. No, my friends – God’s condemnation of our sin IS what is FAIR. And might I suggest that we don’t want God to treat us fairly – we want Him to treat us in mercy. As the Puritans have said "anything this side of hell is pure grace."

Hear from Romans 3 that which is the true assessment of ALL people:

“Both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin; as it is written, ‘There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is no one who does good, there is not even one….By the works of the Law no flesh will be justified…. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3, selected verses)

Romans 3 doesn't candy coat a thing but candidly sheds light on the reality of our natural condition. We are sinners - all of us. The hole we've dug is deep and we are dead in sin at the bottom of it. We cannot help ourselves. Being dead we don't even realize that we need help. However, a light begins to shine upon this hopeless backdrop and it is the light of Christ.

Yes we have sinned – all of us – and we can do NOTHING to fix the problem. But God has done what we could not. He has done EVERYTHING to fix the problem. The sinless Christ came and gave Himself “as a propitiation” for our sins. Christ came as the atoning sacrifice on our behalf! God didn’t wink at sin He bore it Himself. God didn’t grant us a “get out of jail free pass” He went there in our place.

Again I turn to the prophet Isaiah “Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried…. He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening of our well-being fell upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the LORD has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him.”
See the words of Isaiah 53 unfold in Romans 3 - “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in his blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say of His righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

Through the active and passive obedience of Christ, this impartial and holy Judge is both just (in the fact that sin is punished) and the justifier (in that He Himself bore the punishment for all those who would believe). See how the picture is changing. See how the power of the gospel is being unveiled with each stroke of Paul’s pen.

In Romans 4, he reminds us that this powerful gospel is not a new thing. It was alive and well in the Old Testament. It was the same gospel by which Abraham was saved. “For what does the Scripture say? And Abraham believed God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” Paul speaks of this same truth in Galatians 3 when he writes “Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness…. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham…” Romans 4 shows us the continuity of all of Scripture. The Bible is one unified book. It is the story of God’s glorious redemption of His people from the dawn of time through the consummation of the ages.

Romans 4 shows us the trustworthiness of this Bible that proclaims these precious promises. Christ – "the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world" - was prophesied from the very first book (Genesis 3:15) and He continues to be prophetically portrayed throughout the Old Testament and gloriously revealed throughout the New! We may be “fully assured that what He has promised He was able also to perform.” (Rom 4:21). The chapter ends with a clear description of Christ’s work – “He was delivered up because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification.”

Then we come to Romans 5 which begins with a glorious “therefore” – “Therefore having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” In other words, because of that which Romans 4 has just declared - that Christ was delivered up for our sins and raised for our justification -we don't have to face the judgment due to God's enemies. No, we can have peace with God. We are in a mess – Christ has cleaned it up.

Don't take my word for it, hear our God's Word on it:

“For while we were still helpless at the right time Christ died for the ungodly…. God demonstrated His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”

The book of Romans is giving me a fresh view of this powerful gospel that has saved me from my sin. Over the next few days/weeks I’ll be sharing some of the gospel anchors that are holding me firm, steadying me, and giving me such strong comfort in the midst of sin’s battle. Particularly the anchors my soul has found in chapters 6-8. How I pray that you also will find hope, fortification, and comfort in these truths.

May we not be “ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” May we instead, find a humble boldness to hold forth this glorious gospel to the lost (as it was held forth to us) and may we see the necessity of meditating daily on it as the redeemed.

Being renewed daily by the gospel's power,

Lori

Again - Matthew 4 part 5

“Again, the devil took Him to a very high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory; and he said to him, ‘All these things will I give You, if You fall down and worship me.’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Begone Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and serve Him only.’ Then the devil left Him; and behold angels came and began to minister to Him.” (Matthew 4:8-10)

Two "thens" and an "again". This third temptation begins with the word "again." “Again the devil…” He just won’t relent!! Again and again and again. Our enemy doesn’t give up easily. He seeks to wear us out and break us down. Have you ever found yourself in the midst of an "again" where your testing is concerned? I certainly have.

Satan is persistent. The amazing thing is that the one whom he is relentlessly pursuing in Matthew 4 is Christ. Clearly the devil had neither seen nor sensed ANYTHING in Christ that even appeared to be an Achilles’ heel in the midst of these temptations. The devil is dogged in his determination to bring about a fall. We should not be surprised with the “agains” that seem to be continually crossing our paths. Satan knows that we are frail and fragile. We are much, much easier prey than the omnipotent King whom he pursues in these verses.

Christ has blamelessly withstood two attempts of the wicked one. Here comes number three. Henry states, “The worst temptation was reserved for the last. Whatever temptation we have been assaulted by, still we must prepare for worse.” We need God's gracious intervention to make us able to stand firm in the midst of the “agains”. We need His mercy and His strength for we are not Christ. No, we are so weak and are vulnerable to these fainting spells. When you've been through fiery battles, the thought of another one, the thought of a worse one can be terrifying. Lord -Help us to trust You to know best what we need most – even if that includes another “again” – even if that includes a worse “again.”

Here is how the again plays out. "The devil took Him to a very high mountain…” – Obviously the pinnacle of the temple wasn’t a high enough place to make Christ fall so Satan seeks to take Him higher still. Again, the “again” is worse. Our enemy will go to whatever heights or depths he deems necessary to destroy us. Greater pride – falser humility – unfounded guilt – ungrounded security. I cannot trust anything that he says. I can believe nothing that he shows. His perspective is completely skewed. The only safe and sure mountain is Mt. Zion. Lord, help me to see from the heights of your mountain and none other!

The devil took Him to a very high mountain “and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world….” The absolute audacity of our adversary. Stop and think about it. As if he could show anything new or unknown to the Omniscient One! Christ created this world. “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on the earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things have been created by Him and for Him. And he is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” (Col 1:14-17). Jesus knew what was out there – He made it! Oh, the wonder of Christ as the suffering servant. “Surely our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrow He carried.” He put up with all of this foolishness on our behalf. In active obedience He went up on the mountain with the Devil that we would be able to withstand the fiery darts of the Devil.

Satan took our Lord to a very high mountain to show Him all the kingdoms of the world “and their glory…” Here is audacity take two! And their glory? You’ve got to be kidding me – Christ IS their glory. “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever.” (Ro 11:36).

LORD – as I read these words I am reminded how easily we can seek our own glory. Please set our eyes, our minds, our affections on You alone. May your glory be our highest end and chief delight. Humble us and make our love for You greater than our love for any other things. Help mus to seek first your righteousness. Help us to, whatever we do, "to do all things for the glory of God." Make our delight to be in the law of the Lord and make us to meditate in it day and night. Make our “one thing” seeking and knowing You and let us dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of our life. Let us behold the beauty of the Lord and let us meditate in Your temple. Oh my God – this is my heart’s desire for myself and for my friends. Grant it to be so. If the horrible place of "again" will lead us there then praise Your holy name for that difficult place.

The devil takes Christ to the high mountain and once there “he said to Him, 'all these things will I give You…'” What could anyone give to Christ that has not first come from His hand? What could anyone offer to Him that He does not already own? “For every beast of the forest is Mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.” (Ps 50:10). Satan is a liar and a deceiver and he desires to trap and trick us with his false words.

Lord – grant us to hear the voice of our Shepherd and not the voice of the wolf who seeks to drag us away. “Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.” (Jm 1:17). “And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Ph 4:19). Where else would I look? What other fount would I seek to drink from? What other bread would I feast upon? MY God shall supply all my needs. MY God is sweeter than the honeycomb. MY God is fairer than all the lilies of the field. “Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And beside Thee, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever… The nearness of God is my good; I have made the LORD God my refuge that I may tell of all Thy works!” (Ps 73:25-28.)

Why does Satan toss out these supposedly tantalizing morsels? To drive Christ to the most heinous of sin. "All these things I will give you if You fall down and worship me….” – What a wretched and hideous temptation. Worship him? The horrible pride of our adversary. How he longs to be God and how he longs to have us serve him. Henry says: “What temptation could be more hideous or more black? The best of saints may be tempted to the worst of sins. This is their affliction, but while there is no consent to it, nor approbation of it, it is not their sin.”

Is this not at the heart of the matter of every temptation we face. Our doubting of God will lead to our worshipping of Satan. Perhaps not in a purposeful, planned or even outwardly apparent way, but in a discreet and subtle way. Does the devil care whether we believe in him or not? Not in the least. His greatest desire is that we would forsake the worship of our God and live as practical atheists and therefore be useless in His kingdom.

Do not listen to him. Do not allow your eyes to gaze upon the poisonous morsels he dangles before you. Doubt not what your God has said. Set your face as flint. Be aware of the trap he has tossed before your feet. Have NO other gods before Him – not even the god of my own reason.

LORD – You who own the cattle on a thousand hills – You are the God who owns our minds and our hearts and our wills. Almighty King seize them and subdue them for Your glory alone. Set our thoughts upon You. Cast our thoughts away from him. Let us worship You with wholeheartedness. Let our thoughts dwell upon You. Make us to shout joyfully to the Lord, to serve Him with gladness, to come before Him with joyful singing. Make us to KNOW that the Lord Himself is God; and that it is He who made us and not we ourselves. Make us to KNOW that we are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Make us to enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Make us to give thanks and bless His name. For He is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting, and His faithfulness is to all generations.” AMEN.

And what will be the result of this answered prayer? May it be the same result of Christ's faithful response to Satan. Hear the response of our Lord to the prowling lion who seeks our destruction. “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Begone Satan!...” -Satan had attempted to draw Christ to worship him rather than the Father. In both of the previous temptations Jesus answered him with the Word – “It is written.” Here He goes a bit farther and boldly commands Satan to “begone!”

Why? Because there is no playing around with worship. Henry states that Jesus responds with “abhorrence and detestation; Get thee hence, Satan. It appears abominable at the first sight, and therefore is immediately rejected. While Satan tempted Christ to do Himself a mischief, by casting Himself down, though He yielded not, yet He heard it; but now that the temptation flies in the face of God, He cannot bear it; Get thee hence, Satan. It is good to be peremptory in resisting temptation, and to stop our ears to Satan’s charms.” May we see our temptations as abominable and may we be quick to call Satan the spade that he is.

The sin here is great. To be tempted to turn from God, to be tempted to worship anything in God's place (including thinking we are worshipping nothing in His place) is the greatest of blasphemies. It brings meaninglessness to our life for we have abandoned our chief and highest end – to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.

The Lord Jesus boldly told Satan to “begone!” when he pressed our Savior to worship him. In and of ourselves, we do not have the strength to cast off Satan. We don't even have the strength to cast off the lusts of our won hearts. Be reminded from James 1: “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.”) Our only hope in all our temptation is to be in Christ. “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Ph 4:13)

Christ, in identical fashion to the other 2 temptations uses to Word of God to fell the enemy of God- “…for it is written…” No magic powers. No omnipotent shows of strength. He unsheathes the Sword of the Spirit. May “it is written” be our mantra.

What was written? “…You shall worship the LORD your God and serve Him only.” – Lord help us and have mercy. As Calvin has said, our hearts are idol factories. We are no better than the Israelites in their captivity. Left to ourselves, we will worship the creature rather than the Creator. There is nothing in any of us that is exempt from this sin. If we think we don't fall into this camp then Satan has already begun to deceive us. Make us worshippers of You. Make us to worship in Spirit and in truth. Make us to smash the asherah in our hearts and minds. Let us not give Your glory to another. Let us not be conformed to this world in thought, word, or deed but let us “be transformed by the renewing of our minds, that we may be able to prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. Let us not think more highly of ourselves that we ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.” LORD – enable us, conquer us, subdue our renegade thoughts and bring them into subjection to your own. In our weakness give us strength to obey. In our fear give us courage to follow. In our sin give us grace to overcome. O LORD our God – help us to worship and serve You only. AMEN.

The result - “…Then the devil left Him…” – The battle ended. The devil fled. “Resist the devil and he will flee.” “He will yield, if we keep our ground. The devil, though an enemy of all the saints is a conquered enemy. The Captain of our salvation has defeated and disarmed him; we have nothing to do but to pursue the victory.”

In Christ – and nowhere else – we have victory over this vile foe. O God – glue us to Christ. Seal us to Him, hide us in Him, unite us to Him. Apart from Him we are undone. In our own power we are undone. Let us know that we are grafted into the body of Christ.

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it, that it may bear more fruit…. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abie in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit; for apart from me you can do nothing.”
(John 15:1-5)

Christ stood. Satan fled. "And behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.” How beautiful. Make it to be so in our lives. The angels that came and ministered mercy to You, the sinless one, in Your temptation – would you grant that they might minister grace to us, the sinful ones in our own.

Henry says on this final verse, “As there is a world of wicked, malicious spirits that fight against Christ and His church, and all particular believers, so there is a world of holy, blessed spirits engaged and employed for them.” He goes on to say, “Though God may suffer His people to be brought into wants and straits, yet He will take effectual care for their supply, and will rather send angels to feed them, than see them perish.”

I don't know if any of you can empathize, but I feel like I've been living in Matthew 4 recently. I'm not certain, in the things that I'm facing, what is Satan and what is self. But I acknowledge that even if there is an enemy attack that the greatest enemy is my own heart. “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications ,thefts, false witness, slanders.” (Mt 15:19). May God the Father, through Christ the Son, and with the sword of the Spirit grant us the grace to slay the dragon within. May He enable and embolden us to fight our own Apollyon. And may He help us to recognize His divine and good sovereignty in whatever we are facing – we are “led up by the Spirit”.

Don't make light of the wiles of the devil. Satan is real and at times we are“to be tempted by the devil.” May God help us to be strong in the midst of the current circumstances of life that might make us more vulnerable to temptation – “after He had fasted 40 days and 40 nights.” May we not doubt His Word – “if you are the Son of God.” May we stand on God's promises and rightly yield the Sword He has given us – “it is written.” Let us seek His face to provide the way of escape and not create our own – “command that these stones be turned into bread.” Let us not put the LORD our God to the test in our trials and arrogantly assume that He will guard us regardless of what we do or of how we respond – “He will give His angels charge concerning You.” Let us recognize that there may and will be “agains." May we not be fearful of what lies ahead and let us not believe the devil’s lies. May God help us to shut our eyes and our minds to the things that he “shows.” May we worship the LORD our God and serve Him only. In Christ, we are enabled to resist the devil and to resist the lusts of our own selfish hearts. As we resist the devil he will flee from us and as he does, may we flee to Christ where we will find peace and rest for our weary sould. Our sin is great, God's grace is greater.

Tempted, tried, and often failing,
Lori