This is one of those marvelous verses that sums up weighty theological truths in very few words. In the context of Romans, Paul is underscoring a point made before. “God has imprisoned everyone ...
Paul makes it abundantly clear in Romans 11 that we Gentiles must not become prideful because of our relationship with God. We must never look down upon the Jewish people as if we are somehow...
I can think of lots of good reasons to share the gospel with people. As a pastor, I regularly preached the good news of God’s love in Christ to those who were not...
Throughout Romans, Paul has been dealing with the question of how we are made right with God. Is it through our own efforts? Our own good works? Or is it through God’s grace...
Yesterday I focused on what it means for a church to be missional. Today I’d like to get more personal. What would it mean for you and for me to be missional Christians...
We hear a lot about the “missional church” these days. New missional churches are springing up while established churches are now proclaiming a renewed missional consciousness. Is this just some...
I want to linger for one more day on Romans 10:9 because it speaks incisively to one of the major challenges we face as Christians today, especially as we seek to live out...
Romans 10:9 makes it clear that salvation depends upon our relationship with Jesus Christ. We are not saved because of good works or good intentions. Rather, our salvation depends on trusting...
In this section of Romans 9, Paul is explaining God’s freedom and authority to do what he wills, even if it doesn’t quite make sense to us. Though we may not especially like...
Let’s be clear. There is a mystery in God’s story that we will never fully solve. That mystery begins in the fact that God is “rich in mercy” (Eph. 2:4), yet doesn’t give...
When I was seventeen years old, I received a new Bible. For some reason, I thought it would be good to read through the entire book of Romans in one sitting. I had...
The transition from Romans 8 to Romans 9 is a sharp and surprising one. Paul has just affirmed the incredible good news...
A few days ago, we noted the amazing truth that the very Spirit of God prays for us (vv. 26-27). Today we add to our amazement. In Romans 8:34, we see not only...
In yesterday’s reflection, we focused on the amazing truth that “God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God.” Yet there’s another phrase in that thought.
I grew up hearing Romans 8:28 in the King James Version, which proclaimed: “And we know that all things work together for...
Groaning is a thread woven through the middle of Romans 8. As we saw in last week’s reflections, creation groans as it awaits the new creation yet to come. We join the natural...
In yesterday’s reflection, we noted the “groaning” of creation as it experiences the wreckage that comes from sin. In Romans 8:23, we join creation in groaning. Even though, through the Holy Spirit...
Three times within ten verses, Romans 8 uses the unusual language of groaning. In today’s reflection, will focus on the first of these instances. Future reflections will examine the other two.In...
In yesterday’s reflection I talked about how the idea of God as father is difficult for many people because of their painful...
Jesus spoke to God as his Father, using the Aramaic term abba. This expressed shocking intimacy with God, something virtually unknown among...
