Romans 5:18-21 - The Obedience of the One

Romans 5:18-21

So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Message: The Obedience of the One

Time: The Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans from the Greek city of Corinth in AD 57, just three years after the 16 year old Nero had ascended to the throne as Emperor of Rome. Persecution of Christians wouldn't begin until AD 64. The church was experiencing times of relative peace. From where he wrote, Corinth, was a hotbed of sexual immorality and idol worship.

What the Lord is Saying:

These are somewhat difficult passages. I studied this four verses in these 2 lessons: Constituting Us Righteous and The Reign of Grace. I was reminded recently of a verse from Mark in the story of the paralytic and how the focus often in the gospels is on the Jewish scribes and I think Paul is also speaking to them here, answering their potential questions as we all look at Jesus and who He is and what He truly offers - helping them see it is through righteousness (obedient acts of good works) that we are made right with God and it is God that makes us righteous (declared good). 

As mentioned in the previous lesson, Paul does a contrast of righteousness and condemnation in Romans 5:12-21. The previous lesson looked at man's condemnation or a human's inability to be worthy before God. Now let's look at the contrast or the solution to this. 

The condemnation of man is then contrasted with the righteousness of Jesus. With Adam, one sin resulted in all being sinners. We are guilty because of sinning one time. In contrast, Jesus fulfilled the entire Law and then took all sin upon Him. With Adam one sin was committed, with Jesus all obedience was completed in Him which resulted in Him taking on all sin. Thus, verse 16 says the gift is not like through the one who sinned or stated again here - through the obedience of the One (Jesus) the many will be made righteous. The focus here is that One makes many righteous. 

One results in death. The (only) One results in life. And Romans 5:17 also makes another key distinction, in Adam's sin death comes to all. In Christ, one must receive grace and the gift. Grace and righteousness is a gift. I think this refers to Christ giving, man receiving.  

Other misinformation that I have heard is Jesus's death means man has the means to being obedient - but again the focus returns to man's obedience. No idea where that idea comes from, but man is still guilty even after Jesus dies and pays for sin. What happens is when Jesus calls someone so that they will receive grace and the gift. On his own man is not capable of making himself a child of God. He must be chosen. 

Jesus is the one who saves. Transfer your trust to Him and let Him take care of it. Let grace reign in our life. Let God's provision reign in our lives. The last phrase of verse 21 says it all:

even so grace 

would reign through righteousness 

to eternal life 

through Jesus Christ our Lord.

RC Sproul stated, "The question is not whether we are going to be saved through works; the question is whose works. We are saved through the works of the One who alone fulfilled the terms of the covenant of works." 

Promise: What gets us eternal life? Being righteous and this does not come about through our own deeds but rather by God's grace accomplished through Jesus Christ Our Lord. 

Prayer: O God, our life on this earth is continually judged by what we do and who we are. And it is so easy to then think that this is how judge us. In a way you do, but as a Holy God, you demand obedience - always. And only Jesus was always obedient. Thank you that when see me, you see His obedience. I am trusting in Jesus Lord. Every day I want to trust in Him. And yet Lord, every day I need your help. Every day is a reminder that I am lost without You and without You I can do nothing. So I seek You once again. I come to You and ask You to be my strength, to help guide my decisions. I want to be careful and to be careful to glorify You in all I do. Show me the way. Thank you being My Way. 

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of June is about justification; May was about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January, the doctrine of God.

 - The Sins of the Gentiles - Though born with God being evident, Gentiles do not honor God or give thanks, look to their selves for truth, and God gives them over to their sin, and in the process God's wrath is sin which will culminate on the Day of the Lord. The Sins of the Jews - Jews thought their status meant only Gentiles were true sinners. Romans 2 and 3 explains that Jews are just as guilty before God. The Law and Accountability - the Law reminds us we are sinners and doing good will not outweigh this bad; I am condemned. Righteousness According to the Law - The Law can make one righteous if obedient to all. Our sin keeps us from this. Human Inability - the simple reminder that man cannot make himself righteous because he is a sinner. 

Romans 5:17 - Human Inability

Romans 5:17 

For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. 

Message: Human Inability

Time: The Apostle Paul wrote to the Romans from the Greek city of Corinth in AD 57, just three years after the 16 year old Nero had ascended to the throne as Emperor of Rome. Persecution of Christians wouldn't begin until AD 64. The church was experiencing times of relative peace. From where he wrote, Corinth, was a hotbed of sexual immorality and idol worship.

What the Lord is Saying: 

Paul does a contrast of righteousness and condemnation in Romans 5:12-21. Today, let's just look at the condemnation. 

Verse 12 says that -- Through one man (Adam) sin came to all mankind -- and with sin came death to all mankind because all sinned. This is the matter of Adam being our federal head. He sinned once and it spread to all mankind and in the process all are doomed to death because all have sinned. Everyone does not have to sin the same way as Adam to be condemned, simply sinning one time in any way makes one condemned. 

This condemnation of man occurred before the Law was given and in the world. I looked at this previously in my lesson of Romans 5:13-14 whereby Paul is not saying in verse 13 that the Law must be present for there to be sin. The Law is written on our hearts. Abraham who was present 430 years before the Law was still accountable to obedience in all its forms. 

The big concluding point here is that man is not capable of justifying Himself. Adam's sin condemned all mankind. At this point death reigns in us and obedience to the Law will not happen because sin is present. So humans have an inability to attempt to keep the Law for justification. I think this is one of the chief lies of Satan - to be good enough. But, good enough is not the issue, the issue is never sinning. Only Jesus is capable because only Jesus does not sin. 

Promise: Mankind is not born neutral, but rather born guilty and corrupted, then called ones are renewed by the Holy Spirit so those can then please Him. 

Prayer: O Lord, keep me humble for I had nothing to do in being saved by You. I am condemned because I sinned. Thank you Jesus for fulfilling that which I cannot. Thank you for allowing me to receive your grace. Now I need to live everyday for you. Thank you for continuing to reinforce this in my life. As your ambassador, vessel, bond-servant - be my words and voice to communicate this to others. 

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of June is about justification; May was about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January, the doctrine of God.

 - The Sins of the Gentiles - Though born with God being evident, Gentiles do not honor God or give thanks, look to their selves for truth, and God gives them over to their sin, and in the process God's wrath is sin which will culminate on the Day of the Lord. The Sins of the Jews - Jews thought their status meant only Gentiles were true sinners. Romans 2 and 3 explains that Jews are just as guilty before God. The Law and Accountability - the Law reminds us we are sinners and doing good will not outweigh this bad; I am condemned. Righteousness According to the Law - The Law can make one righteous if obedient to all. Our sin keeps us from this. 

Romans 2:13 - Righteousness According To The Law

Romans 2:13

...for it is not the hearers of the Law who are just before God, but the doers of the Law will be justified.

Message: Righteousness According To The Law 

Time: Romans was probably written during Paul’s third missionary journey from Corinth to a Jewish/Gentile church in Rome (around 56-57 AD).

What the Lord is Saying:

Thus far I have identified that everyone is a sinner and because of this we are all guilty before God of violating what He has commanded. The Law reminds us we are sinners, but on our own we cannot cover this guilt. We often think we can cover this guilt and penalty of sin by living a good life. This is noble and good to do but it does not excuse our sin. 

The story of Adam and Eve begins with the idea that doing good will mean we can receive eternal life. They were created, put in the garden and could live their life doing good and receive eternal life. What changed? They sinned one time. 

That's tough. That assaults us because no where in life does one mistake nullify your entire worth. I think of my work in local city government. Employees are protected, even from mistakes. In my department, one has to really mess up to be fired. It is seen that one mistake would have to be done seven times with each time bringing it to light, before a person could be let go and if the person starts showing improvement they get to start over. Now in the private sector is generally, a mistake and then a second chance, but on the third offense that is it. So in essence you have one chance to get things right and even with this there is give and take. 

Romans 2:13 emphasizes that is the doers of the Law who will be justified. I think how this likes to be interpreted is any type of law doing justifies us and each person gets to decide the level at which they are obedient. And so what religions do is come up with checklists that must be done to be seen as pious and worthy before God. But these checklists vary. Religions will even say that what makes their checklist the best is they are the only true church and therefore what they say is only valid. 

Leviticus 18:5 says -- So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which a man may live if he does them; I am the Lord. But even in this verse we would rather infer "most of the time" versus "all of the time or perfectly." 

In James 2, James makes the point that we cannot simply be partial in our obedience to the Law. Yes, it is good to love our neighbor, he says, but we cannot show partiality, meaning we must be completely loving to all neighbors at all times. And he says in verse 10 -- For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. He goes on to say that if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, then you are a transgressor. One failure makes us guilty of the entire law. 

That's a compelling text and a good reminder that sin is sin.

Promise: The Law teaches us what it is to be righteous, but our sin condition prevents us from doing it to be righteous, not because we are not obedient to it, but because we are not perfect in our obedience. Thus, the Law condemns us. 

Prayer: Lord, these are lessons that are the opposite of what I learn as I walk in the world. And I recognize that Satan has confused people further by erecting faith systems that confirm the partial keeping of the Law or keeping it according to their rules and ways. But you remind me of the whole truth in this book, not just the one's we like to sample. You are complete and I need to be a complete reader of the Bible and not simply a sampler. Keep me centered on this truth for the voices in the world of another way is deafening. I want you to stay number one in my life Jesus. 

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of June is about justification; May was about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January, the doctrine of God.

 - The Sins of the Gentiles - Though born with God being evident, Gentiles do not honor God or give thanks, look to their selves for truth, and God gives them over to their sin, and in the process God's wrath is sin which will culminate on the Day of the Lord. The Sins of the Jews - Jews thought their status meant only Gentiles were true sinners. Romans 2 and 3 explains that Jews are just as guilty before God. The Law and Accountability - the Law reminds us we are sinners and doing good will not outweigh this bad; I am condemned. 

Romans 3:19-20 - The Law and Accountability

Romans 3:19-20

Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.

Message: The Law and Accountability

Time: Paul probably wrote Romans between A.D. 57-58 while he was at Corinth in the home of his friend and convert Gaius. He planned to go first to Jerusalem to deliver a gift of money from the Gentile churches to the poor in Jerusalem. Then he hoped to visit Rome on his way to Spain. His hopes were later realized, but not as he had expected. When he finally arrived in Rome in early A.D. 60, he was a prisoner under house arrest (Acts 28:11-31).

What the Lord is Saying:

I studied the passage previously. I went back and looked at that lesson that I did on Monday, August 4, 2014 and it is centered on the Gospel and the idea that the Law cannot save us. No one can say to God, look what I have done. Even going one mile over the speed limit is breaking the law. Now, we may not get caught but getting caught does not mean the law has not been broken. It needs to remind us that we are sinners, we are guilty and that fact alone reminds us that we are not righteous and we need Christ to be righteous in our place. 

Paul is laying the groundwork in these passages as he explains why human beings need the Gospel. What I have focused on so far in these lessons is quite simply the problem -- sin. And our sin makes us all guilty, the Jew and Gentile alike. The natural response of doing something poorly is to improve and not do it again. It is to learn from one's mistakes. It is to be a better person. This is normal and right. The problem is this does not excuse our sin. But mankind thinks that good outweighs bad. So when bad goes before the judge, man pulls out the resume and talks about how he has reformed himself and is different now and will never do it again and has learned from his way --- all good things, but the issue is the law has still been broken. Thus, this verse -- by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin. 

I read this and it assaults my own thinking because in my life this is how I am not trained. I am rather trained that good outweighs bad. 

The law teaches us many things that I have not named here but in the area of justification it simply reminds us we are sinners. We will break the law and through this God wants us to say, "Yes, I have broken the law and so I need someone to pay my debt." That's it. Our conscience was given by God and reminds us we have broken the Law. But even this becomes dull over time as we repeatedly break laws and do not acknowledge the sin. This is what was talked about previously as evil is now called good. The moral law defines what is good and bad, what is good behavior and bad behavior. The Law gives us this. The 10 commandments explain the moral law. This law condemns us first and foremost. 

Promise: As we look at the Law, it needs to move us to continue looking to Christ for salvation. Consider shortcomings but Jesus is our redeemer. 

Prayer: O God your message of the Law assaults my thinking at times because of the way I am trained so often in this world in which I live. But thank you for giving me understanding of your truths so that I live by Your Words. Keep me open to your truths. 

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of June is about justification; May was about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January, the doctrine of God.

 - The Sins of the Gentiles - Though born with God being evident, Gentiles do not honor God or give thanks, look to their selves for truth, and God gives them over to their sin, and in the process God's wrath is sin which will culminate on the Day of the Lord. The Sins of the Jews - Jews thought their status meant only Gentiles were true sinners. Romans 2 and 3 explains the Jews are just as guilty before God. 

Romans 3:9-18 - The Sins of the Jews

Romans 3:9-18

What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks 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 none who does good,
There is not even one.
Their throat is an open grave,
With their tongues they keep deceiving,
The poison of asps is under their lips;
Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness;
Their feet are swift to shed blood,
Destruction and misery are in their paths,
And the path of peace they have not known.
There is no fear of God before their eyes."

Message: The Sins of the Jews

Time: This book was probably written between 56 and 57 B.C. Paul was in Greece, probably Corinth when he wrote. It was sent to Gentile believers, but also believers with a strong Jewish element. The Gentile believers were experiencing peace, but Paul felt like they needed a strong dose of basic Bible doctrine. 

What the Lord is Saying: 

In the previous lesson, the sins of the Gentiles were examined as recorded in Chapter 1, verse 18-32. Now, here in Romans 3:9-18, the charge is that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin. 

Many 1st-century Jews acknowledged their sin, but because of their status as descendants of Abraham, they felt their special status excused somewhat their sin and their status in God's kingdom was still intact. Paul was a Jew. He states in Galatians 2:15, We are Jews by nature, and not sinners from among the Gentiles so even Paul saw a difference between the Jew and the Gentile. This was common knowledge among the Jews and so Paul is addressing it. 

His explanation of the sins of Gentiles is fairly short and to the point, but as he turns to Jews, the proclamation is long as he spends all of Chapter 2 explaining it further, culminating in the conclusion in Chapter 3:9-18. In chapter 2, he mentions

• The Jew cannot judge others and then not also be condemned. God's judgment falls on all (v.2:1-5). 
• Even the Jew's actions or works of evil will find tribulation and distress (v. 6-10)
• Yes, the Jew is unique but God does not judge with partiality, as only doers of the law will be justified (v. 11-16)
• In teaching the Law, the Jew must be obedient to the Law and outward signs like circumcision do not result the same as Law adherence but rather to be righteous the law must be kept (v. 17-29)  
• They were entrusted with the oracles of God, but are they adhering to all of its words or simply some of them; Only God is found to be true; every man is a liar (v.3:1-8)             

Again, the reason for Paul's writing here is to confront the Jew who thought by being a Jew that right off the top, the Jew then had a special advantage over the Gentile and so the Jew should be looked at differently. Paul is clear the Jew has advantages like having the responsibility for passing on the words of the Bible, but Paul still wants to assert that all people are sinners. And their actions, their uniqueness, the fact they are teachers and carriers of the Law and Word - these things do not excuse their sin. Sin is a universal condition. Yes, the Jew has special privileges but this does not mean the Jew is more righteous. 

Thus, Paul now with the Jews will use direct quotations from Scripture to support His argument. I studied this passage previously and here list the references for these verses. 

• Romans 3:10-12 from Psalm 14:1-3 and Psalm 53:1-3
• Romans 3:13 from Psalm 5:9 and Psalm 140:3
• Romans 3:14 from Psalm 10:7
• Romans 3:15-17 from Isaiah 59:7-8 and see Isaiah 48:22
• Romans 3:18 from Psalm 36:1

I think what is especially interesting about these verses are the words - it is not simply that people are not righteous, but rather "no one is righteous". 'None' is repeated 4x and then also 'not even one' and 'no.' Again, the Jew was looking for some sort of exception clause, but Paul is wanting to be clear -- 'None' and 'Not even one.' What a sobering thought this must be for the Jew, for all of us. None of us are free from sin and so all of us need a redeemer, a Savior. All of us are guilty. None of us are perfect. 

Promise: There are good people in life and good citizens among all of us. People are nice and people have good virtues. But, all people are still under sin and no one is righteous. Everyone has sinned, so we all need Christ in order to be reconciled to God. 

Prayer: O Lord, I am a sinner. I know this. You show me my sin often and each day I see it. I am embarrassed by that sin. I hate to repeat my sin and yet I so often do that. So each day I see the same need that I have for you God, to be My Savior. I need thee every hour because I am a sinner every hour. Yes, I try hard to not make mistakes, but they still happen and even in my job, as I try to not make adding errors or poor decisions, in my life, I am still selfish, greedy, an adulterer at heart, a murderer at heart, disobedient to parents, not observant of the Sabbath, an idolater, and selfish. I am so selfish God. Thank you for showing me clearly my sin and my need of you. Keep showing me. Never let that be dull and keep revealing that to people. We need to all keep seeing it. 

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of June is about justification; May was about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January, the doctrine of God.

 - The Sins of the Gentiles - Though born with God being evident, Gentiles do not honor God or give thanks, look to their selves for truth, and God gives them over to their sin, and in the process God's wrath is sin which will culminate on the Day of the Lord. 

Romans 1:18-32 - The Sins of the Gentiles

Romans 1:18-32

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of people who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed animals, and crawling creatures.

Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.

And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.

Message: The Sins of the Gentiles

Time: This book was probably written between 56 and 57 B.C. Paul was in Greece, probably Corinth when he wrote. It was sent to Gentile believers, but also believers with a strong Jewish element.

What the Lord is Saying:

Back in 2014 and 2015, I did a study in the book of Romans, following Tabletalk and these verses comprised 7 lessons. This section of scripture has always been one of my favorites after taking time to memorize this in the 90s. 

Now I move to a study on Justification - sola fide - and justification by faith alone and it begins with this passage. The first 8 chapters of Romans is about revelation or doctrine and then the remaining chapter is application 

Before diving into the message from the writers of this devotion, I first look at this text for review myself. I love it. Verse 19 says that God is evident within. God made it this way. He made man to know Him and yet man left to his own devices does not honor Him as God or give thanks (v 21). It is clear that this must be awakened in mankind. But I so love Paul's description of what happens to man if He is not awakened. It reminds me that we live in a world that does not honor Him. We should not be surprised, in a way, and yet we should be moved therefore to be part of this awakening of man. But, the gist of this passage is describing the Sins of the Gentiles. And after man does not honor God he/she looks within for the answer as they became futile in their speculations, but then something really sobering occurs as Paul says three times in verse 24, 26, and 28 how God gave them over which I believe is the same idea as God hardening. These verses speak of hardening of our bodies, our passions, and our mind. In other words, everything is changed.

I turn to the devotional now - the reason we need to be declared righteous is because without that declaration we are unrighteous. This is a fact. This is certain. Mankind is lost. 

Let's remember, we are accustomed to think the wrath of God is poured out right now against sin. But rather God's wrath is coming in a final Day of The Lord as mentioned in Isaiah 13:9-16. I read this and it horrific mentioning the day of the Lord is coming, cruel, with fury, and burning anger...He will exterminate its sinners...the sun will be dark...the moon will not shed its light...I will punish the world for its evil...will make man scarcer...make the heavens tremble and the earth will be shaken. 

So the wrath that is spoken of here is a revealing or showing of God's wrath, today, as God hands sinners over to their sin. As mankind is given over to their sin, God's wrath is seen. People want sin. They want to ignore God and do things their own way and so God is letting them and so they give the people what they want. In the process of all of this, sin is celebrated. 

O how we are seeing this today. We have celebrations and parades and tolerance is becoming mandated in our schools. Dependence on God is traded for dependence on our government and whatever they say we follow as true. All of this is storing up wrath (Romans 2:5) for people in the day of the Lord that is coming. In my words, we are manufacturing and dispensing God's wrath today for when God will pour it all out One Day.   

Promise: No matter what people's transgressions are, God still rescues people who He has handed over to their sin. 

Prayer: Lord, I love seeing You show me the truth of our lives. It is sobering and sad. Thank you for placing the knowledge of You in everyone, but it is sad to see people not honor You or give You thanks for the life that you have given in creating them. People think they are so clever in their speculations. Thank you once again God for saving me. People need to be awakened to You God. And you call me to be involved in this awakening by declaring it to people. Thank you for the reminders you give continually for me to be involved in this. Help me to remain faithful to Your calling on my life. Your Word continues to illuminate me and speak to me but I want to be have more than head knowledge and act. Show people, like my son, the nasty result of seeking out his own way for happiness and joy. Not even the scent smells good. The warning signs are there. Awaken your truth to him, to all those in my care. I honor and thank you God. 

Note: I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am a little behind and working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of June is about justification; May was about solus Christus - Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation and the various aspects of the doctrine of Scripture that sola Scriptura seeks to preserve; January, the doctrine of God.

Revelation 1 - Jesus and His Servant John

Revelation 1

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, everything that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy and keep the things which are written in it; for the time is near.

John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— and He made us into a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

I, John, your brother and fellow participant in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like the sound of a trumpet, saying, “Write on a scroll what you see, and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.”

Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking with me. And after turning I saw seven golden lampstands; and in the middle of the lampstands I saw one like a son of man, clothed in a robe reaching to the feet, and wrapped around the chest with a golden sash. His head and His hair were white like white wool, like snow; and His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze when it has been heated to a glow in a furnace, and His voice was like the sound of many waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.

When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades. Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things. As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven golden lampstands: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.

Message: Jesus and His Servant John

Time: John mentions himself as writer of this book 4 times. He wrote it from the island of Patmos around AD 95. It is a book of eschatology (last things), first writing to 7 churches John had been involved with. It then deals with the specifics of the tribulation (4-18) and then Christ's dominance over the forces of evil and a re-creation of a place for the redeemed (19-22). 

What the Lord is Saying:

So after spending much time looking at Jesus, Christ alone and what it meant that Jesus came. I've spent the last remaining lessons looking at the encounters Jesus had with people. Nathanael, Samaritan Woman, Pontius Pilate, Two men on the road after his resurrection, Saul, and now John the Revelator (as Phil Keaggy would say). 

These words giving to John are events which must soon take place. John received visions or was in the Spirit of what would happen and he records what he sees in these writings. He speaks to the seven churches who released us from our sins by His blood. 

It is clear from this first chapter that Jesus spoke to John and he received a special experience from Jesus that has now been relayed to us. It reminds me that Jesus is involved in our lives. He is still speaking to us, through the Holy Spirit. We are really enamored and enthralled by this text. It has been a controversial text and many different people walk away from it with many different interpretations. To me, that seems fine. It is fun to understand the text but understanding it is not crucial I believe to my salvation. But, I do believe Jesus had this encounter with John and he is passing on that understanding through these words. 

Conclusions - I have spent a lot of time on this particular issue of Tabletalk. I started looking at in January, reading through the articles and providing a synopsis of them. I suppose I decided to be thorough in looking at the issue since I was taking so long to go through it and it wasn't until the end of March that I started my first post on the Divine Nature of Christ. The issue is about solus Christus - Christ alone. It has been very illuminating to me. It seems too small to simply say that Jesus has had a significant impact on my life and the life of us all. But, it also seems necessary to say that Jesus and His mission completes the story of our lives and faith. He is divine and this is significant though remains quite controversial. But, in addition to being divine he had a human nature, needing to eat, needing rest and being tempted, as I am daily. 

The lesson on Jesus as our Federal Head is an interesting one to me for Jesus makes us all alive as Adam ushered in sin to all men. It makes sense and yet it is truly a message that is difficult to understand for those that have not been given divine understanding of it by God. And it was followed up by saying that Jesus is the True Israel, the true Messenger from God and the one as our Messiah that will rescue and deliver His People. O how rich is this understanding of God and His word. 

These lessons were followed with understanding further Jesus obedience. For Him to be our Messiah, and Messenger and final substitute, he must have been completely obedient in every way - as he grew up and He also showed us the importance of baptism and how we are to respond to temptation and how Jesus fulfilled the Law. I am incapable of being obedient to the Law so the Law means something a little different to me, it first and foremost reminds me that I can't obey it but it was meant to be obeyed and Jesus did this. Therefore, I always return to Him for having saved me and done this. And in saving me He suffered. Sin has consequences and Jesus took on all of those consequences for me. 

Then there were lessons about Jesus' titles - Prophet, Priest and King. Again, what I see in Jesus is completeness and finality. He is the only Prophet that is needed. He spoke for God and He always accomplished God's purposes. He did it all so there is no reason for anyone else. He is our High Priest, clearing the way for us to approach the Father. And He intercedes for me. He is all I need. He is King. he is King of Kings. 

It is his atonement that makes me whole. He paid the penalty of sin for me, once for all, but also for all he has called. The reality is that not every person will be drawn to Him. And so while he can save all, he only saved those that He has called. And it is only by Him rising from the dead that I can rise from the dead. He conquered death and it is through my faith in Him that I share this resurrection. 

This lesson ended with Jesus and his encounters with people, reminding me that He is encounters us and meets us and what a joy this is to me, to all of us. 

Promise: Everything changes in our lives or should change in our lives when we encounter Jesus. 

Prayer: O God, thank you for these lessons. They've taken me a lot of time to get through but getting through them has been an absolute joy. It has reminded me Jesus how you have done it all for me. And that life is always about You. O forgive me for shying away sometimes from speaking of You. Help me to be a light for you and to encourage people as I can about You. Thank you for speaking so clearly to me through these words. Thank you for giving me new life and that life is all about You. Continue to give me discernment and knowledge of You and Your word. Bring to mind these truths in my life, as I live life, as I engage with people. I want to be like you Jesus and think and do the way you think and do. I praise your name and thank you for changing my life for not just now, but for all eternity. 

Acts 9:1-22 - Jesus Calls Saul To Service

 Acts 9:1-22

Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and asked for letters from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them in shackles to Jerusalem. Now as he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, but get up and enter the city, and it will be told to you what you must do.” The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus. And for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” And the Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight.” But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints in Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on Your name.” But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer in behalf of My name.” So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like fish scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized; and he took food and was strengthened.

Now for several days he was with the disciples who were in Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.” All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, “Is this not the one who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?” But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ.

Message: Jesus Calls Saul to Service

Time: Clearly written by Luke, this book follows the lives of Peter and then Paul after Jesus' ascension into heaven. The book was completed about 62 AD as Paul sat in prison. It provides an account of the growth of the Church and spread from Jerusalem, from a small group of frightened believers in Jerusalem transformed into an empire-wide movement of people who had committed their lives to Jesus Christ, and it should help us to be bold and have zeal in our walks with God.

What the Lord is Saying: 

I'm starting to see this conversion story in a new light. God chose this man for His service. He confronted him and the choices he had been making up to the point that Jesus got his attention. The Lord uses a man, Ananias, as a conduit to heal Paul of the loss of vision that Jesus had given him. Again, Jesus did not need to do any of this, but he chose to use these circumstances and these people to get Saul's attention. Ananias was alarmed by this because of the reputation that Saul had, being a person that had inflicted so much harm to his fellow disciples. Yet Jesus had a purpose in this. He would call a man who zealousy lived in opposition to God and how he would live zealousy for God.

It is interesting to hear messages like this, of a conversion that someone may have had from the darkness to the light. Hearing about these types of conversions was common when I was growing up in the Baptist church I attended during high school: conversions of people involved in a seedy lifestyle. Much of the presentation they gave was about their life before Christ, showing us the darkness of it but then how Jesus had changed them and they were a new creation living in service for Him. They were brought on the stage simply so we could hear and witness this incredible conversion. Most recently was the story of Brian Welch that I read, a lead guitar player for the hard rock group Korn and his life of drugs and then how Jesus suddenly shined a light on his life and he turned to Him. His conversion wasn't as quick as Paul though as it took him time to get off the stronghold that drugs had on his life. 

But the point of these conversions needs to be Jesus choosing these men to be His. It is also interesting that in Jesus confronting Saul he said to him, why are you persecuting Me? and yet Saul was not confronting Jesus directly but rather coming after His followers and upset that they were not obedient to the Pharisee law of the day. Yet, Jesus spoke to Saul that Saud was persecuting Him. Jesus views the persecution of His followers as the persecution of Him. 

This needs to remind that no person is out of the grasp of God. It encourages me to the hope that Jesus can change anyone. I must still believe this and focus on this. There are people in my life and they seem far from God or far from living in a way that honors Him and yet Jesus can get a hold of them and I need to be ready if Jesus uses me to help that person know Him. 

Promise: No sinner is beyond the grace of God. Our God is mighty to save. 

Prayer: Thank you Jesus for saving me. I was lost and not living for you and over the years I have even tried to live in ways that is not honoring to you and you pull me back. God you are so great and mighty and you save people everywhere at all times. Keep showing us these stories and encouraging us that you are a great God that can save everyone.