Introduction to Romans

The Letter of Paul to the Romans

or

The Gospel According to Paul

Who: Paul or Tertius (Tertius was Paul's amanuensis (Romans 16:22))

What: A letter, a treatise of Paul's gospel to the Church at Rome.

When: Approximately A.D. 57, toward the end of Paul's 3^rd missionary journey.

Where: Cenchrea, a town near the city of Corinth in Greece.

Why: There are various reasons, that can be gathered from the text, for why Paul wrote this letter to the church at Rome:

1. To obtain help for his plans to go to Spain. (Romans 15:24)
2. To collect funds for the Christians in Jerusalem. (Romans 15:30-33)
3. To address the situation in the church at Rome:
   Claudius had “expelled the Jews from Rome because they were constantly rioting at the instigation of Chrestus” -Suetonius

This occurred in approximately A.D. 49 and is mentioned in Acts 18:1-2. After Claudius' death they were able to return about A.D. 54 (Romans 16:3). This expulsion of the Jews (ie. Jewish Christians) left the church in Rome largely in the hands of the Gentile Christians in Rome. The God fearers and proselytes now, no doubt, out numbered the Jewish Christians upon their return. They were not keeping the Sabbath nor enforcing circumcision upon new converts. This, of course, led to problems among the Jewish believers who held dearly to these customs. In writing this letter he hopes to lay a foundation for unity in the body of Christ at Rome between the Jews and Gentiles through the Gospel.

4. The Gospel: The continuity of God's plan of salvation, the sin and need of human beings, God's provision for our sin problem in Christ, the means to a life of holiness, and security in the face of suffering and death.

Romans is God's Word to us and in reading it we seek to discover the message that God

has for us in it.

“Every Christian should know it by word and heart and read it often. The more it is read and studied the better it becomes.” Martin Luther

The Letter to the Romans is traditionally broken down into three distinct sections:

Chapters 1 – 8 – Justification by faith and its consequences

Chapters 9 – 11 – Rejection of the Jews and the inclusion of the Gentiles

Chapters 12 – 16 – Practical applications of the Gospel

Romans Chapter One - Study Notes

1. Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,
   Paul introduces himself with three designations that respectively identify: His Master- slave of Jesus, his office- Apostle (11:13; Gal. 1:1), and his purpose- set apart for the Gospel (Aphorizo - literally Pharisee for the Gospel) “Gospel”- God's intervention in Christ
   “Paul is claiming that his life is totally dedicated to God's act of salvation in Christ.” -Moo-
   

2. which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,

Paul is showing the connection between what God has promised in the past and declared

through the prophets to what He is now doing through Christ.

3. concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh

“concerning his Son” - What or Who is the Gospel about? God's Son, Jesus!

“descended from David” - Here we see the humanity of Christ displayed and His qualifications for messiah-ship, His relation to David.

“God's Son” - messianic title Psalm 2:7

4. and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,

“Declared” - Appointed (by virtue of His resurrection)

The pre-existent Son, who entered into human experience as the promised Messiah, was appointed on the basis of the resurrection to a new (and more powerful) position in relation to the world. (Philippians 2:6-11)

Before He was the Son of God in weakness and lowliness; (2 Corinthians 13:4) through the

resurrection He becomes the Son of God in power!

“The transition from v. 3-4 then, is not a transition from a human messiah to a divine Son of

God but from the Son as messiah to the Son as both Messiah and powerful, reigning Lord.”

-Moo-

“according to the flesh” / “according to the Spirit of Holiness”- It is possible that this is

referring to Christ's humanity and divinity or to the two eras or realities that he (Paul) will be

exploring in this letter.

“Spirit of holiness” - Romans 8:11; Acts 2:32-33

5. through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations,

Paul has received the special gift (grace) of apostleship from Jesus Christ for the purpose of

bringing men and women to the obedience of faith (submission to the Gospel). Faith in Jesus

must include submission to His lordship. (John 3:36)

“among all the nations” - Paul was set aside by God especially as an apostle to the Gentiles

(Acts 9:15)

“for the sake of his name” - The supreme goal of the Gospel is to bring God the glory that is due to Him. This leaves no room for distinction between races or classes (castes). (Gal. 3:28)

“For the sake of His name.”

“The highest of all missionary motives is neither obedience to the Great Commission

(important as that is), nor love for sinners who are alienated and perishing (strong as that

incentive is, especially when we contemplate the wrath of God), but rather zeal – burning

and passionate zeal – for the glory of Jesus Christ.” -Stott-

6. including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,

The Romans are included among these “all nations”. Paul is their Apostle. Paul was called to

be an Apostle and the Roman church has been called to faith in Christ. Not an invitational

call but a powerful and irresistible reaching out of God in grace to bring people into His

kingdom. (John 6:44)

7. To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Grace and peace” - (Numbers 6:25) This is an Old Testament blessing to the Jewish people

being given to a church composed primarily of Gentiles.

They are loved of God and called to be saints (an Old Testament term for God's people). Who

they are depends on God's love and call.

They are “saints”. Christians are those who have been sanctified. (1 Corinthians 6:11)

Summary of the importance of who Jesus is in relation to the Gospel:

• He is the promised messiah of Israel (2)
• He is the Son of God, the Lord (3-4)
• He came to the earth as messiah (3)
• He was exalted through resurrection (4)
• Through His exaltation He has shared all of these things with us pertaining to salvation(5-6)

8. First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.

This is not a statement on the degree of their faith, but just an acknowledgment of the fact that

their faith had gone out to the Christian world. Just as we could say that believers back home in

the US have heard of the faith of the believers in Nepal and give thanks to God for a witness in

this country.

9. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you
10. always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God's will I may now at last succeed in coming to you.

Paul did not personally know most of the Roman Christians. He had not had a part in their

founding and had never been to Rome, but that did not keep him from consistently praying for them. He even calls on God as witness, showing that this was not just kind speech. He also lets them know of his desire to come to visit them.

“with my spirit” - his deepest being

“in the gospel of His Son” - Paul's main purpose: The Gospel

11. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you -

Paul gives three reasons for his wishing to visit Rome: to share some spiritual gift (11), to have

a harvest among them (13), and to preach the Gospel (15)

We don't know what exactly Paul is hoping to share with them or what kind of gift, but we do

know that it is intended to strengthen them. This is the purpose of all gifts in the church: to

build up, to edify, to strengthen the church. (1 Corinthians 14:1-5;26)

12. that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each others faith, both yours and mine.

Paul sincerely expects that he also has much to gain from his fellowship with the believers in

Rome, but he is also being diplomatic with them; not wanting them to get the idea that this

Apostle, who they do not know, is going to come and bless them with his gifts and wisdom.

He is attempting to establish his credentials with them as the Apostle to the Gentiles (as we

will see all through this letter), but he does not want to come off too heavy handed at the

beginning.

13. I want you to know, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles.

Paul had been busy spreading the Gospel around the Greek world but had now run out of

areas to preach the Gospel without over stepping another person's work. (Romans 15:20-24)

This harvest that he intends to reap is most likely evangelistic. He hopes to win converts and

help further build the church in Rome, as well as strengthen the present church. (11)

“as among the rest of the Gentiles” - Paul, here again, identifies the church in Rome as

predominantly Gentile.

14. I am under obligation both to Greeks and barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.

Here is the reason for Paul's desire to come to Rome and make converts: He feels compelled

that it is his duty! (1 Corinthians 9:16) It is his obligation to them (Gentiles) before God.

(Ephesians 3:8) He had been entrusted with “the gospel of God concerning His Son”, and he

was, therefore, obligated to bring that Gospel to the whole Gentile world. Not just the Greeks

and the Romans, but to the far reaches of the Empire (barbarians and foolish).

15. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome.

This “preaching of the gospel” is not just evangelism but refers to the ongoing work of

teaching and discipleship in the church which goes with evangelism. (Matthew 28:18-20)

The Theme of Romans

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

In verse 14 Paul had said that he was “obligated” to preach the Gospel, in 15 he is “eager”, and

now in 16 he declares that he is “not ashamed”.

Even though to the world the cross may seem foolish, (1 Corinthians 1:18-25) Paul is not

ashamed! Why? Because it is the power of God for salvation! Without the cross, without

the Gospel we are lost. We are still under God's wrath and awaiting hell and punishment. But

because of the Gospel, because of what God has done through Christ we can be delivered!

How? By believing! Who is this for? To the Jew first and then us! (Acts 13:46) But, Jew or Gentile, we must come by faith in Christ.

17. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

Here is the power of the Gospel: the righteousness of God! Paul will later explain that what

the Law couldn't do (because we were not capable of keeping it) God has done in Christ!

“the righteousness of God” - This speaks both to His personal character and to His actions in

our salvation and something that He bestows upon us through Christ.

“from faith for faith” - In other words, it is all by faith from beginning to end.

“The righteous shall live by faith.” (Habakkuk 2:4) Literally: “He who through faith is

righteous – he shall live.”

“He who through faith is righteous shall live.” RSV

“He shall gain life who is justified through faith.” NEB

“Every person is 'without excuse' because every person – whether a first-century pagan or

a twenty-first century materialist – has been given a knowledge of God and has spurned that

knowledge in favor of idolatry, in all its varied manifestations. All therefore stand under the

awful reality of the wrath of God, and all are in desperate need of the justifying power of the

Gospel of Christ.” -Moo-

18. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

Why is the righteousness of God being revealed in the Gospel? Why is it necessary? Why is

it so important? Because of the wrath of God! Who is this wrath against? Whoever or

whatever is under heaven and yet not under the Gospel is under His wrath! (John 3:36)

Paul sandwiches this indictment against all mankind between these two great declarations

of the gracious righteousness of God: Romans 1:17 and 3:21-22.

What then is God's wrath? It is His deeply personal abhorrence of evil; His holy hostility to

evil. “sustained anger against sin because of His holiness for the failure of man to honor Him

as God.” -Moo-

Against what is God's wrath revealed? Against all ungodliness and wickedness of men.

“The essence of sin is godlessness. It is the attempt to get rid of God and, since that is

impossible, the determination to live as though one had succeeded in doing so.” -Stott-

The greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind. (Matthew 22:

36-40) It is by this very sin, the not doing of this commandment, this injustice, unrighteous-

ness that they “suppress the truth”. They have made up their minds to live for themselves and

ignore any evidence of God around them.

What truth are they suppressing?

19. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.
20. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So that they are without excuse.

The invisible God has made Himself visible in His creation. He has made Himself known

through what He has made. (Psalm 19:1; Isaiah 6:3)

General Revelation - made to everybody, everywhere

It is:

Natural – because made through natural means

Continuous – since creation it has gone on day and night (Psalm 19:2)

Creational – revealing God's glory through creation

Special Revelation - made to particular people in particular places

It is:

Supernatural – ie. Incarnation, inspiration of Scriptures

Final – finished in Christ and in Scripture

Salvific – revealing God's grace in Christ

This is natural revelation not natural religion. Paul ends these verses with, “So they are

without excuse”. Through natural revelation you can know God's power, deity, and glory

but not His saving grace through Christ. This knowledge is only enough to condemn because

they could not live up to even that . Instead, they suppress the truth about God by their

unrighteousness. (18)  They are guilty!  They have seen the truth about God around them but

have rejected Him and rejected those evidences to follow their own self-centered paths.

“Natural revelation leads not to salvation but to the demonstration that God's condemnation

is just: people are 'without excuse'.” -Moo-

“God has given mankind an adequate revelation of Himself (i.e. of His eternal power and

deity – His invisible nature and attributes) through the things which He created. But men,

because of their sinfulness, suppress the truth about Him.” -Steele & Thomas-

21. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

“They knew God” - That is, they knew His eternal power and divine nature as revealed in

creation. But this knowledge did not lead to worship, but rather, they took His blessings and

“did not thank him as God” (Matthew 5:45) They, thereby, perverted their knowledge

concerning God and sank further into either idolatry or atheism. (Acts 14:14-18)

“At the very center of every person, where the knowledge of God, if it is to have any positive

effects, must be embraced, there has settled a darkness – a darkness that only the light of the

Gospel can penetrate.” -Moo-

22. Claiming to be wise, they became fools,

False religions, philosophies, ungodly scientific theories, and every other attempt by man to

divert worship from the One True God and instead worship idols, wisdom, ourselves, or

material goods is an example of this foolishness masquerading as wisdom.

23. and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

Given the opportunity to bask in the glory of the immortal God, people have rather chosen, in

their folly, to worship the images of mortal human beings and beasts. This is a poor exchange

and shows the absurd nature of their reason.

24. Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,

“Therefore” - since they have rejected the knowledge of God available to them and have,

instead, given their worship to other things.

“God gave them up” - suggests that God has an active rather than a passive role in handing

the sinner over to the terrible cycle of ever-increasing sin.

Exchanging and Giving up

There are in these passages three exchanges of men and three giving ups or giving over of God:

v 23 – They exchange the glory of God for images

v 24 – God gives them up to impurity

v 25 – They exchange the truth of God for a lie

v 26a – God gives them up to dishonorable passions

v 26b-27 – They exchange natural relations (men and women) for unnatural ones

v 28 – God gave them up to a debased mind

“God often punishes one sin by abandoning the sinner to the commission of others, …

This judicial abandonment is consistent with the holiness of God and the free agency of man.

God does not impel or entice to evil. He ceases to restrain.” -Hodge-

25. because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

What truth are they exchanging for a lie? The truth, the reality, the fact of God as He has

revealed Himself. (The Thessalonians had reversed this exchange: 1 Thessalonians 1:9)

What is the lie? Worshiping and serving the creation INSTEAD of the Creator!

The Creator who is blessed forever! The Creator who deserves all worship and service.

The Creator who has sustained them, shown His loving kindness to them in providing for

them and in not destroying them instantly for their sinfulness. This Creator they have

ignored and rejected to, instead, follow their sinful passions and worship and serve His

creation. Calling it wisdom, they have become mad!

26. For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature;
27. and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.

Natural means: God's created order, “To act against or contrary to nature means to violate the

order which God has established.” -Stott-

28. And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

This time God gives them up, not to immorality, but to an unfit mind.

“People who have refused to acknowledge God end up with minds that are 'disqualified' from

being able to understand and acknowledge the will of God.” -Moo-

And this “depraved” mind leads to a whole variety of antisocial practices:

29. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips,
30. slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents,
31. foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.

This list begins with four general sins: all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, and

malice. Then goes into a more specific list of sins which lead to broken relationships: pride, and all inventions of evil and even the sometimes overlooked “disobedient to parents” or think of any authority which God has placed over you.

One translation lists the last four as, “Without brains, honor, love, or pity.” (This list is not

exhaustive but is meant to complete Paul's picture of the world without Christ and the Gospel.)

32. Though they know God's decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

“The function of this concluding verse is to bring out even more fully the willful rebellion

against God that permeates humanity.” -Moo-

People generally, Paul claims, have some degree of awareness that the moral outrages they

commit are wrong and therefore deserve to be punished.

Conclusion:

Who are these people Paul is describing in this passage? This is a vivid picture of what we were before the intervention of God in Christ. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Ephesians 2:

1-10; Colossians 3:5-8)

Mythbusters: Carnal Christian Edition

‎"For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their mind on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God." Romans 8:5-8

     "The flesh" and "The Spirit" are not two options for Christian living, but instead they are two realms; two dominions.  We were in the flesh, (Rom. 7:5) under the power of sin, imprisoned there by the law, (Gal. 3:22-24) unable to please God and hostile to God, but now we have been transferred from this dominion of sin and death to the kingdom of righteousness and life and grace, (Col. 1:13-14) not to walk in sin any longer.

     We may sin, because we are still in this world and influenced by the things around us, but we will not walk in sin.  Or as John puts it, "practice sin" (1 John 3:4-10)  If you are walking in sin you are not a "Carnal Christian"; you are not any kind of Christian.  You are simply still in "the flesh".  You have never been transferred.  You are still locked up in sin and the law (your prison guard) (Gal. 3:24) is still on duty.  You cannot please God because you are still an enemy of God, (Rom. 5:10) and by your constant disobedience you reveal that you are still under His wrath. (John 3:36)

     If this is you, good news!  There's repentance!  Don't be deceived any longer, repent!  Stop quoting Romans 7 to yourself to get back to sleep.  That person that Paul is describing cannot be a Christian.  He describes himself as, "sold under sin" (7:14), "captive to the law of sin" (7:23), and totally defeated. (7:24)  This goes against everything that Paul has been teaching for the last three chapters.  So either Paul is off his nut or we are.  The answer for this man is found in 8:2-4.  Instead, Christians have been: "set free from sin" (6:8), "free from the law of sin and death" (8:2), and "more than conquerors" (8:37) through Christ Jesus.

     If you are consistently walking in sin, unable to break free, unrepentant, hard-hearted to your sins; then you are only deceiving yourself and others by naming yourself as Christian.  God is not fooled and He is the one to judge.  So please don't take offense, take alarm.  Confess your sins, and repent of your sins, and put your faith in Christ and His sacrifice on the cross.  Then you will be transferred into the Realm of Grace; set free from the sin's prison, no more under the guard of the law.  Free to serve and please God.

   Myth busted: there is no such thing as a carnal Christian.  No back slidden saints.  Only those that have been justified and redeemed by faith in Christ and those that remain in the Dominion of Sin and Death, held captive to the passions of their master, unable to please God.  So repent and believe and be transferred.
     

Mero chora pani mero bhai ho!

Namaste Everyone!

     Jaimasi!  Jaimasi!  Jaimasi!  (Jaimasi is the Christian greeting here in Nepal.  It is a combination of two words: Jai (praise) and Mashiha (Messiah), so together they are "Praise the Messiah")  And I have plenty reason to be doing so!  Yesterday morning I came downstairs from class to check on Daniel (doing school in the office) and he told me that he had been praying, and he had prayed to God and repented of his sins and put his faith in Christ.  I was completely blown away!  I have been praying for both him and his sister since before they were born, and I share the Gospel with them every time I can, but Daniel and I had not talked about that since before we came to Nepal.  God is faithful!  There is another personal matter that I have been pleading with God about in prayer, and I took this as, not only an answer to my prayer for the last 12 years, but also as a confirmation from God concerning my current prayer.  God does answer prayer, and He is faithful.  So, thank you to all who have prayed with me, concerning Daniel, over the last few years.  Oh, by the way, "Mero chora pani mero bhai ho" means, "My son is also my brother"  :)  

     Sorry that I have not sent out an update in so long.  We have been very busy, and I am about to get much busier!  Right now, Vic is teaching through John in the mornings and then I am teaching through Romans.  I have been giving Vic more time to teach than me because his time is short.  He flies out next Tuesday, and then I will be teaching twice as much!  I will have to study about four hours every afternoon to be prepared to teach the next day.  I love it to death, but it really does hurt your brain sometimes. :)

     Our class is much smaller this year.  We have about half of the students of previous years, and it is all local students.  This is due mainly to the size of our budget.  Fund raising was very difficult this year, but we are pouring in to this local church and it's leaders and future leaders, and that is good!  This year has also been very good for me.  I always feel stretched when I come here to teach.  This is an education for me as well as for my students.  I am so thankful for the opportunity to come here and to be used to serve the church here in Nepal and to be part of God's glory being spread to this nation.  My part is small, but my God is big!  

     Keep praying for us: for health, for finances, for our classes, and for wisdom and grace in everything that we do.  Thank you all many times over for your prayers and support!  May God be with you and continually bless you!

Dhanyabad Yesu!

Steve Wingo

Namaste From Nepal!

My good friend Damodar Shresthra and his daughter Isabella

     Namaste everyone!  

     We finally made it here Thursday last week.  The trip was good but very long!  We are starting to adjust slowly and hope to start school on Tuesday.  We will have a much smaller class size this year due to finances, but we are excited about getting to work with a smaller group and hopefully be able to go deeper with them this year because of their size.  Jesus only chose 12 disciples, and I think we will do well not to try to out do Him.  

     Vic and I are planning an extensive trip in a couple weeks to go out to the villages in the rural areas to visit some of our former students and survey the work going on with the new facilities in Gorkha in the village of Tanti Pokari.  It will be a long, tiresome, and sometimes dangerous journey, so please continue to pray for us as we go.  

     I will try to update the blog soon with pictures and videos and will hopefully be able to upload picures and news as we travel around Nepal.  

     Thank you for your prayers and support!

Dhanyabad Esu!

Steve, Vic, and Daniel

   

They Loved Not Their Own Lives (An open letter of confession to God)

And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.

(Revelation 12:11 ESV)

     I have been studying and reading through the book of Revelation recently trying to establish my view on eschatology (end times theology) by seeing what the Bible itself says concerning these things.  And while I still am very much undecided where I stand concerning the end of the world and Christ's return; I am finding myself very much challenged and convicted by the contents of this book.  This is not just a book about scary end-time events and antichrists and 666.  It is a book of worship.  It is soaked in the Gospel.

     Here is an excerpt from Sam Storm's website commenting on this particular verse in chapter 12:

"Here [John] means the willingness to give up good things for the sake of better things; the willingness to sacrifice all in life, even life itself, because life isn’t the most valuable thing to us; they would rather die than yield one inch of their hearts to the world or Satan; no earthly pleasure was worth denying Jesus. No promise of peace or power was deemed of greater value than the value of remaining steadfast. Perseverance. Hebrews 10:34 ('For you . . . accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and an abiding one'). They had refused to let anything in life get a grip on their hearts in such a way that it might diminish their devotion to Jesus. 'Jesus is more valuable to us than anything life can offer. Jesus is greater treasure than life itself. We will gladly die before we renounce him!'"

     This "not loving our lives" is not some "death-wish lifestyle" or a legalistic aestheticism or a silly game of experimental self-denial, but a heart condition: a Jesus loving, cross carrying, God glorifying lifestyle!  Loving and following after God with your whole heart!  Enjoying God more than anything this world has to offer, more than even the blessings of God.

     This is where I want to be. 

     

     I confess that I am far from this, but this is the heart for which I am praying.  I can quote the Westminster Confession, but do I really enjoy God?  Am I glorifying Him by my lifestyle and the things upon which I choose to place my affection?  Is Jesus "greater treasure than life itself"?  When I sing songs of praise to God am I merely reciting words or could I really "sing of His love forever"?  Do I understand and know His love personally?  Have I tasted of the Lord and seen that He is good?  

     I know that I have.  But...

     These are questions that I have personally grilled myself about for years.  Not in a doubting way (I hope), but in a way of self-examining to see if I am truly in the faith kind of way. (2 Corinthians 13:5)  But too often I come to myself and find that I am far from "setting my affections on things above". (Colossians 3:2)  I am wrapped up in my own affairs.  Even good things; things given to me by God.  My family, my ministry, all of the wonderful things such as shelter, food, etc. that God has blessed me with, these become the center of an idolatrous relationship instead of an impetus to give thanks and glory and praise to God. (James 4:2-4)  Things meant to increase my affection for God have instead become the objects of my affection.  

     Too often, when I am most offended or embittered by something someone has said or done, it is because they have upset one of my idols.  They have dared to go into my shrine and desecrate my gods.  I have stopped "loving God with all of my heart and my neighbor as myself" (Matthew 22:37-40) and have instead enthroned myself.  Made me and my happiness the chief good.

     God please draw my heart to you!  Strip away everything that replaces you in my affection.  Thank you for all of your blessings: for my wife, for my children, for my church, for the ministry that you have given me, and for all of the wonderful things that you have seen fit to place in my life, but please, please do not let me love them more than you!  Remove from my mind, my heart, my affections, and from my hands everything and anything that is not glorifying to you and sanctifying for me.  

Amen

Self-Sufficiency: Vice or Virtue

     "Pull yourself up by your bootstraps!" 

      "Make something of yourself!" 

     What could be more American?  And indeed, there is much in the Bible concerning laziness and those who only want to leech off of society.  But is the modern American conservative capitalistic ideal of self-sufficiency one that should be shared by Christians?

     How much of our world-view concerning our finances and how we help (or don't help) others should be informed by the culture around us?  How much of our current view, that is popular among conservative Christians, is more a reaction against liberal socialism rather than a Godly response educated by Biblical values?

      Just recently Governor John Kasich of Ohio turned down millions in federal aid for his state saying, "I think we can handle this."  Now our first response would most likely be "Great!  We need more leaders like this one, not always gouging out every dollar they can from the government's (our) money."  And probably that is the right response.

     However, nearly 2,000 years ago there was another city devastated by an earthquake, in complete ruin, that turned down the federal aid of Rome saying that they too were able to "handle it."  They were rich, affluent, and needed no one's help to rebuild and repair.

     This city was the now infamous Laodicea.  Known to us today mainly through a letter received by them from Christ, penned by the Apostle John in his book of Revelation.  This was the only church for which Christ had nothing but rebuke.  No commendation.  No, "I like this, but..."  Just rebuke and warning.

     Listen to Jesus' words to them: 
     
     "For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see."
(Revelation 3:17-18 ESV)

     You see?  They had been educated by their culture.  They had learned a Laodicean pride.  They were living the Laodicean Dream.  They were rich, prosperous, and didn't need anything from anyone.

     Now, I am not advocating that we should go to the opposite extreme, as we are often wont to do when we see something unpleasant in ourselves, but instead my aim is to encourage us, as Christians, to receive our ideals from Christ and not Benjamin Franklin.

    A friend recently posted a quote from our illustrious founding father:

“I am for doing good to the poor, but...I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. I observed...that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer.” 
     
     Sounds pretty good doesn't it?  Very American.  But compare this to what Paul says in 2 Corinthians when he is speaking to them about helping the poor:

"For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness."
(2 Corinthians 8:13-14 ESV)

     Indeed, throughout the Bible, Old and New Testament, we see that God is concerned with the poor and that He has commanded over and over again that we with much should help those with little or none.  This is a biblical worldview, not an conservative American view, not a liberal socialist view but a biblically informed world view.

     James tells us that this is the essence of pure undefiled religion, "to visit the orphans and widows in their affliction." (James 1:27)  Jesus, as well, tells us in Matthew 25 that when we clothe, feed, and shelter those in need that we are in truth doing these things to him.  True, he is speaking primarily of doing these things for other followers of Christ, but that is only where it starts, not where it ends.


"So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith."
(Galatians 6:10 ESV)

     See?  It starts in the household of God, but it isn't contained there.  No, true love, unfeigned charity must spill out of the boundaries of the church and have it's effect on those outside of our fellowship.  We should not be conformed by the culture around us, but they (it) should be informed by us to the goodness of God.  This is the very purpose of our love and our good deeds.  To expose to the world the glory of the One we follow.  To show them, "This is what He is like!"  Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:16 to, "let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."


     So if our message to the lost world around us is an echo of our political party's ideals, what are we telling them about the God we serve?  The Bible tells that those dead in sin are already enemies of God, (Romans 5:10) but we only add to their blasphemies when we give a distorted picture of His love to a lost, suffering, and dying world.

     But back to the original question, "Self-sufficiency: vice or virtue?"

     The point of Jesus' words to the Laodiceans was not that it is bad to take care of yourself and to provide for your own, but if we know and believe that everything, every breath, comes from God, the Giver of life.  And if self-sufficiency is an attribute that God does not communicate to us, but if instead He wants us to rely on Him, depend on Him for every day, every meal, everything; then the attitude of, "I can take care of myself." is a rebellious attitude that goes against our Creator.  He doesn't want us dependent on the government or the rich but wholly dependent upon Him.  As we are recipients of His love and grace and mercy, we turn and show those same qualities to the world around us and thereby reflect to the creation around us what our God is like.


And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
(Daniel 12:3 ESV)