Since we have been made right. Romans 5:1-4.

The NASB opens chapter five with this headline.

Peace with God through faith.

Spend any amount of time, in church and someone will tell you that you are just a sinner, saved by grace. Often, they take it a step further and point out how you are only one step away from hell’s flames because of your sin.

Is that the case?

Let's find out what Paul says about it. Know this; chapter five is not meant to stand alone. It is part of a saga that began with Paul opening his definitive letter to the church in Rome - a church comprised of Jewish believers who were holding fast to traditional and legalistic values, with the words:

I, Paul, a slave of Jesus Christ.

How does Paul's admission that he is a slave of Jesus Christ, affect our reading of, in this case, chapter 5?

If you thoroughly understood what it meant to be a slave, you would cringe at reading that word. The implications of slavery are horrifying, and yet, Paul identifies with being a slave to this Christian community. It may help your understanding if you read Paul’s letter to Philemon, another Jewish believer, who was also a slave owner. Notice that neither here in Romans, or in his letter to Philemon, that Paul does not put down the ghastly treatment and ownership of another human, for it was commonplace. However, we need to know that to identify yourself with, or to speak out against, a way of life where 1 in 10 people in Rome was enslaved, was unheard of.

There are so many bits of information that explain to us who Paul is writing to.
I covered a touch of history in a previous post, on how that the Roman's, under Claudius, expelled the Jews for their insurrections. Apparently, the Jews attributed their revolts to one the Roman's called Chrestus - Christ Jesus.
So Paul then is writing to a primarily Jewish community of believers, who were treating the Gentile converts like slaves, in attitude and mannerisms.

I suppose I included this bit about Paul and slavery because, it seems, Paul was not afraid to speak out against tradition and social behaviors, especially when those practices seem to go against God’s will. Sadly, a good deal of what we have read in Romans, to this point, is engaged with addressing traditions, mental attitudes, and religious ideals of men.

Here in chapter five, we have this somewhat eye-opening statement.

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. (Romans 5:1-2 NLT)

“Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith,”

The mere fact that the sentence starts with the word, therefore, tells us that something essential and defining was previously explained. 

Briefly, we have an answer from Paul when he says,
“ We have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.”
Doesn't the quotation above beg the question, what happened to create, not only the righteousness in us but what did Jesus do?

Fortunately, Romans 4:25 spells out rather succinctly what happened.
Jesus was handed over to die for our sins, and he was raised from death to make us right with God. (Romans 4:25 ERV)

This being made right by God didn't just happen; it took some participation on our part, and Paul, in Romans 5:1-2, makes that clear.

“ Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.”

As I stated in beginning, some, feeling threatened, will condemn you to hell simply because you live outside the grace they are comfortable with; but what did Paul say? Our faith in Jesus and the price he paid on our behalf, has gained our acceptance into this righteousness. The other half of this paragraph says, “Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand.”

Where is the threat in that? There is none.
Consider how God has consistently dealt with those He calls His own. He says to them, as for Me. This approach says I will hold up my end of the bargain, regardless of what you do.

Can there be negative results for not following God and His ways? Indeed, yes, at some point, He laid down the law, and along with that He points out following Him is good, and NOT following Him brings pain and destruction.

Behold, I set before you today a blessing and a curse: A blessing if you obey the commandments of Jehovah your God which I command you today, and a curse if you will not obey the commandments of Jehovah your God, but will turn aside out of the way which I command you today, to go after other gods which you have not known. (Deuteronomy 11:26-28 MKJV)

I suggest that you read Deuteronomy 11 and 28. In chapter 28, God lays out the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience. If your life seems like it is out of control, then take a look at those blessings and curses. While we who follow Christ are not under the law, the law, like gravity, certainly plays a role in our lives. If you have chosen to function within the realm of the curses, you subject yourself to a tremendous amount of destructive effects.

Romans 5:2 ends with,
“and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.”

Paul, writing to the church in Colossae, said,
"For to them, God would make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the nations, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory," (Colossians 1:27 MKJV)

Isn't our hope, an eternity filled with peace; free from the bullies of this life; and a life spent with the Father?
That last part takes on a different meaning if you have been abused or been given some horrendous example of fatherhood.

If this was you, let me say, I understand. However, I have found God to be a good Father and one that you can trust and count on. If we can set the dysfunction aside, we begin to see that hope is the backbone of our beliefs. I get it, for dysfunction took on a different meaning when I was accosted within the church community by a friend, and a pastor, about what they believe is a false hope. I don’t think they disagree that there is hope, but they certainly disagree that this hope we long for is anywhere in the near future.

Again, I give you Paul's voice as pertaining to hope.
1 Thessalonians 5:8 MKJV  But let us, who are of the day, be calm, having put on the breastplate of faith and love and the hope of salvation for a helmet.

Salvation can take on a variety of meanings depending upon the circumstances. I am not in dire need, nor under a threat of death, but many are. Perhaps you are as well. If that is the case, I pray that the Holy Spirit gives you a strength that you did not know could exist within you, so that you stand strong in the face of the enemy.

Why would that be important? Because WE HAVE HOPE.
Hope that the restoration of all things will come and that Jesus Christ will reign as the Messiah that the Jews have longed for.

This next verse began to be a problem for me when I figured out that I could think for myself.
Romans 5:3-4 MKJV  And not only this but we glory in afflictions also, knowing that afflictions work out patience,  (4)  and patience works out experience, and experience works out hope.

Why would this be a problem for me? 
Because I was raised to keep sticking your face out so that they could slap it off if they wanted to. I found no comfort or peace in that attitude. I was also told that if I defended myself, that I would be handed over to my Father and his belt. That kind of treatment makes the idea of afflictions even more painful.

If what Paul wrote has had an impact on me, then I should be well established in a hope based in the peaceful reign of Jesus. But then, there are these bizarre words:
“We glory in afflictions.”

Who, in their right mind, would do that?
Someone who has come to understand, thoroughly, what Christ has done to and for us. Sometimes we all need a reminder.

• We have been made righteous in God's sight.
• We have peace with God
• Why are we righteous, and have peace with God?
  • Because of what Jesus did on our behalf.
  • Because of our faith, that we put in Him.
  • And, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege (grace) where we now stand.

Another way to read this comes from the NLT.
We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. (Romans 5:3 NLT)

So there it is, this peculiar manner in which we handle life’s problems, thanks to hope, causes us to have perseverance and proven character.

Scripture speaks of judgment, particularly, the Bema seat of Christ.
Said in menacing tones, this can be very disheartening. Two things about this so-called time of judgment that I have come to understand: 1. The Bema Seat is a time for Christ to give back to us. It is not about some ominous, detrimental judgment, as most proclaim. 2. Jesus said, you will be judged, as you judge. A question, how do you judge others; harshly, critically, and without mercy? Well, that is what I did, and six months later, those very words came back to judge me. In that season, my world turned upside down and ended. The comfortable world I knew came to a crashing halt. Because of all this judgment, I have learned perseverance that I did not think I was capable of, and, I have had to establish and demonstrate my character repeatedly. 

“knowing that afflictions work out patience, and patience works out experience and experience works out hope.”

 Odd how that all works out.
Our relationship with Christ allows for us to have these character traits in our lives; so that, when troubles arise (which Jesus guaranteed would come as you follow Him,) we would have the patience to endure the problem, no matter how deadly. This patience turns into experience, and experience causes even more hope to arise in you.

Romans chapter four. What of Abraham?

These were notes I made for a Bible study.

In looking at Romans chapter four, it initiates with a question.
What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, according to the flesh, has found? (Romans 4:1 NASB)
The NASB does not improve my understanding, for the language is outdated, and stated in a backward manner. So let's try the Message.
So how do we fit what we know of Abraham, our first father in the faith, into this new way of looking at things? (MSG)
The Message goes a little too far, as it rephrases the question and almost sets it aside. But on the plus side, it forces us to look at the context, which we find in chapter three. However, we really need to go back to Genesis 15 to do that.
The biggest question that must be answered is, what did Abraham find?
In trying to figure out what Abraham found, we find some things he was not.
He was not that strong in faith, for he:

• After being told to leave his family in Haran, took his time in following the Lord's commands. God had to speak to him several times.
• Doubted that God would take care of him, as he told the Egyptian king that Sarai was his sister. In doing this, Abraham lied.
• And even though he could see God's hand upon his life, he still doubted, as he listened to his wife's prompting, and went to have sex with Hagar. (Consider something: After all these years of not making a baby, how do you know if the problem is with the man or the woman? Since Hagar got pregnant, we now know where the problem lies.) Ishmael was not to be left out, as the blessing over him carries some similar terminology to what God had said to Abraham, in that Ishmael would also be the father of many nations. Those nations are, to this day, a thorn in Israel's flesh.

Paul tells us in Romans 4:2 that it was not good deeds that made him righteous. Because of that statement, we can eliminate his being circumcised as the thing that made him righteous.

For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. (Romans 4:2 KJV)

The NLT makes this idea of good deeds more clear.

If his good deeds had made him acceptable to God, he would have had something to boast about. But that was not God’s way. (NLT)

In Genesis 15, God spoke to Abram (his name had not been changed as yet,) in a vision. Abram's response to this plan of making him great was to say I don't even have a son. God seems to know the direction that Abrams' heart is going, and says,

Then the LORD said to him, “No, your servant will not be your heir, for you will have a son of your own who will be your heir.” (Genesis 15:4 NLT)

Almost as though God is sealing the deal, (while still in the vision,) God takes Abram outside and shows him the stars of heaven, and tells him, your descendants will be numbered like the stars. Because of this moment, Abram believed God.
What did Abram believe?

• That he would have descendants, but not through the servant woman.
• Those descendants will be innumerable.

And Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD counted him as righteous because of his faith. (Genesis 15:6 NLT)
The new way of thinking, as the Message puts it, is that the righteousness of God comes only through faith.
Romans 3:22 tells us:

We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. (NLT)

Romans 3:24 states:

Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. (NLT)

Information like this opens up a world of problems to those who are immature in Christ. Think about this: We are informed that, through Christ, God made us right in His sight, BECAUSE, Christ paid the penalty for our sins.
Does that sound like a bad thing? Not at all, right?
Then why would this righteousness in Christ be such a negative thing?
Because, Many can hear a statement such as, “we are made right with God,” and say, then why is there a punishment of hell for anyone?
The answer simply put, we all choose to follow a leader. Some, through the act of intentional non-compliance, will follow Satan to his doom.
But there is always mercy.
When we studied Romans 2:12-15 we looked very deliberately at some simple words.

For all who have sinned without the Law will also perish without the Law, and all who have sinned under the Law will be judged by the Law; (Romans 2:12 NASB)

The word without is the Greek word anomōs and means lawless, but it also can mean one who is not amenable to (the Jewish) law. The word amenable means one who refuses to be held in check by the law, or non-compliant.
What's the problem here?
For one, we are not talking about Jewish law, as we live under Jesus' Messianic law, the perfect law of liberty. And secondly, this idea of not being held in check can apply to any of us. You see, we have a built-in problem and its called sin. Since sin seems to have desire as its biggest motivator, you would think we are doomed.
Moving on.
Romans 4:4-8 Paul continues the discussion of the futility of trying to earn your way into God's graces.
Romans 4:9 asks, is this for the Jews only? They seem to think so, however, God Paul points out how Abram received his declaration of righteousness, and it was not through circumcision, an event associated with Jewishness.
Romans 4:10 very distinctly spells out the chronology of events.

But how did this happen? Was he counted as righteous only after he was circumcised, or was it before he was circumcised? Clearly, God accepted Abraham before he was circumcised! (Romans 4:10 NLT)

The participation in circumcision happened when Abraham was 99, and it was:

Circumcision was a sign that Abraham already had faith and that God had already accepted him and declared him to be righteous—even before he was circumcised. So Abraham is the spiritual father of those who have faith but have not been circumcised. They are counted as righteous because of their faith. And Abraham is also the spiritual father of those who have been circumcised, but only if they have the same kind of faith Abraham had before he was circumcised. (Romans 4:11-12 NLT)

As Paul states, this makes him the righteous father of both the circumcised and the uncircumcised – the Jews and the Gentiles. With the addendum, “only if they have the same kind of faith Abraham had.” Simply put, Abraham believed God.
If this last statement seems daunting, consider this:

Clearly, God’s promise to give the whole earth to Abraham and his descendants was not based on his obedience to God’s law, but on a right relationship with God that comes by faith. (Romans 4:13 NLT)

Paul continues to present a logical path.

If God’s promise is only for those who obey the law, then faith is not necessary and the promise is pointless. (Romans 4:14 NLT)

Knowing that we could not obey the law on our own, we are given the hope that comes through faith; that and the Holy Spirit.
What an impossible task the Jews have placed upon themselves.
“For the law always brings punishment on those who try to obey it. (The only way to avoid breaking the law is to have no law to break!)

So the promise is received by faith.

It is given as a free gift.

And we are all certain to receive it,

whether or not we live according to the law of Moses,

if we have faith like Abraham’s.

For Abraham is the father of all who believe.” (Romans 4:15-16 NLT)

Paul then tries to explain what God was trying to say to Abram, and to us.
“That is what the Scriptures mean when God told him,

“I have made you the father of many nations.”

(Try to picture Abram, receiving this message. It was in a dream, however, a very vivid dream, but the reality is that Abram was married without children. I am sure he tried, it seems to be instinctive, and yet, no children. Lacking MRI machines and fertility doctors, how would Abram know the reasons why? And because of that, he may have looked around to see if God was talking to the right person.)
This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing; but then, how would Abram have known that about God?
Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham just kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations.
(When God started talking to Abram, he was already seventy-five years old. )

For God had said to him,

“That’s how many descendants you will have!”

And Abraham’s faith did not weaken,

(Weaken? What about Hagar? I keep forgetting, God's vision is much better than mine. And He is the one who places our sins/failures into the sea of forgetfulness.)

even though, at about 100 years of age, he figured his body was as good as dead—

and so was Sarah’s womb.

Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise.

(Circumcised at 99. God had to remind Abraham that he and his wife would have this son, and the son through the servant girl, was not it. Abraham, although already deemed righteous, has the circumcision performed upon himself. Apparently, as soon as he healed up, he tested the waters with Sarah once again. Nine months later, at the age of 100, Abraham becomes the father of Issac.)

In fact, his faith grew stronger,

and in this, he brought glory to God.

He was fully convinced that God is able to do whatever he promises.

And because of Abraham’s faith, God counted him as righteous.”
(Romans 4:17-22 NLT)

This story begins in Genesis chapter 12 when Abram is seventy-five years old. In Genesis 16, Abram is eighty-six when he sires a son with Hagar. Finally, in Genesis 21, when Abraham is 100 years old, Issac is born by Sarah. Over the course of 25 years, there have been many opportunities for doubt and despair, and yet God continually looks to the future, and, overlooks our faults.
Here is where we come in.

And when God counted him as righteous, it wasn’t just for Abraham’s benefit.

It was recorded for our benefit, too,

assuring us that God will also count us as righteous if we believe in him, the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.

He was handed over to die because of our sins,

and he was raised to life to make us right with God.
(Romans 4:23-25 NLT)

So, an aspect of our belief, would be to comprehend that God raised Jesus from the dead; that He died because of our sins; and, that He was raised to life to make us right with God. None of this happens in and for us, without faith.

Everything around me is changing, and I don't like it.

I and the Church, in general, is going through changes – we have been for some time now. These events/changes affect each of our lives differently. For some, mainly the people who don’t care, the changes make no difference. These are the kind of people who think the world revolves around them. (The problem with thinking like that is that if you call yourself a Christian, then your mentality is one that does not align with the Word of God. We are talking about the Word which describes the calling that is upon all of us who follow Christ.)

Let's make a quick distinction here.

Everybody, especially when it can make them an extra dollar, claims to be a Christian. An example of this might can be seen in the music industry, or when a televangelist is trying to sell their latest book or album. One thing is for sure; when labeling yourself a Christian becomes a death sentence, you will see this trend come to a screeching halt, as only those who know Christ, and are sincere, will risk being killed.

The events that surround my life have occurred over the last couple of months. I have wanted to talk about them, but I struggle with insecurities about telling you all about the problems I go through. So, in a sense, I have been sitting on this. But now I think you need to hear it, and consider your own lives.

What kind of changes have I personally been experiencing?

• A clash in Church
  A brother in Christ decided to give a somewhat, angry Word to the body recently. The problems that transpired in this process were many. Having been raised in a Pentecostal, charismatic, holy roller atmosphere, myself, I am accustomed to people presenting “words from the Lord” like this, and it was not uncommon for some to sound downright hostile.
  The brother that gave the “unexpected” Word that morning started in a very theatrical manner, and others thought the same thing. It seemed as if he was presenting his credentials in the third person, just like a movie, proving that God had ordained what we were about to hear. (There was a “brother” at this Church, years ago, who had an earned Doctorate in Theology. I tried talking with him on several occasions and he was little more than rude. In spite of his rudeness, he did admonish me with some vice, that I have clung to. He told me, that when you introduce the Word, which may be from the Holy Spirit, as though it is “a Word from the Lord,” you are adding an element, that in theory, says, it is mandatory that everything I am saying, is appropriate and must be accepted at face value, and that is inappropriate.) And that is precisely what this brother in Christ did.
  As he began to read the scripture that was motivating him, his presentation turned ugly. He was now using very angry tones. It was his tone that seemed to set off alarms in the Pastor and his missionary brother, who happened to be there that day. The pastor's brother, having spent time in third world nations, has seen many peculiar things, and the manner in which this man tried to give the word to the church body, was no different. Together, the Pastor and his brother asked the man to sit down, to which the man replied, No!
  Several seconds passed, and now the man and the Pastor are telling each other to be quiet in Jesus name. Scripturally, we have authority over demonic activities in the Name of Jesus. Assuming that what we were seeing was demonic, hence the commands in Jesus name back and forth seemed appropriate, but what happens when what you are experiencing is coming out the desire and heart of the speaker. (Everything contrary to the Word of God is demonically oriented, but as Christians, we are not supposed to be possessed, and therefore telling what you think is a demon to stop, is a futile exercise.)
  Since the man giving the Word would not sit down and has now turned his attention exclusively against the Pastor, saying, “you are a false teacher, and I can prove it,” the Pastor retaliated by saying, brother, now it’s time for you to leave the building. Another lady, who had been sitting nearby, jumped up and shouted into the man’s face, “you shut your mouth in Jesus name.” At this point, he shut up, and walked toward the door – escorted of course. His final gesture was to scream out, “your blood is not on my hands,” and that ended it.
  Merely telling you this story grieves me, as we lost a good brother in the Lord that day. I am not asking most of you to understand what I am saying, but I am telling you that giving Words to the body is and should be considered a biblically sound practice; as long as it is in order, and this man was not.
• Men's groups are shutting down.
  A group that I was invited to attend had chosen to use a video teaching series of a well known “faith” teacher. I used to be heavily involved in the “faith” movement, but I no longer believe that God has any interest in what kind of car you drive, or, how big your house is. Keep in mind that I went to see if there was a mutual fit. Several times, I was asked for my opinion, and so I gave it. (My neighbor calls my delivery as one of being “matter of fact.”) My comments were accepted by some and chastised by others, and so, after three sessions, I left that group. Subsequently, I was asked by the leader to attend the last meeting of that group. He wanted input from the men about what they wanted to see and hear in the future, should the group reconvene. Simply because I felt that I needed to show my respect for the man who was leading it, I returned for the evening.
  Another instance of groups shutting down would be one I have been a part of for several years now.
  Recently one morning, one of the men announced: “Today, is my last day here.” His reason: because we don’t spend enough time in the Word of God. The disturbing aspect of this decision is that we three had been a part of a, church-sponsored, men’s bible study, that incessantly wasted our time, espousing ridiculous themes, and never developing them. In other words, like the man that got tossed out of Church said, the leader of that Monday morning group, was a false teacher.
  Disgusted after several years of learning nothing from this man, we pulled off to form our little group. (This small group formation was not an overnight thought process; and, it turns out we had all been thinking about quitting, but where to go next was a problem.) I was one of the primary persons that pushed to have these meetings so that we could get into the Word of God more adequately.
  My friends reasons for leaving, according to him, had more to do with how much time we wasted talking about feral hogs and people hunting them. Strangely, this friend that accused us has spent more than his fair share of time talking about his life as an outlaw biker, the bars he went to, and the people that he hurt. Did we shut down the group because of that? NO.
  I didn't say a word in my defense, as the Holy Spirit pointed out to me, that my mouth, would be doing little more than pointing fingers and tattling.
  But, let me explain something here. On a previous occasion, I had mentioned how neuropathy was keeping me awake as my the nerves in my feet attempt to come back to life at night. In response to that statement, a brother says to me, what are you watching before you go to sleep at night, because that can keep you awake with your mind racing (obviously he wasn't listening.) So, at the previous meeting with the guys, before this guy quits on us, I showed them what I look at before I go to sleep, just to get a laugh - feral boar hunting videos. Well, as usual, this had to go far beyond what I intended, with conversations about how we could go on helicopter hunts and shoot some ourselves. Yes, it turned into a waste of time, but, the idea was that we, could do something together.
  You see, for two years we have been sharing our lives and the associated pains, with each other, as we integrate our lives into the Word of God. Well, thanks to one man, the dynamics of the group changed.
• Leaders quitting.
  Just in the last few weeks, our worship leader’s daughter quit. She got a full-time job at a church they used to be a part of. Her leaving shouldn’t be a consideration for most people, but I was there when her father first got hired to be the worship pastor. And, I was also there when the new Pastor fired this same worship pastor a few years later. Since the old Pastor had been asked to come back three years ago, he rehired the former worship pastor back again.
• Leaders getting caught doing illegal or immoral acts.
  This is more like saying, I pay attention to news sources; not all of which make the headline news. But it seems like every week there is a pastor embezzling the church; molesting some innocent, or changing the Biblical standards and making some act, that God calls bad, into something he wants us to accept. This kind of activity is a part of what constitutes apostasy.

Well, enough of my rant. I just needed to talk I suppose. What is important, is how you deal with issues like this. We are called to love; called to forgive the unforgivable, and to generally demonstrate the love of Jesus to people; that is so hard to do when we are acting out in rage and anger against someone, who we think deserves it.

The two us that remain have dealt with this brother that left differently. I am not going to lie to you, I was furious. But the man stills sends messages asking his foolish questions. I was constantly admonishing him to change his bible study habits but to no avail, as he still jumps from front to back, taking things out of context, in order to make them fit whatever new doctrine he is trying to develop. My remaining friend, on the other hand, wants nothing to do with him. So he gets to ignore the brother, I get the Holy Spirit saying to me, "I won't let you ignore him. You are going to answer his foolish questions in the most logical and sound manner that you can."

So while it is the flesh's desire to bring wrath upon people, I hear the Holy Spirit saying, "Don't you understand, Christ took all the wrath upon himself; if that is the case, then who are you to try to put it back on people."

Folks, we need to figure this out and lead people to the real Jesus of the Bible, not the religious one.