Read Romans 9
While taking a class on Romans I had four professors tell me, "Yeah when you get to chapters 9-11 of Romans you're going to just pass over it because we can't figure out what Paul's saying in relation to everything else." And we did just that. Chapters 9-11 have trees which just don't fit into the forest that is the book of Romans. But let's just look at the trees.
Chapter 8 finishes up with Paul writing about the inseparable love God has for us, his children. Paul begins with, "I'm not lying, I'm being completely honest with what I'm writing, as God as my witness."
Paul writes of how the Jews are damned because of their lack of faith in Christ, and how he wishes he could take their place so that they could be saved. Why is this? Paul's a Jew believe it or not, and he cares for his people, which is why I think chapter 9 is written the way it is and still fits in the theology of free will and not election. In verses 4 and 5 we see that Paul thinks that the Israelites should have grace because of what they had in the past, almost seeming as if Paul is still struggling with his faith, that he thinks that someone deserves grace. But he knows that no one deserves grace, as he pointed out in Romans 1-3, all have sinned, and in Romans 5 where he says the sin of 1 is enough to condemn, and those two tell us no one deserves grace, because if they deserved grace they wouldn't need it.
Paul continues on with Israel, writing that those who come from Israel do not always belong to Israel. This is the idea that we, Christians, are the New Israel. Those who make up the New Israel are not (always) Jewish by birth, but they are (always) Jewish by the promise. By the promise found in Genesis 12.1-3 we are the offspring of Abraham. The promise that says, "I will make you into a great nation, and the world will be blessed by you" (Mike paraphrasing). The fulfillment of that promise is Jesus, the blessing to the world, the savior of all. And it is by and through him that we are counted as offspring of Abraham and children of God.
Here's where things get disputed with free will and election, and this is my two cents worth. Take it or leave it but this is what I pull out of the scripture.
"And not only so, but also when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our forefather Isaac, though they were not yet born and had done nothing either good or bad--in order that God's purpose of election might continue, not because of works but because of him who calls--she was told, "The older will serve the younger." As it is written, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated." Romans 9.10-13
Here's what I see. Paul is writing that Esau was elected, by God, to serve Jacob, his younger brother which goes against the culture of the time. What we see in the text is Jacob steals from Esau, twice, and then runs so he doesn't get killed. He gets married, has lots of kids, then has to run away from his father in law back to his home land where he ran away from his brother, who still lives there. Growing up Esau did the hunting and Jacob did the house work, showing that both served each other as their gifts allowed. And when Jacob returns after many years we see that 1: he has been blessed by God with wealth and family and 2: So has Esau. Then we have no record of Jacob being served or lording over his brother after his return. So here's my question for you: Did God lie and Esau didn't serve Jacob? No, I just proved that they served each other. But also, Jacob ran away after cheating his brother out of his birth right and blessing, so God supports liars and cheaters? No that's against his character. But instead he blessed both brothers, and chose Jacob to establish his line to bless the entire world. As for those he calls, as seen in my logic of the last chapter all are called.
Then there is the last bit there which says, "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated." This is taken from the prophet Malachi. If we look at the context of where this verse comes from, which we should always do, we see that God is saying through Malachi to Israel, "I gave you every reason to trust me, worship me, and properly offer to me, but you didn't. I loved you and my love made it look like I hate your brother, yet you still can't trust me." Then God goes on to talk about how angry and how he is going to punish his elect. So if that's how God's going to treat those he elected because of their sin, what's the difference between them and the non-elect? I'll stick to grace and Jesus.
I don't mean to belittle the idea of election, but I do not see how it lines up with the character of God. Sure we can sit here and say, "well election is written in the Bible and free will is not," but when we look at the character of God and put things in context I can't see how election works. But that's my thoughts on the matter. We'll continue chapter 9 tomorrow because it is a lot. Enjoy, and I love you all.
Monday, December 22, 2014
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Romans 8 part 4
Read Romans 8.31-39
This one is pretty easy. But it's so great. It's all about the love that God has for us.
What can we say in response to the fact that God desires all to come to him? What can we say in response to his adopting us and making us heirs with his only true son? What can we say in response to being seen as holy, righteous, and justified in his sight because of his actions? Should we say that if God is for us who can be against us? How about if God is for us what's the point of standing against us?! He didn't even spare his own son for us while we were still his enemies, how will he not stand up for us and back us up when hard times come? Better yet how would he not give us all things? Look at Matthew 6.25-34, God takes care of the birds and the grass, how much more would he take care of us?
Who can bring a charge against those in the Kingdom of God?
This one is pretty easy. But it's so great. It's all about the love that God has for us.
What can we say in response to the fact that God desires all to come to him? What can we say in response to his adopting us and making us heirs with his only true son? What can we say in response to being seen as holy, righteous, and justified in his sight because of his actions? Should we say that if God is for us who can be against us? How about if God is for us what's the point of standing against us?! He didn't even spare his own son for us while we were still his enemies, how will he not stand up for us and back us up when hard times come? Better yet how would he not give us all things? Look at Matthew 6.25-34, God takes care of the birds and the grass, how much more would he take care of us?
Who can bring a charge against those in the Kingdom of God?
It's God who justifies us, who can charge those he vouches for?
Who can condemn us?
Jesus himself, the man who died and rose again intercedes on our behalf.
Who can separate us from the love of Jesus?
Are hard times from our fellow man, the economy, or nature itself going to
separate us from the love of him who is above all?
Nothing will separate us from his love!
In life or death we are with Jesus who makes us more than just conquerors over all of these things. We are with him who owns them.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come nor things from the past, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all of creation in heaven hell or earth shall ever separate us from the love of God that has been shown and given to us through his son Jesus the Christ!
In Jesus we are sons of God. Being sons of God we will suffer. Because we suffer we shall inherit the glory of God. And by inheriting the glory of God we will receive his all encompassing love. This is what Paul gives us in Romans 8.
Next up, Romans 9.
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
Romans 8 part 3
Any sort of regularity in my schedule is non-existent. So sorry for the lack of posts.
DISCLAIMER: THIS PASSAGE HOLDS A CONTROVERSIAL TOPIC WHICH I SHALL GIVE MY TWO CENTS WORTH. YOU CAN DISAGREE WITH IT IF YOU WANT BUT DON'T TRY TO SHOVE WHAT YOU BELIEVE DOWN MY THROAT BECAUSE YOU CAN READ WORDS SUCH AS ELECTION AND PREDESTINATION. I CAN TOO. GET OVER YOURSELF.
Read Romans 8.18-30
In the previous passage we saw that by being in Jesus we become heirs like him with our inheritance being the glory of God which we looked at a bit. We also saw that in order to receive his glory we have to suffer. Paul begins then by saying that the suffering which we have and will have is nothing compared to the glory that we shall receive. This glory that we shall receive shall reveal us as children of God, leaving no doubt who's we are. Creation is waiting for this. I think this is a really interesting idea and want to take a moment to go through my ideas on this, most of which might be wrong.
"For creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willing, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God." Romans 8.19-21
Creation is waiting for the children of God to be glorified with God's glory. This tells me that creation is able to tell God from man. I got a cat, which is a part of creation. If I go to him with my own glory saying, "Look how great I am because of what I've done and my own glory! You can't bite me!" he'll still bite me because he's demon possessed. But if I have the glory of God he will recognize that. When the glory of God will be revealed in his children just as it was with Adam (looking at the Luke genealogy of Jesus we see that he claims that Adam is a son of God, also discussed earlier) who was able to interact with nature and creation in a way that we just can't. We try to control creation and yet we are so desperately dependent on it and can't control it because of the brokenness of creation, including ourselves.
In verse 20 we see that it says that creation was subjected to futility by him who subjected it. I've heard it said, "Well God subjected creation to futility so that Jesus could come." So God made Adam and Eve sin? "No." Those two answers don't match up. Did God have a hand in subjecting creation to futility? I'd say yes, but in this way: Get set everything up, gave man a commandment, don't eat that else you die and everything breaks. Either trust God or don't is what it comes down to. He knew the consequences of giving them that choice. He knew at some point someone would not make the choice for him and everything would get broken anyway. Who? When? He didn't know, but he knows the outcome of every possible decision that we have, are, can, and will ever make. He just doesn't know what decision we will make, but he already knows the outcome of it and all the other possible decisions we could have made. So by setting up the system of "Choose me or yourself and if you choose yourself you die and everything breaks" God set up the dominoes to subject creation to uselessness. God himself did not push the dominoes over, he left that to man because in God there is no evil, and pushing those dominoes is evil, it's against his commandment and will, done of the flesh. God doesn't contradict himself.
From there we look at the last two words of 20 and all of 21. The main thing to remember during these three verses is that we, humans, are a part of creation just as trees, plants, rocks, animals, and atoms. Creation was subjected to futility, as seen above in a way by God, because he had a plan that he hoped would work, knew would work as well because hope doesn't disappoint, that all of creation will be freed from the bondage of sin and will obtain the freedom that we children of God have through the glory that we have/will inherit.
Let's get real for a second. Why do natural disasters happen? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why is there death and war and famine and disease and cancer? Sin. All of these things are a part of creation, from the mutated cells that cause cancer to the tectonic plates that cause earthquakes and tsunamis. And all these are a part of creation and are broken and corrupted because of sin. And it all waits eagerly for the children of God to be revealed because when that happens they shall be set free and there shall be no more death, pain, or tears.
Moving on we see a continuation of these ideas and also that we, humans, are also waiting for our revealing and adoption. I consider myself a child of God already. My girlfriend's family does foster care and all the kids call their foster parents "mom" and "dad." They're not really their mom and dad, they aren't even in the adoption process. But if they did go through it, it would take a while. Right now, from what I see in this scripture, we are in the foster care system. God has taken us in and is in the process of adopting us and we wait eagerly for the paper work to go through. They paperwork may go through when we die, judgment day, or sometime before or in between. Who knows? All I know is that even though I'm waiting, I'm still a child of God. And I hope in that glory, and as seen earlier hope doesn't disappoint, and by this hope we are saved (v. 24). Paul reinforces the idea that this hope isn't something that is in what is seen, but what we wait for. I wait for the glory of God, and I hope for it, and hope that my hope is not in vain. I hope in Jesus and his works, and by this hope I am saved. And I will find one day that is does not disappoint but instead is fulfilled.
All of this is because of the Spirit that we now have.
And not only that, but the Spirit also intercedes for us in prayer when we don't know how to pray or what to pray for. God, through the Spirit (I believe) searches our hearts to find what is on the mind of the Spirit. The Spirit intercedes for us according to the will of God. This for me means that God examines us, what's on our mind and heart. When we pray sometimes we don't know what to pray for and the Spirit, God himself, intercedes for us as God desires. Since God loves us and always wants what's best for us he will intercede as long as what we have on our hearts is inline with his will: i.e. his name being glorified all over the world.
Then 29 and 30 is where it gets really controversial.
"For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And whose he predestined he also called and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified."
Let's work backwards. God glorifies those he justified. Those he justified are the ones who have faith in him who are the ones that he called. Those that he called are the ones that he predestined to be called. And those that he predestined he did so that they might be the firstborn among many. And those that he predestined were ones that he foreknew before they even existed.
Many that I know that believe in election like to use this verse to support their claim. That's fine, I just don't see it how they do. My big question is who does God know beforehand? Everyone because we see in Colossians 1.16 "For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth..." No one can come into existence except by God, and for him to create them he must have known them beforehand. And the way that the verse in Romans is written it seems as if God predestined everyone he foreknew, meaning God has predestined everyone. Now this is getting into Rob Bell Love Wins territory so I'll show that that's not what I'm saying. We all have been predestined to be formed into the image of Jesus so that we might be the firstborn of many brothers. Just because we have been predestined to be conformed in the image of Christ doesn't mean that we automatically will or are. I see it as a choice because the text itself shows, by the words "might be" that we can choose or not choose to share the gospel and evangelize despite our predestination. So if God predestined someone else that we're supposed to talk to, and we decide not to and that person doesn't hear the gospel the way it would make sense to them then despite their predestination they don't accept Jesus. Then if they're still saved we have even bigger problems. You can be saved without accepting Jesus meaning we should do whatever we want because it doesn't matter if we accept him or not. Or God must dictate all of our actions so that those he chose to save will receive the gospel and be saved. But if that was the case then all must be saved because God foreknew all and Paul is wrong when he wrote "might be." Now some will argue about verses from chapter 9 which from what I read they take out of context and we will look at later.
But as for what is found in these verses of chapter 8 this is what I see. I challenge you to look at it on your own and see what God tells you. Maybe I'm wrong and those who believe in election are right. I'd be alright with that I don't see this doctrine as important to my salvation just like if the bread and wine actually turn into the body and blood of Jesus. But look and see what you can see.
Tomorrow we look at a less controversial issue which makes everyone feel all warm and fuzzy.
DISCLAIMER: THIS PASSAGE HOLDS A CONTROVERSIAL TOPIC WHICH I SHALL GIVE MY TWO CENTS WORTH. YOU CAN DISAGREE WITH IT IF YOU WANT BUT DON'T TRY TO SHOVE WHAT YOU BELIEVE DOWN MY THROAT BECAUSE YOU CAN READ WORDS SUCH AS ELECTION AND PREDESTINATION. I CAN TOO. GET OVER YOURSELF.
Read Romans 8.18-30
In the previous passage we saw that by being in Jesus we become heirs like him with our inheritance being the glory of God which we looked at a bit. We also saw that in order to receive his glory we have to suffer. Paul begins then by saying that the suffering which we have and will have is nothing compared to the glory that we shall receive. This glory that we shall receive shall reveal us as children of God, leaving no doubt who's we are. Creation is waiting for this. I think this is a really interesting idea and want to take a moment to go through my ideas on this, most of which might be wrong.
"For creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willing, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God." Romans 8.19-21
Creation is waiting for the children of God to be glorified with God's glory. This tells me that creation is able to tell God from man. I got a cat, which is a part of creation. If I go to him with my own glory saying, "Look how great I am because of what I've done and my own glory! You can't bite me!" he'll still bite me because he's demon possessed. But if I have the glory of God he will recognize that. When the glory of God will be revealed in his children just as it was with Adam (looking at the Luke genealogy of Jesus we see that he claims that Adam is a son of God, also discussed earlier) who was able to interact with nature and creation in a way that we just can't. We try to control creation and yet we are so desperately dependent on it and can't control it because of the brokenness of creation, including ourselves.
In verse 20 we see that it says that creation was subjected to futility by him who subjected it. I've heard it said, "Well God subjected creation to futility so that Jesus could come." So God made Adam and Eve sin? "No." Those two answers don't match up. Did God have a hand in subjecting creation to futility? I'd say yes, but in this way: Get set everything up, gave man a commandment, don't eat that else you die and everything breaks. Either trust God or don't is what it comes down to. He knew the consequences of giving them that choice. He knew at some point someone would not make the choice for him and everything would get broken anyway. Who? When? He didn't know, but he knows the outcome of every possible decision that we have, are, can, and will ever make. He just doesn't know what decision we will make, but he already knows the outcome of it and all the other possible decisions we could have made. So by setting up the system of "Choose me or yourself and if you choose yourself you die and everything breaks" God set up the dominoes to subject creation to uselessness. God himself did not push the dominoes over, he left that to man because in God there is no evil, and pushing those dominoes is evil, it's against his commandment and will, done of the flesh. God doesn't contradict himself.
From there we look at the last two words of 20 and all of 21. The main thing to remember during these three verses is that we, humans, are a part of creation just as trees, plants, rocks, animals, and atoms. Creation was subjected to futility, as seen above in a way by God, because he had a plan that he hoped would work, knew would work as well because hope doesn't disappoint, that all of creation will be freed from the bondage of sin and will obtain the freedom that we children of God have through the glory that we have/will inherit.
Let's get real for a second. Why do natural disasters happen? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why is there death and war and famine and disease and cancer? Sin. All of these things are a part of creation, from the mutated cells that cause cancer to the tectonic plates that cause earthquakes and tsunamis. And all these are a part of creation and are broken and corrupted because of sin. And it all waits eagerly for the children of God to be revealed because when that happens they shall be set free and there shall be no more death, pain, or tears.
Moving on we see a continuation of these ideas and also that we, humans, are also waiting for our revealing and adoption. I consider myself a child of God already. My girlfriend's family does foster care and all the kids call their foster parents "mom" and "dad." They're not really their mom and dad, they aren't even in the adoption process. But if they did go through it, it would take a while. Right now, from what I see in this scripture, we are in the foster care system. God has taken us in and is in the process of adopting us and we wait eagerly for the paper work to go through. They paperwork may go through when we die, judgment day, or sometime before or in between. Who knows? All I know is that even though I'm waiting, I'm still a child of God. And I hope in that glory, and as seen earlier hope doesn't disappoint, and by this hope we are saved (v. 24). Paul reinforces the idea that this hope isn't something that is in what is seen, but what we wait for. I wait for the glory of God, and I hope for it, and hope that my hope is not in vain. I hope in Jesus and his works, and by this hope I am saved. And I will find one day that is does not disappoint but instead is fulfilled.
All of this is because of the Spirit that we now have.
And not only that, but the Spirit also intercedes for us in prayer when we don't know how to pray or what to pray for. God, through the Spirit (I believe) searches our hearts to find what is on the mind of the Spirit. The Spirit intercedes for us according to the will of God. This for me means that God examines us, what's on our mind and heart. When we pray sometimes we don't know what to pray for and the Spirit, God himself, intercedes for us as God desires. Since God loves us and always wants what's best for us he will intercede as long as what we have on our hearts is inline with his will: i.e. his name being glorified all over the world.
Then 29 and 30 is where it gets really controversial.
"For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And whose he predestined he also called and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified."
Let's work backwards. God glorifies those he justified. Those he justified are the ones who have faith in him who are the ones that he called. Those that he called are the ones that he predestined to be called. And those that he predestined he did so that they might be the firstborn among many. And those that he predestined were ones that he foreknew before they even existed.
Many that I know that believe in election like to use this verse to support their claim. That's fine, I just don't see it how they do. My big question is who does God know beforehand? Everyone because we see in Colossians 1.16 "For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth..." No one can come into existence except by God, and for him to create them he must have known them beforehand. And the way that the verse in Romans is written it seems as if God predestined everyone he foreknew, meaning God has predestined everyone. Now this is getting into Rob Bell Love Wins territory so I'll show that that's not what I'm saying. We all have been predestined to be formed into the image of Jesus so that we might be the firstborn of many brothers. Just because we have been predestined to be conformed in the image of Christ doesn't mean that we automatically will or are. I see it as a choice because the text itself shows, by the words "might be" that we can choose or not choose to share the gospel and evangelize despite our predestination. So if God predestined someone else that we're supposed to talk to, and we decide not to and that person doesn't hear the gospel the way it would make sense to them then despite their predestination they don't accept Jesus. Then if they're still saved we have even bigger problems. You can be saved without accepting Jesus meaning we should do whatever we want because it doesn't matter if we accept him or not. Or God must dictate all of our actions so that those he chose to save will receive the gospel and be saved. But if that was the case then all must be saved because God foreknew all and Paul is wrong when he wrote "might be." Now some will argue about verses from chapter 9 which from what I read they take out of context and we will look at later.
But as for what is found in these verses of chapter 8 this is what I see. I challenge you to look at it on your own and see what God tells you. Maybe I'm wrong and those who believe in election are right. I'd be alright with that I don't see this doctrine as important to my salvation just like if the bread and wine actually turn into the body and blood of Jesus. But look and see what you can see.
Tomorrow we look at a less controversial issue which makes everyone feel all warm and fuzzy.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
Air of Glory
Read Romans 8.12-17
"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed to us. -Romans 8.18
To start this passage we go forward to the beginning of the next. Start at the end if you will.
In the movie "The Departed" there is a scene where Leonardo DiCaprio has a line where he points out a cop by his, "Air of scumbag entitlement," I believe. In this particular passage that we're looking at we see that we are "Heirs with Christ of the glory of God." This means we shall inherit the glory of God. In Ephesians 1.11 we see that in Jesus we have an inheritance with him. That inheritance is the glory of God.
Here are some facts that we know about the glory of God
-To behold the glory of God in it's fullness leads to death (Exodus 33.20)
-The glory of God coming off of us scares people (Exodus 34.29-30)
-Being in the presence of God we absorb his glory [Best way I could think to phrase that] (Exodus 34.29)
This is what we see that we inherit from God.
We inherit this if we are children of God. We are children of God is we put to death the deeds of the flesh and are instead led by the Spirit.
Through our death and to sin and life from Christ, we have received a new Spirit, and this is a Spirit of adoption, not a spirit of fear and slavery. By this Spirit we are able to come to God and call him by the most intimate name any God allows his followers to call him: Daddy. How many other religions have their own God say, "Call me Daddy. Call me whatever you want. Be intimate. Be close. I AM WHO I AM and I AM your God, I AM your Father, I AM your friend, I AM what you need me to be." I know no other religion that has a god which gives us ownership over them. God invites us to make him our own God, which when we think about it, that fact makes the phrase, "My personal Lord and Savior" much more meaningful. He is MY savior. MY king. MY God. MY Father.
You remember back when you were kids and always tried to one up your friends by saying your dad was better than theirs? Imagine doing that with God. Always bragging about him. Always talking about him. Always telling people about how great he is and how their missing out. Then invite them to join the family.
This Spirit which we have received allows us to do this. And the Spirit itself bears witness of our adoption, reminding us that we are adopted, that we don't need to worry, that we don't need to be afraid of a master, but instead that we have a father that's speaking to us and that we should listen to. We have a Spirit that tells us we are Children of God. And if we are children of the King of Kings then we are heirs of something, but only provided that we suffer. To suffer means that we are our with our faith. One who only goes to church on Sundays and that's their Christian duty is not going to suffer for their faith. In the ministry I'm a part of one of our students told us how she gets made fun of by her friends for going to, "Some stupid Bible study." That tells me that she's telling people about her faith. And she gets made fun of it. That's a form of suffering. I want to see us bring in a biology student who fights with their professors over their faith. To suffer for your faith means you don't keep it to yourself. You be bold with it. And when you are bold you will be glorified with Jesus, being and heir with him. This leads to the conclusion that our inheritance is the glory of God.
When we suffer for our faith and for being children of God, we are given the glory of God, and reflect him, having to draw near to him in our times of hardship. And our sufferings of this present time are nothing, don't even deserve to be compared to, the future glory which we shall receive.
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