Romans is brilliant

 

The message to the Romans began with truth telling about the problem of the human condition. After presenting God’s solution through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the prospects become brilliant.

To believers, God imparts His love. Acceptance into God’s family that supersedes death in Adam’s family. Victory over debilitating sin is promised to all who surrender to the Lord. Eternal life is given as a free gift. Liberty from the demands of Moses law is real, as one lives and walks in the light and control of the Holy Spirit.

But that’s not all! The future hope of participating in a changed creation. The future prospect of being changed into the image of the Son of God – wow  !

How can all this be real for an unworthy Christian? It will be so because this agenda of undeserved favour (grace) is driven by unquenchable love – God’s love.

What about the reality of our world gone mad? Yes chapter nine to eleven handles that quite well. Human rebellion has been happening for a long time – both in heathen culture and Jewish privilege, but God is not defeated. He will gather together all things in Christ, and the present day chaos is a very real indication, it could be very soon.

Much detail could be given, but the conclusion of chapter 11 is so good.

       “Oh the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable are His judgements and His ways past finding out.

      For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen”

Please read Romans again and if never before , find you peace and hope in what God has done and is doing now.

Bible book - Romans

 

A fresh look at an old book – Romans

Chapters 1 to 6

The people then and now are bound by the culture they live in. So many see no need or hope of change.

This is why the Gospel is so special. It can  lift people out of the culture of idol worship. It can set people free from the deception of humanistic enlightenment. The good news breaks the chains of religion  and reconnects them to the one true and living God.

How does God bring back people to Himself?    By religion – no.    by education – no.    by commerce – no.    by force – no.

Reconciliation to God is by a person – the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

God could clearly see from history and the heart of humans that reformation and religion doesn't work.  So He sent into the world His own Son.  Through faith in Him, Jesus Christ the Lord, God achieves so much for us.

1     Forgiveness of sins (so many sins listed, that offend the holiness of God).

2     Justification before God (declared right with God because Jesus Christ died for those sins).

3     Accepted by God ( The love of God triumphing over our unworthiness).

4     Granted the gift of eternal life ( The grace of God putting the believer into the family of God).

 

That brief summary of Romans chapters 1-6, shows what a wonderful Lord God that we have.

Maybe we should all pause and ponder – are we reconciled to God? Do we have eternal life?

John the Apostle put it  so clearly:

"He that has the SON has life, he that has not the SON does not have life."     1  John 5

JRM

News - Good news

 

The Good news is presented in the Bible book called Romans.

 I recommend everyone to read it through. This will overcome much of the confusion created by many religions and Christian denominations.

 

 

Latter  I will give a summary of this letter to the Romans. But first I encourage all to read it. 

If you  do not have a Bible to read, email me at

johnmckee@internode.on.net

The world

 

God so loved the world!

-      The entire cosmos?  Yes , He made it and in love intends the best for it.

-       The entire human race?  Yes, He designed all people to live in relationship with Himself as God's friends

What went wrong that our world is in such a mess?  -  The evil one, Satan, promoted a lie and humanity has rebelled ever since.

God's love has secured a way for all people to reconnect with God:

-      By keeping 10 commandments?  No

-      By following a particular religion?   No

God sent His only Son (Jesus) and through His death and rising to life again, reconciliation is offered free.  Jesus Christ paid the offence of our sin and rebellion, so that everyone who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ is forgiven and granted a place in the family of God.

"To as many as received HIM, He gave the authority to become children of God"  (John 1:12)

The Holy Spirit seals every believer as belonging to God.

 

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that whoever believes in Him, will not perish but have eternal life"    (John 3:16)

johnmckee@internode.on.net

In times like these

 

Hope in the world of uncertainty

Life for many has changed. The covid pandemic has changed government focus, changed liberties we never thought would change – like travel. The thinking of society has changed from fear to frustration.

In Australia we are fortunate to have less infections and deaths, but the lockdowns to achieve this are frustrating many.

For the present generation, this is all new. So what are the answers to our situation?  History can teach us much.    3,500 years ago, Moses, as the mouthpiece of God taught the value of quarantining.    2000 years ago Jesus taught the value of trusting God each day for what we need (not want).   1950 years ago, Paul showed by example that the things of this life are very temporary and living for the next life is more important.

So where are we today?  - surrendering to media manipulation – fear?  - losing hope that our dreams will fail?   - Blaming others for not handling the situation well?      -    It has all happened before!

 

God has a plan.  His priority plan is for people to turn from sin and self, to trust in Him through Jesus Christ the Lord.

He also has plans for powerful people.  – To learn how helpless they are in the presence of this almost invisible little virus.- helpless to control it, helpless financially, helpless socially, helpless internationally, helpless mentally!

He also has plans for the nations. Alliances seemed so strong, military might so powerful, economies so promising. Soon the alliances will be based on the rejection of Jesus Christ as Lord. The man of sin will unite unbelieving people.

But to His own, scattered throughout the nations, there is only one solution, one King, one Lord who is Jesus Christ. He was once pierced when crucified. He now sees with grief the rebellion of humanity. He soon will appear to judge all evil and the evil one. Until that day, we can expect the LORD  God to allow tribulations so that people  might repent and believe the Gospel

Even so come Lord Jesus

True blessedness

 

The path to real Joy

Oh what joy for those whose rebellion is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight!

Yes, what joy for those  whose record the LORD has cleared of sin, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!

When I refused to confess my sin, I was weak and miserable, and I groaned all day long. Day and night God’s hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.

Finally I confessed all my sins and stopped trying to hide them. I said to myself  “I will confess my rebellion to the LORD” – and He forgave me! All my guilt is gone

Psalm 32

Good news

 

The Gospel – good news

What we want and what God knows we need are quite different.

We live in time, very  much controlled by our sensory feelings. Most  times, we want pleasure , possessions and safety.

God lives in eternity. He understands the causes of evil and chooses to be kind and gracious in the greater reality of relationships that are eternal.

God being eternal, wants to reconnect His creatures with Himself in a harmonious and fruitful relationship – as children with a Father, in the Father's house where holy joy produces songs of praise.

 

Why then a message about a once dead Jesus Christ? Because God restores relationships with justice and love.

Justice  -  'Jesus Christ died, the just one for the unjust ones to bring us to God ' (1 Peter 3) We are the unjust ones by habit and inclination.

Love   -   Jesus Christ died as the ultimate expression of His great love for us  ( Romans 5:8) ' God showed His great love in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us'

Thus the devastating history of  crucified Jesus, has become good news  of hope, forgiveness, love, peace, joy and eternal life. This is assured by the fact that Jesus rose from death and lives forever more.

johnmckee@internode.on.net