Scripture

The Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within you.

Observation

There is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ. The power of the Spirit of God has freed us from sin and death. In Christ’s body, God declared an end to sin’s reign.

Those who are dominated by sin think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. The sinful nature is hostile to God, so people who are under the reign of sin cannot please God.

When we come to Christ, the Spirit of God comes in to us to live in us and to bring us eternal life. This is the same Spirit who raised Christ from the dead, and will give life to us in the same way.

Application

The Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead and He will certainly bring life to our bodies. The Spirit is like a guarantee that we will be saved.

Christians can rise above the despair of our culture by affirming that we will live for ever. Life is more than 70 or so years of meaningless existence. We were made for eternity.

The Holy Spirit assures us that we are destined for eternal life. We have been set free from the law of sin and death. We have been given a new nature, a nature that is being equipped for heaven.

The same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead now lives in me, and will in the same way raise me from death also.

For christians, death is not the last word. Death has been defeated by Christ, and it no longer has a hold on us.

Prayer

Hallelujah! Father, I thank you that through your Son you have conquered death, and through your Spirit you assure me of eternal life. Amen.

Scripture

I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a save to the sin that is still within me.

Observation

There is nothing good in our sinful nature. We want to do what is right, but we can’t do it. Regardless of what we intend, we end up doing the wrong thing.

Paul says he loves God’s law with all his heart, but even so, he is captive to another power at work in him. There seems to be no way out.

But praise God! The answer is in Jesus Christ. He supplies the answer to the dilemma.

Application

As a zealous Pharisee, Paul was passionate about God’s law. Before he came to Christ, he thought that the law of God was the answer to sin.

All christians, including Paul, have been given forgiveness and righteousness from God through Christ.

But still sin has a hold over us. We can let our old sinful nature dominate our lifestyle to the point that people around us cannot see any difference in our lives.

The law cannot fix this problem. No kind of legalism can solve the dilemma. Only surrendering ourselves to Christ will make us truly righteous.

When christians sin in one part of our lives, it is a sign that we not really handed that part of our lives over to Christ. We are still controlled in that area by our sinful nature.

To be set free from sin, we must continually yield our mind, body and soul to God. We are called to be holy to the Lord, set apart for His purposes. That means every part of our lives is to be holy.

It is not my efforts or striving that brings this into being. No, it is the power of God in me.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for setting me free from sin. Please help me to surrender every part of my life over to you to be used for your glory. Amen.

Scripture

Sin took advantage of these commands and deceived me; it used the command to kill me. But still the law itself is holy, and its commands are holy and right and good.

Observation

Paul is not saying that the law of God is itself sinful. No, the law shows us our sin. We didn’t know it was wrong to covet until God’s law told us so,

But when we know coveting is wrong, sin immediately causes us to do the wrong thing. The law’s commands bring life, but sin uses the same command to kill us. The law itself is holy, righteous and good.

Application

It is the nature of sin to take what is good and turn it to evil. Although Paul is talking about the Jewish Law here, it is true of any good gift from God.

Sex is God’s good gift, bringing babies into the world and deepening the connection between husband and wife. Sin takes this life-giving thing and uses it to wreak havoc in society through babies born to single mothers, adultery, pornography, prostitution, child trafficking- the toll of human suffering goes on and on.

Drugs, used correctly, are a gift from God for healing, pain relief and many other positive things. But misuse of them causes addiction and health issues, even death, as well as crime and corruption.

Every good gift from God has the potential to be twisted by sin so that what is meant to bring us joy and life brings instead misery and death.

So I need to constantly examine my heart. Do I bring life to myself and others, or do I bring death? Am I walking in the ways of God’s goodness, or am I seeking my own benefit?

Prayer

Lord, I am so aware of the tendency of sin, of my sin, to hurt others and myself. Please help me to live in submission to you. Amen.

Scripture

But now we have been released from the law, for we died to it and are no longer captive to its power. Now we can serve God, not in the old way of obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way of living in the Spirit.

Observation

The law only constrains us while a person is living. So a married woman does not commit adultery if her husband dies and she then remarries.

We have died to the power of God’s law because we died in Christ. We are no longer controlled by our old nature, and the law is no longer stirring up evil desires. Now we are free to serve God in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Application

One of the problems of legalism is that it stirs up our fascination with sin. If somebody had not told me not to covet my neighbour’s wife, it is quite possible that it would never occur to me to do that, much less commit adultery.

The problem with the law is that sin is not about our actions but our motivations. We see this at work in the recent lock down and curfew in Victoria. When a curfew was announced, the internet lit up with questions like “Can I stay at my girlfriend’s house?” and “Can the lawn mowing contractor still come?”

It is not surprising that hundreds of people have lied on their cross-border permit applications. When a Government first restricts access it seems that most people’s first thought is not, “That’s a sensible precaution at this time”, but” I’ve got to go there, now, at any cost.”

So God’s law was never about controlling behaviour but addressing sinful desire.

Now Jesus has set us free from the power and the penalty of sin, so we do not have to follow a written law to find favour with God. Rather, we serve God by living our lives in surrender to the Holy Spirit.

Over time, the Holy Spirit changes our desires and our attitudes. I no longer need to worry about a law that says, “Do not steal.” The Holy Spirit is teaching me to trust in His provision and to share what I already have with my neighbours in need.

Prayer

Thank you Father for the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ. Thank you that I don’t need to learn a set of rules to please you, but instead I can hear the still small voice of your Spirit at any time. Amen.

Scripture

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Observation

Grace has set us free from the demands of the Law, but that does not mean we should keep on sinning. We are slaves to what we choose to obey, whether that is sin or God.

We were slaves to sin, but now we must become slaves to righteous living in order to become holy.

Sin pays its wages, that is, death. Eternal life is God’s free gift to us.

Application

The wages of sin is death. Your wage is what you deserve after you have worked. If it comes for free then it is not a wage but a gift.

The result of sin is death – firstly natural death but then also spiritual death. If we indulge in sin, we will surely go to eternal desolation in hell. It is the law of cause and effect, work and wages.

God created us for life not death, for heaven not hell. So He sent Jesus into the world to reap the total wages for every person. Now we can know that our punishment has been taken for us.

If the wages of sin is death, then the gift of God is eternal life through Christ.

Eternal life comes to us as a gift. We cannot earn it, we cannot pay for it. We might as well try to jump to the moon.

What we cannot do for ourselves, Christ has done for us. That is why it is a gift. It is like someone works overtime to pay a debt you could not pay off yourself.

The ting about a gift is that it must be received. If someone offers me a present but I refuse it, then it has not fulfilled its purpose to be given.

It is like this with salvation. God makes the offer to us through Christ Jesus. We can have eternal life with God, but we must receive it as a gift from God.

Prayer

Thank you Father for giving me forgiveness and salvation through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.

Scripture

When we died with Christ, we were set free from the power of sin.

Observation

Since God’s grace is demonstrated when we sin, it might be argued that we should sin all the more so that God’s grace can be increased. This is nonsense. When we were joined to Christ in baptism, we died and were buried with Him.

When we died in Christ we died to sin. Since we died with Christ, we will also rise to life in Him. Because He died to break the power of sin and rose for the glory of God, we must likewise consider ourselves dead to sin and alive in God.

We should not allow our bodies to become instruments for sin. Our whole bodies should be instruments for righteousness to glorify the Lord.

Application

Too often we see the story of salvation as being just about getting our sins forgiven. It is about forgiveness, but it is also about dying to our old nature and allowing God to raise us to a new life as His children.

He does forgive sins, but He also gives us the ability to live free from sin.

We have a part to play in this. We have to determine that we have died to our old nature. We have to want the righteousness, the holiness, that God has promised us. We have to decide to receive this new nature and put it on every day of the week.

When we face temptation, it is not a matter of saying, “I will not do that,” but rather, “I am a child of God, and this has no part of my new life in Christ.” We focus on our calling in Christ, not on the thing to be avoided.

None of us is perfectly conformed to God’s will all the time! This is a process of growing in grace. The Holy Spirit confronts us with our sinful desires and thoughts, and we confess them to God, and we grow in grace to overcome them.

Prayer

Lord, I thank you that I died with Christ, and that sin no longer has any power over me. Please help me to live in the strength of this reality. Amen.

Scripture

For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this one man, Jesus Christ.

Observation

Adam’s sin brought death to everyone because we all sin. People sinned before the law was given and everyone died.

Adam is a representative of Jesus Christ. Adam’s sin brought death to many. But Christ’s death brings life and forgiveness of sin. Through Adam’s sin we are all condemned, but through Christ’s obedience we are all made righteous.

God’s law is given to make us see the reality and the extent of our sin. As people sinned, God’s grace abounded in forgiving their sins.

Application

Everyone sins. It doesn’t matter how good we are in human terms, the fact is that we are all sinners.

Our DNA is corrupted by the sin of Adam. Sin is our inheritance and our heritage.

Sin separates us from God who is the source of life. So our bodies wear out and die. This is not how it was meant to be.

Just as Adam’s one act of sin brought death to all people, so Christ’s one act of obedience brought life to all people. God sees the sacrifice of Jesus as a suitable payment for our disobedience and He grants us forgiveness.

When we are forgiven by God, we can once again draw near to Him and receive eternal life.

Ultimately, the choice is ours. Do we want to remain rebellious sinners headed for the torment of hell? Or do we want to receive the free gift of life through Christ and ensure that we will go to eternal joy in heaven?

Prayer

Lord, you lay out a stark choice for us with no shades of grey. Thank you for setting me free from sin and for the promise of eternal life. Amen.

Scripture

God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

Observation

Having been made right with God, we have peace with Him because of what the Lord Jesus Christ has done for us. He has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we can confdently look forward to sharing God’s glory.

When we were lost in sin, Christ came at the right time and died for sinners. We have been made right with God through the blood of Jesus.

Application

Christ died for us while we were still sinners. He didn’t wait until we were good enough.

Historically this is true for us. Christ died 2000 years ago, long before anyone now living was even born.

It is true also experientially. I know that Christ died for me long before I became a friend of God.

It is true that while I still hated God, He continued to love me. While I was still proudly atheistic and toying with Marxist philosophy, Jesus came into my life and washed me with His love. On one night in May 1976, I had a vision of Jesus that melted away every argument I had ever had against christianity. In that instant, I realised that I wasn’t fighting against a system of thought, but against a Person- and that Person loved me with an undying eternal love.

While I was fighting Him, Jesus was loving me. While I was denying Him, He was working in my life to bring me to a place of repentance.

How true it is that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. He never gives up on us.

Prayer

Thank you Jesus for dying for me wile I was still a sinner. Thank you for your great love for me and for all people. Amen.

Scripture

Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. 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.

Observation

For Abraham, circumcision was a sign that Abraham already had faith, and that God had already accepted him. Abraham is therefore the spiritual father of all who have faith, regardless of whether they have been circumcised.

God’s promise is a gift and it is received by faith. Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping, despite his great age.

Abraham grew stronger in his faith. He was convinced that God could keep His promise. This is for our benefit that we too will believe that trough Jesus Christ God makes us right with Himself.

Application

Paul tells us that Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. Yet we know that Abraham and Sarah did try to move things along with Hagar. Perhaps Abraham reasoned that this was God’s way of bringing the promise to fruition.

Regardless of this, it took a miracle to see the promise come to pass. Over the time before and after Isaac was born, Abraham trusted the Lord, growing in faith as he waited.

I have a few promises that I am waiting for God to fulfil. I can rationalise them or try to make them happen, but this always fails and, if anything, makes things worse.

The answer, I think, is to trust that God keeps His promises. Do not waver in trust and do not try to make it happen.

The other factor is prayer- lots of prayer. My prayer is life is not as sturdy or fervent as it needs to be. In order to see God’s promises fulfilled, I have to draw near to Him.

Prayer

Father, please help me to trust you for your promises to be delivered. Work in me Lord, so that I can devote my self to prayer. Amen.

Scripture

People are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God, who forgives sinners.

Observation

In human terms, Abraham was the founder of the Jewish nation. He did not become acceptable to God by his good works but because he believed God.

When we work, our wages are not a gift. But forgiveness comes as God’s gift when we have faith in Him.

This blessing has nothing to do with being circumcised. Abraham was counted as righteous by God before he was circumcised.

Application

The heart of the christian faith is that we are freely forgiven by God through faith in Christ’s death for us on the cross.

We cannot earn God’s favour because the debt of our sin is too great. If God’s standard of behaviour is perfection, then even if I can live up to a perfect life from today, that doesn’t make up for my previous bad deeds.

It is like paying a debt to a so-called loan shark. No matter how much you pay back, the interest is always greater.

People think that God judges us by weighing up our good deeds against our bad deeds. But our good deeds can never be good enough to cancel out the bad ones.

Although we can frame the discussion in terms of good and bad deeds, or righteousness and sin, the truth is that God’s heart is about love. He doesn’t care about what you do for Him; He cares about whether you love Him.

When we approach God on this basis and ask Him to do away with the sins that separate us from Him, then He instantly takes away the guilt and shame of our sin.

Prayer

Lord, I have nothing to offer you, but I come with my life as a sacrifice. Please forgive me for the things that I have done wrong and help me t love you with all my heart, mind, soul and strength. Amen.