Category: Romans
The power of preaching the Word!
Scripture reading for June 4th: Proverbs 3-5, Romans 10
Key Scriptures: Romans 10:14-17 “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the Gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the Word of Christ.”
Paul taught that the Gospel of Jesus Christ was the power of God unto salvation. But faith cannot come where the Gospel is not preached. Paul used the rabbinical technique of asking good questions to provoke thinking on the truths he was teaching. There must be preachers who preach the Word. These preachers must be called and sent out. They must preach whether people hear and receive or not. But faith will come to those who do hear God’s Word! It is God’s Word and God’s chosen way for faith to salvation.
Faith confession and prayer: Lord, thank You for calling me to preach Your unchanging Gospel. I will wait upon You to send me each day to those who need to hear Your life-giving Word. Fill me with the Holy Spirit and boldness!
Proverbs 4:20-22 “My son, be attentive to My Word; incline your ear to My sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh.”
Interceding for the brothers!
Scripture reading for June 3rd: 1st Kings 4, Proverbs 1-2, Psalm 43, Romans 9
Key Scriptures: Romans 9:1-5 “I am speaking the truth in Christ–I am not lying; my conscience bears witness in the Holy Spirit–that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen.”
Paul shared with the Romans his heart for the Israelites, his own brothers. He identified with them in their lost condition, having been lost himself at one time and proud of his heritage. The Jews had great blessings through the patriarchs and their relationship with God. God had promised them eternal blessings through covenant. But they had rejected Christ Jesus, One of their own, Who was God over all men. Intercession is the heart of God and the Holy Spirit in us. God acts when His people identify with His heart to save all men and they ask Him for their salvation.
Psalm 43:3 “Send out Your light and Your Truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to Your holy hill and to Your dwelling.”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, help me to learn to cooperate with Your Holy Spirit in intercession for those in need of a relationship with You. Thank You that You desire all men to be saved and come to a knowledge of the Truth!
Proverbs 2:6 “For the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; . . .”
A Helper in our weakness!
Scripture reading for June 2nd: 1st Kings 3, 2nd Chronicles 1, Psalm 42, Romans 8
Key Scriptures: Romans 8:26-29 “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And He Who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. 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.”
Paul wrote to the Romans concerning God’s help for each believer through the indwelling Holy Spirit. The Spirit bears witness that we are God’s children and God is our Father. The Holy Spirit helps us to pray when we are weak and don’t know how to pray. The Spirit knows all things we are going through and He knows the mind and will of God. When the Spirit intercedes, all things will work out for good to those who love God and are called of God. Faith arises inside us for calling, justification and ultimate glorification in the image of Jesus Christ!
Psalm 42:8 “By day the Lord commands His steadfast love, and at night His song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.”
Faith confession and prayer: Thank You Lord for the gift of the Holy Spirit. I pray in the Holy Spirit to build my faith and believe all things are working out for my ultimate and eternal good and Your glory! Give me daily wisdom and conform me to Christ’s image!
1st Kings 3:9 “”Give Your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern Your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this Your great people?””
Thanks be to God!
Scripture reading for June 1st: 1st Kings 2, 1st Chronicles 29, Romans 7
Key Scriptures: Romans 7:21-25 “So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.”
Paul describes his own struggle as a Jew under the law. He learned to know God’s law and love it and wanted to obey it. He purposed to do that in his inner man, but he often found himself doing the opposite. There was a war between his desire in the inner man and what actually happened in real life as his members failed to obey. Paul was in a state of wretchedness and despair until he was found by Jesus Christ and by faith received God’s righteousness as a gift! Thanks be to God!
1st Kings 2:2-3 “”I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in His ways and keeping His statutes, His commandments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, . . “
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for keeping God’s laws perfectly and purchasing my salvation from the wretchedness of sin. Strengthen me today with grace and the Holy Spirit to declare this “Good News!”
Sin will have no dominion over me!
Scripture reading for May 29th: 1st Kings 1, 1st Chronicles 26-28, Romans 6
Key Scriptures: Romans 6:12-14 “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey it passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under the law but under grace.”
Paul taught identification with Christ to new believers. We identify with Christ in His death and our old nature is crucified with Him on the cross. We also identify with Christ in His resurrection from the grave and death, in that we are raised with Him in newness of life. In light of this, we present our bodies and our minds to Christ Jesus to be used for His purposes. We seek to do His will alone. Sin no longer has dominion over us because we are now under grace and live by faith.
1st Chronicles 28:9 “And you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him with a whole heart and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches all hearts and understands every plan and thought. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if your forsake Him, He will cast you off forever.”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, I identify with Jesus Christ in His death and in His resurrection to life. I declare that sin shall have no dominion over me and I present my body and mind to the Lord for His use. May God be glorified in me!
The abounding Grace of God!
Scripture reading for May 28th: 1st Chronicles 22-25, Psalm 78, Romans 5
Key Scriptures: Romans 5:18-21 “Therefore, as one trespass lead to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the One man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Paul explained that Adam’s sin of disobedience to God’s simple command not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil brought death to all men. But the second ‘Adam’ Jesus Christ’s perfect obedience made eternal life and righteousness available to all men under the sentence of death. The law was given to reveal and increase man’s awareness of sins and the need for grace. God’s grace abounds for eternal life to all who confess their sins and ask for grace by faith.
Psalm 78:38 “Yet He, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity and did not destroy them; He restrained His anger often and did not stir up all His wrath.”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for Your compassion and restraint for us descendants of Adam. I receive the ‘abounding grace’ provided by Your Son, Jesus Christ. Fill me with joy and grace to share Your compassionate gift of eternal life!
1st Chronicles 22:9-10 “Behold, a son shall be born to you who shall be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his surrounding enemies. For his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days. He shall build a house for My Name. He shall be my son, and I will be His Father, and I will establish His royal throne in Israel forever.”
Faith counted as righteousness!
Scripture reading for May 27th: 2nd Samuel 24, 1st Chronicles 21, Romans 4
Key Scriptures: Romans 4:3-7 “For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in Him Who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.”
Paul used both Abraham and David as models for followers of Jesus Christ. As Abraham believed God’s promise of a coming son, God counted him as righteous through his obedient trust. As David appealed to God for forgiveness after his sin against God, so God forgave him and covered his sins. In the New Testament times, believers trust in the Son of David, Who offered His own body and blood to save us from the penalty and power of sin. We are declared ‘righteous’ by faith.
2nd Samuel 24:10 “But David’s heart struck him after he had numbered the people. And David said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. But now, O Lord, please take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord, thank You for Your great mercy towards all of us sinners! I believe on the Lord Jesus, Son of God, Son of David for justification from sin. I will declare the ‘Good News’!
1st Chronicles 21:25-26 “So David paid Ornan 600 shekels of gold by weight for the site. And David built there an altar to the Lord and presented burnt offerings and peace offerings and called on the Lord, and the Lord answered him with fire from heaven upon the altar of burnt offering.”
Righteous by faith!
Scripture reading for May 26th: 2nd Samuel 21-23, Psalm 18, Romans 3
Key Scriptures: Romans 3:21-26 “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it–the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, Whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over former sins. It was to show His righteousness at the present time, so that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
Paul was explaining to the Romans God’s plan to make His righteousness available to all people, Jews and Gentiles. This righteousness came by faith in Jesus Christ, not in keeping the Law. All men and women have sinned and no human effort or works can justify them. But God’s plan was to provide redemption and covering (propitiation) for sins through His Son’s blood shed on the cross. The shed blood satisfied God’s demand for justice–payment for sins. God can now be the justifier of all who come by faith in His Son. Praise the Lord!
Psalm 18:30; 2nd Samuel 22:31 “This God–His way is perfect; the Word of the Lord proves true; He is a shield for all those who take refuge in Him.”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for providing a covering and cleansing for my sins and all sins through faith in the blood of Jesus. Help me to pass the Good News of this Gift to others today.
God’s kindness meant to lead to Repentance!
Scripture reading for May 25th: 2nd Samuel 18-20, Psalm 34, Romans 2
Key Scriptures: Romans 2:1-5 “Therefore you have no excuse, O man, everyone of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man–you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself–that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.”
Paul carefully explained to the Romans that judging others for sins they were committing would bring God’s wrath. To them God’s patience was being mistaken for God’s approval of deeds He had stated in His Word as sinful. These sins were enumerated in Romans chapter one. Suppressing God’s Word and truth resulted in a downward spiral of ongoing judgment leading to sexual perversion and idolatry. Failure to repent would lead to eternal wrath! Beware! Thankfully, God has kindly provided the way to escape His wrath and the bondage of practicing sin through faith in His Son.
Psalm 34:16 “The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.”
Faith confession and prayer: Thank You Lord Jesus for Your kindness and patience with me and all sinners, allowing time to repent and believe. Use me to faithfully declare the Gospel that none may face Your wrath.
2nd Samuel 18:33 “And the king (David) was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went, he said, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, . .”
Given over by God!
Scripture reading for May 22nd: 2nd Samuel 15-16, Psalms 3, 63, Romans 1
Key Scriptures: Romans 1:28-32 “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. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strive, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.”
Paul’s opening to his letter to the Roman church began with an explanation of the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to save those who by faith would believe. He explained that the Gospel was for Jews first and then for Gentiles. However, for those who refused to believe, consequences would inevitably come upon their lives as they turned toward darkness instead of the Gospel light. Choices have consequences and rejecting God’s Word leads to all forms of evil and death.
Psalm 3:3 “But You, O Lord, are a Shield about me, my Glory and the Lifter of my head.”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, I know the power of the Gospel personally in that I have been born again and believe on Jesus Christ. Give me grace to boldly declare the powerful Gospel in clarity and the anointing that comes from the Holy Spirit so that none would be turned over by God!
2nd Samuel 16:13 “So David and his men went on the road, while Shimei went along on the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went and threw stones at him and flung dust.”