Compromise

I Kings 11:1-10

Have you ever known someone who seemingly had everything going for them, but then they threw it all away because of a very bad and foolish decision?  Many of us know of someone like that, or perhaps that person is yourself.  In our Scripture for today we will take a look at someone who had been abundantly blessed by God, but then willfully threw it all away through the wrong decisions he made.  Let’s take a look at who this is, and what his wrong decisions and choices were.

The person that I am referring to is King Solomon.  He was the son of King David, and succeeded him to the throne after he died.  Solomon was a young man when he came to the throne.  Twice in his life he had very specific encounters with Yahweh, the God of Israel.  The first time was shortly after coming to the throne (I Kings 3:5-14), and the second was after he had dedicated the Temple which he had built (I Kings 9:1-9).  During this first encounter with God, the Lord asked him what he would like, as He would give him anything he requested.  Rather than asking for riches, a long life, or victory over all of his enemies, Solomon asked for wisdom to effectively rule over the people.  God was so pleased with Solomon’s request, that not only did He give him more wisdom than anyone else, but He also gave him everything that he hadn’t asked for.

So where did Solomon go wrong?  That can be answered in one word - compromise.  God had given the people the Law through His servant Moses, and one of the laws was that the people were not to take any foreign, pagan spouses to marry (Deuteronomy 7:1-4).  However, Solomon thought that he could compromise.  As we read in our Scripture, he married many foreign women (vs. 1).  Perhaps he thought that since these were royal women, these marriages could be considered okay for the political alliances they would bring.  These were not merely political alliances, as he had affection and attachment to these pagan women, which would soon lead to his spiritual downfall.  Solomon had misplaced affection.  Affection is never morally neutral.  Loving what God forbids leads inevitably to spiritual decline.

Solomon, with this compromise, was in direct disobedience to God’s Word (vs. 2).  God had clearly spoken.  The king’s sin was not ignorance, but was willful disregard to the Lord’s Word.  God had warned that these pagan women would turn their heart away from Him.  Solomon believed that he could handle this compromise, but he couldn’t.  No believer is strong enough to resist the consequences of disobeying God’s clear commands.

This wasn’t just a little compromise, or a one-time occurrence.  Solomon married not just one, two, or even three pagan wives.  He married 700 of them, along with 300 concubines (vs. 3).  This was not merely excessive, it was rebellious.  This was also in direct violation of Deuteronomy 17:17, where God said the king was not to have multiple wives.  This was not an innocent action that didn’t really matter.  Sin always grows.  What begins as a small compromise becomes a dominating force.

These women turned Solomon’s heart away from Yahweh.  The heart is the battleground.  Solomon did not lose his wisdom, he lost his devotion to Yahweh (vs. 4).  A divided heart is the beginning of apostasy.  Compromise begins when we ignore God’s instructions and follow the world’s practices.  He might have thought that every other king had foreign wives, why not him?  Then we start loving people, activities, or other things more than we love God, and soon we find ourselves pursuing what He has forbidden.  If we don’t heed God’s discipline, we’re in danger of losing what He intended for our lives, just as what happened with Solomon.

The worst thing that came through Solomon’s compromise with marrying these pagan women was that he allowed them to set up altars to their heathen, pagan gods, and not too long after that Solomon began joining these wives in their worship of these gods and goddesses.  He didn’t merely tolerate idolatry, he participated in it (vs. 5-7).  Ashtoreth was a goddess of fertility and sexual immorality.  Milcom (also known as Molech) was associated with child sacrifice.  Solomon built altars to these pagan gods on the hill east of Jerusalem, likely the Mount of Olives.  This began the country’s downward slide into public, nationwide idolatry, which would eventually lead to their captivity in Babylon.  His sin affected the nation.

God’s anger was righteous and personal (vs. 9-10).  Twice He had appeared to Solomon, which was an extraordinary privilege.  Yet Solomon turned from the very God who had blessed him.  God’s warning had been clear.  Solomon’s wisdom did not protect him.  His heart was turned because he allowed influences that God had forbidden.  He had heard God’s voice and received His promises, yet he fell.  No amount of blessing replaces obedience.  Partial obedience is disobedience.  Solomon obeyed God in building the Temple, but disobeyed Him in personal holiness.  He didn’t fall in a day.  He drifted slowly, one small compromise at a time, and his sin affected the entire nation.

No amount of wisdom, blessing, or spiritual experience can substitute for obedience.  Solomon’s heart was turned because he loved what God forbade, ignored God’s Word, and allowed ungodly influences to shape his life.  As believers we are called to wholehearted devotion, separation from sin, and faithful obedience to God who has spoken clearly in His Word, the Bible.

The Parable of the Sower

Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

I remember back in the mid-sixties when I was in first grade, the teacher gave each student a seed to plant in a paper cup of dirt and we placed them all on the windowsill of the classroom.  I believe it was some type of a bean seed.  This was to be a very rudimentary lesson in botany.  All of us first graders would eagerly watch our paper cups, wondering whose would be the first to show a growing plant breaking through soil.  We all wanted our little seeds to grow!   There is Someone else who has planted seeds, many seeds, and is eager for them to germinate and grow.  We read about this in our Scripture from St. Matthew’s Gospel today.

Today we are going to look at Jesus’ parable of The Sower, one of His more familiar parables.  Jesus frequently taught the crowds of people through parables, simple stories used to illustrate spiritual lessons.  On this day Jesus and His disciples were along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and a large crowd of people had gathered to hear what He had to teach.  In order to be better seen and heard, Jesus stepped into a boat and told them the Parable of the Sower (vs. 1-9).

The sower was walking through his property and had a bag of seed.  As he walked, he grabbed handfuls of seed and tossed them randomly everywhere he walked.  Some of the seed fell on the wayside, which was hard ground.  There they were ready food for the hungry birds.  Some fell where the ground was stony and very little soil.  Because they couldn’t develop much roots the plants didn’t get much nourishment or water, and quickly died in the sun.  Some of the seed fell among weeds, where the plants would get choked out and could not thrive.  Lastly, some fell on good soil and produced a good crop.

What did this parable mean?  Was it just a lesson in being more careful in planting your seeds?  When Jesus was away from the crowds, He explained to the disciples, who were eager to learn what this meant (vs. 18-23).  The Sower is God, the seed is His Word, and the various soils are the different people in the world.  The wayside hearer may hear the Gospel, but they do not understand, and the devil snatches God’s message away from them (vs. 19).  This is the unregenerate, hardened heart.  It is not that the seed is bad, but instead it is the soil which is unreceptive to it. They have no interest or care in anything to do with God.  Satan opposes the reception of the Gospel, and will actively remove the Word from unprepared hearts.

The stony ground hearer represents one who responds emotionally and quickly to hearing the Gospel, but does not have a root (vs. 20-21).  When trials come they will fall away.  They make a profession of faith, but do not genuinely have Jesus in their heart.  Genuine salvation will produce endurance, but having temporary enthusiasm is not true salvation.  God uses trials to strengthen our faith.  Each test makes our faith stronger.  Those who don’t truly believe will fall away when afflictions arise.  To go through suffering and remain true to Christ testifies to others about our salvation.

The third type of soil is the one filled with thorns and weeds (vs. 22).  The seed, the Word of God, is crowded out by the cares of this world and deceitfulness of riches. When we have competing loyalties in our heart, the worldly ones will usually choke out God’s Word.  Worldliness and materialism are deadly enemies of true discipleship.  This hearer never bears fruit, which is another mark of false conversion. Thorns grow naturally, but spiritual fruit does not.  Believers must actively resist distractions and worldly desires.  Fruit is not optional, it is the inevitable result of new birth.

The good soil represents those who hear God’s Word, understands, accepts God’s offer of salvation, and bears fruit (vs. 23). Fruitfulness is the evidence of genuine salvation.  True believers will vary in fruitfulness, but all will bear some fruit.  True salvation produces transformation.  True believers hunger for the Word of God and bear fruit.  These four soils explain why not all who hear the Gospel are saved, and why not all professions of faith are genuine.

We may wonder about the method that the sower of the seed used, as it seems random and indiscriminate.  The sower doesn’t take each seed one by one and plant them in individual holes he made.  He grabs handfuls and throws them left and right, across all types of soil.  The Sower is God.  He has no time to waste, and He wants the entire field, the entire world, to get the seed of the Gospel.  He throws it everywhere, into prisons, schools, and homes, to the rich and the poor, the educated and not, to everyone.  God wants every human to know that He sent His Son to die for their sins.  He wants you to know about Jesus, and then bring forth a harvest in your life.

A Christian's Identity

Romans 8:9-17

How can you or others tell if you belong to any certain group?  For some groups members are issued a membership card which they might have to show when entering the building.  Others might have a password or a PIN to get in.  Members of some gangs have a specific tattoo that is done.  How can we or others know for certain that we are a Christian and belong to the Lord Jesus?   This is something that Paul wrote about in his Epistle to the Romans, which we will read about today.

In our Scripture for today which Paul wrote to the Church in Rome, he touches on the ministry of the Holy Spirit, the assurance of salvation, and the believer’s identity as a child of God.  We read here that there is a clear distinction between the saved and the unsaved, and the defining mark of a true Christian is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

So how does one know a true Christian?  Is it because they attend church services and have their name registered as a member of a certain church?  That is not a good indicator, as just because one attends church does not make one a Christian.  A garage is meant to hold a car, but you can find many other things in a garage besides a car.  Is the fact that one’s parents and grandparents are Christians a good indicator?  No, that is not a sign.  God does not have grandchildren.  Paul teaches here that every true believer is indwelt by the Holy Spirit.  The Apostle draws a sharp line in verse 9, that if any person does not have the Spirit of Christ, then he does not belong to Him.  This is not optional.  It is the dividing line between the saved and the lost.  The Spirit’s presence proves salvation (Ephesians 1:13-14), and His absence proves lostness, no matter one’s profession.  This is a supernatural work in which God places His Spirit within the believer at the moment when they place their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul then contrasts the believer’s dead body, which is still subject to mortality, with the living spirit which is made alive by Christ’s righteousness (vs. 10-11).  A Christian’s body is still fallen, still aging, and is still tempted.  However our inner man is alive, regenerated, and is responsive to God. And the blessing is, our future resurrection is guaranteed.  The same Spirit who raised Jesus will raise us.

The Apostle continues by teaching that believers owe the flesh nothing (vs. 12-13).  We are told that we need to put to death the deeds of the body. We cannot do this by willpower, but only through the power of the Holy Spirit, His ongoing work of sanctification in us.  Paul warns us that if we live after the flesh we will die.  This is not a loss of salvation, but evidence of never having been saved.  True believers will show evidence of sanctification.  They will show spiritual fruit in their life.  We will not be perfect, but we will be walking in the right direction.  The Holy Spirit produces real change in one’s life.

When we are saved, not only do we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us, but we also become a child of God (vs. 14-17).  We are no longer a slave to sin, but a child of God, belonging to Him and adopted into His family.  As a child of God we have the privilege to call God “Abba”, which is an intimate term meaning “Daddy”.  He isn’t a far-off, distant parent to us.  Instead, He is like a loving daddy who greets His children with open arms and a warm embrace.  The name “Abba” for God assures us of His loving attentiveness to our prayers.  It conveys both the tenderness and security of our relationship with God, our Heavenly Father.  God is the sovereign Lord of the Universe, however, through His Son, He became as approachable as any doting human father.

We have a very clear assurance of salvation in verse 16.  The Holy Spirit testifies through Scripture, conviction, comfort, and transformation that we are saved, and our own spirit, the renewed inner man, responds in faith, as well.  Together they affirm that we are a child of God.  This assurance is not based on our feelings, which can change from day to day, even moment to moment.  Instead it is based on the Word of God, on the Holy Spirit’s witness, and the evidence of sanctification.

Because of the finished work of the Lord Jesus upon the cross, we are now one with Him, and co-heirs of His glorious inheritance (vs. 17).  We inherit a relationship with God, as we are His heirs.  We also inherit Christ’s glory, as we are joint-heirs with Him.  We inherit His coming kingdom, and resurrection life.  As a Christian, our future is literal, physical, and glorious, knowing that we will reign with Jesus in His coming kingdom.

The One Who Hears Prayer

Psalm 65

We all want to be heard, especially when we have a problem.  At the customer service desk at the store we want a helpful and understanding person there to help us.  When we call the help line we don’t like to be put on hold forever, only to end up having to talk to a computer.  King David never had to deal with that, but he had numerous times when he definitely wanted someone to hear his cries for help.  Fortunately, the One he turned to was One who would hear him, and will hear us, too, if we know who to turn to.

In our psalm for today, David reveals from the start who it is that would hear him in time of need, and that is Yahweh, the God of Israel.  There were plenty of other “gods” that he could have chosen, as the foreign nations all around him had numerous pagan idols that they bowed down to, and he could have turned to one or more of them for help.  So why did he turn to Yahweh?  David answers that question in verse 2.  He knew that the Lord God of Israel was the only one who “hears prayer”.

David knew that neither Baal nor any of the other pagan Canaanite gods ever heard the prayers said to them, and certainly could never answer or help anyone.  If I go outside and talk to a rock, pouring all my troubles out to it, will it hear and help me?  If I talk to the log in a fireplace, will it hear and answer my prayers?  No!  Do any of the false gods that people around the world worship ever honestly answer the prayers said to them?  Again, no!  As David stated, when mankind (“all flesh”) realizes that Yahweh is the only God who hears prayer, they will come to Him.  He is not a distant or passive God, either.  He hears and answers prayer.

Because the Lord hears prayer, He is worthy of praise (vs. 1).  He alone is worthy of worship, which is rooted in His holiness and covenant relationship with us.  We should praise and thank Him for His care of us all throughout our life.  We should also praise and thank the Lord for providing atonement for our sins (vs. 3).  We can never cleanse ourselves from our sins, but we do not need to despair, as God Himself has provided divine atonement and cleansing through the substitutionary death of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.  St. Paul reminds us that in everything we are to give God thanks (I Thessalonians 5:18).  Those who do, and who come to Him in worship, will be blessed (vs. 4).

The ends of the earth need to hear about the God of grace and glory.  He reveals Himself to them in creation, but they must be told the good news of salvation (vs. 5-8).  God answers our prayers with awe-inspiring, fear-producing acts of power.  He is the God of salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth, and the One who will judge all nations.  His power is displayed in creation.  It was Yahweh who established the mountains, and who stills the roaring seas.  He is actively governing the world, and the universe is a witness to His glory.

God deserves our praise and worship for sending the rain, filling our rivers, and watering our fields (vs. 9-13).  The fields provide food for the flocks and all mankind.  We are completely dependent upon God’s faithfulness and love for us.  We can find joy in God’s goodness at the beginning and end of each day (vs. 8).

As we close this psalm for the week I ask do, you know the only One who hears and answers prayer?  Are you wasting all of your effort in crying out to a nonexistent, false deity who is as helpless as a rock or dead wood?  Or are you trusting in another person, or even yourself, to get you out of the trouble that you are in?  All too often the problems we are in are of our own or another person’s making, so how can they help us?  The only One who hears and answers prayer is the Lord God.  Have you turned to Jesus and accepted His salvation from sin?  If you have, then you have the right to approach His throne, coming to Him in prayer, as He will hear your cries.  

God's Invitation to Us

Isaiah 55

In many places around the world inflation has increased, and the cost of food and drink has become much more expensive in the last several years.  So, if you heard that there was someone giving away free food, and good quality food too, wouldn’t you go and take advantage of this opportunity?  Why pay many dollars for meat or bread when you could get even better quality for nothing?   Yet there are people, for whatever reason, who will do just that, and not just for physical food, but even for the much more important spiritual food.  In our Scripture for today we read of both an invitation and a warning that God has given to us through His prophet Isaiah.  Let’s take a look, and see if we have been ignoring that invitation and the warning from God.

Isaiah 55 follows the great Messianic prophecy of Isaiah 53.  The Servant has suffered, died, and risen as seen in chapter 53.  Now the blessings purchased by the Servant are offered to all, as we read in today’s chapter.  We also see here that God offers salvation freely, but only on His terms, which include repentance, seeking Him while He may be found, and submitting to His Word, which never fails to accomplish His purpose.

As our Scripture opens, we read of the free offer of salvation that God has given (vs. 1-3).  This is a universal invitation, to everyone who thirsts.  God calls all who recognize their spiritual need to come to Him.  Salvation is given freely.  It cannot be earned, as it is received by faith.  People are continually running after and spending money on that which is not genuine “bread”, pursuing satisfaction from the world, when instead they can find real satisfaction and spiritual nourishment through Jesus.  God has given us the solution to spiritual hunger, and that comes through hearing and obeying His Word.  Salvation is free, but it is exclusive.  It only comes through God’s appointed Messiah.

Continuing in our Scripture we read of the Messiah and His global mission (vs. 4-5).  God speaks of the Messiah here as being a witness to the people, a leader and commander, and One who will draw nations to Him that did not know Him.  Jesus Christ is the authoritative leader, not one option out of many.  Through Him, the Gospel would reach Gentile nations, fulfilling God’s plan for worldwide salvation.  Jesus is not merely a moral teacher, He is God’s appointed ruler, and all nations will answer to Him.

Isaiah continues by giving us God’s urgent call to repentance (vs. 6-7).  There is a sense of urgency here, as there is a limited window of opportunity.  Salvation will not always be available, as judgment will come.  The window of opportunity will one day close.  In accepting God’s salvation, we must have repentance.  The wicked must “forsake his way”, and the unrighteous man “his thoughts”.  When we respond, God will have mercy.  He will abundantly pardon.  God’s forgiveness is lavish and complete.  However, repentance is not optional.  Too many preachers today think that talk of sin and repentance is not necessary.  They teach that God loves us just the way we are, and we don’t need to change.  The Bible clearly states that we must turn from sin and turn towards God.  No one is saved without forsaking their own sinful ways and thoughts.

Many people want things according to their way of thinking, and this includes how they think God and salvation should operate.  They think their way of thinking is correct, and that God and His Word are not logical.  They want things to be “fair” according to their way of thinking.  However, that is not the way it is.  God’s ways are higher, holier, and wiser than human reasoning (vs. 8-9).  Human philosophy, psychology, or whatever the current cultural trends are cannot define truth.  Only God’s Word reveals His ways.

Next, Isaiah proclaims the power of God’s Word (vs. 10-11).  God’s Word is effective, unstoppable, and always fruitful.  Just as rain produces growth, God’s Word produces spiritual life.  God pours the rain all throughout the world, and in like manner He has also poured out His Word throughout the world, as well.  Isaiah speaks of the inerrancy and sufficiency of the Bible.  God’s Word will accomplish exactly what He intends, never failing and never erring.  His promises never fail, His commands are perfect, and God’s purposes will always succeed.

Our Scripture ends with seeing the joyful transformation that God will bring (vs. 12-13).  There is joy and peace for the redeemed of God, along with all of creation responding to His salvation.  God will bring a reversal of the curse, where instead of thorns we have fir trees, and instead of briers we have myrtle trees.  Salvation brings an inner transformation in those who have accepted Jesus, and He will also bring a future restoration to all of creation.  This will happen in the Millennial Kingdom of Jesus.  Are you ready?  Have you accepted God’s free offer of salvation personally for yourself?  Come to Him today while the offer is still open!

Come Unto Me

Matthew 11:25-30

Many of you, particularly those in the United States, may be familiar with the song by the 19th century U.S. composer Stephen Foster, “My Old Kentucky Home”.  There is a line in the third verse of that song that goes  “Just a few more days for to tote the weary load”.  That line speaks to anyone who is tired from the heavy load, the heavy burden of physical work, and also troubles, concerns, and worries that we all face throughout life.  Where can we find rest or reprieve from this heavy load?  It seems that there is none, and that the load just gets heavier and more weary as life goes on, and there will be no rest until we are lying horizontal in the grave.  That does not need to be the case for the Christian, one who follows the Lord Jesus Christ.  In our Scripture for today from the Gospel of St. Matthew we read an invitation that the Savior gives for us to come to Him and give up our heavy burdens.  Let’s take a look at our Scripture from the last several verses of chapter 11.

In our Scripture we read a brief prayer of praise that Jesus gives to the Father, a declaration of His divine authority, and then follows with a gracious invitation to sinners.  Recently the Lord had sent out the disciples on a mission trip to bring His Gospel to various villages, and when they returned they gave their report, and Jesus called out woes to the cities that had seen His miracles but had refused to repent.  In His prayer, Jesus called the Father “Lord of heaven and earth” (vs. 25).  This affirms God’s absolute authority over all creation.

He declares that spiritual truth has been hidden from the wise and prudent, but revealed to babes.  The “wise and prudent” are the self-righteous, the intellectually proud, and all those who trust in their own understanding.  The proud cannot understand spiritual truth.  Spiritual truth is not discovered by human intellect, but is revealed by God.  However, Jesus declares that it has been revealed to “babes”.  These are the humble, the teachable, and those who recognize their need.  God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).  God’s plan of revelation is not accidental.  It is intentional and pleasing to Him (vs. 26).

Next we read of Jesus’ exclusive authority and revelation (vs. 27).  Jesus has been given all authority - authority over salvation, over judgment, authority over revelation, and over creation.  This is a powerful testimony to Jesus’ deity.  He possesses all authority and uniquely knows the Father.  Jesus is the exclusive mediator between God and mankind.  He is the only way to God (John 14:6).

Now we come to the Lord Jesus Christ’s gracious invitation to us (vs. 28-30).  This is a personal, direct, and compassionate call to us to come to Him.  Jesus does not say to come to religion, or come to works, or come to philosophy.  He says “Come unto Me.”  Jesus calls all those who are burdened by sin, those who are exhausted by the self-effort of trying to earn a way to heaven, and those who are weary from life’s trials.

Jesus promised that if these people will come to Him, He will give them rest.  They will find the rest of peace with God.  They will find strength for obedience to His Word, and relief from guilt, fear, and striving.  Jesus urges us to take His yoke upon us and learn from Him.  A yoke implies submission, obedience, and a partnership with God.  Christ’s yoke is not freedom from responsibility, but is freedom from bondage.  The world’s yoke may sound light, but it leads to sin and slavery.  Jesus’ yoke of obedience to His Word may sound heavy, but it leads away from error and into eternal joy.

Jesus is “meek and lowly in heart”.  He is gentle and humble.  He is accessible and  compassionate towards sinners.  When we walk with Jesus, He will bring us ongoing rest.  His burden is light because He carries it with us.  Because of Jesus’ life we can be certain that our Heavenly Father cares about us.  God’s love extends over us, and He wants us to come to Him with our burdens and pain.  Don’t allow trials to cloud your thinking about God’s deep concern for you.  Jesus’ presence doesn’t make us immune to struggles, but it does promise us comfort and rest during our trials.  His presence provides a refuge where we can lay down our heavy loads and catch our breath.

Do you carry burdens that tire you out, burdens that deprive you of needed rest?  Set aside resentment, bitterness, and complaints.  Bring your burdens to Jesus and accept His invitation to find rest.

No Condemnation

Romans 7:21-8:6

I enjoy occasionally watching courtroom dramas on TV, whether it is a fictional series or an actual court case that has been allowed to be televised.  There is always one dramatic point, and that is when the verdict comes in.  The defendant will stand and they will find out whether they have been acquitted or found guilty, whether they are now free or condemned.  The condemned one finds out what his sentence will be as condemnation is proclaimed.  However, what if something very surprising and shocking happened, that the judge set the guilty one free since his own son was going to take the punishment, and that the guilty received no condemnation?  We would say that was preposterous and would never happen!  It did happen, it happened for each one who has accepted the Lord Jesus as their Savior, which we will read about in today’s Scripture.

As we begin our study of this passage from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, we read about a struggle that anyone who has been a Christian for any length of time deals with, and that is the struggle between our old nature and our renewed, new nature (vs. 21-25).  Our old nature, our “flesh nature”, still desires to do the ungodly things that we used to partake in before we gave our lives to Jesus.  Our new nature, on the other hand, desires to follow the Lord and His Word.  These two natures battle inside of us, just like a game of tug-of-war, each one trying to pull us in their direction.

As Paul describes, the principle or law of sin is still active in the believer.  Whenever he desires to do good, evil is still present.  Even though we are genuinely saved, the sin nature still remains and resists holiness.  Our new nature, renewed by the Holy Spirit, loves righteousness, and longs to obey God.  But the old nature, following the law of sin, fights against this, trying to drag us back towards sin.  This is the believer’s ongoing battle, where the flesh and Spirit oppose each other (Galatians 5:17).

Paul saw this happening over and over again, and it was discouraging.  He cried out for help in this inward battle of tug-of-war (vs. 24).  This was not a cry of despair, but of longing for final victory, as he knew Who could deliver him.  Paul knew that Christ alone delivers from sin’s power and ultimate presence.

Before we accepted Jesus as our Savior, each one of us was on the side of evil, following what it dictated in our life.  If our life remained unchanged, we would rightly be getting the sentence of eternal condemnation.  Things are different for the believer and follower of Jesus.  Though they had committed plenty of sins before being born again, some of them possibly quite terrible, and still occasionally being pulled back into sin, they now, through the grace and mercy of the Lord taking upon Himself their sins, receive no condemnation (vs. 1).

The believer’s standing before God is completely transformed.  They do not receive less condemnation, they receive none at all.  Jesus bore the condemnation that we deserved, therefore God cannot condemn those united to His Son.  We may have to suffer from some discipline for our sins, but we will not be eternally condemned.

Before salvation, sin and death once ruled in the believer’s life like an unbreakable law.  But the Holy Spirit’s power is stronger, liberating the believer from sin’s power and control (vs. 2).  The Law of Moses could teach, command, and reveal God’s holiness, but it could not empower obedience.  God accomplished what the law could not by sending His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and condemning sin in the flesh.  Because Jesus fulfilled the law, all believers who are walking in the Spirit, fulfill its righteous requirement.

When Jesus went to the cross on our behalf, He lifted the blame from our shoulders, and made us righteous before God (vs. 3-4).  We do not need to feel any condemnation of sin.  Those feelings do not belong.  They come from Satan.  Our sins are wiped clean, and we are chosen and loved by God.  Condemnation is reserved for those who reject the Lord (John 3:36).

There are two ways for mankind to live (vs. 5-6).  The unsaved have their mind set on sin and are hostile to God.  This will lead to spiritual death.  Believers who are walking with God and who have a Spirit-governed mind will find life and peace.

As we look back over this Scripture, we realize that the presence of sin, even in a believer’s life, is real and active.  For victory over this ongoing condition, we must depend on the Holy Spirit, not our own self-effort.  Human effort cannot produce holiness.  Jesus Christ alone can deliver us from sin’s power.  Genuine Christians can rest in their standing in Christ, as no condemnation means full acceptance and security.   We are set free from ever being condemned for our sins.