Day 198: Romans 3:9-31

“…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.” - Romans 3:23-25 ESV

When we speak of the Law of Moses or the Prophets, we cover much of the Hebrew Bible (OT), but Paul also used the word law to describe God's standard of holiness. As we start to really study the Bible, we realize that our lives aren't what they should be. This is why we need God's word so much; it reveals our sin. Not only does it expose our sin, but it also provides the solution for overcoming all weaknesses.

Throwing finances, time, and energy at any problem can usually resolve any issue we may have.

This isn't true when it comes to the sin that has attached itself to our souls. The blood of Jesus Christ alone can clean unrighteousness, and this forgiveness can only be activated when we place our faith/trust in His sacrifice and resurrection.

So many people thrive on exposing wrong. We love talking about it and discussing its origins.

Jesus can not only identify our sin; he can also drive it out permanently.

"But in this way of righteousness apart from the law, the procedure is reversed: God pronounces believers righteous at the beginning of their course, not at the end of it. If he pronounces them righteous at the beginning of their course, it cannot be on the basis of works which they have not yet done." - Bruce, F. F. (1985). Romans (Vol. 6, p. 108)

Day 197: Romans 2:25-29, 3:1-8

“What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, ‘That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.’” - Romans 3:3-4 ESV

Just because the Jews blew it doesn't mean that God has blown it or is somehow haphazardly fumbling with the destiny of humanity. God had snagged Abraham for the sole purpose of bringing the nations to Himself (see Genesis 12:3). This plan, even though many in Israel tried, was not derailed. God saw it through all the way to Joseph and Mary in Bethlehem, as they helped bring the Lord Jesus into the world.

"God is always reliable, faithful and true to his word. He always keeps his promises, both for blessing and condemnation. Because of His very nature He cannot lie (Titus 1:2)."  - Cottrell, J. (1996). Romans (Vol. 1, Ro 3:4)

Hypocrisy among Christians is noted as one of the main reasons many want nothing to do with Christianity.

Perhaps they are looking in the wrong place. We are the cracked mirrors, many times poorly reflecting God's glory. The good news is that it only takes a sliver of God's majesty to show someone just how amazing He is, worthy of our worship.

We lie.

God doesn't.

This means that the more we become like Jesus (sanctification), the more we will align with the truth. And we already know that it's the truth that sets us free (see John 8:32).

Day 196: Romans 2:1-24

“They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.” - Romans 2:15-16 ESV

There was no shortage of sin taking place in Rome during the first century. Even a quick look at the death penalty shows us that they buried the convicted alive, impaled them, or used crucifixion. When it came to sexuality, things were even worse. Pedophilia was often practiced, along with the frequent abuse of women.

It would be easy to sit in judgment over their behavior as a Jew would compare and contrast their lives. In the spirit of Jesus (see Matthew 5:21-48), Paul is showing them their own guilt. Romans 2 communicates that just because someone is among the nations (a Gentile) doesn't mean that some weren't genuinely seeking after the one true God.

It can be so easy to generalize and dismiss people as hopeless. That is until we take a long hard look at our own lives and remember all the crimes Jesus has absolved for us. God's kindness, through Jesus Christ, allowed us into His family, not our good behavior.

This should give us a great amount of patience with those we're trying to reach with the Good News about Jesus.

"Until one has submitted to the saving work of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, and has allowed the truth of biblical revelation to reinform his original moral database, the conscience will at times, perhaps most of the time, yield false results. 'Always let your conscience be your guide' is bad theology. Actually, the conscience itself needs a guide or standard, and the only sure guide for sinners is the objective Word of God, the Bible." - Cottrell, J. (1996). Romans (Vol. 1, Ro:15)

Day 195: Romans 1:18-32

“Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.” - Romans‬ ‭1:24-25‬ ‭ESV‬‬

As Christians, we believe that God is the ultimate Designer of all that we see and do not see within our seemingly ever-expanding universe. Because He is the One who initiated and brought about everything, He also knows how everything is supposed to function.

• Sexuality

• Family relationships

• Dating

• Marriage

• Singleness

• Ethics

• Love

• Vocation

• Purpose

You will not find any area beyond God’s expertise.

This is why when we read passages like this in Romans 1, we have to remember that God is not just giving us a preferred future. He knows what is going to be best (or worst) for us in the long run.

Still, God will give us what we want, and if we truly want to resist His purpose and His ways, we can do that. It just won't end well for us.

"An impressive modern statement of this principle of divine retribution is provided by C. S. Lewis in The Problem of Pain (1940), pp. 115f.: The lost, he says, ‘enjoy forever the horrible freedom they have demanded, and are therefore self-enslaved.’” - Bruce, F. F. (1985). Romans (Vol. 6, pp. 91–92)

Day 194: Romans 1:1-17

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’” - Romans 1:16-17 ESV

Yesterday we left Paul on house arrest in Rome, unhindered. Today, with the beginning of Romans, we've traveled back in time, before Paul made it to Italy. He is both inspired and hopeful about the faith of this church in Rome. Their faith was famous (see 1:8), and as we continue to read this masterful letter, we will see that Paul intends to drill down even further, helping to make their faith more secure.

For Paul, being a person of faith and also ashamed couldn't coincide.

It is no mistake that later on Matthew, Mark, and Luke quote Jesus using the same Greek word for ashamed (ἐπαισχύνομαι epaischynomai): "For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." (Mt 8:38, Mk 8:38, Lk 9:26)

Our faith in Jesus is something to proclaim for all to hear.

Remember when your parents would embarrass you as a teenager? What was so scarring about that experience? Deep down, you felt like your parents were misrepresenting your brand to your friends. Jesus will never misrepresent you. He is a truth-teller. He is a life-giver. Not to mention He's the one who alone has the words of life (see John 6:68).

We will regret many of our actions in this life. We will never regret, not now or in eternity, identifying with Jesus.

"We should note, however, that just as 'righteousness' involves transformation, so the term pistis (faith) includes the sense of 'faithfulness'—loyalty and allegiance—and not simply an intellectual acknowledgment. Genuine dependence on Christ invites genuine loyalty to him, not simply reciting a statement about him as if nothing is truly at stake." - Keener, C. S. (2009). Romans (pp. 29–30)

Day 193: Acts 28:1-31

“He lived there two whole years at his own expense, and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.” - Acts 28:30-31 ESV

The open-ended conclusion of Acts is sure to bother those who enjoy a good, resolved ending. The story Luke tells here in his second writing effort is obviously leading up to this moment of Paul being in Rome. He starts (1:8) with Jesus making the command to be His witnesses to the nations, and he ends with Paul declaring to the Jews that he was turning to the Gentiles (nations, see 28:28), whom he said would listen.

So, why such an abrupt ending?

Why not give us more details about the end of Paul's life? We learn from a lot of Christian tradition (outside the New Testament) that he was decapitated by Nero around 67 AD (near Peter's martyrdom).

We do know Luke was a sucker (more than any other New Testament writer) for the details. Names, places, and times were his thing. This has led many to believe that he refused to record Paul's execution as a way of letting us know we are carrying on the work he started for the nations.

May we carry out the unfinished business of these first-century missionary efforts.

I love the way I. Marshall Howard finishes his commentary on Acts:  “Whatever be the truth, the fate of Paul is secondary to that of the gospel. The final picture is of Paul preaching to the Gentiles the same message which he had preached throughout Acts with boldness and without hindrance. All the emphasis lies on that last phrase. The implication is that the charges against Paul were false and that God backed up his proclamation. Nothing that men can do can stop the progress and ultimate victory of the gospel.” - Marshall, I. H. (1980). Acts: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 5, p. 447)

Day 192: Acts 27:21-44

“For this very night there stood before me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. But we must run aground on some island.” - Acts‬ ‭27:23-26‬ ‭ESV‬‬

What is it going to take to get you from here to there? Will it help to promise that nothing bad will happen to you or your family? What about the affirmation that you are fine just the way you are (no growth needed)? Both of these are not helpful. They sound good but don’t translate well when real-life goes sideways.

God gave Paul the assurance that he, and everyone on the boat, needed to hear. They needed to know that they would survive; that they would make it. Jesus will always give us what we need to accomplish what He's asked us to do (see 2 Thessalonians 1:11).

But here’s the hard part of the assurance: They were still going to run aground. A shipwreck was still going to happen. There was no easy way.

In life, it seems that (in this fallen world) all the worthwhile things God calls us toward are difficult, not easy. Yet still, God will see us through, and it will have a positive effect on many.

"This speech is, in character and rhetorical function, quite the opposite to what we find in the literary speeches during this time period. In those speeches the message is about the danger of the situation and preparation for impending doom. Here the message is one of hope in the midst of despair. - Witherington, B., III. (1998). The Acts of the Apostles (p. 767)

Day 191: Acts 27:1-20

“The next day we put in at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for.”- ‭‭Acts‬ ‭27:3‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Many believe this group of Christians that shows kindness to Paul were in Sidon as a result of Stephen’s martyrdom (26 years earlier), as believers scattered from Jerusalem.

“Paul received permission to go ashore and visit members of this community (for so we should certainly understand “his friends”) and enjoy all the attention that their Christian love could suggest while the ship was in harbor.”  - Bruce, F. F. (1988). The Book of the Acts (p. 478)

SPOILER ALERT: Tomorrow, there will be a shipwreck.

It is interesting here to play a “what-if” game. Knowing what Paul and the boat’s occupants (totaling 276) were about to face, it should not surprise us that God gave Paul favor with Julius the Centurion.

God will always give us what we need now to help us lead and persevere later.

So, what happens if the Jesus-followers here at Sidon don't meet Paul’s needs? Does he have the strength or focus necessary to lead well throughout the storm and shipwreck? We can’t know for sure, but we do know from the rest of the chapter that he was a difference-maker.

Ready for two challenges today from our passage?

1) Be open to receiving kindness from fellow Christians.

2) Be ready to extend encouragement to those who need this kind of care.

We will be amazed at what Jesus does in us and through us because of these two life-giving acts of openness.

Day 190: Acts 26:1-32

“to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.” - Acts‬ ‭26:18‬ ‭NLT‬‬

As you read through Acts 26, you can’t help but be drawn into Paul’s heart-cry and mission. He echoes what we see more than once in the writings of the prophet Isaiah (42:6-7, 49:6). It is the idea that, in future generations, the Jews were going to be a light to the nations. It was promised to Abraham at the very beginning of his call as well when God said, "...in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." (Genesis 12:3 ESV) Paul was the first real champion of this cause, and he literally gave his life to see it through.

We are on the same mission today. If we aren’t calling those we are trying to reach to a brand new life of freedom, then what is the point? Following Jesus isn’t just a nice sentiment; it has the power to overcome any darkness, in any place. Being a Christian isn’t just a label; it is activating something that cannot be stopped. Satan himself is rendered ineffective.

Paul's desire was for these two Roman rulers to understand who was really in charge. Jesus Christ (the light to the nations) was running the show, and they would do well to worship Him as soon as possible.

“The net effect of all this is that the reader understands that God’s hand continues to be on Paul, and God’s plan for his life will be worked out.” - Witherington, B., III. (1998). The Acts of the Apostles (p. 745)

Day 189: Acts 25:1-27

“Paul argued in his defense, “Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I committed any offense.”” - Acts‬ ‭25‬:‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

In the Roman Empire and the Jewish system, Paul was not a rule-breaker. He knew that the government that he sought to reform was the very same one that was keeping him alive. 

Instead of choosing a stubborn, anti-establishment stance, Paul decided to have influence.

In another place, he described it this way:  “To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.” - 1 Corinthians 9:22 ESV

Consider that this is coming from a man who wasn’t shy about telling you what he thought. Yet, he was looking for sustained influence over temporary gloating. This was about him having the opportunity to tell the entire known world about this Jesus he claimed was alive (see verse 19).

How do you intend on having influence (for Jesus) in the United States and beyond? How will you help cure the injustices you see?

We will do it one humble, winsome conversation at a time.

Let's close with another encouragement from another one of Paul's letters:  "I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called." - Ephesians 4:1 ESV