Overcoming

Each and everyone of us face our own temptations in life.  This is true for the believer and the unbeliever alike.  The biblical solution to this dilemma is not found within us but beyond us.  To a source of strength that is all around us...  We carry it in our phones, it sits on our bookshelves, it's in nearly every hotel room we sleep in, its in our minds, for it is The Word of God!

When confronted with temptation, do we find ourselves "under law" and bound by the weakness of our flesh succumbing to desire which leads to sin and death or in FAITH, do we "stand upon" the Word resting in His truths trusting in what He has claimed to be better for us? 

Jesus Himself, put on flesh, was tempted in the worst imaginable way and though He could have done ANYTHING, He chose, in Faith, to stand upon and submit to the Word of His Father.  By that, He overcame.

Find your own "it is written" that you too might access the power in the Word (Christ) to overcome sin and death!   Amen

Foundation & Context to Understanding Romans 9:6-13

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The above picture was developed to bring a contextual and historical understanding to Romans 9:6-13 based largely on the books of Genesis and Galatians.  God predetermined to bring about the "Word" (both the oracles of God, Rom 3:2, and Christ himself) through a very specific lineage within the nation of Israel, not based on their goodness (or evil), but based on Him and His will to redeem mankind. 

God didn't predetermine one child dammed to hell and the other for salvation before they were even born but instead offers and reveals to every man, woman, and child the good news of salvation.  Our job is to exercise our faith in the person and finished work of Christ, our Lord and savior.  Call upon the name of the Lord and you shall be saved!   

The Eternal Gospel in Pictures

The Eternal Gospel in Pictures
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The Eternal Gospel
The One who created us from the dust of the ground, breathing life into our bodies, His good news has remained unchanged from Adam to Abraham, from Abraham to Paul, from Paul to you and I today.  What was lost in unbelief, can be restored by faith.  Have you stood before the Lord in complete nakedness, allowing the truth of His light to reveal and wash away all the shame carried from sinful disobedience... and by faith, received His righteousness, His covering, His unconditional love, His provision?  Call upon the name of the Lord, and you shall be saved!  Amen...

All the blessings and truth of the Bible belongs to the man, woman, or child who is "In Christ"

In Christ's Name       

What was "PREDESTINED" - Before the Foundation of the World?

Before the foundation of the world, God had predetermined and finished His work of redeeming you and I.  That by Faith, these predetermined truths would be manifest to us in Christ...

Before the foundation of the world, God existed (Gen 1:1) and Christ was with God and Christ was God (John 1:1-14).

Before the foundation of the world, Christ was foreordained as a lamb without blemish, without spot (1 Pet 1:19-20), and was slain (Rev 13:8). 

Before the foundation of the world, grace was given in Christ (2 Tim 1:9) and God promised the hope of eternal life according to faith and acknowledgement of truth (Tit 1:1-2).

Before the foundation of the world, God chose those in Christ to be holy and without blame before Him in love (Eph 1:3-12).

Before the foundation of the world, God ordained certain Wisdom to those who love Him, through the giving of the Spirit and withheld this wisdom from the rulers of Paul’s age otherwise they would not have crucified Christ (1 Cor 2:6-16).

Before the foundation of the world, God’s works were finished (Heb 4:3).

The Book of Romans Overview & Word Study

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A verse taken out of context, or even a chapter, can have a meaning completely different than what the author intended.  The above study was an attempt to document the big picture view of what Paul was trying to accomplish in his letter to the Romans in A.D. 57.  For me personally, it was a journey that began in my struggles to understand Chapter 9.   

Paul has a very distinct purpose when he is writing and that purpose is properly understood when it is seen holistically from beginning to end across all 16 Chapters.  Though words themselves can have different meanings depending on the context in which they are used, we can still learn a lot about a specific section of scripture simply based on their presence or absence or frequency of use.  Some observations that I find interesting:

1. The strong contrast between Chapters 7 & 8 with respect to the usage of the word "law" and "spirit"
2. The strong correlation of the increase of usage in Chapter 8 for the words, "Christ", "Spirit" and "life"
3. The reference to the word "Israel" only occurs in Chapters 9, 10 & 11.
4. The transition in Chapter 2 from the usage of the words "law" and "circumcision" to the usage of the word "faith" in Chapters 3 & 4.  
5. Paul's use of questions throughout the chapters (see bottom axis above) as we see the highest number of questions occurs in Chapter 3 with (16) questions, followed by Chapters 9, 10 & 11 with (10) questions each, followed by Chapters 2, 6 & 8 with (8 or 9) questions each.  Questions are used in order to get the reader to think.  It's therefore important for us to consider these sections to determine what major point/s is Paul trying to drive home!

The Book of Romans is probably one of the hardest books in the bible to understand but at the same time, it is full of tremendous blessings to the reader who perseveres through careful study.  Approach it by forgetting all that you've heard man say about it, study every verse and chapter in context and go back and read every referenced verse from the OT in it's context too.  In all that you do, stand in Faith upon The Word and promises of God, in Christ Jesus!