I watch very little television these days. Why? Because I struggle to find good programming out there that doesn’t glorify sex, conflict and crime. Even sitcoms I find very funny I have stopped watching because almost every episode glorifies the concept of sex outside of marriage. I do not want to fill my mind with that kind of breakdown of moral standards nor do I want my daughters watching it. Society condemns teen pregnancies and STDs but pushes teenagers and adults toward sexual activity through all forms of media. No wonder abortion rates are so high. Society punishes those who commit a crime against another person but ratings show that Americans love sitting and watching programming that glorifies violent crimes. Each show tries to outdo their competitors by creating a more horrible and shocking crime scene than the week before.

Our society is no different than ancient societies who were entertained by death and the perversion of sex, which God intended as good within the marriage relationship. Paul addressed issues of sexual sin within the church as well as many other sins that would keep them from experienced ALL that God had planned for them. Once again, I studied Paul’s letter to the Corinthians over a hot cup of my morning coffee with God.

Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive or cheat people – none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God. Some of you were once like that.
But you were cleansed;
you were made holy;
you were made right with God
by calling on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. – 1 Corinthians 6:9-20

I feel cautioned this morning. How many times have I agreed that sexual sin is wrong but then spent hours “entertained” by movies or television shows that use topics of sexual immorality or drunkenness in an attempt to make me laugh? I can argue that I would never be tempted to follow the examples of the actors or characters, but it is more about the slow fade or breakdown of our society’s moral standards – sadly both inside and outside of the church.

Paul says, “Run away from sexual sin!” May we, as the body of Christ, heed Paul’s warning and start eliminating what the enemy intends to use to harm us. May we protect our minds from all that glorifies sin and fill our minds with what glorifies God.

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you. – Philippians 4:8-9

But it was to us that God revealed these things by his Spirit. For his Spirit searches out everything and shows us God’s deep secrets. No one can know a person’s thoughts except that person’s own spirit, and no one can know God’s thoughts except God’s own Spirit. And we have received God’s Spirit (not the world’s spirit), so we can know the wonderful things God has freely given us.

When we tell you these things, we do not use words that come from human wisdom. Instead, we speak words given to us by the Spirit, using the Spirit’s words to explain spiritual truths. – 1 Corinthians 2:10-13

If we long to know God and grow in our relationship with Him, we spend time with Him. He fills us with His Spirit and by His Spirit we begin to understand Him and the wonderful things He has for us. God opens our minds and increases our knowledge and wisdom. God also uses those whom He has called to teach us through their writings and preaching, just as the Corinthians were learning from Paul and from other teachers.

Paul uses two different examples of how we grow in our relationship with God. The first follows the style of Jesus, using the example of seeds being planted and growing (Matthew 13:3-9). Someone introduced us to Christ – they planted the seed in our hearts. Perhaps someone else discipled us from there, watering the seed that had previously been planted when we accepted Christ. Still others come into our lives and continue to teach us God’s ways and we grow.

Paul’s second example is of building a house, another comparison similar to one Jesus made (Matthew 7:24-27). Someone laid a foundation of faith for us when we first heard the message of the cross. Others have taught us along the way using a variety of materials or teaching methods. For most of us, our life has been influenced by many different teachers, preachers and writers over the years in addition to our own personal study of God’s words.

I first accepted Christ as a little girl while attending the First Church of the Nazarene in Bloomington, Indiana (home of the IU Hoosiers). I remember my Sunday School teachers, those who taught our worship time and my Caravan teachers. This was the time in my life when I learned songs like “If I were a butterfly” and “Jesus loves the little children.” I remember how proud I was to finally be able to fold my hands just right to say, “This is the church, here is the steeple, open the doors, see all the people.”

The Lord called my Dad into full-time ministry and we moved to Lanett, Alabama and then to Rock Island, Illinois. A long list of teachers influenced me as I continued to grow in my understanding of the Bible. Over the years, I have grown through the preaching of Mark Barnes, David Felter, Don Tyler, Larry Fortado (my Daddy), Stephen Manley, John Bowling, Jack McCormick, Rob McDonald, Jim Kraemer, Scott Sherwood, Crawford Howe, Lloyd Brock and many more. I have read books, listened to radio programs, learned songs with spiritual truths. So a foundation of faith was laid in my heart as a little girl and many have invested in my spiritual growth and built upon that foundation.

Human leaders, teachers and preachers have drawn close to God in an effort to spread the message of Christ. Chances are I have heard some wrong information mixed in with all the right. There have been times when I misunderstood Scripture or read ideas that missed the mark. Well-meaning followers of Christ (including myself) have at some time or another taught something they believed to be right that was not right at all. Here is what Paul has to say about this kind of building or growth.

But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have – Jesus Christ. Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials – gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. IF the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.

So look at Apollos and me as mere servants of Christ who have been put in charge of explaining God’s mysteries. Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful. As for me, it matters very little how I might be evaluated by you or by any human authority. I don’t even trust my own judgment on this point. My conscience is clear, but that doesn’t prove I’m right. It is the Lord himself who will examine me and decide. – 1 Corinthians 3:10-23, 4:1-4

As we learn and grow in our understanding of God, it is vital to take all of that new information directly to God in our quiet times. By drawing near to Him and spending time in His presence, His Spirit can help us sort through all we have learned. He promises to give us wisdom and understanding as we seek His truth. All that we have heard, all that we have read, all that we struggle to understand – He wants us to come to Him with all of it and then live by His power. Dear God, thank you for being the source of all wisdom and all power for us!

For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power. – 1 Corinthians 4:20

Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians is similar to that last half of his letter to the Romans – the application of the gospel. The letter is built on this foundational idea – now that you have relationship with Christ, this is what your life should look like. This is not a new set of rules or law to oppress the people but holy living born out of a marriage with Christ and an outflowing of the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

I am writing to God’s church in Corinth, to you who have been called by God to be HIS own holy people. He made you holy by means of Christ Jesus, just as he did for all people everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, their Lord and ours…

I always thank my God for you and for the gracious gifts he has given you, now that you BELONG to Christ Jesus. Through him, God has enriched your church in every way – with all of your eloquent words and all of your knowledge. This confirms that what I told you about Christ is true. Now you have every spiritual gift you need as you eagerly wait for the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. – 1 Corinthians 1:2-7

We belong to the Christ who died on a cross so that we can be forgiven of our sins and freed from our sinful nature. This is the message of the cross that Paul preached and the message we believe. Our faith in Christ and the forgiveness of our sins brings us into a relationship with Him that forever changes our lives.

God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin (1:30).

So, since we belong to Christ and are united with Christ, it is not too much for God to ask us to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose (1:10). How do we do this? We rely on the power of the Holy Spirit (2:4).

The message of the cross is foolish to those who are headed for destruction! But we who are being saved know it is the very power of God (1:18).

United in Christ, we know with confidence that He was crucified and raised to life and that He now reigns in our hearts, but the world around us does not understand our faith. They call it a “crutch” and see it as a weakness or craziness. Those who call our faith in Christ foolish do not see that they are the ones who are foolish. We know the message of the cross is the definition of the power of God!

It is foolish to the Jews, who ask for signs from heaven. And it is foolish to the Greeks, who seek human wisdom. So when we preach that Christ was crucified, the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it is nonsense.

God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose the things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. – 1 Corinthians 1:22-25,27

We have the power of God! So why do we feel inadequate? Why do we pull back and wait for someone else to do the work of God? We buy into the criticisms of the enemy and the world and think of ourselves as incapable of doing anything great for God. But that is not what Paul is saying in his letter to the church of Corinth. It is not about how simple we are but about how committed we are. It is not about how strong a vessel we are for God to fill, but about how strong He is and how capable He is to do something great even in and through us!

My message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. I did this so you would trust not in human wisdom but in the power of God (2:4-5).

Thank you for the message of the cross – the message that frees us from our bondage to sin and gives us new life in You, Lord. Please shut out all of the discouragement of the world around us and of the enemy so that we can hear only You today, cheering us on and calling us to do great things. Remind us that we only need to rely on the power of the Spirit and not on our own wisdom or abilities. Remind us that you have equipped us with every spiritual gift we need and graciously poured out your Spirit on us. As we are united in You, help us to be united with each other, living in harmony – being of one mind, united in thought and purpose. Amen.

May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, HELP YOU LIVE in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. – Romans 15:5

Not a list of rules. Not a standard to live by. Not a measurement of our righteousness. God calls us to holy living by helping us to live a holy life. This is not of our strength, but of His; not to be done on our own but through the Holy Spirit living within us. Then we give into the urgings of the Spirit instead of the urgings of the sinful nature.

In chapter 15, Paul is instructing the Romans to live in complete harmony with each other, to accept one another. If we do this out of our human ability and despite our own opinions and perceptions of other people, we get the glory and most likely fail in the end. When we allow God to help us live this kind of life Paul is describing, God is glorified (5:7) and the body of Christ can succeed in living in harmony with each other.

I pray that God, the SOURCE of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope THROUGH the power of the Holy Spirit. – Romans 15:13

You hear the word “hope” thrown around a lot these days. It is one of my favorite words or concepts. We use the word “hope” throughout the ministry of Living Alternatives Pregnancy Resource Center – hope for those facing an unplanned pregnancy when they come to us overwhelmed and scared, hope for the future of the mother and hope for the future of her unborn baby. We even named our parenting education program H.O.P.E. – Helping Others Parent through Education. Our website is www.hopeforafuture.com based on Jeremiah 29:11.

Why do we use this word as much as we use the word “life” – because we know that God is the only source of hope in her situation. If we can be there to help her trust in God for her future and the future of her unborn baby, He will fill her completely with joy and peace until she is overflowing with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. We see it happen every week – not of our strength or the result of our human effort but because of God’s help – to God be the glory!

I bring you the Good News so that I might present you as an acceptable offering to God, made holy BY THE HOLY SPIRIT. So I have reason to be enthusiastic about ALL CHRIST JESUS HAS DONE THROUGH ME in my service to God. Yet I dare not boast about anything except WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE THROUGH ME… – Romans 15:16b-18a

Paul goes on to show many examples of things God can do through us when we devote our lives to Him:

My ambition has always been to preach the Good News where the name of Christ has never been heard, rather than where a church has already been started by someone else (15:20).

For you see, the believers in Macedonia and Achaia have eagerly taken up an offering for the poor among the believers in Jerusalem. They were glad to do this because they feel they owe a real debt to them. Since the Gentiles received the spiritual blessings of the Good News from the believers in Jerusalem, they feel the least they can do in return is to help them financially (15:26-27).

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a deacon in the church in Cenchrea. Welcome her in the Lord as one who is worthy of honor among God’s people. Help her in whatever she needs, for she has been HELPFUL TO MANY and especially to me (16:1-2).

Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila…they once RISKED THEIR LIVES for me…also give my greetings to the church that MEETS IN THEIR HOME (16:3-5).

Give my greetings to Mary, who has WORKED SO HARD for your benefit (16:6).

Greet Ampliatus, my DEAR FRIEND in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our CO-WORKER in Christ, and my DEAR FRIEND Stachys (16:8-9).

…to dear Persis, who has WORKED SO HARD for the Lord. Greet Rufus, whom the Lord picked out to be his very own; and also his dear mother, who has BEEN A MOTHER TO ME (16:12-13).

God, we give today to you. We empty ourselves out of our own attempts and our own strengths and abilities and ask that you fill us with your Spirit and work through us to day. Help us to be open to however you want to use us, whether that’s working hard or giving generously to those in need or being helpful to many or simply helpful to one who really needs a friend or a co-worker in Christ today. Show us those who need us to be there for them today. May my life be defined today by ALL THAT CHRIST JESUS HAS DONE THROUGH ME. Amen.

Paul continues to give great life applications of the gospel in the next chapters. None of these are unfamiliar to us but helpful to remind ourselves. As we did yesterday, let’s remember that this is not a set of behaviors and customs to copy by rather a transformation of ourselves by God into a new person, changing the way we think and the way we live. So, as God daily transforms us and we grow in our faith, what will our lives begin to look like?

We worship God and serve Him only, but we submit and show respect to governing authorities (Romans 13:1). We do so not out of fear of punishment but because it is the right thing to do.

We give to everyone what we owe them (including love) and owe nothing to anyone (13:7-8). This includes paying any taxes we owe to the government and refers to showing those in authority the respect and honor we owe them. Owe nothing to anyone – except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of the law. For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.” These – and other such commandments – are summed up in this one commandment. “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law. – Romans 13:8-10

We remove the dirty clothing of indulging in evil desires and put on the shining armor of right living (13:12,14b). Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don’t participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or in sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy (13:13). The first part of that list seems pretty easy to avoid – I have no desire for those things. But notice how Paul lumps quarreling and jealousy in with wild parties, drunkenness, promiscuity and immoral living. We can have victory over all of these things if we “clothe ourselves with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ” (13:14a).

Paul goes on with this idea of refraining from quarreling, putting it in the perspective of not judging or condemning one another. When we are clothed in the presence of Jesus, we accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong (Romans 14:1). Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants? Their own master will judge whether they stand or fall. And with the Lord’s help, they will stand and receive his approval (14:4). So God will do the judging and He will help them while we do what? Love one another – that is all we are obligated to do.

So, out of love for one another, we stop condemning each other and decide instead to live in such a way that we do not cause another believer to stumble or fall (14:13). Paul goes into the example of what we eat and drink, how followers of Christ have different opinions of what is right to put into our bodies. I think of the issue of alcohol. I feel strongly about my stand against alcohol, therefore it would be wrong for me to drink – I believe it would cause me to stumble and others who would see what I was doing. Now I have a lot of close friends fully devoted to God who do not hold my same convictions. What do I do with this? Paul makes it clear – I don’t condemn them, I don’t look down on them. Each of us will give a personal account to God and He will be our only Judge (14:10-12).

I know and am convinced on the authority of the Lord Jesus that no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat. But if someone believes it is wrong, then for that person it is wrong. And if another believer is distressed by what you eat, you are not acting in love if you eat it. Don’t let your eating ruin someone for whom Christ died. Then you will not be criticized for doing something you believe is good. For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up.

Don’t tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble. You may believe there’s nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God. Blessed are those who don’t feel guilty for doing something they have decided is right. But if you have doubts about whether or not you should eat something, you are sinning if you go ahead and do it. For you are not following your convictions. If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning. – Romans 14:14-23

We do what we believe is right and avoid doing anything we have doubts about or that might cause someone else to stumble, serving Christ with a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. So I may have to give up something I have no personal convictions about simply because the Holy Spirit is asking me to put the needs of others before myself. Or, going back to our first point today, out of submission to the authorities of the Church in which I worship, I may give up something or avoid doing something.

We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves. We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. For even Christ didn’t live to please himself…May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other, as is fitting for followers of Christ Jesus. Then all of you can join together with one voice, giving praise and glory to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory. – Romans 15:1-3,5-7

The rest of his letter to the Romans, Paul applies the gospel he has just explained. There is a lot of helpful information in chapter 12 on what our life should look like but we have to be careful that we do not see it as a new set of rules to obey. Let’s start at the same place we did on Friday – the first two verses of chapter 12.

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living sacrifice – the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. – Romans 12:1-2

Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world…
That can be defined two different ways. We first think of it as the sinful and selfish ways of the world. We are given the Spirit so that we no longer have to be slaves to sin and give in to the urgings of the world. But let’s look at this another way. Don’t copy what the world says is socially acceptable and good. That’s self-righteousness. If we try to be a good person and avoid being a bad person, we are just that – a good person, but still a slave to sin.

… but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.
God’s gift of the Spirit living in us changes us into the person He created us to be. It’s not a list of rules to follow but a God to follow, not a set of socially acceptable norms but a life-altering sacrifice where our body / our life is no longer our own but we submit to His will – which is good and pleasing and perfect.

So instead of listing all the great life applications Paul gives us in this chapter, let’s pray this Scripture together. Let’s agree on these things for you and for me. I need this prayer this week because there are some situations in which the enemy is trying hard to conquer what God intends for good. I don’t know what you are facing this week, but I pray this prayer for you.

Heavenly Father, at the start of this new week, we offer again to you our lives. We ask that you continue to transform us into new people. Open up our hearts and minds and make us into new people by changing the way we think. Show us your will for our lives – your good, pleasing and perfect plan for our lives.

Give us a humble spirit so that we do not think too highly of ourselves but instead honestly evaluate and measure ourselves by the faith You have given us. Help us to see ourselves as part of the body of Christ with a gift You have given us. Use us and our gifts for Your purposes this week.

Lord, show us when we are simply pretending to be something we are not. Help us to go beyond our human efforts to be loving and truly love with YOUR love. Break our hearts at what breaks your heart and give us a hate for the things You hate, holding tightly to what is good. May we love each other this week with genuine affection and take delight in honoring each other, rather than judging or speaking poorly of each other. Help us not be lazy, that is a focus on ourselves instead of on You. Help us to wrok hard and serve You enthusiastically. When things get rough, may we rejoice in our confident hope, be patient in trouble and keep on praying. When we see God’s people are in need, may we be ready to help them and eager to practice hospitality.

Lord, you call us to live in harmony with one another and we know that this requires a transformation by You into a new person. Do a work in us that causes us to pray blessings on those who persecute us instead of curses. May we be happy with those who are happy and sincerely weep with those who weep. Take away any pride or thoughts that cause us to think more highly of ourselves than others or to think that we know it all.

May we not pay back evil for evil but instead do things in such a way that everyone can see that YOU are honorable. May we do all that we can to live in peach with everyone – but more than that! More than all we can but may we live with all that YOU can. So rather than taking revenge, we leave the righteous anger to You, God.

If our enemies our hungry, give us a heart that desires to feed them.
If our enemies are thirsty, may our first response be to give them something to quench their thirst.

We are Your servants, Your children. Fill us with Your Spirit and do a transforming work in us in which evil cannot conquer but that evil is conquered by good. Together we ask for all of these things in Your precious holy name, Amen.

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living sacrifice – the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. – Romans 12:1-2

There’s two ways of thinking. There is the thought that I invite God to be a part of my life when I believe and confess (Romans 10:9) and then there is the thought that I give myself to God and now I am a part of His life. I either include God into my life or I step into His. God either becomes a part of my story or I become a part of His.

And since Abraham and the other patriarchs were holy, their descendants will also be holy – just as the entire batch of dough is holy because the portion given as an offering is holy. For if the roots of the tree are holy, the branches will be, too. But some of these branches from Abraham’s tree – some of the people of Israel – have been broken off. And you Gentiles, who were branches from a wild olive tree, have been grafted in. So now you also receive the blessing God has promised Abraham and his children, sharing in the rich nourishment from the root of God’s special olive tree. – Romans 11:16-17

Again, two ways of thinking. I am a root with many branches – my family, my job, my hobbies, my friends and now I have a God branch and a church branch. OR God is the root and I am now one of His branches. I am not who I used to be with a little God mixed in, I am in a new creation – transformed into a new person. I am now a branch of His. I don’t fit God into my schedule by setting time aside for Him, I give Him my schedule and let Him have all of my time.

Not only am I now a branch of His tree, I am also a member of the body of Christ. Other Christians don’t suddenly become a part of my life, existing for my benefit, but I become one of many who mutually work together for the cause of Christ. Side by side, hand in hand, we do what God has called us to do. We are one body, not competing for position but sincerely serving one another as we serve Christ.

Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.

In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly. – Romans 12:3-8

God does not become a part of my life to make my life better, He calls me to be a part of His life for His glory and for the benefit of His plan. It’s not about me and my life story, it’s about the Giver of Life and how I fit into His story.

Scott and I have been in Amelia Island, Florida since last Friday for the Superintendents Retreat. We were blessed to have an oceanfront room with a fifth floor balcony overlooking the beach. Every morning I have sat on the balcony and had my morning coffee with the Lord while gazing at the beautiful of His creation.

I am in awe of the ocean with its strength and beauty. I could stare at the waves for hours watching the water swell and then topple over and roll into the sandy beach. The sky has been equally beautiful. I would grab my camera and take a picture of this gorgeous sunrise and then five minutes later the scene would change – different but equally beautiful!

Then there are the animals that accessorize the ocean so well. At four different times this week, I have watched dolphins playing in the wake. This morning they consistently came up wherever the pelicans were sitting on the surface, playfully sending the large birds flying away. Even now as I write, the dolphins are playing in front of me.

As we walked the beach, we saw several jellyfish washed up on shore waiting for the high tide to come back and get them. How fascinating to stare closely at this mysterious life. Even the pesky seagulls and other birds have posed in gorgeous fashion for my camera this week.

Our God is so magnificent! Our Creator is so marvelous and His creation displays His glory and His power! It speaks of how BIG He is and how STRONG He is and how BEAUTIFUL He is!

I read through chapters 9 through 11 this morning and listened to all God had to say through Paul. But as I stared at the sunrise over the ocean, there were a few verses in this passage that intensified with the backdrop God provided for me as He showed off in all His glory.

Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, “Why have you made me like this?” When a potter makes jars out of clay, doesn’t he have the right to use the same lump of clay to make one jar for decoration and another to throw garbage into? – Romans 9:20-21

Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!

For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen. – Romans 12:33-36

What then shall we say about these things? (Romans 8:31). Paul is wrapping up his explanation of the gospel in his letter to the Romans before he goes on to apply the gospel. He starts out chapter 5 talking about God’s love, gives evidence of what God has done for us out of His great love, and then concludes with the strength of God’s love – that nothing can ever separate from the love of God.

Out of His great love for us, God gave us His one and only Son, so that we could be in right standing with Him.

But God showed His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners (5:8).

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death (8:1-2).

Out of His great love for us, God gave us the gift of the Spirit so that we could have a relationship with Him.

For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love (5:5b).

And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God…Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. But if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live (8:10-13).

Out of His great love for us, God gives us hope for the glory that is to come.

Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice, too, WHEN we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. And this hope will not lead to disappointment (5:2-5a).

The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But he Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father who knows all hearts knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will (8:26-27).

God loves us, yet we will experience suffering. God has chosen us and calls us his children, yet there will be trials and problems. God takes these difficulties and uses them to develop and strengthen us. He gives us the Spirit to help us in our times of weakness. When we don’t know how to pray, He gives us the Spirit to pray for us – seeking out God’s will and not our own, praying in harmony with His larger plan and not ours. And we can sit back and trust that what He works out will be for our good because His love for us is so great!

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them (8:28).

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow – not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below – indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:35-39

Confession time: I’ve always been a little uncomfortable with the term “slave of God.” Even when I wrote it on Friday, I found myself bothered by the description of our relationship with God. I stopped and asked God to reveal any issues in my heart that cause me such discomfort with the idea of being God’s slave. I love the terms of submission and the idea of being God’s servant, follower, disciples…but not slave.

But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. – Romans 6:22
If we don’t go on to read more of what Paul teaches, Christianity sounds like we are trading one kind of slavery for another kind, when in fact we find freedom. I am bothered by the term “slavery” because it has negative connotations and it does not describe the relationship I experience with Christ.

When we get to chapter 8 of Paul’s letter to the Romans, we see that he must have understood the disconnect with the term because he goes on to explain himself. He has just taken all of chapter 7 to explain what it means to be a slave to our sinful nature. He cries out, “Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord.” – Romans 7:24-25a

When we accept what Christ did for us on the cross and give our whole life over to Him, He gives us the gift of the Spirit. This life-giving Spirit has freed us from the power of sin that leads to death. We no longer need to give in to its urging (8:2,12). Instead, we give control over to the Spirit living within us.
But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace (8:6).

Life and peace – that describes my experience of Christ so much more than the word slavery. When I allow the Spirit to lead me, I find I am more than a slave, I am a child of God (8:14). I don’t live in fear but in relationship.

So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, “Abba, Father.” For his Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children. And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we share in his glory we must also share in his suffering. Yet what we suffer now is NOTHING compared to the glory he will reveal to us later (8:15-18).

When I give my life to God in full submission and hand over control to the Spirit, I experience freedom. When I listen to the urgings of the Spirit instead of the urging of the sinful nature, I experience life and peace. I am his child and I call him, “Abba, Father.” I am His heir! His heir! Having done nothing to deserve this kind of love and grace, I am the recipient of all He has to give me – which includes his glory as I share in His suffering.

Lord, help me to stay in this reality all day long. When the enemy tries to defeat, let me say, “I am God’s child!” When the struggles of this world overcome, let me say, “I share in His suffering so that I may share in His glory!” Thank you, God, for the privilege of serving you – of being your slave – because, in that moment of submission, I experience life, peace and freedom.