devotional

Understanding Grace–Where Does It Lead?

Romans 6:15-19 What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification. (ESV)

The Apostle Paul asks a very important question in Romans 6:15, when he asked, “Shall we sin because we are not under law, but under grace?” Many in the church today misunderstand this wonderful truth that the believer in Christ is not under law, but under grace. They believe grace frees them up to live as they please and allows them to participate in, and enjoy, many activities that are common among unbelievers. Let us make no mistake, the believer is no longer under law and does not seek justification or sanctification by means of keeping the Ten Commandments or any other law code. But a true understanding of grace teaches believers, as well as motivates us, to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and seek God’s grace to live godly lives. (Titus 2:11-12) Paul shows us in verses 15-19, that real freedom is achieved when the believer responds to the grace of God in his/her life by becoming a slave to righteousness. When the believer misunderstands or misuses the grace of God, freedom is not the result, but instead, the worst kind of slavery, leading to a fruitless, joyless life.

Dan Scheuerlein (ABF Teacher)

Romans 6:12-14 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. ¹³ Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. ¹⁴ For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. (ESV)

Having disposed of the rhetorical question as to whether those who have died to sin could still live in it, and having addressed the fact that those who have become united with Christ in His death are likewise united in His resurrection, Paul now takes his readers head on in their approach to sin.

Paul reminds us to recall who our Master is. A prisoner of war, having escaped, would not lightly think of returning to captors and resuming his prior routine. Likewise, a slave, having escaped, would not lightly think of retuning to his owners. Likewise we who have been freed from the bonds of sin must recognize our new Master, and continually present ourselves to Him as instruments of righteousness. It takes time to break old habits, but our old master no longer has any rights or power over us.

• Do I daily recognize my Master, and my relationship to Him?
• Do I consciously present myself to my Master, ready and willing to serve and obey Him?
• Do I recognize the difference between my old master and the law/penalty system, and my new Master and His grace/forgiveness system?

Jack Joseph (Men’s Ministry leader)

Romans 6:5-11 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. ⁶ We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. ⁷ For one who has died has been set free from sin. ⁸ Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹ We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. ¹⁰ For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. ¹¹ So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. (ESV)

Death. A single word. It shudders the criminal, it breaks the hearts of lovers, it brings emotional distress to families. Rarely is death seen as relief, except occasionally to the one who has long suffered. In medicine, death is seen as a defeat. The dead are unresponsive: to voice, to touch, to pain, or to any other stimulus. The dead, by definition, have no intrinsic activity. All communication is lost, and the deceased individual has indeed ceased to exist in this world, never again to experience joy, sorrow, pain, disease or any suffering.

It is impossible to understand the significance of being united in the likeness of Christ’s resurrection unless we truly understand the death experience and how we are united with Christ in His death, if we indeed have become united with Him. The dead individual, without worldly contact, is no longer tempted by sin. Likewise, without any intrinsic life, the dead is also impervious to his inherent sin nature. As such, one who has died has indeed ceased to sin.

Were this all that happened, we would have missed out on what God had intended for us. A sinless existence in and of itself is not God’s desired endpoint for us. Having become united with Christ in His death now brings the extraordinary benefit of participating in His victory over death. It indeed now means we are united with Him in life, a life eternal. A life that is now totally different. Death, having been defeated by Christ, can no longer rear its head and extract its price when sin does occur.

Just as the one who is deceased is unresponsive to our call, so we who are united with Christ are to be unresponsive to the call of sin. While we remain capable of sinning during this earthly existence, we are neither powerless to resist nor obligated by its demands.

• How do I view temptation and sin?
• Do I see myself as powerless to resist?
• Do I see myself as controlled by its demands?

Jack Joseph (Men’s Ministry leader)

Romans 6:1-4 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? ² By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? ³ Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (ESV)

We may find it incredible that one would ask if the introduction of grace would allow us to continue, or even increase in a lifestyle of sin. The recognition of the grace principle entails seeing our despondent condition and the (gracious) remedy God has supplied.

Paul delivers an emphatic “No!” to the idea that life could continue as usual after the point of justification. He can’t fathom how the natural man, being called hopeless and ungodly, would want to remain in the same condition he was in prior to Christ’s call. After seeing our predicament and the cost involved in the purchase of our souls, how can one desire for life to go on as usual? The first step in resolving this issue is to recognize our identification with Christ. Having died with Christ places us in the position whereby God can now direct our steps, sanctify us, and in the process glorify Himself. God’s grace is not intended to be an enabler of sin; rather it enables us to grow more like His Son. The result of dying with Christ is newness of life, not a continuation of the old life. New life means just that, a new life.

This begs the probing question, “What is my tolerance of sin?” Not in the life of others, but in my own day to day activities. Although it takes time to grow and mature, tacit acceptance of sin will delay and derail God’s transformation process in our lives. Take time to inventory any “protected” areas that we don’t allow others to see.

Jack Joseph (Men’s Ministry leader)

Brief Summary of the Doctrine of Sanctification

Sanctification Defined:

• Sanctification is the work of God to transform the sinner into the image of Jesus Christ. (Romans 8:29)
• From our standpoint it should be—Taking Justification Seriously.

Sanctification is often defined within three stages or aspects: Positional, Progressive, and Prospective or ultimate. But as I was thinking about this, other “P’s” also helped me better understand different elements involved.

The believers’ practice is based on their position in Christ. This practice involves a progress. A believer’s sanctification is based on his position in Christ which is then related to his practice in that it is a process or progress.

The progressive aspect is key to understanding sanctification. Sanctification—being set apart from sin and to God—is progressive in that in the present believers are not perfect. Perfection, contrary to some denominations, is not a part of the believers’ experience until glorification. So the believers’ progressive sanctification is not perfection.

But though sanctification can be defined in part as a process, this process in not solely based on performance. Progressive sanctification is not related to simply what believers do, but what is being done for them by God through the Holy Spirit. The fact that sanctification is not based on our performance only, is comforting because what we do will never match up to God’s holiness.

This is not to say that the believer is not involved. Progressive sanctification is not passive. That is, the believer does not sit around waiting for God to make him more holy. Neither is progressive sanctification permissiveness. Just because sanctification is primarily a work of God does not mean that believers can tolerate sin in their lives. Or to put it another way, progressive sanctification should not be promiscuous. In the words of Paul, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace might increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?” (Romans 6:1-2). Progressive sanctification, though not based solely on the performance of the believer, is not permissive or a ticket for license.

Another aspect of progressive sanctification that is often omitted is the corporate element of sanctification. Believers are placed into the body of Christ and are to foster holiness with in a relational context. Only in a relational context can sanctification be developed, demonstrated and tested. Only in a relational context can believes grow to be what God intended them to be.

Finally, ultimate sanctification can be seen as prospective or potential in that it will be effected in the future. This is the believers’ hope, the promise and pledge God has given. When the struggle or battle is raging in progressive sanctification, the believer can anticipate the day when he will be sanctified completely. In this respect ultimate sanctification can be seen as predestination, “predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son.” (Romans 8:29)

All three elements of sanctification are related to the power of God: through Christ in salvation, through the Holy Spirit and the Word in progressive sanctification, and through the Father’s will to conform us to His Son.

Positional—Romans 6; Hebrews 10:10; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2

Progressive—Practice—Romans 8; 2 Peter 3:18; John 17:17 through His Word; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Philippians 1:6; Hebrews 13:20-21

—not perfection—Romans 7
—not performance—Galatians 5 {see v.16, 25}; Ephesians 5:11-25; Colossians 3:9-10
—not passive, permissive, or promiscuous—Philippians 2:12-13; Romans 12:9, 16-17; Romans 8:13

Prospective—Promise —Romans 8:29; 1 John 3:1-3; Ephesians 1:4; Jude 24; 1 Thessalonians 5:23, 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

— Predestined—Romans 8:29
— Perfection

Placed in the Body (Ephesians 2; 4:7, 12-16)
Power of God (1 Corinthians 1:18)

Past—Salvation from the penalty of sin—Ephesians 2:8

Present—Salvation from the power of sin—Romans 5:10; 6:11-14

Future—Salvation from the presence of sin —Jude 24; 1 Thessalonians 5:23

By reflecting on sanctification I am encouraged and exhorted. I am encouraged by realizing no matter how much I struggle I have the assurance (hope) that I will be transformed to conformity with the position I have in Christ. It is also encouraging that my sanctification is not conditioned only on what I do. The exhortation is that in view of what Christ has done on my behalf, I need to strive in the power of the Holy Spirit to be holy in light of what I will be and the price paid for me.

Conclusion: “To know God is to live a holy life—obligation. We need to brainwash our minds with the Bible to act, think, and do God’s will instinctively.” (Howard Hendricks)

Pastor Steve Kilgore

Salvation is the work of God through Christ’s cross work accepted through:

Faith alone (4)
with great benefits (5:1-11)
for a needy people (1:18-3:20; 5:12-21)

The totality with which God provides salvation to those who are sinners (1:18-3:21; 5:8), ungodly (5:6); enemies (5:10) by nature condemned (5:12-21) solely on the basis of Christ’s cross work of justification, redemption and propitiation (3:21-31) provided by simple faith (chapter 4) allowing us to have assurance of our reconciliation with God (5:1-11) —should result in seek to honor God with our lives.

My service of God should always be a delight not a burden, out of devotion not duty.

But there are times, times when I don’t delight the way I should. Times when my devotion wanes.

Should I stop serving?

In the words of Paul, By no means!

There are times when serving out of duty will lead me back to devotion. Allowing Him to use me, when I “don’t feel like it” will often result in such a blessing.

So, in light of the wonder of salvation and the wonder of who God is, I want to serve out of devotion, and I don’t want the circumstances of life and my feeling to dictate my level of devotion.

Pastor Steve Kilgore

What amazing truth

Mankind is alienated from God due to sin. Sin must be punished (death).

God provide a substitutionary sacrifice for man in the God-Man Jesus Christ, Whose death enables anyone, through faith to be declared righteous in God’s eyes–   to be credited with Christ’s righteousness,
  to have full access to God based on the removal of sin’s guilt–be in a right relationship with God.

God has provide all we need for what we need most.

Here is a fuller review:

Romans 3:21-31

God has revealed His righteousness

but mankind has rejected it and they find themselves enslaved to sin

“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested. . .”

  in Jesus Christ
  through faith
  for all who believe

it is a gift of God’s grace which
  justifies (declared righteous in Christ)
  and redeems man (purchased through exchange)
  and satisfies God’s righteousness (propitiation)

so man can claim no personal accomplishment—it’s all of God

Romans 4
Paul uses Abraham as a test case of the main point of 3:27-31

—a right relationship with God—a righteous God—is only made possible by the substitutionary death of Christ which is obtained through faith

Abraham, in spite of his lofty status has nothing to boast about for he was justified by faith alone (4:1-8) not circumcision (4:9-12) nor the law (4:13-17)

Abraham’s faith was firm, despite circumstantial evidence, allowing him to enjoy God’s promises (4:18-21)

Christians receive Christ’s righteousness through that same faith (4:22-25)

Romans 5:1-11

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (5:1 ESV)

In light of what God has done through Christ, we can have assurance of a present and permanent relationship with Him.

Christ’s payment on the cross for our sins (debt) has settled the claims against us and judicially declared us righteous, therefore without a barrier between us and God—we have full access.

The salvation God provides is permanent because of how it was provided and it is able to withstand trials. The Holy Spirit’s presence is an assurance of the future and of God’s love in the present.

Romans 5:12-21
Sin’s entrance into the world by Adam resulted in death for all men.

The entrance of the Law revealed the sinfulness of man’s sin but this is surpassed by the sufficiency of God’s grace and results in eternal life.

Sin affects everyone and everything

Justification is available to everyone, everywhere

Pastor Steve Kilgore

For those who are contemplating resolutions, let me suggest one:

If you haven’t done so in some time, or ever, or even if you did it last year–How about reading through the Bible in 2008.

Click here for a reading plan that includes Calvary Churches tentative preaching schedule. http://www.calvarychurch.org/177014.ihtml

Or if you are into technology click one of the links below for numerous reading plans which will email passages to you daily.

http://www.bibleplan.org/

http://www.studylight.org/plan/byemail.cgi

As I contemplate the start of a new year and take time to evaluate, take personal inventory and plan for this new year (yes I try to establish goals and resolutions)–one thing I am particularly thankful for is the unchanging nature of God.

We have no idea what 2008 will hold. We have no way of knowing the highs and lows this year will bring. But one thing we do know–it will be the same God who will guide us, help us, sustain us and comfort us.

In the words of J. I. Packer

God is immutable. This means that he is totally consistent: because he is necessarily perfect, he cannot change either for the better or for the worse; and because he is not in time he is not subject to change as creatures are (2 Pet. 3:8). Far from being detached and immobile, he is always active in his world, constantly making new things spring forth (Isa. 42:9; 2 Cor. 5:17; Rev. 21:5); but in all this he expresses his perfect character with perfect consistency. It is precisely the immutability of his character that guarantees his adherence to the words he has spoken and the plans he has made (Num. 23:19; Ps. 33:11; Mal. 3:6; James 1:16-18); and it is this immutability that explains why, when people change their attitude to him, he changes his attitude to them (Gen. 6:5-7; Exod. 32:9-14; 1 Sam. 15:11; Jon. 3:10). The idea that the changelessness of God involves unresponsive indifference to what goes on in his world is the precise opposite of the truth. (J. I. Packer, Concise Theology: A Guide to Historic Christian Beliefs (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House, 1995, c1993).)

May this year lead us to
greater trust in our trustworthy God
greater faith in our faithful God
deeper devotion to our wise God
more complete submission to our sovereign God
and greater service to our good and kind God.

Malachi 3:6 “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. (ESV)
Isaiah 46:9-10 remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ (ESV)

Pastor Steve Kilgore