*Note to self:
righteousness-An attribute that implies that a person's actions are justified,
and can have the connotation that the person has been "judged" or
"reckoned" as leading a life that is pleasing to God.
Romans 3:22
This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.
My family of brothers and sisters in Christ have been atoned for our sins from the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus dying on the cross for us. He took the punishment that we deserved and suffered under God's wrath for us sinners. However, it is with joy to realize that thanks to Jesus, God is also the justifier for our actions. We are on terms that are pleasing to God as long as we continue to believe through faith in Jesus. :)
Monday, October 10, 2011
Sunday, October 9, 2011
No One is Righteous: Romans 3:9-20
No one is righteous. Only God Almighty is. Paul is able to find so much evidence of our wicked deeds from the Old Testament to support this claim.
Verse 11-12 comes from Psalm 14:1-3.
Psalm 14:1
The fool says in his heart, "There is no one God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.
Verse 13 combines Psalm 5:9, and Psalm 140:3.
Psalm 5:9
Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit.
Psalm 140:3
They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent's; the poison of vipers is on their lips.
Verse 15-17 are taken from Isaiah 59:7-8
Isaiah 59:7-8
Their feet rush into sin; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are evil thoughts; ruin and destruction mark their ways. The way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths. They have turned them into crooked roads; no one who walks in them will know peace.
The way we worship other idols besides the one God, speak and curse as though we do not know of God, act and think with evil in our minds... this basically describes each one of us. Although we may not always act this way, it is still proven that we are not righteous. We are not at all like Jesus who did not do any one these things and lived a life of no sin. Acknowledge the fact that you are a sinner and ask for forgiveness. God will hear your prayers and will give what you ask. This is a way for us to show God that we have not forgotten Him and continue to strive towards Him. :)
Verse 11-12 comes from Psalm 14:1-3.
Psalm 14:1
The fool says in his heart, "There is no one God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.
Verse 13 combines Psalm 5:9, and Psalm 140:3.
Psalm 5:9
Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit.
Psalm 140:3
They make their tongues as sharp as a serpent's; the poison of vipers is on their lips.
Verse 15-17 are taken from Isaiah 59:7-8
Isaiah 59:7-8
Their feet rush into sin; they are swift to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are evil thoughts; ruin and destruction mark their ways. The way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths. They have turned them into crooked roads; no one who walks in them will know peace.
The way we worship other idols besides the one God, speak and curse as though we do not know of God, act and think with evil in our minds... this basically describes each one of us. Although we may not always act this way, it is still proven that we are not righteous. We are not at all like Jesus who did not do any one these things and lived a life of no sin. Acknowledge the fact that you are a sinner and ask for forgiveness. God will hear your prayers and will give what you ask. This is a way for us to show God that we have not forgotten Him and continue to strive towards Him. :)
Saturday, October 8, 2011
God's Faithfulness: Romans 3:1-8
I had a hard time undertanding this section. Had to do a bit of research in order for me to grasp what the lesson is.
Romans 3:1-2
What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? Much in every way! First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God.
- What advantages do we get from being Christian? Paul tells us that we would be given the words of God. We can access all of it directly through the Bible, the Holy Word...what God wants or doesn't want us to do, the life lessons that He teaches us, the story of his Son, the warnings of what is to come. It's all from His mouth written on paper.
Romans 3:3-4
What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God's faithfulness? Not at all! Let God be true, and every man a liar. As it is written: "So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge."
- God is faithful and true no matter what. From my readings of other studies on this passage, one point that caught my attention was the ironic contrast seen in the passage describing a Jewish unbeliever. In the verse 2 it states that Christians (aka Jews back then) would be blessed with the very words of God. In contrast, seen in verse 3, some Jews don't have faith and we can extend that thought to them not believing in the words of God. Why do they consider themselves as a Jew in the first place then (it can relate to the hypocrite concept as well)?
*Note to self:
Context of Psalm 51:4 is that King David is asking for forgiveness for his sin of adultery with Bathsheba.
Psalm 51:4
Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.
- The quote in verse 4 comes from Psalm 51:4. Since we are all sinners here on earth, when God speaks or judges, it is always right and true. God will never be nullified, even for those who lack in faith and continue to go deeper into their sin. God is always there and when He speaks or judges upon us earthly beings, His words and judgment will always be correct and true.
Romans 3:7-8
Someone might argue, "If my falsehood enhances God's truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?" Why not say-- as we are being slanderously reported as saying and as some claim that we say-- "Let us do evil that good may result"? Their condemnation is deserved.
- Why would anyone consider doing evil to bring good? Why not just do good to bring more good? This is an excuse for sinning and those who think this way do deserve God's punishment. From other studiess--which I agree with-- there are are other ways of showing or enhancing God's truthfulness. Lying (don't know how) may possibly help in showing God's glory but this act itself is still a sin and in no way it shouldn't be considered a sin.
Wow. So much stuff learned within these 8 verses. God is amazing. :)
Friday, October 7, 2011
The Jews and the Law: Romans 2:17-29
Paul teaches us about hypocrisy in our faith through this passage.
Romans 2:19-23
If you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth-- you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?
The verses are nice and straightforward. Don't be a hypocrite of faith. If you declare yourself to be a devoted Christian, never do things that goes against what you say and is disrepectful to God. I struggle with this myself. I am a hypocrite too at times but I will change for the better. :)
Thursday, October 6, 2011
God's Righteous Judgement: Romans 2:1-16
Romans 2:1
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.
Lesson of the day coming right from the first verse of Chapter 2. Paul makes it very clear. Why do we judge other people's actions and thoughts in the first place. Off the top of my head, it's probably because we see the things they say or do different and unusual from ourselves. We think of ourselves as perfect and when others act or behave differently and unusually from us, we judge them.
However, we don't have that right to judge others. What standards are we basing our judgment? We are not perfect, we will never be. Only God, the pure and holy one, can pass judgment on anyone. With no sin, his standards of what is right, wrong, funny, weird, crazy, annoying is fact.
God knows us. He knows whether we've been consistently trying to live out a life of a Christ-follower or if we have strayed off the path and have begun idolizing worldly things in life. For those who live a good life, God will pass judgment on them and award us with eternal life with Him. For those who don't live to bring praise and glory to Him and worship things of the earth... they will perish and under God's judgment they will feel His wrath and anger. Sounds harsh but that is what will happen when Jesus comes back to us at the end of the world.
It doesn't have to end this way. Repent of your sins, ask for forgiveness, and God will gladly offer it to you. Live with your faith yet be humble in your thoughts and actions. :)
You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.
Lesson of the day coming right from the first verse of Chapter 2. Paul makes it very clear. Why do we judge other people's actions and thoughts in the first place. Off the top of my head, it's probably because we see the things they say or do different and unusual from ourselves. We think of ourselves as perfect and when others act or behave differently and unusually from us, we judge them.
However, we don't have that right to judge others. What standards are we basing our judgment? We are not perfect, we will never be. Only God, the pure and holy one, can pass judgment on anyone. With no sin, his standards of what is right, wrong, funny, weird, crazy, annoying is fact.
God knows us. He knows whether we've been consistently trying to live out a life of a Christ-follower or if we have strayed off the path and have begun idolizing worldly things in life. For those who live a good life, God will pass judgment on them and award us with eternal life with Him. For those who don't live to bring praise and glory to Him and worship things of the earth... they will perish and under God's judgment they will feel His wrath and anger. Sounds harsh but that is what will happen when Jesus comes back to us at the end of the world.
It doesn't have to end this way. Repent of your sins, ask for forgiveness, and God will gladly offer it to you. Live with your faith yet be humble in your thoughts and actions. :)
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
God's Wrath Against Mankind: Romans 1:18-32
Today's passage was both morbid and intense... but is also a kick to the butt to wake up!
It basically talks about all the evil, darkness, and wickedness in our hearts and minds that takes us away from glorifying and praising God.
Romans 1: 29-31
They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.
For sure I have committed a sin that was listed from those 3 verses. I feel so ashamed for gossiping about people behind their back, for rebelling against the parentals... the list can go on and on. I always pray for the forgiveness of my sins each day and for guidance by the Holy Spirit because of how easily Satan can trick me with temptations and to take up bad qualities such as procrastination and lust. God sees and knows everything we say and do and as it says in the passage, God will punish those who don't repent and continue committing such sinful acts. Look at the world today. Satan has took control of the lives of the nonbelievers and those who are weak in faith. I don't want to happen to me. I want to be a light to these people by reflecting a life and personality where I always attempt to keep the image of Jesus in my mind and think about what he would do in every situation. :)
It basically talks about all the evil, darkness, and wickedness in our hearts and minds that takes us away from glorifying and praising God.
Romans 1: 29-31
They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless.
For sure I have committed a sin that was listed from those 3 verses. I feel so ashamed for gossiping about people behind their back, for rebelling against the parentals... the list can go on and on. I always pray for the forgiveness of my sins each day and for guidance by the Holy Spirit because of how easily Satan can trick me with temptations and to take up bad qualities such as procrastination and lust. God sees and knows everything we say and do and as it says in the passage, God will punish those who don't repent and continue committing such sinful acts. Look at the world today. Satan has took control of the lives of the nonbelievers and those who are weak in faith. I don't want to happen to me. I want to be a light to these people by reflecting a life and personality where I always attempt to keep the image of Jesus in my mind and think about what he would do in every situation. :)
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Paul's Longing to Visit Rome: Romans 1:8-17
In this passage, Paul explains to us indirectly of why he has such a yearning to tell others of the Gospel. Here, he tells the Romans that he has always wanted to come to Rome to bring more people towards Jesus Christ. Back then, whether the individual was a Jew or Gentile, wise or foolish, whatever the people are like, Paul steps up to the plate and with a joyful heart he longs to tell them of the stories and teachings of Jesus.
Verse 16 definitely caught my attention.
Romans 1:16
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.
I have always been nervous about evangelism. What happens if a non-Christian friend sees me doing this? Will I look weird? What happens if I don't know the answer to a questions regarding my faith? What should I say? All these questions swim around in my head and it makes me consider whether I am ready for it or not. However as it says in verse 16, it is through God's power and mercy on us that we get to be a part of His family and eventually we will get to see Him in heaven. It's scary to think of how I won't see all my non-Christian friends who don't know about Jesus yet in the next life. As Paul said, this is my obligation as a Christ follower. God will provide the courage and knowledge when I get the opportunity to go out and be an apostle of the Gospel. This thought alone makes the whole idea of it less scary already. :)
Verse 16 definitely caught my attention.
Romans 1:16
I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.
I have always been nervous about evangelism. What happens if a non-Christian friend sees me doing this? Will I look weird? What happens if I don't know the answer to a questions regarding my faith? What should I say? All these questions swim around in my head and it makes me consider whether I am ready for it or not. However as it says in verse 16, it is through God's power and mercy on us that we get to be a part of His family and eventually we will get to see Him in heaven. It's scary to think of how I won't see all my non-Christian friends who don't know about Jesus yet in the next life. As Paul said, this is my obligation as a Christ follower. God will provide the courage and knowledge when I get the opportunity to go out and be an apostle of the Gospel. This thought alone makes the whole idea of it less scary already. :)
Monday, October 3, 2011
Romans 1:1-7
Today is the day I begin to do my daily devos on the the book of Romans. I am so excited to reflect and think about what God has to tell me through this journey for the next couple months.
The book of Romans was written by Paul, an apostle of the Gospel.
*note to self:
disciple- a learner/student of Jesus Christ
apostle- a messenger
What is the Gospel? It's about Jesus, Son of God, the one who died on the cross to redeem us from the sins we've committed. It is by Him that we've received grace to live out our lives and to reflect to others of how God's love and Jesus' mighty sacrifice has changed our lives for the better. It is our duty to fulfill the Great Commission and I hope that as I go through this book, I will become more prepared to go out myself and spread the good news to nonbelievers with the knowledge I obtain from this book. :)
Matthew 28:19-20
Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.
The book of Romans was written by Paul, an apostle of the Gospel.
*note to self:
disciple- a learner/student of Jesus Christ
apostle- a messenger
What is the Gospel? It's about Jesus, Son of God, the one who died on the cross to redeem us from the sins we've committed. It is by Him that we've received grace to live out our lives and to reflect to others of how God's love and Jesus' mighty sacrifice has changed our lives for the better. It is our duty to fulfill the Great Commission and I hope that as I go through this book, I will become more prepared to go out myself and spread the good news to nonbelievers with the knowledge I obtain from this book. :)
Matthew 28:19-20
Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.
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