PSA Bible Reading Challenge 2023-2024

Nearly 15 years ago I decided on a Tuesday that I would preach from this chapter in Romans on the following Sunday.  That’s unusual for me.  Normally I have my sermon’s planned out months ahead of time with both Scriptures and the sermon title already chosen.  But that Tuesday changed the course of history.  It was September 11, 2001.  I don’t know why God has us reading again Romans 12 on this day in the life of the history of our people.  I can tell you that I focused on a number of aspects from this chapter, and probably focused more on vs. 17-21 than any other area if this chapter.  When we hear the Bible tell us that God responds by saying: vengeance is mine, I’m guessing that a part of us says – can I help?  Most of us would be fine if the verse just ended with leaving vengeance to the Lord, but then vs.20 takes us so far away from where we want to be: “If your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them something to drink…”  And then finally Paul ends the chapter with these verses: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

What do we do when we find ourselves in a society and a culture, or even just a personal reality where the goodness is really hard to find?  Was Paul’s life any different from that reality?  Were not his people hunted and killed because they were Christians and they did not follow the status quo which was set up?  They were seen as threat to the society around them and so they were targeted.  When I heard about the officers being shot yesterday I was speechless and in shock for a little while.  This does not happen in a civilized world.  We do not shoot the people who protect us.  We do not shoot the people who lay down their lives every day to ensure our safety.  These actions don’t match with the civilization that we know.  The only application of this Scripture that we can think of is the part that speaks about vengeance and the part that defines what our actions ought to be toward our enemies.  But the advice given by Paul simply does not seem realistic.

Paul’s encouragement in vs.2 reminds us of what actions we need to take now that this reality is our reality.  We cannot be conformed to this world.  We have to be able to discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.  What does our response need to be?  For police officers there will almost surely be an even more increased sense of vulnerability as at any time they can be the victims.  This has always been the case, but I’m guessing that these types of visible attacks serve to increase that vulnerability.  As citizens we need to make every effort that we can to support our officers with random acts of kindness.  They need to know that they are supported and that we simply need them.  Paul encourages us in vs. 9 to love each other in a way that we outdo one another in showing honor.  What would outdoing one another in showing honor look like?  What I hope would happen is that pastors from the black community would take the initiative and go to police stations across the country and apologize for a culture of anger and mistrust.  What I hope would happen is that police chiefs from across the country would go to black community churches and apologize for profiling.  From there my prayer would be that a dialogue would begin.  These horrendous, breath taking acts of violence and killing have to stop.  It takes the leadership from each of these communities to speak to it publicly and without hesitation.  I can think that this may be the only way that we can overcome evil with good.

Paul wants to clarify here the status of the Israelites, the Jews who were living in Rome and had not yet accepted Jesus as Savior.  This is a key chapter which has linear application to us today.  All along he has been arguing the importance of the gentiles coming into God’s grace through faith.  He has stressed how God has opened a new door for all of humanity to come through and sit at the feet of His throne.  But this chapter deals with those who had been his chosen people all along.  It is important to note that they did not, and still do not, stop being his chosen people.  “Has God rejected his people?  By no means!”, is how he begins this chapter.  And the entire chapter is an argument in favor of their elite place before the throne.  Now, I say elite place not as in when we receive eternal life they will have more jewels in their crown or will have a better view from their room.  No, we will all receive the identical reward once we pass on from this life.  But God has not outright rejected the Jewish people who were, and continue to be, his chosen people.  

Let’s continue along in that vein since that is his argument throughout the chapter.  He states that there remains a few chosen elect within that community who are a remnant.  But this is key.  They are considered a remnant not because of their works, but rather just like the rest of us, they are saved by grace through faith.  That common denominator never changes.  It is never our actions which make us righteous, but rather the grace of God which is exemplified through a faith which is gifted to us.  That pertains to all people from all races and ethnicities.  So to those of us who are gentiles we do not receive salvation because we performed an act, likewise, to the Jewish, they are not saved by the fact that they have followed the law or that they were at one time God’s chosen people.  No, we all have the same measuring stick and that is the grace that we have received and responded to in faith.

It is interesting that starting in vs.11 and following we see that because God’s chosen people turned their back on the Messiah, it opened the door to those of us who were not considered at one time God’s children.  There is a direct correlation and response between rejection from God’s chosen and acceptance of those who at one time were outside looking in.  It reminds me of the words of the syrophoenician woman at the feet of Jesus.  I encourage you to read Matthew 15:21-28.  We are the recipients of the crumbs that fall from the table of the children of God, and so in turn are no longer considered dogs, but have been adopted into the family of God, and so are called children.  It is an incredible argument that takes us to right where we are and in what we believe in regards to salvation and our position in God’s kingdom.  We belong.  We belong in the kingdom of God and the rejection of Jesus as the cornerstone, the rejection of Jesus as the Son of God, the rejection of Jesus as God allows us to be included in His family.  But Jesus’ rejection does not translate into a wholesale rejection of the people of God from the original tree that was planted.

Paul then moves into a wonderful metaphor of the a tree which was planted.  Starting at vs.17 we read about the branches which were cut off.  That would be those who were chosen from the beginning through Abraham and did not believe in Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God, God Himself.  We have been grafted into the tree as a result of the cutting off of these branches.  But we should never consider ourselves as deserving of that place.  Paul is very clear here.  In those moments when we see our place as deserved we need to be reminded that we can just as easily be cut off just as we were grafted in.  Paul fully expects that one day the branches which have been cut off will be grafted back in again.  If you look at vs.26 we read some very clear words which should not cause us consternation, but rather a rejoicing.  “All of Israel will be saved…”  Does that bother you?  It shouldn’t.  With the current political backlash in the use of a 6 pointed star which symbolizes the hatred and the genocide which took place over the years it reminds us that we are often judged and persecuted because of our background.  History has shown that the Jewish people have been persecuted and demonized more than most people groups.  We must be careful not to repeat that history.  

Paul’s final words of chapter 11 almost feels like a song, a hymn, and that he is closing out the chapter.  I love vs.33 and following.  God’s love for us is absolutely immeasurable.  God’s grace far exceed our understanding of His eternal plan.  The more we try to limit what God can do in regards to salvation, the more we will be surprised.

There are a few basic principles that Paul lays out here which will help us on a day to day basis.  The first is Paul’s approach to those who have come into the fold but without any kind of theological backing.  We would call them the “unchurched” today.  Those who have come into the church without any kind of background or understanding of what this “church” thing is all about.  I don’t know if you have been noticing but we are getting more and more people who come from that background.  Our automatic tendency is to teach them how to do church.  My automatic tendency is to glean from them what they need and what their desire to serve the Lord looks like.  It is so important to try not impose upon anyone our understanding of what church ought to be, but rather live into a church which is formed a shaped by the Holy Spirit, which means in our understanding, formed and shaped by all of the different inputs and visions and ideas from all who are present.  A growing phenomenon within our church is a whole group of people who attend, but aren’t members.  We need to move away from thinking that only the membership has the right to shape and mold the church into what it would like, but rather give a voice to all who would want to be a part in  whatever form they want to be a part.  I shouldn’t say this, but there is a big part of me that wonders the purpose of membership.  I know, congregational meetings are important and you can’t just have anyone speaking and giving their thoughts because the danger is that those who don’t have a vested interest would sway the group and then pick up and leave without any skin in the game.  I get that, but there is a certain sense of entitlement that would be good to be disposed of in some shape or fashion.  The first part of this chapter addresses the gentiles coming into the church.  Unfortunately, Paul calls them “ignorant”.  Probably not a term that I would use.

From there vs.6-7 addresses the question that many want answered: Who is going to make it into heaven?  Do you notice Paul’s answer?  He tells us: Do not say in your hearts.  I interpret that as Paul telling us that we should not even be asking that question.  It is completely up to God.  But we like to imagine what it would be like to put some people in and keep others out.  That is not our place, says this Scripture.  Instead, Paul tells us, all those who call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.  That should make it easier for us to live our lives when we don’t have to worry about the eternal status of those around us.  I know that there are a number of people who worry about their parents, or their children because they are not sure if they know Jesus.  It is a fair concern, but I think these verses provide us with the assurance that God is ultimately a just and gracious God.  We have a task to raise our children so that they will be exposed to Jesus, and to let our parents know the love that we have for Jesus.  But we cannot in any way force our parents, or our children, or our spouses, to become believers in Jesus.  Our children we have a responsibility to bring them to places where Jesus is proclaimed (church, Sunday School, youth group etc.).  But worrying about their salvation is simply not something that we can impact.  On the other hand, trying to make our spouses come to church will almost always be counterproductive.

Then we are provided the missionary verses that ought to strike purpose in all of our hearts.  These are verses that call us out of our stupor of self-contentment and make us realize that we have all been called into proclamation.  Look at vs.14.  It speaks directly to the fact that people simply will not know about Jesus if we are not the ones to let them know about him.  How are people to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Lord of our lives, our very Creator God, if we do not let them know.  It should be incredibly motivational to get us out there and unashamedly proclaim his goodness to those that we meet.

This is going to be a short one, but not because of the content of chapter 9.  I just got back from Jacksonville, Florida.  That’s a long trip in one day.  But we do have to focus on the concept that Paul raises in regards to the potter and the clay.  He begins that section by stating that God’s perspective is: I have loved Jacob, but Esau I hated.  There has been much debate as to poor Esau and why God hated him.  We really don’t know why God chose Jacob.  But that is the point of the potter and the clay.  

The clay, that would be us, would never have the right to say to the potter, that is God, why did you make me this way?  We who have been created by God are never in a position to question why God made us in a certain way.  The same principle can be applied to the question of: Why do bad things happen to good people?  There can be no sense that we have a right in questioning God as to his judgment or his actions.  There are a myriad of examples where the psalmist cries out to God in anger, but never remains in that anger.  My God, My God, why have you forsaken me leads to a rejoicing that God has conquered His enemies.  This is the assurance that we have.  Even if we do not understand why things happen in this world, we can be convinced that they do happen, as the last chapter stated, that they happen for a reason.  All things truly do work for good for those who trust in the Lord.

I need a week for this post.  By the way, happy 4th of July.  Paul somewhat addresses our patriotism by reminding us that we have been adopted not into a nationalistic approach to our faith, but rather our adoption provides us with a new family and a Father who is ruler of all nations and governments.  Vs.15 reminds us that we have not received a spirit of slavery, that would be a spirit that is dictated by legalistic principles which gives us a list of dos and donts, and if we don’t pursue that list then we are condemned.  Rather, we are adopted into Christ which allows the Spirit of God to dwell within us.  So, let me tell you, over this past week I have been reminded of the incredible cultural differences between the North and the South.  Where we live in Lancaster County you would be hard pressed to find someone with their hand over their heart during the national anthem.  Here in the Deep South, you get glared at if you don’t have your hand over your heart.  Here in the South it seems as if we have been adopted into a nationalistic culture that requires certain actions or else you are questioned as to your devotion and loyalty.  The opposite seems true in Lancaster County.  There is such an (unspoken) aversion to things nationalistic that prayers replace pledge of allegiances at sporting events and flags are replaced by barren walls.  As in all things, the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle.  It is just striking to live in the two extremes and see what each person understands as being adopted to the culture in which you live.  This is why it is much more appropriate to speak about being adopted into the family of Christ, that is where our devotion and our loyalty lies.  All else is secondary, but we are allowed secondary pleasures.

I wasn’t planning on talking about the above issue because there are so many other topics that scream for attention in these verses.  Predestination is touched upon here by Paul.  I want you to look closely for the verses in this Scripture that say that some were predestined for damnation.  Look again if you didn’t find any.  Again, look, and if you still don’t find any then take my word that there aren’t any.  There has been a misconception and a misconstruction of predestination that it signifies that God has chosen some for salvation and others for damnation.  Paul states in vs.29: “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.”  I think we established previously the truth of John 3:16 where we read that God so loved the world…, remember it is the world that he foreknew and that he predestined to be conformed to the image of Jesus.  Here is a little quiz…How were each of us created?  Were we not all created in the image of God?  Were we not chosen by God, all of us, to be His children?  I didn’t say anything about those who received and accepted that invitation to be his children, I just asked whom did God choose?  The answer to that question is all of humanity.  While we were yet sinners, all of us, Jesus chose to die for us.  So…this prevents us from creating a false sense of separation between those who are chosen and those who are not because here Paul tells us, reminds us really, that we have all been chosen.  God has predestined all of us for His kingdom.  That is the Providence of God that we tend to forget when we try to delineate between those who are in and those who are out.  It is only God who separates the sheep from the goats.  

Paul then wonderfully reminds us of a truth that has marked the way that I live my life and I pray that I will always live according to this principle found in vs.31: “If God is for us, then who can be against us…?”  This principle allows us to pursue the greatest verse in Scripture, John 8:32 which tells us that we shall know the truth and the truth shall set us free.  Trust me, they are related.  When we live our lives according to the principle that no one in our life can be against us when God is for us, then it frees us to do…, well…, anything.  There is nothing that we are prevented from doing.  There should never be a time in our life when we should say: I can’t do it.  You may not want to go through the trouble to try to do certain things, but I tell you that yes you can do it.  No one has the right to tell you that you can’t do anything.  I love that freedom that comes with that concept.  If we are in the Word and in prayer then it should become fairly self evident what the will of God is.  Don’t misunderstand that last statement as arrogance.  Rather, it is a concept that if we are in Christ, then our desire and our will would naturally be conformed to Christ’s desire.  Our will should then become God’s will.  Our desire will then become God’s desire.  What we hate should be what God hates.  That is true as well.  

One of the greatest verses in Romans we passed right over.  Look at vs.28.  Do you believe it?  All things work together for good for those who trust in the Lord.  I’ll never forget when I was discussing the providence of God in seminary and one woman told me: “Explain to me how being raped 4 times before the age of 18 works for the good of God?”  What would you say?  Here is someone who had experienced life in such a way that could only be explained as a nightmare and a tragedy, while this young man (me) who had lived a Pollyannish life could blithely say that God is good, all the time…all the time, God is good.  But don’t lose the context of Paul’s statement.  He is talking about exactly what my classmate expressed.  Paul is in the midst or at least is heading to talk about: “hardship, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword”.  None of that can separate from the love of God.  Not even being raped 4 times before the age of 18.  That tragedy cannot be blithely explained away, but it also does not, somehow, fall outside of the Providence of God.  

Take comfort in vss. 37-39.  Just basque in its glow.

I want to focus on the verse 15.  How many times have you said, I know what I’m supposed to do, but for some reason I just keep making the same mistake, or, in most cases, I keep committing the same sin?  This is exactly what Paul is talking about here.  Every single one of us knows what we are supposed to do.  We all know that we can’t just will to do the right thing.  Only with putting ourselves in the hands of our Savior do we even have a chance.  In vs. 15 he speaks for us when he says: “I don’t understand my actions.”  I don’t understand why I keep going back to that which I know is going to harm me.  Again, our will is not able to force our actions to change.  It is almost as if sin is an addiction that if we just try to fight on our own, we cannot overcome it.  Vs.24 Paul calls himself a wretched man and in desperation asks the question: who is going to save me.  The answer comes in vs. 25.  

Let’s go back to the first part of this Scripture.  It is always interesting to me when I discuss divorce with people who for most other issues have fairly orthodox and conservative approaches to Scripture.  If they have been married to one person all of their life then they can sign on to this Scripture, if they have lived through the trauma of a divorce, for that is what it is, then they have a very different understanding.  If you will notice that Paul’s approach is coming strictly from the obligations that the woman would have.  If her husband dies then she is freed.  If her husband is alive then she is bound.  Jesus also addressed divorce and he added a caveat: “except for unchastity”, but this was from the perspective of the man.  The man should not divorce except for the case of unchastity.  So where does that leave us?

It is universally known that men and women did not have the same rights in Jesus’ day.  He had to speak about them separately because they were viewed and judged separately under the law.  The woman did not have the power to divorce, but she could be divorced.  The ability for a man to divorce his wife was unlimited.  So…imagine what would happen if a woman woke up one morning and for no reason of their own, was kicked out of the house, divorced.  Paul says she should not remarry, Jesus says the man should not have divorced her in the first place.  In Paul’s scenario the woman is left with no place to go, is not allowed to marry to have a home to protect her.  In Jesus’ scenario the man should not divorce his wife.  It is here where Scripture is not as clear and black and white as we would like it to be.  As a result, we are given the freedom to continue to follow the Holy Spirit and see where it leads us in regards to divorce and remarriage.  There are other areas of Scripture that give us this freedom where we do not see a message that is always consistent with itself and so we must discern the movement and the voice of the Holy Spirit in the text.

For this reason within the Presbyterian Church, and in my own theology, divorce is never the desired result, but sometimes it is the necessary one.  When it needs to become, or has become the result, I’m going to allow myself to give the benefit of the doubt to those who are in my midst that they are following God’s will.  It isn’t complicated when you are dealing with people and when Scripture gives you the freedom of interpretation that doesn’t contradict His Holy Word.

Can we start with vs.23?  Go back and read that again, okay, if you don’t want to go back I’ll include it here: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Do you see that beautiful juxtaposition where Paul includes the promise of what God will do for us.  But, do you notice where he starts?  Again, we start at the place where we need to recognize our limitations.  Let me be more precise, he begins by lifting up our sinfulness and ends with the grace of God which is free and which ultimately leads to eternal life.

But if we were talking about grace and how important it is to recognize that it is free, and that it is the most evident when it is held up against the foil of sin, then, as Paul states, maybe we should sin more and more just in order to received more and more grace.  I know, that sounds ridiculous to us, but there is some logic to that.  The beginning of chapter 6 is used routinely for both baptisms and funerals.  In baptisms we are reminded that Jesus died for our sins and as a result we are baptized into his death.  Does that make sense to you?  Let me explain.  Jesus’ death produces the defeat of sin because of the resurrection.  In our baptism we are proclaiming that we have a new Lord and so we, in turn, die to sin.  So, if we have died to sin then we should not let sin reign in our lives.  In funerals we are reminded of the powerful message of the resurrection.  There is more to life than this life.

I think we need to go back to vs. 23.

I find myself in Jacksonville, Florida on nearly a week of leave to re-energize and refresh and read and go to the river and pray.  No, literally, I’ve already done that today.  Here is a picture below.  

Part of my time here I have also decided to read the book that a friend of mine wrote called Grace Without God.  As you can tell from the title she is part of the Nones generation and has no religious affiliation.  The overriding question in the book (at least from my conversation with her since I haven’t started reading the book) is how do those who are not affiliated to church and also to God (I know, two different things but for her they would be the same thing) still be able to get the joy from fellowship and still have a sense of grace.  I will be curious as to what insight she has and match it with the relevance that we still have as an institutional church.  We do have relevance, and I can see it every day through each one of you.  How does someone without that point of reference be able to see that same kind of relevance, but without God?  It’s a great question and hopefully before this trip is over I’ll come back with some kind of answer.  

Paul talks a lot about grace in this chapter.  It really is the Grace chapter for Romans.  He begins by repeating that we have been justified, made right before God, by faith, not by our works.  Then in vs.2 he begins to talk about Grace and we see how important it truly is.  He calls God’s Grace that upon which we stand.  You remember that hymn…On Christ the Solid Rock I stand.  That solid rock is the grace of God that forgives us even while we were yet sinners.  Jump now to vs.8.  This is an extraordinary verse for me.  Anyone would die for someone who deserves it.  We would all die for our spouses and our children.  But if we saw someone whom we didn’t trust and was foul mouthed, and was antithetical to everything for which we stood, it might be hard to stand in front of a moving train to save his life if our life is put in danger.  But that is exactly who we are (remember, we have to begin with the fact that we are sinners), and that is exactly what Jesus did for us.  

Don’t gloss over the whole Adam and Jesus discussion.  Jesus has always been described as the second Adam.  This is true in the sense that through Adam sin entered into the world, and through Jesus’ righteousness, justification became a part of our reality.  Let’s talk about the sin that entered the world through Adam.  Yes, I know, Eve ate the apple, but both of them, Adam and Eve were guilty.  Remember, in the Hebrew the word Adamah means dirt and Adam can mean man or better yet, humanity.  So if we talk about Adam and the sin that entered the world we have to talk about original sin.  Now, this is where my potential non-orthodoxy enters the picture.  

I do not believe, as St. Augustine said, that every single one of us is born a sinner from birth.  We are created in sin according to St. Augustine.  I don’t believe that.  We are born, each one of us, with a propensity for sin.  We are born with a seemingly irreversible desire and attraction for sin which will inexorably lead us to sin.  But, we are still born in the image of God, and that image is perfect.  As Calvin states, that image is so cloudy and obfuscated that it is almost impossible to see.  It is almost as if we are born with sin, but we are not.  We are born with an undeniable momentum that will carry us toward sin.  For me that is far different from saying that we are born with sin attached.  God makes us in His own image and hopes beyond hope that we will not turn away from Him.  But sadly, we do.  

But take heart!  Just as freely as we sin, so freely, as vs.15 following reminds us, do we receive the gift of salvation.  This is so important to remember.  Jesus died for us without strings attached.  Vs. 18 is the verse that reminds us that even though we sin, Jesus’ justification covers it, completely.  

Paul lays out a great argument in regards to how our salvation comes not from the fulfillment of the law or checking of any boxes, but rather through faith which is  by grace.  Not even faith, not even the words: “I believe”, is a direct ticket into heaven.  Those words and the act of faith is not an act that would deserve our salvation.  As Paul states in vs. 4 wages are something that we expect after we work.  It doesn’t work that way with salvation.  It doesn’t work that way for those who want to inherit eternal life.  It is the relationship that we have with God which allows us to become co-heirs with Abraham to the promises that God made to him years ago.  This is Paul’s argument.  

Look at the latter part of this chapter.  Especially starting at vs.22 where Paul lays out the case that Abraham was seen as righteous by God even before his act of circumcision.  It was not as if the moment that Abraham was circumcised then, and only then, did God see him as righteous.  No, the circumcision was a sign that Abraham was God’s child.  Now circumcision for us today as Christians has been replaced by the sacrament of baptism.  We no longer see circumcision as the sign that God has chosen us.  That is a good thing otherwise all the women out there would be out of luck.  Baptism is the sign and seal of God claiming us as his children.  So, in regards to baptism, is the act of being baptized what saves us?  Is the statement that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior that which saves us?  Absolutely not, but rather the faith that God through his grace places upon us.  This is the salvation that comes from God primarily and exclusively for those who would call out His name.

Vs. 24 spells that out very, very clearly.  Those who believe in the one who raised Jesus from the dead will be reckoned, or considered, as righteous.  I’m going to leave you with that thought, and a clip of the choir that my daughter Naomi has been travelling with over the last three weeks.  It’s in Rio.  She’s the blonde one in the botttom right corner of the choir.   It is a powerful video: https://youtu.be/EArTu37c0xI

Romans 3:23 is another one of those memory verses that take us down the “Roman Road”.  You may not have heard of the Roman Road.  It is an evangelistic tool usually used by the more, should I say it, fundamentalist branch of the Christian faith.  Here is a link if you wanted to follow the Roman Road.  

https://www.teenmissions.org/resources/roman-road-to-salvation/

All have fallen short of the glory to God is the basis of our understanding of who we are, quickly followed by, God so loved the world.  I do think, however, we need to have the Romans 3:23 verse in there before we have the John 3:16.  Our abject sinfulness needs to be recognized before we can do any good at all.  

Then Paul rattles off Romans 3:28 which was the basis for the Reformation which reminds us that we are saved by faith and not by any works at all.  Especially not the works of the law.  Let’s be clear that it does seem like Paul seems to be backtracking a little in these verses compared to how in the past couple chapters he has been a real champion of the gentiles.  He begins by laying out the history of the people of Israel and how God has, not had, chosen them to be His people.  They are the chosen people.  It all makes the most sense that the people who have come from Abraham accept and understand who Jesus is because he has come along that line.  The fact that we are saved by faith apart from any work of the law applies to not just the gentiles, but the Jew as well.  Chapter 3 contains the basic Gospel message that we would do well to hear and understand.