SOAP 05/26/2012; Romans 7:16

Today's reading: Proverbs 1,2,3; Romans 7
     
S)"¹⁶ But if I do the very thing I do not want to do, I agree with the Law, confessing that the Law is good."
     

Romans 7:16 (NASB)

     

O) This is truly the mark of a child of God. Christians aren't perfect, that's not what it means to be born again. But, this verse highlights that, when we're reborn in Christ, we're suddenly in conflict with our sinful behavior. In this passage of verses (14-20), Paul is separating sinful acts from beliefs. He's clarifying that, as children of God, we know that sin is harmful and wrong, and that we need to resist temptation, and we agree with God's way being the right way. But it's still hard because our flesh is still sinful in its nature. So, then the fight and struggle to maintain purity (in all sin, not just sexual sin as that word is often used), that fight is the sign that we've been reborn. That internal struggle is not the evidence that we're not doing well - quite the opposite. The fact that sin feels... wrong... to our soul, that's evidence that God's work is still within us.
     
A) I am able to acknowledge that everything is a struggle of wills. Ultimately, because of free-will, everything I do is only because I want to do it. But, at the same time, I know that when temptations are in my face, I'm just not always thinking clearly. Ultimately, in those moments of failed temptation, I am conceding my fight for what feels good. I am mortgaging my life for my lusts (again, not just sexual). So, what am I to do with this? I need to continue to verbalize my confession that the Law is good. God's way is supremely, infinitely better than my way. I need to acknowledge that in everything I do. Keeping this truth in the forefront of my mind makes it impossible for me to be deceived in temptation by satan or my own flesh.

     

P) Father, Your holy ways are good. Your Law is good. Your will is life to me. Let me acknowledge these truths constantly and Holy Spirit, especially when I am facing temptation, remind me of these truths. Holy Spirit, give me warning when I will be facing particular temptation, by reminding me of the truth that is in this Word. Alert me and remind me, even before temptation comes my way. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 05/25/2012; Romans 6:23

Today's reading: 1 Kings 10; 2 Chronicles 9; Psalms ??; Romans 6
     
S)"²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
     

Romans 6:23 (NASB)

     

O) Romans just hits such amazing points about God's grace and our salvation! It's no wonder believers have used tools like the Romans Road to Salvation (which is a handy string of verses through Romans that lays out the path of salvation). As a matter of fact, this verse is the second step in that path (Romans 3:23, 6:23, 5:8, 10:9, 8:1).
     
A) The thing that is so important to me about this verse is the reminder that sin is bad because it brings death! All sin, too, not just the "really bad sins." All sin harms, that's why it's bad. God isn't making arbitrary rules for me to follow. He's not trying to make me jump through hoops. He sets His way before me because it leads to life and prevents harm. I need to remember that, especially when I'm faced with temptation.

     

P) Father, thank You for this free gift of life, God. Let me honor that gift by fighting to hold onto the purity You have established in me. Holy Spirit, when I am tempted, and I know temptation will continue to come my way, remind me of this verse. Remind me of the simple truth that sin brings death. Let me be fully convinced of this, so that my convictions of the Truth are reflected in my actions. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 05/24/2012; Romans 5:7-8

Today's reading: 2 Chronicles 6,7; Psalms 135; Romans 4
     
S)" ⁷ For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. ⁸ But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
     

Romans 5:7-8 (NASB)

     

O) There are lots of stories and religious texts about self-sacrifice. People willing to sacrifice themselves to save a good man. Heroes who sacrifice themselves in utilitarian fashion, to save the many innocent lives. But, Jesus is unique in this one. Nowhere else, that I've ever seen, read, or heard, has the good guy sacrificed himself to save the bad guy. In Trip Lee's song, One Sixteen, Andy Mineo put's it this way, it's "the hero dyin for the villain." (that's at 2:45).
     
A) The problem, I think, is that most people don't want to recognize that they are, in fact, the villain. But that's the sobering truth of it. Until coming to Christ, I was an enemy to God. I lived my way, not His. I was in rebellion to His kingdom and denial of His sovereignty. Furtheromore, because my actions were really only death to my soul, I was my own worst enemy. I was my own archrival. I was the final boss, the evil twin, the villain in my story. But, then there is this beautiful truth. I hold onto this wonderful promise, this aspect of God which does not change, this testimony to His love for me. I wasn't just "unclean" I was noxious. Yet, in the middle of all my own garbage, His love was so great that He decided to trade His only begotten Son, so that I could live. Jesus volunteered to take the punishment and guilt for my mistakes - not because I was innocent, not because I had potential, not because I had redeeming qualities, but only because of His love for me. I was not a diamond in the rough, I simply had a heart of coal. I'm not trying to vilify who I was. By many measures, I was an ok guy. But in retrospect, my thanks are eternal.

     

P) Father, Your love is grace beyond reason. I can never justify my sins to You, but I thank You that I am not made to try. You know my mistakes; You knew them before I made them. Not only did you know all of the sins that Jesus was redeeming, You knew all the sins that He would redeem. I know I'm likely to sin again, until perfection comes in full it is my plight as a human. But You also knew every mistake I'd make, and You still do. Even knowing that I will sin again, You choose to love me. I commit to the pursuit of righteousness before You, and I thank You for the mercies and grace You've committed to me. Holy Spirit, when the enemy tries to come in to condemn me, when that accuser of the bretheren tries to convince me that my sins are too great, remind me of this simple truth. The love of my Father covers every sin I have already committed and, while repentant, every sin I was ever going to commit Thank You. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 05/23/2012; Romans 4:17b

Today's reading: 2 Chronicles 6,7; Psalms 135; Romans 4
     
S)"¹⁷ ... God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. "
     

Romans 4:17b (NASB)

     

O) I don't often highlight only a portion of a verse, but the first half of this one is still then end of a larger statement about Abraham's faith. The thing that jumped out at me, though, was this snippet about the nature of who God is. Abraham's faith was credited as righteousness, just as ours is also. But, while our faith is based on Jesus being the only Son of God, crucified in innocence as the sacrifice for all sin, raised from the dead by His own triumph over sin and death - this is the simplicity of Abraham's faith - he simply knew that God could do anything, including giving life to the dead and calling things into being which did not exist. That last bit literally translates this way, "calls the things which do not exist as existing." In other words, when God tells us something and we respond in the likeness of, "But that's not... but it can't... but there is no..." God is telling us, "Yes." because He is God and He is not a liar and He is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, all-powerful, and eternal.
     
A) This is who God is and I will do well to remember. Standing on this verse, my faith will increase. When I'm facing something that looks, even literally and physically impossible, I need to remember that He is bigger. When there seems to be no way, no solution, or simply nothing, I need to remember that if He says there is, then there is. It's as simple as choosing faith beyond my own perception, reason, or knowledge.

     

P) Father, I would almost call You incredible, but You are, in fact, quite the opposite. You are very, very credible. You are flawlessly credible. Holy Spirit, keep this verse in my mind when I am facing the impossible. Remind me, when I cannot see the way, that the way still exists according to the word of the LORD. I will choose this day to believe in the nonexistent, according to Your word, LORD. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 05/22/2012; 1 Kings 8:60-61

Today's reading: 1 Kings 8; 2 Chronicles 5; Psalms 99; Romans 3
     
S)"⁶⁰ so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no one else. ⁶¹ Let your heart therefore be wholly devoted to the LORD our God, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments, as at this day."
     

1 Kings 8:60-61 (NASB)

     

O) Everyone makes mistakes, but that's not the same thing as hypocrisy. Most people in the world seem to have such disdain for Christianity because they see people talking like they love God, but then they seem to live however they want with little remorse. There's no evidence that Christianity is any different than so many other religions of the world at that point. But, when a person devotes their heart wholly over to God, committing to walk in His statutes, keeping His commandments, living life His way, completely, that is when the LORD can reveal Himself as the only true and living God. This is because it's at that time that the believer will be born again. There are a lot of people who are professing the name of God, but they are not truly born again. They claim the name of Christ, calling themselves "Christians" and they say that He's their God, but they're not fully devoted to Him. Because of that distance between their words and their actions, the God they profess appears fake to the world. Everyone sins, even authentic, born-again Christians. The difference is a repentant and devoted heart.
     

A) I want my devotion to the LORD to be self-evident. I want people to recognize that there is true change, true rebirth, true redemption that can be had through faith and devotion to the LORD. I want people to know, based on my actions more than my words, that healing in Jesus Christ is real, that hope in Him is real, that life in Him is real. Religion never did anything for me, but the LORD changed my life.

     

P) Father, Your work in me is amazing still. When I reflect on the way I have changed in You, I'm perplexed by Your grace. I pray that those who knew me then are able to see me now, not as a man trying to be righteous, not as a man pretending to have it all together. I pray they see me as a man, allowing myself to be changed, continually, in the hands of my Maker. For those who didn't know me when I was broken, who didn't know me when I was vile, I pray that I have opportunity to share with them the changes You put in me. Holy Spirit, whenever people look at my life, I pray they see that the LORD lives and He is good and submission to Him means life to them. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 05/21/2012; Romans 2:4

Today's reading: 1 Kings 7; 2 Chronicles 4; Psalms 98; Romans 2
     
S)"⁴ Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?"
     

Romans 2:4 (NASB)

     

O) The book of Romans is very deep and everything about it kind of runs together. It's actually very hard to pull one verse out and discuss it, without discussing the whole chapter, but I did single out this verse because it makes one thing clear - our Father would rather use positive reinforcement as a means to discipline us, rather than negative reinforcement. But, we can't take that for granted. His goodness to us is to lead us to repentance, but if we are not living the way He's calling us to live, we cannot take His goodness for granted.
     

A) Put simply, I need to continue to submit my life to the Father's will, choosing His way over my way. I should celebrate His goodness to me, but never take it for granted. I will remain conscious of His patience with me, and the way He tolerates my insufficiency while I strive to maintain in the mold of His Son. I will remain thankful for the riches of His kindness and let it lead me to repentance.

     

P) Father, thank You for this mercy, which frees me from my debt. Thank You for this grace, which enables me to stand in Your presence, it provides me with life in Jesus. In this grace I found the wife You intended me to have, even though I was foolish and irresponsible. This grace gave me a family, and precious children. Yet, while my mistakes still do me harm and my errors still cause damage, You continue to give me grace, You continue to give me mercy. Let me remain ever-repentant in the errors of my ways. Holy Spirit, continue to reveal to me all the ways I receive mercy and grace, so that I am never taking it for granted, this life I have from the Father. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

SOAP 05/20/2012; 1 Kings 6:7

Today's reading: 1 Kings 6; 2 Chronicles 3; Psalms 97; Romans 1
     
S)"⁷ In building the temple, only blocks dressed at the quarry were used, and no hammer, chisel or any other iron tool was heard at the temple site while it was being built."
     

1 Kings 6:7 (NASB)

     

O) First, this seemed interesting to me simply from a logistics point of view. It's pretty crazy that they were able to prepare all of the elements and components of such a large and specifically detailed structure, with such precision that it needed no tools to adjust on-site. Then, I started to really think this verse through. It's such a stand-alone verse, in that the preceding and subsequent verses don't really expound on the reasons why no iron was used at the temple location. So, I think there could be a few different things involved. Maybe the iron would defile it somehow, or it was a testament to the divine nature of the plans and preparation, to say that God clearly had His hand in the work. I think there could have been an element of the first, and certainly could have been an element of the second, but then I thought of another verse... in 1 Kings 19:11-13, Elijah meets God, not in the earthquake, not in the fire, but in the gentle blowing; he met Him in a whisper. God values loud praise, like at Jericho, but with us He desires intimacy and that often involves quiet times.
     

A) I need to practice more quiet time. I have all the cliche reasons about time or availability or location or kids, but ultimately, none of those actually excuse it. I'm not going to berate myself here, because there are many, many fundamental disciplines involved in serving God, and it's important for me to keep balance. I simply want to recognize that I do some better than others, and try to bring some of the weaker spots up a few notches. This is one of them. I want to practice times of quiet before the LORD. I think I'll implement a schedule for that. I'll start with 15 minutes, once a week, of just pure quietness before the LORD. Nothing heard at my temple, while I meet with my God.

     

P) Father, I want to have intimacy with You, the way I know You desire intimacy with me. I know that all fathers desire time with their children, more than those children desire time with their parents, and I know we are no exception with You. I don't know if it's even possible for me to want You with the same level of passion, commitment, and drive that You desire me, but I want it to be closer. I want to want You more and more. Holy Spirit, reveal to me, even tonight, even in a dream, reveal to me how and when I should arrange quiet time. Give me wisdom to arrange my schedule for success with that. I want to be strong in a new discipline for You, Father. Help me be successful with it. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.