All posts by Luella Campbell

ROMANS…THE PROBLEM – 13

Bible Study, ,

The theory of what God has done about sin is all very well but…what do we do about our sin in practice? Just because God has dealt with sin through Jesus doesn’t mean that sin is no longer an issue in our lives. We still have to live with the old nature that pulls us towards sin and away from the righteousness that God has given us. 

“Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace?”

Does the fact that God has shown us His grace mean that it doesn’t matter if we still sin because through God’s grace, we have forgiveness and Jesus’ righteousness? Doesn’t our sinning enhance God’s grace?

Paul’s answer…

If we think that way, our perspective is wrong. We have completely misunderstood grace. Grace does not mean that our sin doesn’t matter any more. Grace means that we are no longer the slaves of sin. 

“Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭1‬-‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

God’s grace means that He has dealt with sin in two ways…

First, Jesus died to pay sin’s debt, bringing forgiveness,  reconciliation, and a right relationship with the Father. Grace deals with our past. 

Second, Jesus died to break sin’s power over us now. Grace also deals with our present. How does this happen? Jesus didn’t only die for us…we died with Him. Our baptism in water was a declaration, a witness,  and a symbolic action that we were crucified with Him. 

“Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭3‬-‭4‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Baptism, as well as being a witness to our faith in Jesus, is also a powerful spiritual reality…a cut off point…a line in the sand…a before-and-after demonstration

of what has happened to us in real terms. Our old self with its sinfulness is dead and buried. We rose again to new life. 

“Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭5‬:‭17‬ ‭CEV‬‬

So, Paul says, this is what has actually happened. 

“Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him….When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭5‬-‭8‬, ‭10‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Now, the way to live in this new reality is to change the way we think. How do we do that? 

“Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭12‬-‭14‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Can you see what Paul is saying? First, do not let…that is, do not allow… When we allow something to happen, we give it permission by doing nothing to stop it. We simply keep living our old way without thinking about it. 

We must learn to repent…that is…to return to God’s way…the way to live as He has set out in His Word. The difference for us is that, now, sin can no longer keep us in slavery. We are free not to sin but to obey Jesus through the Spirit in us.

This way is a choice. 

“…Give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭13‬b ‭NLT‬‬

We are continually being confronted with choices. Do I do what is natural to my old nature or do I choose to obey the Lord? I am no longer obliged to choose sin. I can choose to obey the Lord, and the Holy Spirit in me will give me power to do what I have chosen. 

However, there is something even more important to consider. There is a problem! What we choose leads us into slavery! 

What! 

I thought Jesus set us free from sin? Yes, He did but…how we behave leads us into another kind of slavery. 

“Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living….Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper into sin. Now you must give yourselves to be slaves to righteous living so that you will become holy.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭16‬, ‭19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Slaves are people who have no right or control over their own lives. They can’t do as they please because someone else owns them. The issue for us, then, is…who owns us?

“But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭22‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“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 ‭6‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jesus bought us with His own blood. We don’t belong to sin any more. We belong to righteousness. We are Jesus’  slaves. He is our Master. We have His Spirit in us, guiding us and giving us the power to make the right choices and to do the right thing. When we give ourselves to Him, we learn to live out, more and more, the righteousness He gave us. 

Paul ends this 

section with a warning…

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭23‬ ‭NLT‬‬

If we keep on sinning, we will earn sin’s wages…death. If we love Jesus, we will enjoy the life He gives to us as a gift of His grace…His life working in and through us. 

To be continued

ROMANS…THE TWO ADAM’S – 12

Bible Study, ,

“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—…Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.

“But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭12‬, ‭14‬-‭17‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Paul continues his theme of God’s righteousness by contrasting what Adam’s sin did with what God’s grace through Jesus does…the first and the last Adam. 

“So it is written: “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam, a life-giving spirit.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭15‬:‭45‬ ‭NIV‬‬

God breathed His Spirit into the first Adam…a clay mould of Himself…and Adam became a living person but… he fell into sin…and his sin was passed on to the entire human race. 

Jesus came to earth in the form of a human baby, in the image of the first Adam, sinless, but able to sin. He never sinned. He died as a sinner… and rose from the dead.  He has passed on to everyone who receives, by faith, the gift of His righteousness, the fullness of His life that never ends. 

Two Adams…Adam and Jesus.  Two outcomes…sin and righteousness.

Two ways…law and grace. 

Two destinies…death and life. 

These are not two opposites. They can never be because what grace did for sinners goes far beyond what sin did to people. 

Death is the inevitable result of sin. Sin is what humans do because they are sinners. God can never live with sin. Since humans are all sinners, they are forever cut off from God but…God made people for fellowship with Himself. We can do nothing by ourselves to bridge the gap, but God did something out of Himself that only He could do…He showed mercy. 

So, wrote Paul…

Adam’s sin brought death to all…Grace brings life. 

“But there is a great difference between Adam’s sin and God’s gracious gift. For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭15‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Adam’s sin brought condemnation   on the many…God’s grace brings forgiveness and righteousness to many. 

“And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭16‬ ‭NLT‬‬

And…through Adam, death rules over all. Through Jesus, all who receive God’s grace live victoriously over sin and death. 

“For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭17‬ NLT

Although Adam’s one sin brought devastation to the whole human race, God’s grace brought forgiveness, reconciliation, restoration, and new life to all who receive Jesus by faith. Jesus overcame death, cancelled the debt of sin, broke sin’s power over us, and gave us His righteousness and His life in union with Him. There is nothing more He needs to do to complete what He has completed. 

To be continued

ROMANS…THE OUTCOMES – 11 c

Bible Study, ,

The third of the outcomes of our standing in grace is what I have called “purpose”. 

“…through whom (Jesus) we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

What does “we boast in the hope of the glory of God” mean? It seems that Paul is pointing to something that lies in the future for us. It’s a hope, certain, but not yet…something we anticipate with confidence. 

What are we anticipating which confidence? The glory of God! This could be a nice idea but completely vague unless we get a picture of this “glory” from the Bible itself. 

“The primary Hebrew word for “glory” is כָּבוֹד (pronounced kavod or kabod). 

At its root, kavod literally means weight, heaviness, or substance. In ancient Hebrew culture, a person’s “weight” represented their wealth, influence, and honor. When applied to God, kavod describes the awe-inspiring, tangible presence and majesty of the divine.” 

“Here are the key dimensions of kavod:

  • Substance & Presence: Unlike a fleeting shadow or a beam of light, God’s glory in the Bible refers to a heavy, undeniable, and physical-like presence that fills space.
  • Honor & Esteem: It conveys the respect, honor, and reverence that is due to a person or, most importantly, to God.
  • Radiance: While the root is “weight,” it is often associated with brilliant light, splendor, and dazzling magnificence.

(Source: Google AI)

God’s glory…His full weight…has as its outcome, the worship He deserves for who He is. 

Now, in Paul’s writings, there are two dimensions to God’s glory…the weight of who He is, and the weight of who or what His creation is destined to be because of who He is. 

First, despite the results of the Fall, creation will be restored to its original purpose when Jesus returns. 

“For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭19‬-‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In tandem with the restoration of God’s children to their original purpose, creation will be restored and perfected as it was in the beginning. 

Second, in a surprising way, God is restoring His distorted image in His children. His purpose is to have a family of sons and daughters who are the exact replicas of Jesus. 

“For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭29‬ ‭NIV‬‬

God’s way of restoring the image of Jesus in His sons and daughters is unexpected and painful, but effective. 

“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭3‬-‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Suffering! The very thing that causes unbelievers to doubt God’s love and even question His existence, is the way He trains His people for holiness. 

 “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.””

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭4‬-‭6‬ ‭NIV‬‬

First, then, hardship and suffering are for sons. It depends on the way we view our suffering. We can resent and resist or submit and learn. 

“Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Second, suffering has a divine purpose…

“Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭9‬-‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

How does this happen?

“Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.”

‭‭I Peter‬ ‭4‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Again, I have purposely chosen the NKJV because it accurately translates the word “sarx” meaning “flesh”. In Scripture, flesh mostly refers to our fallen human nature. As we have already discovered, Jesus suffered “in the flesh” because He was tempted to retaliate to injustice out of His human nature which, in His case, was not sinful but could have been sinful had He not trusted the Father for vindication. 

Suffering, then, can either make us bitter or better.  God uses suffering to train us to submit to and to trust Him rather than to act or react out of our sinful nature because He wants us to be like Jesus. Holiness is His goal for us…situation from sin to be set apart for Him. 

The three outcomes we have examined…peace, privilege, and purpose…summarise the nature of our standing in grace with God. God’s grace, revealed in what Jesus has done for us by dying for sin in our place, releases all the benefits of salvation which we enjoy now in part…called “eternal life”…and will be fully experienced in the life to come. 

To be continued

ROMANS…THE OUTCOMES – 11b

Bible Study, ,

The second of the three major outcomes of our standing in grace is what the New Living Testament translation calls “privilege”. 

“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.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

“Privilege” may not be an accurate translation of the Greek word “histami”, meaning “to stand”, but it points to the benefits we enjoy because of the grace in which we stand. Again, since we are the objects of God’s favour, He has blessed us with innumerable privileges denied to those who are not in Christ. 

Paul sets out these “spiritual blessings” in lavish language in Ephesians, each one for His “good pleasure”. Everything God does for us is about Him. He is pleased with what He has done for us and has given to us. 

Look at this list of blessings…

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace which he lavished on us…

…And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,”

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭3-8a, 13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…every spiritual blessing…all the doing words in this statement. He has “done” for us what makes Him glad. 

He chose us to be holy and blameless…

Despite who we are in Adam, He chose us to be transformed into the likeness of Jesus in this life… and we will be like Him when we see Him as He is. 

“Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

He predestined us for adoption as His sons…

When He chose us, God had an idea in mind. He wanted a family of legally adopted sons and daughters, who would be replicas of His son.

“For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭14‬-‭16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

True sonship implies that we  belong to Jesus through His death and our new birth. We have a name, a home, and an inheritance. 

We have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins…

“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭1‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We are no longer slaves to sin, and living under Satan’s influence and control. We have been moved out of darkness and transferred into the realm of God’s loving and benevolent rule. 

We were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit…

“Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭1‬:‭21‬-‭22‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The presence of God’s Spirit in us is His “engagement ring”, promising us that He has chosen us to be His bride and that Jesus will “marry” us when He returns. 

Theses four “spiritual blessings” encompass the gospel in its breadth and depth. They are the privileges that we have entered into as children of God. No one else on earth can claim these benefits. They belong to God’s children alone. 

To be continued

ROMANS…THE OUTCOMES -11a

Bible Study, ,

“Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 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.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

THEREFORE…the bridge between what has gone before and what follows. Paul summarises the benefits of our new status in Christ in three major themes… peace, privilege, and purpose. 

Our standing grace, to begin with, came about through God’s love for broken humanity. When we were utterly helpless and without hope, He stepped in and rescued us from our self-made destruction, not because we were good enough but because we were so bad that we needed His mercy to intervene. 

“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭6‬-‭8‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Now, since Jesus died in our place, we no longer bear the guilt of the fruit of our rebellion. Paul says that we have a “standing in grace”. We have been completely exonerated of guilt and fully and permanently accepted into God’s presence and purpose. 

What is the grace in which we stand? Grace is God’s settled attitude of undeserved favour towards us in which we abide and continue,  and through which we receive all the benefits of His salvation. This permanent standing is the testimony to our union with Jesus which began when we turned back to God from our own way,  (repented), and made the exchange of self-rule for Jesus as Lord, by faith. 

This standing in grace brings with it major changes inside. 

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

The first outcome of this new status is peace…not just inward serenity but complete wholeness because of restored relationships to God, others, and oneself. 

“In the Bible, peace is not merely the absence of conflict. It is a state of total well-being, wholeness, and harmony with God, others, and oneself. True peace comes from God, brings inner tranquility despite outward circumstances, and is grounded in justice and reconciliation.”

(Source: Google AI)

This peace is not dependent on what happens to us, good or bad. Its source is Jesus…it is His legacy for those who have chosen to lean all their weight on Him. 

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭27‬ ‭NIV‬‬

“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

‭‭John‬ ‭16‬:‭33‬ ‭NLT‬

Jesus gives this gift of peace to us not only when we believed but also in our day-to-day struggles. Again, to experience this peace,  we make an exchange…anxiety for peace and rest in our new standing with God and our union with Jesus as Lord. 

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬-‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This “maintenance” peace which we receive by honest confession in prayer, and gratitude for God’s love and goodness, garrisons us against the nitty-gritty of life in a fallen world. 

The gift of peace has another major benefit…it acts as a referee to monitor our thoughts and behaviour in the family of God like a ref in a ball game. Jesus’ peace helps us stay on track in our relationships with one another in the body of Christ. 

“Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.”

‭‭Colossians‬ ‭3‬:‭12‬-‭15‬ ‭NLT‬

Peace continues as we treat each other with love and respect.  Any “foul” in our lives in community together is quickly picked up by the Holy Spirit. He “blows the whistle” by temporarily withholding our peace. He stops our game, calls out the foul, and reminds us of the “rules”. Once the guilty party has made the correction, inward and outward peace is restored and the game can continue. 

How important, then, that we maintain our peace by dealing with inward anxieties, which call in question God’s faithfulness, and outward “fouls” in our relationships in the body of Christ. Peace within is a declaration that all is well between us and God and between us and one another. 

To be continued