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Tag: romans

The Mirror of Church Hypocrisy – 3
Therefore you have no excuse, O christian…

Do you suppose, O christian… —that you will escape the judgment of God?

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance?

But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

He will render to each one according to his works:

Dear unfaithful sister in the Lord — dear unrepentant brother in the Lord:

Do these verses from Romans 2 look vaguely familiar? (I only changed one word: ‘man‘ to ‘christian,’ meaning apostate, former worshiper of Jesus Christ.

Will YOU be convicted by the letter to the church at Rome? (Yes, we know that these words were written for unbelievers.)

The world cannot differentiate our hypocrisy from their sins.

REPENT!

Romans 1

English Standard Version (ESV)

“The righteous shall live by faith.”

God’s Wrath on Unrighteousness

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

O, dear christian, how we suppress the truth of our sin: HYPOCRISY!

19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.

So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Do YOU honor God? and thank the Lord?

OR is your worldly witness worthless to Christ?

22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions.
- For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature;
- 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another,
- men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error.
28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

29 They were filled with all manner of
- unrighteousness,
- evil,
- covetousness,
- malice.
- They are full of envy,
- murder,
- strife,
- deceit,
- maliciousness.
- They are gossips,
- 30 slanderers,
- haters of God,
- insolent,
- haughty,
- boastful,
- inventors of evil,
- disobedient to parents,
- 31 foolish,
- faithless,
- heartless,
- ruthless.
32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die,

they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.

Can you tell the truth (even to your self before God)?

HOW MANY of these SINS invade the lives of your ‘christian’ household and ‘christian family’ EVERY DAY?

None of these in any way describe Jesus Christ.

None of these of our sins describe the fruit of our witness before the world that our returning Bridegroom expects of His spotless bride, His Holy Church.

The earlier quotes from Romans 2 (a mirror on christians for us) are followed by more conviction:

11 For God shows no partiality.

22 You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery?

Romans 3:

Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written,

“That you may be justified in your words,
and prevail when you are judged.”

“None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”
13 “Their throat is an open grave;
they use their tongues to deceive.”

18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.

Romans 6

English Standard Version (ESV)

Dead to Sin, Alive to God

6 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 By no means!

How can we who died to sin still live in it?

This is the QUESTION for the mirror of EVERY soul claiming Christ Jesus?

3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

Let us confess our sin and bury it.

Let us not confess a righteousness not yet worked out by the fruit of grace.

Let us no more judge the sin we have not buried in Christ and cleansed for our returning Savior and Bridegroom of the Church.
April 2, 2014
How much do you owe God?

You think of every dollar, euro or yen you make as being yours – it is what you earned.

This is not a reminder of what you may owe the government on ‘tax day’ nor a reminder that our benevolent government may “refund” some money to you (as if you had not earned it instead of them).

This is not even a Biblical reminder that we are obligated to give one tenth of our income back to God (a tithe) and also give to Caesar what is Caesar’s (another tithe, or so…).

Jesus poses a question to us about what we owe to God; in this context, not so much as may be measured in dollars and cents, euros or any measure of gold, but what we fail to measure of God giving what they deserve to those who we think deserve something different.

Consider this:

What do you deserve from God?

(Should you expect a large refund?)

Luke 7

English Standard Version (ESV)

36 One of the Pharisees asked him to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 37 And behold, a woman of the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that he was reclining at table in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster flask of ointment, 38 and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment.

Let’s pause here for a moment from a story of which you may be too familiar.

Suppose Jesus comes over to your house? What would you have for dinner? Where would He sit? How would you welcome Jesus to eat at your table?

We are Pharisees. We know a lot about God and we know a lot about the Bible. Jesus, (of questionable parentage, from Nazareth) a sojourner in His own land, accepts your invitation to dinner. The crowds have been talking about Him and even fellow worshipers of God have witnessed miracles.

“Come in. Sit over here. Let’s talk about God. 🙂 ”

Now, a common prostitute slips in while you are eating! (You know her, because she came to church once, but is still plying her trade. {Of course, none of the men of the church hang out with here at the pub down the street.}) Before you can ask her to leave, she makes a scene directly with your guest. (What would God think?)

The woman has thrown herself on Jesus at His feet. (No doubt this woman has thrown herself at many men.) She is crying out to Jesus and caressing His feet. (Who knows what she may do next?) Then she splashes a large amount of expensive perfume over Jesus’ sandals and feet – the odor so great as to ruin the aroma of our well-prepared meal. What will this teacher of God do? Will He allow me, even ask me to throw her out of my house?

39 Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, for she is a sinner.”

40 And Jesus answering said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” And he answered, “Say it, Teacher.”

(Here it comes… Jesus’ permission for me to get rid of her.)

41 “A certain moneylender had two debtors. One owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 When they could not pay, he cancelled the debt of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

(What? This Jesus has gone back to talk about God and things of God as we were doing before. Maybe this so-called prophet couldn’t care less what’s going on here.

Let’s see… what answer?)

43 Simon answered, “The one, I suppose, for whom he cancelled the larger debt.” And he said to him, “You have judged rightly.”

(Of course. That was an easy one. But what is His point? I know this Rabbi is going somewhere with this. What does this comparison have to do with God? God is no moneylender. I guess the moneylender is like God. I think I would want both men to pay me back.)

Then Jesus looks down to His feet and the woman making the scene.

(Now, at last, He has had enough and will ask me to have her leave. I guess she has caused us no harm… only embarrassment.)

44 Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. 45 You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. 46 You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment.

(I should have welcomed Jesus. He is right: I was unsure of Him and did not treat Him as my guest of honor. But this woman! This is not her house. She should not even be here.)

47 Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” 48 And he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

(Remarkable! He did know. Now He’ll send her on her way. … “But he who is forgiven little, loves little.” The debtors! She is the debtor. Of course. She owes God much because of all of her sins.)

49 Then those who were at table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this, who even forgives sins?”

50 And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

(My guest has just told a prostitute, “Your sins are forgiven.” What can this mean? He said, “Your faith has saved you.” How can this be?)

Romans 1

English Standard Version (ESV)

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

God’s Wrath on Unrighteousness

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.

Romans 2

God’s Righteous Judgment

2 Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. 2 We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. 3 Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.

Two debtors: one, a repentant prostitute; the other, an unrepentant believer (expecting a refund).

Which are you?

Romans 3

No One Is Righteous

9 What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all.

For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, areunder sin, 10 as it is written:

“None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”

How much do you owe God?

For our Heavenly Father has sent His only Son to the cross for our sins – a great debt none can repay.

Yet, fellow sinner, we do owe Jesus our Lord much worship and love; love as unabashedly shown by the humility and repentance of the woman who bowed and wept at Jesus’ feet.

Though we are sinners and great debtors, Christ Jesus IS a great and gracious Lord.

Worship Him will all your love; for He sacrificed all of His love for you.

March 3, 2014
Tsadhe

Romans 3

English Standard Version (ESV)

God’s Righteousness Upheld – No One Is Righteous

10 as it is written:

“None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands;
no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;
no one does good,
not even one.”

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness…

Righteousness: As it is written in this section of Psalm 119

Tsadhe [TZADDI]

137 Righteous are you, O Lord,
and right are your rules.
138 You have appointed your testimonies in righteousness
and in all faithfulness.
139 My zeal consumes me,
because my foes forget your words.
140 Your promise is well tried,
and your servant loves it.
141 I am small and despised,
yet I do not forget your precepts.
142 Your righteousness is righteous forever,
and your law is true.
143 Trouble and anguish have found me out,
but your commandments are my delight.
144 Your testimonies are righteous forever;
give me understanding that I may live.

Righteousness is important to God.

From Treasury of Scripture Knowledge – excerpts:[Rom 3:10 KJV] 10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
[Rom 3:10 ESV] 10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;

[Rom 3:4 ESV] 4 By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written, “That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.”

[Isa 8:20 ESV] 20 To the teaching and to the testimony! If they will not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn.
[1Pe 1:16 ESV] 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

There –
[Psa 14:1-3 ESV] 1 To the choirmaster. Of David. The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good. 2 The LORD looks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. 3 They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.
[Psa 53:1-3 ESV] 1 To the choirmaster: according to Mahalath. A Maskil of David. The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, doing abominable iniquity; there is none who does good. 2 God looks down from heaven on the children of man to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. 3 They have all fallen away; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one.

none –
[Rom 3:23 ESV] 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
[Job 14:4 ESV] 4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? There is not one.
[Job 15:14, 16 ESV] 14 What is man, that he can be pure? Or he who is born of a woman, that he can be righteous? … 16 how much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks injustice like water!
[Job 25:4 ESV] 4 How then can man be in the right before God? How can he who is born of woman be pure?
[Jer 17:9 ESV] 9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
[Mat 15:19 ESV] 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.
[Mar 7:21-22 ESV] 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.
[Mar 10:18 ESV] 18 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.
[1Cr 6:9-10 ESV] 9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
[Gal 5:19-21 ESV] 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
[Eph 2:1-3 ESV] 1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience– 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
[Eph 5:3-6 ESV] 3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.
[Col 3:5-9 ESV] 5 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming. 7 In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. 8 But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices
[1Ti 1:9-10 ESV] 9 understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10 the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine,
[2Ti 3:2-5 ESV] 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
[Tts 3:3 ESV] 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.
[1Jo 1:8-10 ESV] 8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
[Rev 21:8 ESV] 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
[Rev 22:15 ESV] 15 Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

None is righteous. You are not. I am not.

Romans 5:19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.

February 3, 2014