On the Way to Wonder

         When we think of pros and cons, we might think of a piece of paper divided into two columns.  On one side are all the reasons for doing something and on the other side are all the reasons for not doing it.  Whichever side has the best reasons, we follow.  Or as kids, we pulled the petals off flowers saying, he loves me, he loves me not.  The last petal tells the answer.  I had students who firmly believed that if they died while angry, for sure they would never go to heaven.  Others think there might be an angel on each shoulder.  One writes down our good deeds and one writes our bad.  The longest list determines our fate in eternity.  Maybe we think of God like Santa Claus, making a list and checking it twice, wanting to see who’s naughty and who’s nice.

         Paul says it this way in Romans.

^“31 What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? ³² He who did not withhold his own Son, but gave him up for all of us, will he not with him also give us everything else? ³³ Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who is to condemn? It is Christ Jesus, who died, yes, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. (Romans 8:31-34)”

Paul asks who can bring a charge against us for to do so is to say God is wrong as he is the one who justifies us as a gift, through faith and the cross.  And also Jesus is standing with God, God incarnate who died for us and is interceding for us.  Can we get our minds and hearts around this truth?  We know that true friends stand with us when we are sick, when we are pregnant, when we have dementia, or when we can’t afford gifts.  O’Henry wrote the beloved Christmas story of a man who sold his family pocket watch to buy combs for his wife’s beautiful hair.  But she had sold her hair to buy him a gold chain for his watch.  God stands for us while we were yet sinners and justifies and redeems us.          Can you think of a time when a friend went out of their way to help you or surprised you with a special gift?  Paul asks, who can condemn a gift of love from a person who loves you like that.  Let’s thank God for his proactive love that “pays it forward.”  Paul says there can be no con side on God’s list.  He created, he incarnated, he wiped clean our debts and he waits for us to want relationship with him.  Thank you, Lord.

         In the movie Finding Forrester, Forrester, who wrote a famous book, is living the life of a recluse in an inner city Chicago apartment overlooking a basketball court local youths shot baskets at.  One boy, Jamal, is actually a gifted writer and Forester takes him under his wing.  One of the lines I remember is Forester encouraging the kid not to ask soup questions.  Ask questions to learn and not just create noise.  The Apostle Paul now strings together big, theological words that talk about Christian growth and words Christians have disagreed about and have divided about.  These are not soup words.

^“29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. ³⁰ And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 8:29-30)”

Foreknown, predestined, called, justified, and sanctified are all huge theological words that go way beyond the scope of a devotional but are indeed foundational to our faith and how we understand God’s love for us.  I heard this explanation that I like.  Similar to the builder of a house, a floor plan is drawn up before anything happens.  The dream is defined.  God, before creation, determined that the being, the humans, he created would grow to look like him, in his image or the image of his Son who was already the Word.  He determined he would interact with them, incarnate to them, call them into relationship. As we have been reading Paul, he argues that the ones who are in relationship are justified by faith as a gift not by earning the right to speak to God.  Sanctification is the growth in faith as we become more and more like Christ, culminating in eternity.  It is not dissimilar to a child that is born and us debating how much the child looks like either parent or other relative.  As the child grows, the child takes on more and more characteristics of the family as well as their own unique giftings.

         For me, the realization that God has a plan for life that leads to a good end of glory is comforting.  God forgives our flaws and keeps shaping us.  Our future has hope.  We are not chained to our past errors.  Also God is personally involved in molding us.  Creation is not a record of rights and wrongs written in some book in the heavenlies that will be held against us on judgment day.  We do not climb up to God but he incarnates and relates to us in this growth process.  Thirdly, these words imply to me that I keep my identity and do not reincarnate as a bug because of bad deeds or dissolve into perfection, uniting into “the force.”  God created me with integrity, with purpose, and I am cherished.

         Pick one of those big words that catches your attention: foreknown, predestined, called, justified, and sanctified.  Write a definition in your own words and pray about it.  Blessings.

^“28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28 NRSV)”

         This has also been translated, “We know that God works for good in all things according to his purpose for those who love God.” 

         The order of words give a slightly different flavor to the verse but it is still one of those verses that is good to tuck away in our memory.  This verse does not promise that we will not have experiences that hurt.  Nor does it say we will understand what the eventual outcome will be good.  It does say, though, that God is working on our side.  He is working for us and not against us when we face disappointments and are sure evil has the upper hand.

         I also note that the promise is within the context of a loving relationship.  It is as we look at life through the glasses of love that we can frame our understanding of events and open our eyes beyond our own selfish desires to consider what the hand of God might be doing.  Corrie Ten Boom, a survivor of the Nazi refugee camp, imprisoned for helping Jews, famously said, “God never closes a door without opening a window.”

         I’m guessing most of us can name some issue we are wrestling with before God.  None of us are living happy-ever-after.  It might help to write the issue on a piece of paper and then list our desired outcome but then also try to think outside the box on how God might be using the situation for his glory.  Pray about it and ask God to open your eyes to see his purposes.  Blessings.

         One of our favorite family stories involves the death of our hamster as our teenage daughter and her three-year-old brother cleaned the cage.  It died as company was arriving so we quickly grabbed a spoon and buried the little creature under the banana tree by the kitchen.  Our son said nothing until two weeks later when our daughter reported that he asked her as they snuggled together in the car, headed on vacation, “Did Jesus die for the hamster’s sins?”  He was asking if the hamster was in heaven.  Our daughter assured him that Jesus died for people’s sins.  Our three-year-old thought and concluded, “I know.  Jesus’ hamster died for the hamster’s sins.”

         I know the death of beloved pets and what happens to them is a question many people have to develop answers for as they loose a pet or their child’s pet dies.  A fellow teacher was convinced her beloved cat had become her guardian angel.  The Bible does not say much to shed light but I cannot help but spend a day focusing on these verses from Romans 8 since we are reading here.

^“20 for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope ²¹ that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. (Romans 8:20-21)”

         When we read the story of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3, we often focus on their expulsion from the Garden of Eden and not on the curse to the earth because of sin.  These verses talk to our physical world being “subjected to futility” not because of its own sin but because it suffered fall out from our sin.  Today we talk about global warming as a byproduct of our irresponsible use of natural resources.  We think of pollution as a threat to our health.  This passage says that creation itself is waiting to be see free from its bondage to decay and will some day experience glory with us.

         Let’s take a moment today in the midst of our heat waves, our melting icebergs and rising sea levels to pray that we might be more mindful of being responsible guardians of the world God made for us.  Our actions have fallout on the world around us.  I wonder what nature will look like when it too experiences glory.  Those will be beautiful flowers and gorgeous sunrises! We can certainly be thankful for the devotion of our pets and the beauty of our world.  The restored creation is something to look forward to!

         Paul has been making his introduction to the Roman church he hoped to visit follow the events of the Exodus and showing how they are similar to the development of basic Christian beliefs he himself believed.  It is one of the most systematic presentations of Christian faith.  He starts with Abraham who believed, and it was counted to him as righteousness, while he was a gentile or heathen, before circumcision or the giving of the Ten Commandments.  Abraham is the starting point for three world religions.  His offspring through Isaac were rescued from slavery in Egypt the same way faith in God’s promises given in Jesus brings us back into relationship with God.  We are now God’s adopted children who are being led to our inheritance even as God led the Israelites through the wilderness.  Adoption is a big word to describe faith but the other big word that Paul uses is redeemed.  We are bought back.

         The story often given is of a little child who builds a sailboat but upon putting it in water, it floats away.  The child later sees the boat in a pawnshop and buys it again even though it was his creation.  The death of Christ on the cross was God redeeming his creation – for those who choose to be in relationship with him, faith.  One of the beautiful promises that goes with this analogy is that Paul now talks about is the help of the Holy Spirit.

^“26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. ²⁷ And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.(Romans 8:26-27)”

         Prayer is not about memorizing the right words, sitting in the right position, or about being in the right place on the right day.  We have the Spirit that “helps” us.  Using modern lingo perhaps we could say we have a speech writer who knows how to say it right, or an expert editor who cleans up our rough draft, or our own lobbyist to whom we did not have to give money.  We call the Spirit, the Advocate.  God welcomes us to share with him even now whatever is on our heart.  One way to do that is to follow the acronym ACTS: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication.  Try praying one sentence sharing one thing you appreciate about God, one thing you feel sorry about, one thing you are thankful for and then one request.  Blessing.

When your word is opened, it gives light and understanding. (Ps. 119:130)

     The Psalm reading for tomorrow comes from Psalm 119 and is focusing on the truth of God’s Word and how Scripture sheds light on our journey.  In Romans, Paul is systematically presenting an explanation of Christianity.  It is in a lot of long sentences and complicated reasoning.  One of his basic premises is that the Law was designed by God and given to us to help us live a good life, so it is good.  Our selfish, self-centeredness gets in the way and takes the law and makes rules to judge our self and others.  In Psalm 119 David, who lived way before Paul, thanks God for Scripture.  It is the light on our path when our eyes are confused by sin within and without.  Amy Grant sings this psalm.  Enjoy!

^“14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. ¹⁵ For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’ ¹⁶ it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

 (Romans 8:14-16)”

         Adoption is a big word in our family.  My husband was adopted and we adopted two children in addition to our five!  That is another story.  Why adopt?  We had five children so we did not need more children and we certainly were not living on the rich side of town.  We were living in a country where children lived on the roundabouts in poverty.  As a family we decided to share our blessings with two little ones who had nothing.  It was a family adventure and touched each of us differently.  Paul says that when we believe in Jesus, we do not have a spirit of slavery that results in fear but we have a spirit of adoption that allows us to call God, “Daddy.  When we pray “Our Father”, the Holy Spirit stands next to us affirming, witnessing, that we are indeed God’s children with the right to approach God.  We do not stand alone, claiming relationship but God’s Spirit, God itself, stands with us affirming that relationship.

         God created us and gave us the law to teach us how to live.  But we sin; we want to do life our way, satisfying our wants.  We want to be our own god.  God incarnated in Jesus Christ, reaching out to us. Teaching us through a real human being.  He obeyed the law.  Jesus trusted his life totally in the Father’s hands.  He walked through death and resurrected showing us that not even death can separate us from God’s love.  Faith believes these promises and grows in that relationship.  Adoption is God saying this sinner is mine.  God’s love is greater than our sin!

         When you pray the “Our Father” what does it mean to you?  Let’s take the word family and make an acrostic about being adopted into the family of God.  F stands for ______, A stand for ______, M stands for ______, I stands for ______, L stands for ______, and Y stands for ______.  We can say “Abba, Father” or “Daddy.”  Sit with him for a few minutes and share.  Blessings.

^“5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. ⁶ To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. (Romans 8:5-6)”

         Have you ever thought that someone has control issues?  Perhaps you have even wondered if you have control issues.  As some of my friends are using the now popular phrase, “declutter,” it is often teamed with the word “control” because we want to make decision while we can and before the kids form a committee.  On our 40^th anniversary the kids stood together and asked, “What’s the plan?”  My husband and I had indeed been doing a reality check and had a plan that agreed with the kids so that transition was not painful.  The journey with Parkinson’s and Dementia is not so easy as often I feel out of control as the disease creates symptoms I cannot control.  Do I have control issues?  Maybe so.

         Paul today does not talk about our idiom of “control issues” but he does challenge us to ponder how we “set our mind.”  Does the flesh control us or does the Holy Spirit control us?  Paul would say that if we are controlled by our desires, the end product is death.  Eating till I am satisfied and not stuffed might be an example.  Living within my budget is another.  Perhaps I might on whether I need to share that juicy tidbit of gossip or give that snarky remark to the jerk that does not drive the way I want the person to.  These are common situations but left to themselves can lead to addiction or even worse, mass murders. 

         Paul says when we can slow our role and seek the Holy Spirit’s advice; the outcome will be peace and life.  Learning to choose life and peace over death is called spiritual discipline or growth and maturity.  Let us ask the Holy Spirit to shine a lamp in our hearts to see if there is some area in our life where we insist on our way or the highway, some area where our wants drive our will.  Lord, thank you for your Spirit who helps us when we are weak.  Help us to be honest with ourselves and with you.  Blessings.

“8 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. ² For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. (Romans 8: 1-20)”

         Today we are going to dwell in Romans 8:1-2 that introduces yet another law.  Remember back to those early math days in high school when we had to memorize basic axioms like a+b=b+a, the addition principle, but a-b does not = b-a, the subtraction principle.  We learned about the law of gravity and many more.  Paul is presenting basic spiritual laws.  He is saying that the first law, The Law, the Ten Commandments, is the basic principles given to us to help us live a good and happy life.  They were never meant to be instruments to evaluate if we are good enough or if we are better than someone else.  They just tell us how life works best.  The second law, the Law of Sin, speaks to our selfish, self-centered desires that trip us up so that we are convicted of not living totally by the Law.  But the third law is the “Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” that we read today.  The Spirit of God comes with conversion and baptism and lives in our life teaching us, reminding us, and interceding for us so that we no longer need to be slaves to our sinful desires.  The third law says there are grace, forgiveness, and love even when we are sinners learning to live in harmony with the Spirit.  

         The Law of the Spirit has nothing to do with whether we speak in tongues or how holy we may think we are becoming.  The Holy Spirit, called the Advocate, is our 24/7-coach guarding our back and leading us forward.  The opening promise, “there is now no condemnation,” needs to come into focus and not the mechanics of how and how much.  Relationship with the mysteriousness of God evades our attempts to define.  Paul will continue his discussion but for today let us grab onto the phrase, “no condemnation” and rejoice.

         Perhaps there is a past incident you hold yourself guilty about or that you hold another guilty for doing.  In prayer, place that situation in God’s hands and allow him to resolve the pain of that memory.  He is not condemning you so maybe you can loosen your grip.  His desire is that we be free from the law of sin and death.  Thank you, Lord.

         “Houston, we have a problem.”  If dying with Christ symbolized by baptism and standing up symbolizes a resurrected life and eternal life, then why do I keep sinning?  When I decide I am going to go on a diet, suddenly that piece of cake jumps into my mouth.  I promise myself I will not yell at the kids, or speed, or gossip, or whatever I feel is not right.  But sure enough, I do that which I don’t want to do and often do not carry through on doing the good I want to do.  Paul laments, “Who is going to help me?”

         Paul reasons that it is not the “law” that is the problem as it was designed to teach us how to live the good life.  It is not bad but “sin,” my selfish rebelliousness.  I try to obey speed limits, mostly, but when I’m in a hurry, my “need” to be on time might encourage my foot to press harder on the accelerator!  I can generally be nice to “the other” but if they hurt my kids, compassion is much harder and gossip much easier.  Law is good, neutral and not there to condemn anyone.  Sin, selfishness is bad, self-justifying and manipulative.

“Is good just as dangerous as evil?” No again! Sin simply did what sin is so famous for doing: using the good as a cover to tempt me to do what would finally destroy me. By hiding within God’s good commandment, sin did far more mischief than it could ever have accomplished on its own. (The Message, Romans 7: 13)”

         We just cannot be perfect no matter how much we try.  We cannot be perfect even with the help of the Holy Spirit.  We just can’t.  And so we are back to “grace.”  We are saved by grace, by God’s goodness not ours, as a gift, a free gift, not as a reward for living a good life.  We must believe.  We can only bow our heads and say, thank you.

         I like Paul’s clarification that the Law was meant to be a good tool to teach us how to live a good life and that the problem is our own stubborn selfishness that rebels when we think our freedom is threatened.  Let’s have the “rubber-meet-the-road” now by picking one of the Ten Commandments and on a piece of paper draw a line down the middle.  On one side write the good that law does and on the other write some ways the law is broken.  Then pray for our people in government and law enforcement whose job it is to enforce laws.