May 13

ROMANS 7

⁷ What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” ⁸ But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. ⁹ I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. ¹⁰ The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. ¹¹ For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. ¹² So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. – Romans 7:7-12

ROMANS 7 THE LAW EXPOSES SIN

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When you didn’t know the law, you kept on sinning

But Jesus died for you to keep you from wrongdoing

When the law was presented to God’s people

The automated sinful nature of humans was exposed

Therefore, the law is good because it shows sinfulness

Before the law came about, people lived in covetousness.

In this letter, Paul explains to the church in Rome that the purpose of the law is to expose man’s sinful nature. Before they were aware of the law, they didn’t know that what they were doing was wrong. In verse 7, he expounds that until the law says for them not to be greedy, they thought that they were just doing what is right for them. But, once the law was laid down, they are now aware that it is wicked and it is evil to continue doing it. Paul emphasizes that the law is good and holy because it makes us see when we are sinning and when we are going against God.

Isn’t this also true in criminal laws in our country? A good example would be the law about bigamy. In Ontario, bigamy is a criminal offence. If one is found guilty of bigamy, they can be locked up for at least 5 years. The law prohibits marrying someone when you are already married to someone else. If you marry someone knowing they are already married, you also commit bigamy.

REFLECTION How does the law expose sin as Paul cited in verse 7? Cite other examples

May 11

ROMANS 6

¹⁹ I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.²⁰ For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. ²¹ But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. ²² But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 6:19-23

ROMANS 6 THE WAGES OF SIN VS. GOD’S GRACE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When a man continues to go through life in sinfulness

He will struggle and be defeated by evil and wicked ways

But if that man decides to trust and serve the Lord Jesus Christ

He will be blessed with much grace and his life will be sanctified

He now will have the power to overcome his sinful ways

Since the Holy Spirit will transform his life to righteousness.

In this letter, Paul presents to the believers in the Roman church the wages of sin which is death and the reward for believing in the Lord Jesus Christ. Eternal life is the free gift that comes with believing in Christ. He explains what happens to their lives once they accept the invitation of God to believe in his own Son. When Jesus died on the cross, he did it in such a way that all can be saved by his one sacrificial offering of his own body and blood on the cross. He opened the gateway towards reconciliation with God and a clean slate to start a relationship with our heavenly Father.

In verse 20, he explains the process that a man undergoes from sinfulness to righteousness. Before Jesus died for us, we could not enter into a relationship with God, but he paved the way for us to be forgiven of our sins and be purified. Since God is a holy God, he requires for our sanctification so we can have a right relationship with him.

REFLECTION

• Can a person just decide to believe in Christ on his own? Why or why not?

May 10

ROMANS 6

¹² Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. ¹³ Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. ¹⁴ For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.¹⁵ What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! ¹⁶ Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves,you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? ¹⁷ But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, ¹⁸ and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. – Romans 6:12-18

ROMANS 6 SLAVES OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Because Jesus died for us all, should we continue to sin?

We have been brought from death to life in order for us to win

Sin has no hold on us anymore since we are no longer under the law

The free gift of grace has made us now slaves of righteousness.

What is a slave? According to an AI resource, In the Bible, “slave” often translates to the Greek word “doulos”, which can mean a servant, a bondservant, or even one who willingly submits to the will of another. In Colossians 3, we are given a clear idea what is expected of slaves. They are to obey their earthly masters in everything and they are to do it not only when they are being watched but even when they aren’t. They are to do it sincerely as if they are doing it for God himself. They are to do everything for them as if they are working for God himself and not for human masters. There will be a reward for all those who obey this: an inheritance awaits them.

In verse 16, Paul cautions the Romans that if they become obedient to anyone or anything, they become slaves of that person or thing. It sounds to me like idolatry, doesn’t it? If we idolize something or someone, we become slaves of them. We are cautioned against these things since we are now slaves of righteousness when Christ died for us.

REFLECTION

• What would a slave of righteousness look like in our world today?

May 8

ROMANS 5

¹⁷ For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.¹⁸ Therefore, as one trespassled to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 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. ²⁰ Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, ²¹ so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. – Romans 5:17-21

ROMANS 5  GRACE ABOUNDS WHERE SIN INCREASED

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Rejoice all those who are in Christ because you are blessed

Grace abounds when you lean on the Lord; you are saved

The law will not make you righteous, it will expose your sins

There is no condemnation to all who are made righteous in Christ.

Paul continues his advocacy for the grace that comes in believing and depending on Christ. He points out continuously the contrast between Adam and Christ. He gives hope to all those who receive this letter. He says that although one man’s disobedience made the whole mankind sinners as well, Christ reversed that condemnation through his sacrifice on the cross which gave all humans a clean slate to start fresh with our relationship with God.

When we do not accept our state of sinfulness and think that we can do something to keep us rely on ourselves, we are going to have a hard time understanding grace. Many false teachings add their own efforts to be saved. In this letter, Paul stresses that grace is a free gift and all we need to do is to rely on the finished work of Christ on the cross. We were justified by that sacrifice of Jesus. We need not add to the work that he has already done. We need to learn to receive that gift humbly and have grateful hearts that acknowledges the greatest gift of all.

REFLECTION

• Why do you think some people find it hard to accept God’s free gift of grace?

May 6

ROMANS 5

⁶ For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. ⁷ For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— ⁸ but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. ⁹ Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. ¹⁰ For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. ¹¹ More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. – Romans 5:6-11

ROMANS 5 WHILE WE WERE STILL SINNERS

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When Adam and Eve sinned, they were separated from God

There was no way to retrieve God’s presence after they disobeyed

God made a way for all those who inherited our first parents’ sin

He gave his only Son while we were still sinners to show us his love

Jesus sacrifice on the cross is the perfect way to reconcile us with God

By his blood, Jesus took the wrath of God so we can all be saved.

Paul paints a picture of how God loves mankind. Because he is holy and righteous, he will not tolerate sin. Anyone who sins against him must bear his wrath. That is the nature of God’s justice. He has to punish sin. In this letter, Paul reveals to us the mercy, grace and the steadfast love of God in that while we were still sinners, he gave a remedy for us to be reconciled with him. Just like a good parent would never give up on their children when they are disobedient and rebellious, God never gives up on his own people. He thought of the best solution to the problem of sin among mankind. He knew that no human being can appease his wrath over sin. So, he gave his only begotten and beloved Son Jesus to be the perfect sacrifice for the appeasement of his wrath. When Jesus died on the cross, he removed that wrath of God towards all sinners. He became the mediator between us and God so that we can be reconciled with God and took God’s punishment in our place so we can be saved from our sinful state and be cleansed from sin.

REFLECTION

• Is it possible for believers to love like God does? Why or why not?

May 3

ROMANS 4

¹³ For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. ¹⁴ For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. ¹⁵ For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. ¹⁶ That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, ¹⁷ as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. ¹⁸ In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” – Romans 4:13-18

ROMANS 4 GRACE THROUGH FAITH

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When God chose those who will belong to him

Because of his steadfast love, he poured his grace to them

By grace, he blessed his people with the gift of faith

By faith, we are showered with his grace and saved.

The apostle Paul explains in this letter the importance of faith. Faith is a gift from God to those whom he elects to be his own people even before the creation of the world. When Abraham was chosen by God to be the one who will be instrumental to begin his redemption plan, he gave him the ability to believe in him.

Can you imagine being asked to leave the place of your origin and follow where a God you don’t see would lead you to go? Abraham didn’t raise any question or have resistance to follow what was being asked of him to do. By nature, we are control-driven human beings. We want to know what to do, where to go, how to do it ahead of time. We want details and assurance of things that haven’t happened yet and we want to plan ahead. And yet, Abraham was like a meek lamb, just heeding to the instructions to leave his country and go to a promised land he doesn’t know. It was faith given by God that made him do so. The faith came from the outpouring of God’s grace for humankind.

REFLECTION

• What do you think verse 18 means?

May 2

ROMANS 4

⁹ Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. ¹⁰ How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. ¹¹ He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, ¹² and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. – Romans 4:9-12

ROMANS 4 WALK IN THE STEPS OF FAITH

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When God chose Abraham, he was also equipped with faith

This is what made him walk in the steps of God’s call

He didn’t doubt what God asked him to do, he acted on it

To believe in God means to follow the lead of God’s Spirit.

The apostle Paul emphasizes in this letter that faith preceded circumcision in Abraham’s life. The belief and obedience that Abraham exhibited made him righteous. It was his faith that made him the father of all nations.  He acted on his faith by following the call of God to leave the place of his birth and go wherever he was told to go. In this act of obedience and following the instruction of God, he sampled to all humanity the exercise of true faith.  Faith is not just believing and not acting on that belief. God grants those who believe in him the ability to take those steps of faith that he will instruct them to take.

After Abraham took the step of faith, he was declared the father of faith and the father of all nations. As a result of this faith, he was acknowledged as righteous. So, God made a covenant with Abraham and instructed him to be circumcised which seals that agreement. This will set God’s elect to be set apart from the rest of the world. It clearly manifested God’s faithful promise to Abraham: he was to become the father of all nations and he will have countless offspring.

REFLECTION

• How is following the steps of faith an essential process in a believer’s life?

April 29

ROMANS 3

⁹ What then? Are we Jewsany better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, ¹⁰ as it is written:

“None is righteous, no, not one; ¹¹no 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.”
“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
¹⁴ “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”¹⁵ “Their feet are swift to shed blood;
¹⁶ in their paths are ruin and misery,¹⁷ and the way of peace they have not known.”
¹⁸ “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

¹⁹ Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. ²⁰ For by works of the law no human beingwill be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. – Romans 3:9-19

ROMANS 3 NO ONE DOES GOOD

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

Can anyone claim that they are good at what they do?

Does anyone truly understand or comprehend God?

He who thinks he is good is a liar because only God is good

Even Jesus himself didn’t claim that he was good.

We live in a world system that is plagued by standards of perfection. This system focuses on the “self” in relation to the world around it. The standard it follows is to be accepted as “good if not better or best.” The system propagates comparisons which generates envy and power struggles including all sorts of conflicts of various kinds.  He says it very clearly in James 3:16: For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. In this letter, Paul points out to both the Jews and Gentiles that there is no one who does good. In Mark 10:18, Jesus corrects someone who called him good. Only God is good according to our Lord Jesus Christ. He humbled himself to become human and doesn’t claim anything else that the Father hasn’t given him.

REFLECTION

• What does the idea of “being good” do to believers and unbelievers alike?