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?

April 28

ROMANS 3

Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? ² Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God. ³ What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God? ⁴ By no means! Let God be true though everyone were a liar, as it is written, “That you may be justified in your words, and prevail when you are judged.” ⁵ But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us? (I speak in a human way.) ⁶ By no means! For then how could God judge the world? ⁷ But if through my lie God’s truth abounds to his glory, why am I still being condemned as a sinner? ⁸ And why not do evil that good may come? —as some people slanderously charge us with saying. Their condemnation is just. – Romans 3:1-8

ROMANS 3 BELIEVERS’ BETRAYAL DOESN’T CHANGE GOD’S FAITHFULNESS

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When one is chosen by God, it doesn’t excuse him from infidelity

Because God has given us a will, we are free to reject his invitation

Betraying the offer of God to belong to his kingdom

Will probably manifest that you weren’t chosen by him after all

When he chose you as his child, he gave you the ability to say “yes”

Your betrayal and rejection of him doesn’t change his faithfulness.

In this letter of Paul to the Romans, we could probably hear the questions being shot at him regarding the value of circumcision or being a Jew. If he said in his earlier letter that God is not partial, what is the point of being a believer? They even challenged Paul in verse 8 when they thought of why not just do evil then so good may come? Another question that they raised was if the believers were unfaithful, would God also do the same to them. We can hear how shallow and childish these people were regarding their faith. They have to be convinced that there are some benefits that they will gain if they do believe in God. Paul mentions in verse 2 that one of the advantages of being chosen by God is that they are also entrusted with the truth that comes from God’s word. Paul defends God’s character by saying that no matter how evil they are, God will stay true. It exposes such immaturity from them how they know and see God.

REFLECTION

• Why do you think these people thought that God will be unfaithful if they were?

April 25

ROMANS 2

¹² For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. ¹³ For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. ¹⁴ For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. ¹⁵ They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them ¹⁶ on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.  – Romans 2:12-16

ROMANS 2 THE UNWRITTEN LAW

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When God created humans in his own image

The Lord also placed in their hearts his laws

It is unwritten in every man’s mind and his heart

This is why we know what is wrong and what is right

There is no excuse for man to justify his evil ways

Much more so those who are given God’s laws.

In this account, Paul explains the importance of both the written and unwritten law. For those who are Jews, they were given the laws by Moses when God freed them from the Egyptians. He made a covenant with his people to follow so that his promise will be received by them.

The Gentiles on the other hand didn’t have a covenant with God, but now, Paul is preaching to them the gospel. He made them aware that God has placed in their hearts the unwritten law of God. Even if they do not know God, they have a moral compass. We can call it conscience. We feel shame when we do something against that unwritten law, but we feel okay if we do not go against what is right. Paul also reproves the Jews because even though they know the law already and yet do not do it, they are as guilty as those who do not know the law of the Lord. The book of James calls this the royal law of liberty in his second chapter which is about loving our neighbor as yourself.

REFLECTION

• Cite examples how the unwritten law is manifest in every human being.

April 23

ROMANS 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. – Romans 2:1-5

ROMANS 2 GOD’S KINDNESS LEADS TO REPENTANCE

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

If we love the Lord our God with all our heart

We will take seriously all that he commands us

As a loving parent would do to care for their child

God’s kindness also will lead us to relate with him

Let us desire to know our just and righteous God

Let us not judge others when we ourselves are corrupt.

We humans are very quick to pass judgment on others without truly reflecting on our own weaknesses and transgressions. In Galatians 6:1, we who are spiritual need to correct our brothers or sisters who are transgressing but in a spirit of gentleness. James 4:12 says that there is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and destroy. In 1 Corinthians 5:12-13, we are not to judge those outside the church but only those who are in the church, God judges those outside. We are to purge the evil person from among the body. This is why there is a body of leaders and council who will address those who are continually disobeying the laws. They cannot continue to sin and claim that they are serving the Lord. They are obviously serving the desires of their flesh. Galatians 5:17 says that the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. We need to be accountable for our actions so we do not stray.

REFLECTION

• How does the laws of God show his kindness to his people?

April 22

ROMANS 1

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.  – Romans 1:26-32

ROMANS 1 SHAMELESS ACTS OF A DEBASED MIND

A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses

When someone intentionally defies God’s laws

That person will definitely do evil and shameful acts

The Lord will leave them to their wicked ways

They will do what is unnatural and debased

They love to gossip and slander others

They are ruthless, haughty and boastful.

Because they fail to acknowledge God, God forsakes them. God will never force us to follow his will. If we decide to choose to go against righteousness, we will be left to continue sinning. One sin generates another one and another one.

Paul also mentions that they become deviants, preferring what is not natural. Instead of going with the opposite sex, they prefer to be with their own kind. Some engage in many different evil ways such as envy, murder, gossip, slander, deceitfulness, disobedience to their parents and many more. 2 Chronicles 15:2 says “The Lord is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.”

REFLECTION

• What characteristic of God is clearly evidenced in these following verses?

April 21

ROMANS 1
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 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. 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.– Romans 1:18-25

ROMANS 1 AFTERMATH OF NOT HONORING GOD
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
If you know God and do not honor or thank him
You will become foolish and futile in your thinking
Your heart will be hardened because you think you are wise
You will be left in the lusts of your hearts and your sinfulness
Because you exchanged the truth about God for a lie
You will continue to be wicked and darkened in your mind.

Paul challenges us all to bow down to only the One true God because there are consequences if a person doesn’t do so. He clearly gives us God’s invisible attributes here. He is eternal and divine. When he made man in his own image, we were given the internal compass to know what is right and what is wrong. Because our sole purpose is to give him glory, he has put it in every man’s heart to know that. If we defy this purpose, we will definitely pay for the consequences that may follow. Because God hates sin and punishes it, we will have to think twice if we want to be the recipient of these following aftermath: depraved minds, hardened hearts, idolatry, and futility in their thinking.

REFLECTION
• Who can you remember suffered the consequences of dishonoring God?

April 20

ROMANS 1
11 For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— 12 that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. 13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles. 14 I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. 15 So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. 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.”– Romans 1:11-17

ROMANS 1 BE EAGER TO PREACH THE GOSPEL
A poem by ILMA inspired by these verses
When we are chosen to be part of God’s people
He will give us the ability to preach his gospel
We shouldn’t be ashamed to declare the Good News
It has the power to save everyone who believes in Jesus.

In this account, we witness Paul’s eagerness to come to Rome to impart spiritual gifts to both the believers there and also to bring the Good News to those who are Gentiles. He tells them how much he wanted to come but circumstances prevented him from doing so. We are given a glimpse of the faithful character of Paul here as he is very dedicated to do the work that God has given him to bring the news to both believers and unbelievers alike.
Paul declared that he is not ashamed of the gospel. How many of us believers can be bold like him to preach the gospel to those who have not heard of it? Many of us would just want to stay comfortable and just be with like-minded Christians. Like Paul, all believers are called to preach the gospel, not just ministers and preachers. I think there is a fear in many of us that we will be rejected. Especially in our world today where the world system
generates free will and allows for different preferences and choices where they get to choose which one suits their lifestyles and their comforts.

REFLECTION
• Why do you think only some believers take declaring the gospel seriously?