Today's Ruminating in the Word of God: God gave the law to point me to his Son.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Romans 10:1-4,

 

"Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes."

 

The contemporary challenge of the day for Paul was to provide an explanation as to why his own people, the Israelites, as a nation, did not embrace the gospel message Paul championed. As he points out in the previous chapter, "Theirs is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised!" Romans 9:4-5. Certainly, this people of all peoples should have embraced the gospel message if it were authentic and true. However, as a people they did not.

 

Here in chapter ten, Paul points to the zeal with which his countrymen who rejected Jesus Christ pursued God. Many in our day maintain that unsaved man will not ever take an interest in the things of God, will not pursue God. I find this a baffling position to take, but when there is need to shore up an incoherent theology, what is one to do? The truth is people always hunger for the spiritual. One doesn't have to look far to see that most folks pursue God in a variety of ways. Some look to the mystical, some to the occult. Some go on spiritual pilgrimages, some seek the spiritual elites of our day. All the religions of our day, all the cults and -isms point to the intensity of interest and fascination many are drawn to. While most appear to reject the gospel message of Jesus Christ, it does not mean they are not hungry for God. In this passage Paul points out that the problem wasn't the unsaved in his day didn't pursue God, but that they pursued him in ignorance. Rather than accepting God's forgiveness, they sought to establish their own right standing.

 

God gave the Ten Commands and the rest of the law to demonstrate how unlike him we are. God commanded these be kept and the conclusion God intended was for mankind to recognize his sinfulness and seek the redemption he provides. Paul says earlier in this letter, "I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, 'Do not covet.' But sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from law, sin is dead. Once I was alive apart from law; but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life and I died. I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death." Romans 7:7-11.

 

This thought is brought to a conclusion offered by Paul in Galatians 3:24, "So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith." Somehow the Israelites of Paul's day missed this conclusion and rather than embracing the redemption Jesus Christ wrought on the cross, paying the penalty for our sins, they "doubled-down" attempting to establish their own righteousness in a hopeless and misguided effort to keep laws that, were they to succeed, would establish themselves on a par with God himself.

 

What grips my heart in this is all that God has done. He has taken steps to ensure we recognize our sinfulness, he has sent his Son as a propitiation for our sins, and he reaches out to us, imploring us to avail ourselves of the forgiveness he offers. As for the Israelites of his day, Paul points to God's posture toward them by quoting from Isaiah 65:2, "All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people." Romans 10:21.

 

Was there anything God didn't do to draw us to himself?!

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Today's Ruminating in the Word of God: The perspicuity of God.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Romans 10:6-11,

 

"The righteousness that is by faith says: 'Do not say in your heart, "Who will ascend into heaven?"' (that is, to bring Christ down) 'or "Who will descend into the deep?"' (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? 'The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,' that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, 'Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.'"

 

It doesn't get any clearer than this. Salvation is given all who embrace Jesus Christ in faith. In case we're confused, let me quote Paul again, "if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." That's it. I don't need to embellish what Paul says. I don't need to add to it, I don't need to compound it. I don't need to add my lofty theological considerations to it. I don't need to redefine it, I don't need to clarify it.

 

Maybe I should quote Paul again, just in case I'm confused about it, "if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

 

I realize that isn't going to sit well with a lot of denominations, religions, isms and schisms. I know I am offending the theological sensibilities of many here. I note here that Paul failed to mention I have to go see some priest somewhere to receive God's grace through some sacrament. I note here Paul forgot to mention I have to go to some TV evangelist's tent meeting to go get the gift of the Spirit. Paul forgot to mention I have to join someones membership roster or make a regular deposit as the offering is past down the pew. Paul forgot about all the rules and regulations of our church covenant and he didn't even mention the diet buried deeply within the Scriptures that will draw me close to God. How about that "faith promise pledge" I'm supposed to send in?

 

How astonishing to me to hear some say they have no idea why one person is saved and another isn't. Slipping away from the clarity the Scriptures provide, they shrug their shoulders and say it is a mystery locked up in the sovereign will of God, his eternal purpose in salvation. What nonsense! Paul certainly would agree as well. In this passage he quotes Moses in Deuteronomy 30:11-15 where Moses tells the Israelites the offer of life is not beyond their reach. Anyone can grasp it. You don't have to go to heaven to find it, you don't have to go anywhere as God has made the way abundantly clear, abundantly available. In that passage Moses says,

 

 "Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach. It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, 'Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?' Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, 'Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?' No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it. See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction."

 

Paul quotes Moses here to make his point that salvation is simple and it is by faith. A simple message God has made known to all. Apparently the harder we look for the answer to life, the further we must be getting from it. Leave it up to us to require convoluted theologies with their attending acronyms and all the cryptic lingo. I wonder if Paul foresaw the theological elites of our day, the ones who appear to hold the secrets of life as they look down on the rest of us from their lofty insights.

 

Now, let's see... what did Paul say again? How did he put that? "if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." The perspicuity of God!

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Today's Ruminating in the Word of God: God beckons us.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Romans 10:13-15,

 

"'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!'"

 

In speaking of God's pursuit of us, Paul quotes from Joel 2:32. In Joel, the "great and dreadful day of the Lord" is prophesied as a time when those who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. There we read that deliverance will happen "among the survivors whom the Lord calls."

 

Who is it the Lord calls? Back in Romans 10, Paul answers by again quoting from the Scriptures, "Did they not hear? Of course they did: 'Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.'" Psalm 19:4. In this psalm David speaks of how God's creation is his witness. "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world." Psalm 19:1-4. God's creation speaks to all mankind. In another passage Paul refers to the creation as a testimony from God, leaving all who reject him without excuse, "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse." Romans 1:20. God's creation speaks to all mankind and Paul's point is that the gospel is going out to all mankind. God is calling us all to himself.

 

When Paul speaks of those who are sent to preach the gospel, he speaks of God's pursuit of us. God wants us all. When I read Jesus' words, "For God so loved the world" I am reminded of Paul's comment to Timothy, "...[God] wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." God wants us all and he pursues us all. The purpose of this life is God populating his kingdom. Consequently, God is sending out folks with a message, a message of good news!

 

"All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:  that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:18-21.

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Today's Ruminating in the Word of God: Faith comes from hearing the gospel.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Romans 10:17,

 

"Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ."

 

We read in Hebrews that faith is that trust or confidence in what is not perceived through the senses God has given us to relate to the world around us. As such, faith defines and expresses the attitudes and perspectives of our inner heart revealing what is in our spirit. The writer in Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.". He goes on to say that this certainty of what is unseen is what "the ancients" were commended for, verse 2. This reminds me of what I consider to be one of the most important statements in the Old Testament, "Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness." Genesis 15:6. Paul quotes this passage and observes, "The words 'it was credited to him' were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead." Romans 4:23-24.

 

Faith informs our thoughts on things and shapes our opinions and the choices we make. Most are well aware that information and education do not aways persuade. As we have carefully and clearly presented the facts of an issue with someone we disagree, we are all too startled to realize we are unable to persuade with truthful information. This is the case not just with things of a religious nature but also politics, morals, social issues, etc. Faith appears to hold a key role in our perspective on all sorts of things.

 

God has chosen it will be faith that determines if someone is given a place in his family. Faith and trust in him. It is belief in the resurrection and the embrace of Jesus Christ in faith that brings eternal life. As our verse above tells us, it is God's invitation through the gospel that provides the context for faith to exist. When we are offered eternal life through "the message" or the gospel, we can trust in it or reject it.

 

Receiving eternal life is not a matter of my performance or good deeds. It is all about whether I trust in God. Because it is by faith, I receive it as a gift freely given me. Can you think of a greater gift than this?

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Today's Ruminating in the Word of God: Our heavenly pursuer.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Romans 11:11b-12,

 

"Because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. But if their transgression means riches for the world, and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much greater riches will their fullness bring!"

 

Paul speaks of a strategy God uses to draw Israel to himself. While acknowledging that his own people, the Israelites, had rejected God's Son, Paul points to how God uses one group of mankind, the Gentiles, to draw another group to him, the Israelites. This is but one application of God's purpose in dividing mankind into various nations. In Acts 17:26-27 Paul told his listeners, "From one man he [God] made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us."

 

God is pursuing us.

 

Here we find the purpose in God's action at the Tower of Babel. We read in Genesis 11:1-9 where mankind lived in the so-called "global community" so many pursue in our day. They purposed to construct a society, a city for themselves represented in the edifice of a tower to establish themselves apart from God, the very same motivation we see of those today who pursue such a community. God crushed the efforts of mankind in that day and established the various nations across the face of earth to pursue his purposes in redemption.

 

God is pursuing us.

 

The efforts of those who pursue a "global community" in our day will never come to fruition. By design, it is an effort that runs contrary to the purposes of God who has his own designs for mankind. Paul says in another place, "God our Savior... wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." 1 Timothy 2:3-4. While it is his will all people be saved, he only accepts those who embrace him in faith. To that end, he has done everything anyone could ever expect and hope for short of removing the opportunity for faith to exist (as in showing up and unveiling himself, for instance).

 

God is pursuing us.

 

God's intention toward mankind could not be any clearer than what Jesus told Nicodemus, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son." John 3:16-18.

 

God is pursuing us.

 

Peter tells us the reason the Lord is taking so long to come back to planet earth is that he wants us all, "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9.

 

God is pursuing us.

 

How fascinating it is that our Creator who brought us into existence is now pursuing the very creation that has turned against him in defiance and rebellion. It certainly tells us much about the heart of our God who is pursuing us!

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Today's Ruminating in the Word of God: Our Transcendent God!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Romans 11:33-36,

 

"Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! 'Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?' 'Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?' For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen."

 

As Paul considers the interaction of God with the nations of earth, he observes how God has bound sinful and rebellious peoples over to disobedience that he might later express his mercy to them. In his speech at the Areopagus in Athens Paul said, "The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us." Acts 17:24-27. Peter says of salvation, "Even angels long to look into these things." 1 Peter 1:12. These things place God's transcendence and great mercy on display.

 

It is these lofty thoughts that occupy Paul's thinking in Romans 11 and as he engages them in this passage he bursts into this doxology extolling the greatness and grandeur of our God. Paul points to the transcendent nature of our God. His wisdom is so far above that of any other that, "the riches of his wisdom and knowledge" and his judgments are inscrutable. Paul quotes Isaiah 40:13 where God is seen as "enthroned above the circle of the earth" with its inhabitants as though they were grasshoppers, Isaiah 40:22. Paul also quotes from Job 41 where God points to the ferocity of one of his creations, "leviathon" as something to consider when contemplating opposing him. "No one is fierce enough to rouse him [leviathon]. Who then is able to stand against me? Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything under heaven belongs to me." Job 41:10-11.

 

Surely our God is transcendent in a way we scarcely fathom. Even a cursory reflection of these things ought to bring to our lips "to our God be the glory forever!"

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Today's Ruminating in the Word of God: The high cost of a gift given freely.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Romans 11:5-6,

 

"So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace."

 

Paul points to the expression of grace that salvation is. Grace is God "gifting" us. The concept of grace is tied to gift. Being chosen by God is not something accomplished by works but is brought about by God's grace, it is his gift to those of faith. Those who enter into God's family are considered a remnant of mankind as many will not find their way there. Paul's argument as to why Israel as a nation did not embrace Jesus Christ as her Savior is because they pursued God in their zealousness for him through their own efforts: their work in keeping the law. In the previous chapter Paul observes, "I can testify about them [the Israelites] that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes." Romans 10:2-3.

 

In Paul's thinking, the expression of grace in salvation is due to the fact that God receives all who will embrace him in faith. In Romans 4:16, we read, "Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace..." Because God decided beforehand that all who would embrace him in faith would become his children, it is by his grace. We don't earn it. It is freely given us and not by any "work" we do. Paul makes the point that faith itself is not a work for our part whatsoever, as faith really is a choice of the heart and not anything one "does". He says, "Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness." Romans 4:4-5.

 

Salvation is a gift God freely gives those who embrace him in faith. It is, however, something that did not cost. As I think of the wonderful gift God has given me in salvation, I am reminded during this Passion Week that Jesus Christ suffered intensely and died a miserable death to take my punishment on himself that I might have the gift of eternal life!

 

What a gift this is!

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Today's Ruminating in the Word of God: God's horrific judgment.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Romans 11:7-10,

 

"What then? What Israel sought so earnestly it did not obtain, but the elect did. The others were hardened, as it is written: 'God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes so that they could not see and ears so that they could not hear, to this very day.' And David says: 'May their table become a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a retribution for them. May their eyes be darkened so they cannot see, and their backs be bent forever.'"

 

We read in Psalm 86:5, "You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you." As Paul speaks of the Israelites as a disobedient and obstinate people, he quotes Isaiah 65:2 where he reminds us of God's posture toward those who spurn him, "All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people."

 

Paul observes Israel sought God earnestly and yet did not obtain God's acceptance, a standing of righteousness with him. I suspect many find God's rejection of people who reach out to him startling and baffling. But this is the sobering point Paul makes here. God does not accept everyone- he only accepts those who embrace him in faith. In verse 20 he observes, "they [the Israelites] were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith." The "elect" are all who embrace God in faith.

 

We see that amongst the Israelites many had stumbled into his judgment and found themselves lost in a darkness, cast on them from God himself. Here is the frightful warning Paul makes as he considers his own people, the Israelites. Those who reject God will at some point find themselves completely unable to see the things of God.

 

God goes to great length to reach out to us. He sent his Son as a sacrifice of atonement to pay for our sins. Jesus said, "But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." John 12:32. He also taught his followers, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him...", John 6:44. While here Jesus Christ taught us the things of God. God also sent his prophets, carried along by the Holy Spirit to tell us about the things of God that we read in the Scriptures. In John 16:8 Jesus said of the Holy Spirit he would be sending to the world following his ascension into heaven, "When he [the Holy Spirit] comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment..." God has actively pursued mankind.

 

There comes a point however, when opportunity rejected turns to judgment. As Paul quotes Deuteronomy 29:4 and Isaiah 29:10 he points to an incapacitating darkness God visits on the spiritual senses of those who continue to reject him. In the Deuteronomy 29 passage Moses observed, "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law." Deuteronomy 29:29. It is these very things the Lord withdraws and seals the fate of those who deny him. In the Isaiah 29 passage the Lord speaks of those whose hearts are far from him. He says, "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." Isaiah 29:13. These are the ones who follow laws and rules, but never embrace the Lord in faith. God says, "Be stunned and amazed, blind yourselves and be sightless; be drunk, but not from wine, stagger, but not from beer. The Lord has brought over you a deep sleep: He has sealed your eyes (the prophets); he has covered your heads (the seers)." Isaiah 29:9-10.

 

Here is the horrific judgment of God on those who spurn him in this life. While still in this life, God casts them in a darkness where they never will be able to find him! As Paul speaks of the importance faith plays in pursuing God, he warns, "Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God..." Romans 11:22.

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Today's Ruminating in the Word of God: Salvation by faith - God's unspeakable gift!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Romans 11:20,

 

"They were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith."

 

As Paul discusses the appropriate perspective believing Gentiles should maintain toward law-keeping Jews, he notes why it is the law-keeping Jews had fallen from God's promises. They "were broken off because of unbelief". He reminds the Gentiles of faith that it is their faith that has made their standing in the promises of God a reality.

 

He goes on to say that if the Gentiles did not maintain a perspective of faith toward God, as a demographic, they would be cut off just as the law-keeping unbelieving Jews had been. Here he is not speaking of individuals specifically, rather he is addressing the larger issue of how Israel's rejection of Jesus Christ as a nation and the Gentile's embrace of the gospel message fit into God's scheme of things.

 

In reading what Paul says here, I am reminded of the importance of faith as the central dynamic in God's offer of salvation for us all. To be delivered from God's judgment and ushered into his promises of eternal life with all of the blessings of being a co-heir with Jesus Christ, faith is the issue. It is all about faith. The gospel message is a message that declares if we place our trust and faith in God we will be saved. "It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9.

 

In that our opportunity for salvation is based on our embrace of God in faith, it is a wonderful gift from God. "Therefore, the promise comes by faith, so that it may be by grace and may be guaranteed to all Abraham's offspring—not only to those who are of the law but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham. He is the father of us all." Romans 4:16. Paul uses Abraham as our example, "What does the Scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.' Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness."

 

Salvation is a true gift of God to us. As Paul points out, gifts are not given for compensation, but are freely given. Not that our salvation was free. It cost God dearly as he poured out his horrible wrath on the Son of his love to satisfy his justice for our sins. What a manifestation of love this is! What a gift!

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Today's Ruminating in the Word of God: Persuasion to faith.

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Romans 11:13-14,

 

"I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them."

 

Where some believe the expression of faith in God is the result of something akin to a "roofie", something one has no control over or choice in, as a date-rape drug, the Scriptures teach something different altogether. Paul points to his efforts to arouse the Jews to envy as a ploy to bring as many as he could to faith. One shouldn't have to point out that the response to an envious circumstance is always by choice and an exercise of the will.

 

Paul was the preeminent evangelist to the Gentiles of his day. As such he had his methods, I am convinced, directed and endorsed by the Lord himself who had appointed him his ambassador. We find Paul utilizing persuasion of various types in the accounts given us of his ministry. In Acts 18:4, as Paul worked in Corinth we are told, "Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks." Having been subjected to Paul's intensity, King Agrippa exclaimed, "Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?" Acts 26:28. In his letter to the church in Corinth Paul says, "Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men." 2 Corinthians 5:11.

 

These are not the efforts of someone who is convinced of salvation as a fate unrelated to a free choice exercised by the will. What this tells me is that God grants us all opportunity to embrace him. I will never understand the notion that God has selected special ones for himself to leave all others to the great cosmic ash heap for eternity. I can guarantee you, there is nothing special about me! He sent his Son as the great expression of his love to a lost and dying world in hopes that all men "be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth." 1 Timothy 2:4. As a believer, while remarkable to say the least that I am an object of God's love and affection, I am no different that any other person. God's love is so expansive, he loves us all! He wants us all! Peter tells us the reason the Lord has not returned in his glorious second coming yet is that he his holding open the door for as many as will choose him. "The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." 2 Peter 3:9. The love and mercy of our wonderful God transcends the hopelessly limited theological concepts of any man. All I can do is simply marvel at what I am able to grasp, as I recognize the Lord has sent his ambassadors into the world to persuade us all to faith!

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Today's Ruminating in the Word of God: God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Romans 11:28-29,

 

"As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs, for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable."

 

In Romans, chapters 9 through 11 Paul focuses on Israel as a nation and why it is the gospel of faith he preaches is not embraced by the nation as a whole and how that works out in God's scheme of things. In his discussion he speaks in terms of the Gentiles as a group and the success the gospel has had with that demographic, as opposed to Israel as a group of folks of whose heritage, Paul observed, "... is the adoption as sons; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen." Romans 9:4-5 This section is a fascinating read as Paul counters those who would question the veracity and authenticity of his gospel message based on Israel's rejection of it. Many, who fail to understand the context within which Paul speaks in this section of his letter, distort his observations by attempting to assign them to the personal salvation of the individual as opposed to recognizing he speaks in terms of Gentiles of faith versus law-keeping Jews as opposing groups here. It has led to many developing a confused and incoherent theology.

 

One of the fascinating questions you can ask your friends, a question that Paul answers here, is, "Why are the Jews God's 'chosen people'?" Why did God choose the Jews to be his chosen nation, the nation of whom Paul made his observations in the Romans 9:4-5 passage above? Why not Eskimos? Why not Apaches? Why not the Celts? I say fascinating because I have often asked that question of others and few seem to know why. You just might receive that "deer in the headlights" kind of reaction. Here in Romans 11:28 Paul tells us that "as far as election is concerned, they [the Jews] are loved on account of the patriarchs." From Genesis 15:6, we read, "Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness." Abraham manifested the kind of faith that God looks for in us all to grant us entry into his family. This is the same kind of faith that James described in James 2:14-26, where we read that the saving kind of faith is the kind that impacts what we think, do and say. There James uses Abraham and Rahab as models of that faith. The answer to the fascinating question is that the Jews were chosen, "as far as election is concerned", because of Abraham's faith. His offspring became God's vehicle of choice to carry out his agenda of redemption through in recognition of Abraham's faith. The importance of the faith of Abraham cannot be overlooked in our understanding of the gospel message.

 

In that the nation as a whole did not embrace the gospel message, although many did, indeed the whole of the early church was comprised of mostly all Jews, was God now done with the Jews as a nation? The answer to this is something that is simply breath-taking. Paul tells us that "God's gifts and his call are irrevocable." The invitation he extends and the gifts he gives always remain. God is not done with the nation of Israel. God loved Abraham and therefore God will never abandon his progeny. What this means to me, from my personal perspective with God, is that since our God is this way, I will never, ever have to be concerned with the promises I myself have received from God through his gospel call. The resurrection is mine. Eternal life is mine. Eternal pleasures at the right hand of God are mine. I am a child of God, a member of his family! I have a place at his table! I am a co-heir with Jesus Christ! It is mine and will never be taken away! Just how fantastic is that?!

 

"God's gifts and his call are irrevocable."

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

Today's Ruminating in the Word of God: God's choice - his wonderful gift to us!

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my mind and heart in Romans 11:5-6,

 

"So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace."

 

As Paul explains to his readers why it it is the nation of Israel had not embraced Jesus Christ, and why there was opposition to the gospel from that quarter, he quotes Elijah's complaint to God: "Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me", Romans 11:3. It is a quote from two places in 1 Kings 19, verses 10 and 14. Paul utilizes God's answer to Elijah's complaint to answer the question, "I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal." Romans 11:4. He makes the point, "there is a remnant chosen by grace." Verse 5. Paul's point is that although the nation as a whole has not embraced Jesus Christ in faith, many individuals have, such as himself, verse1. These are those that Paul describes as God's chosen ones, his "elect", verse 7.

 

So who are those that are called the "elect"? Who are God's chosen ones?  The whole of the letter is a discussion of salvation by faith. Many point to Romans 1:16-17 as the identifiable theme of Romans, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: 'The righteous will live by faith.'" Closer to the context of our verse above, Paul focuses on the nation of Israel and observes their choice to pursue God through their own efforts at keeping the law, "I can testify about them [the Israelites] that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes." Romans 10:2-4.

 

In speaking of Israel as a nation Paul says, "They were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith." Romans 11:20a. He goes on to say that God is not done with Israel as a nation, "... if they do not persist in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again." Romans 11:23. It is all about faith!

 

What makes salvation such a wonderful expression of God's grace is that he has made it available by faith! This is God's election: all who will embrace him in faith are those he takes for himself! God wants those who want him. What a gift this is!

 

What if I am not so intelligent? Not an issue, I just need to trust in Jesus Christ!

 

What if I wasn't the most successful in life? Not an issue, I just need to trust in Jesus Christ!

 

What if my marriage failed or my kids turned out not so good? Not an issue, I just need to trust in Jesus Christ!

 

What if I am not the most popular kid on the block? What if I have pimples? What if I'm broke? What if I have not behaved well? What if I'm overweight? What if I'm not a pillar of the community? What if I don't listen to Christian music all day? What if I have ADD? What if I didn't send in my "faith promise pledge" to that TV preacher? What if I suffer from depression?I just need to trust in Jesus Christ!

 

Salvation is a gift of God's wonderful, matchless grace! He loves us and has opened wide his arms. He wants all saved, "This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." 1 Timothy 2:3-4. Salvation by faith: what a gift this is!

 

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share your thoughts of worship with us from your Bible reading today. We'd love to hear from you!

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com