Tag Archives: the book of Romans

June 20
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Uncategorized Aside

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God — this is your true and proper worship.” (Romans 12:1, NIV)

Today’s scripture reminds us our “true and proper worship” consists of self-sacrifice. Not a heroic “all-in once for all” sacrifice, but a common “all-in each day” sacrifice for every right, holy, and good thing.  

To “offer our bodies” makes our sacrifice personal. We can put in time without engaging our mind. We can give our thoughts without giving the “hands and feet” that make lofty thoughts a reality. The presentation of our body is to deliver a complete package: Mind as well as muscle.

God is merciful. Our thanksgiving for His mercy is worship. Make your worship truly, and completely, personal.  – Luther

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March 12
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Uncategorized Aside

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23, NKJV)

Perhaps the only state worse than wrong doing is wrong being. 

We need to guard against becoming comfortable with a lifestyle that is contrary to God’s will and way.  This is what the Bible calls “sin.” 

Oswald Chambers eloquently describes the peril of a conscience that is no longer troubled by wrong-doing: “One of the penalties of sin is our acceptance of it. It is not only God who punishes for sin, but sin establishes itself in the sinner and takes its toll. No struggling or praying will enable you to stop doing certain things, and the penalty of sin is that you gradually get used to it, until you finally come to the place where you no longer even realize that it is sin.”

Stay close to God through obedience to His scriptures, and through the spiritual disciplines of prayer, meditation, and gathering with other members of the family of God for worship and fellowship.  If you persist in these things, you will develop a heart that is sensitive to what pleases God — and what does not. This is the sure path to life, peace, and joy.  – Luther

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February 7
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Uncategorized Aside

“We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.” (Romans 5:3, NLT)

The only way to become a successful long-distance runner is to put in the miles over a period of time. Anything less, and the runner fails because he or she lacks endurance.

God is building into us endurance (perseverance) through various problems and trials as a track coach might send his runners over rough, hilly trails; and through spongy meadows, knowing that in order to overcome, a runner must first endure.

God is fitting each one of us for His purposes. Trials and problems come into our life only with God’s permission. He permits them only to the extent that they are necessary to run the course we cannot yet see — or to run beside the individual we have not yet met.

When we recall these things, we can rejoice “when we run into problems and trials.”  – Luther

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