Romans – Day 15
16 Oct 2009 | Karl Martin | Posted in RomansNo Comments
Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator. [Romans 1:24,25]
Two phrases are important today: ‘God gave them over’ and ‘they exchanged the truth of God for a lie’ .
God hands us over — he lets us stew in our own juices – we made our bed, we lie in it — however it is best described. God does not intervene. This is his specific response to our rebellion. THE WRATH OF GOD IS BEING REVEALED.
The story of the prodigal son is about this. The prodigal son came to his dad one day, “I’m going to split this scene. Give me half of my inheritance.” The father didn’t force him to stay, but said “I’m going to let you go.” God has to do the same thing with us.
What does it mean when God gives people over? It means He allows people to reap the results of their own choices. He lets you have what you think you want. You asked for it, you got it. You could go out and make a mess of your life and God will not stop you. Because He’s given you a free will, He won’t stop you. You’re given free rein to ruin your own life.
This is what the wrath of God in verse 18 is all about. “The wrath of God is being revealed against all godlessness and wickedness.” It’s being revealed — present tense. It’s happening right now. He’s not talking about the judgement day, fire and brimstone, the future. God allows people to do their own thing and when they reap the results of that, that is the wrath of God in their life.
We can see the wrath of God everywhere. Broken homes, child abuse, sexual disease….. That’s the wrath of God. When we get ourselves in a mess, God doesn’t bail us out. We reap what we sow. God doesn’t have to send fire and brimstone on most of us, because the effects of living without God brings its own problems and destruction. God punishes sin with sin. That is His wrath. I have no doubt that this is amongst the hardest things God has to do. It breaks his heart.
People say, “I can do as I feel. I don’t believe in any laws of God. I’m my own man.”
“They exchanged the truth of God for a lie.” [v. 25] In Greek, that literally says The Lie. What is the big lie that causes problems in our life? Genesis 3:2-5. This is the lie, the original lie that Satan gave to Adam and Eve way back at the beginning of time. The woman said to the serpent “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, `You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ And you must not touch it or you will die.’” “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God….’”
It was the temptation to be God.
The lie is two things:
- You can sin and get away with it. Satan said, You’re not going to die.
- You can be your own god.
“This relationship with God is so wonderful! But in order for it really to be relationship, He had to create the potential of dis-relationship. He couldn’t force love. After all, forced love is rape – it’s not love – and God is not a divine rapist.
It’s only love if we choose to love someone. That we made the decision to love them. If we have the ability to choose to love them, we also have the ability to choose not to love them. And people have been choosing not to love God, people have been choosing to live life on their own terms, people have been choosing to make decisions without His help from the very beginning. And the results of that are apparent.” [Karl Martin, from a sermon]
- Karl
Romans – Day 14
15 Oct 2009 | Karl Martin | Posted in RomansNo Comments
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. [Romans 1:21-23]
There are a couple of ways humanity rejects God.
- We refuse to give God His glory. We feel that we are self sufficient. It’s all about us, our achievements, our ability, our minds – and subsequently and consequently, we refuse to give thanks to Him. Ingratitude is an offense to God. Why? Does it hurt you when you do something for somebody and they don’t express thanks? God says “I’ve created all of this and you’re so ungrateful!”
- We replace Him. They made their own gods. “Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and animals and reptiles.” [v.22] When we replace God with something else in our lives, it’s called idolatry – we are making an idol. There’s a God-shaped vacuum in every one of our lives and when we take God out of our lives (reject Him) something is going to fill it – a person, a thing, an ideal. It becomes an idol and we create our own little gods.
We don’t have idols, do we????!
What do we idolize? Wealth. Success. Physical beauty. Pleasure. Fame. Our idols aren’t wood and stone. Our idols are made out of metal and plastic – cars, houses, nice clothes, things that we idolize. Anything that becomes number one in your life becomes your God.
An exercise today:
Take a piece of A4 paper and write your name in the middle. Now draw or write (if you can’t draw) all the things that are important to you – people and stuff and position etc. The closer they are to you, the more important they are for you. (Remember, this is between you and God; no-one else need see, and He knows anyway!) Ask Father God to reveal anything that has become an idol and to help you give it and Him their rightful place.
- Karl
Romans – Day 13
14 Oct 2009 | Karl Martin | Posted in RomansNo Comments
since what may be known about God is plain to them, because has made it plain to them. 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 1:19.20]
Paul says the existence of God is
- unmistakable
- unmissable
- undeniable
God has made himself plain….
HOW? What is it that causes you to go WOW? God is so good! Why don’t you just list the aspects of God and his creation that make you go WOW! Look out for the footprints of God all over our world today and worship him.
- Karl
Romans – Day 12
13 Oct 2009 | Karl Martin | Posted in RomansNo Comments
“The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.” [Romans 1:18]
God is mad … He is really mad … He has created this incredible world and a wonderful, special people to know Him, to live in this world, and to bring glory to Him.
And they have deliberately rejected God – GOD IS MAD!
It’s important that we understand that our idea of wrath is different from God’s idea. I think of somebody blowing his top, total lack of control, violent, throwing things around the room, breaking windows and smashing things.
In Greek there are two words for anger. One is thermos where we get the word thermometer from. It literally means a blast of anger. Sudden temper. Explosive anger.
That’s not the wrath of God.
The word used here in Greek is the word orge. It has nothing to do with an orgy. It literally means controlled anger. It’s settled, not impulsive. God gets angry, no doubt, but he never loses control. Why does God get angry? God gets angry at sin. When you see somebody doing something wrong to somebody else, does that make you mad? I hope it does. If you had a little girl and she got kidnapped, raped, killed, would you get angry about it? I hope you would. If you don’t get angry about anything, you don’t have any love.
Why does God get angry at sin? Because it destroys life. It twists creation. It damages what God has made. He made this perfect world, yet He sees it being wrecked through wars, hatred, violence, prejudice, injustice. Of course God gets angry. If God didn’t get angry at that He really wouldn’t be worth worshipping.
Notice the object of God’s wrath. Two words. The wrath is revealed against godlessness and wickedness.
Here is a definition of these two words.
Godlessness means living as if God doesn’t exist. That’s not necessarily atheism. It doesn’t mean you don’t believe in God. Many people believe in God, but don’t live like He exists. They don’t think He makes any difference. That’s called secularism today. God is there, but it doesn’t have anything to do with me.
Wickedness means living without any rules – because you’re living as if God did not exist ..
You do your own thing - you are your own judge – you are selfish - you do unto others before they do unto you.
Wickedness means you just don’t have any rules. Godlessness is a sin against God. Wickedness is a sin against man.
Here are some lyrics from Tim Hughes’ song ‘Everything’:
God in my living
There in my breathing
God in my waking
God in my sleeping
God in my resting
There in my working
God in my thinking
God in my speaking
Be my everything
Be my everything
Be my everything
Be my everything
Pray this over yourself today.
- Karl
Romans – Day 11
12 Oct 2009 | Karl Martin | Posted in RomansNo Comments
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.” [Romans 1:16,17]
I am going to be very obvious and give you verse 16 as the memory verse for the week.
The question for the day however is: ‘Why would you be ashamed of this good news, why would you be ashamed of Jesus’?’
Can you think of a time when you have been ashamed of the Gospel? (I don’t mean the church, or the institution, or yourself — we’ve all been there!)
What does it look like to be ashamed in this way?
- keeping silent
- separating – the secular from the sacred
- being more concerned about what other people think – than what He thinks
Why would we be tempted to be ashamed?
- a culture of cynicism
- a radical dispensation towards self
- a projected perceived negative reaction (almost everyone seeks God – almost everyone knows it’s broke)
We just don’t get it!
This Gospel is POWER -- TRANSFORMATION -- SALVATION — RIGHT WITH GOD
Listen to the message version of Habakkuk 2:4
“Look at that man, bloated by self-importance – full of himself but soul-empty. But the person in right standing before God through loyal and steady believing is fully alive, REALLY ALIVE.”
This Gospel is the reality of ALIVENESS - it is His Gospel and it is our Gospel. The Gospel is not an incarnation or a spell that fixes something; it is the truth of God that changes everything.
Thank the Lord today for your Gospel, for your experience of His salvation, and ask Him to open your eyes to soul-emptiness that your aliveness might have maximum impact.
- Karl
Romans – Day 10
9 Oct 2009 | Karl Martin | Posted in RomansNo Comments
That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome. [Romans 1:15]
Same verse today!
Paul has a simple strategy. He goes from city to city, he writes to cities, and he works for the redemption of those cities through the body of Christ in the city.
Most churches, and christian organisations, have a really deficient attitude towards the city or town that is the context of their worshipping life.
They Hide from it. Hide amongst the pews, hoping that Jesus will come soon.
They Hate it. They write letters against it, they march and protest – the city is bad, the church is good.
They are Conformed to it. They begin to just follow the culture — relevance is the fundamentally important value, to the point that they look more and more just like the city.
But we are called to love, and bless, and work for the redemption of the city. To dwell well, to settle and infiltrate, to lead culture, to encourage the good, to stand againt systemic evil. God has placed us in Edinburgh, not just to gain from Edinburgh, but to give to it and to bless it.
Today let us pray for our city: its leaders, the institutions, the business community, the police, teachers, health professionals…. If you are feeling really bold, go ask one of these leaders how the Christian community might best pray for them or help them.
- Karl
Romans – Day 9
8 Oct 2009 | Karl Martin | Posted in RomansNo Comments
That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are at Rome. [Romans 1:15]
Paul is driven by this obligation to preach the Gospel. There is significant truth in the St Francis of Assisi quote ‘preach the gospel at all times – if necessary use words’, but there is often folly in the way it is applied! It is true that your life preaches – and if your life does not preach Christ, then any words you use to represent Christ are hollow and will expose a lack of integrity. But to suggest that words are of secondary importance and may even be unnecessary seems to misunderstand the calling we have to bear the image of a speaking God – a God of revelation, a saviour who is described as the word of God. You are obligated to people, to have an integrity of life before them - representing this wonderful God, this incredible story, this grace.
Your words count! Someone needs to speak out against injustice, someone needs to speak for those who have no voice, someone needs to direct lost people to this Saviour. We are bound to speak, as we are bound to love, as we are bound to go, as we are bound to share, as we are bound to give ourselves.
- Karl
Romans – Day 8
7 Oct 2009 | Karl Martin | Posted in RomansNo Comments
I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. [Romans 1:14]
The scope and reach of Paul’s Gospel is huge – in fact it’s infinite. God loves all people.
And Paul says he is BOUND to all. Have you ever considered that the grace and love of God compels and binds us to all other people? As you walk the streets of the city, ask Father God to help you be aware of the different types of people in society that the Church of Jesus Christ is not positively orientated towards: the very poor - the very rich, football supporters, scientists, white van man, new age spiritualists, the clubbers. As the Holy Spirit prompts you, fill in the gaps. Maybe you will feel prompted to ask ‘what does church look like for these guys?’ Holy Spirit, what does my binding to these people mean for myself and my family’?
- Karl
Romans – Day 7
6 Oct 2009 | Karl Martin | Posted in RomansNo Comments
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I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong. [Romans 1:11]
My Father died recently. It was sudden and sad, and we had a wonderful thanksgiving service for his life. At the end of the life of a man or woman of God, it encourages you to consider the message not just of his life, but yours. The unanimous word seemed to be: ‘here was a man who had his style, his idiosyncrasies, but a man who loved God and who loved people.’ What is the message of my life?
Paul also loved.
Paul’s focus seems to be ‘others’ – ‘I want to bring you a gift to make you strong’. Stop for a moment and ask Father God to give you the Holy Spirit in ‘overflowing measure’ so that you might gift and fruit in ways that encourage others and build up the body. Sometimes I wonder if this generation would do really well to take much of our attention off ourselves and look for ways to serve others.
Paul uses the word ‘encouragement’ – the act of breathing courage into one another. How amazingly courageous, strong, and missionally effective would MBC be if our community was shot through with encouragement! (Interestingly, an encouraging culture militates against judgement, competition and opinion.)
Why don’t we all stop for a moment today – and send a card, a note, a gift, an email, just to bless and encourage someone else. If you meet with missional expression or small group this week, spend some time just telling one another how they bless you. See what happens!
- Karl
Romans – Day 6
5 Oct 2009 | Karl Martin | Posted in RomansNo Comments
First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. God, whom I serve with my whole heart in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you. [Romans 1:8-10]
I think it is almost universally true that christians undervalue and underplay the power of thanksgiving – the transforming power of a thankful heart. Paul gives us here some insight into his pattern of life: constant prayer, a life of service and intentional sharing of the Good News. Notice it all begins with a heart of thanksgiving.
Perhaps it’s a flow: a heart of thanksgiving leads you to a life of dependant prayer, and a life of dependant prayer leads you tobeing attuned with the gospel to the point that you can’t help serving Him by spreading His good news.
At the start of our day, why don’t we stop and give thanks. Get into the discipline of writing your gratitude down. What have you got to be thankful for? Materially? Relationally? Intellectually? Spiritually? Physically? Write it down – get in the flow!
- Karl