Category: Romans

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

These next few chapters deal with national Israel, with the Jews as a people. Not all Abraham’s descendants are Abraham’s children! The sacred doctrine of election is dealt with here in the context of love and grace – notice Paul’s great sorrow and unceasing anguish. Is God’s heart not torn likewise?

SJA Notes

* Holy God, Your word is truth, and is true. Absolute, without error, without fault. Please teach us from it today.

“This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.”

Children of the promise!

Here is a wonderful truth, full of hope for us – God’s grace and mercy in calling us, we who were enemies, and many of us not-at-all from the line of Abraham in an earthly sense.

But we are all God’s people called from all the earth, across all time – Children of His promise!

That through Abraham all nations of the earth would be blessed.

That the Messiah would come and bring salvation.

That He would bring breath to dry bones, life to dead hearts.

Praise God that we are children of His promise, which transcends race and background, personalities and experiences.

* Father God,

Thank You that we are Your children because of Your promise.

Thank You for Jesus, in and through whom all Your promises find their YES.

Thank You for saving us Lord God.

Please help us each day to walk obediently under Your will, as Your people.

Amen.

Reading

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SAA Notes

Suffering seen against the backdrop of glory and resurrection can be endured. Romans 8:28-39 is a glorious passage, full of comfort, hope and courage. Nothing will be able to separate you from your Beloved!

SJA Notes

* God Almighty, You are holy and righteous – Please teach us today.

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?”

If we believe that God loves us, that Christ’s love was so great as to offer Himself up – Now that we God’s people are able to live through Him, abiding in His love,

What could break that bond, what could dissolve that love, what could cause the love to fail or go away or disappear.

Paul’s answer is emphatic.

Nothing.

There isn’t a thing in all of creation that can take away God’s love from us.

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rules, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Nothing.

Hallelujah!

* Holy God,

Your word is true and truth.

Please write it on our hearts today.

Mark us as a faithful people, who trust in Your love for us – Who are steadfast in Your love, that nothing can separate us from You.

Thank You Lord!

Amen.

Reading

Audio, Visual

SAA Notes

In this closely argued passage, Paul ends with a startling name for God – Dada. Abba is one of the first words a Jewish baby would say, just as ours say Dada. I find this a challenge to the distance and indifference of my own heart. I find my deceitful heart telling me that it is safer to keep God at a distance.

SJA Notes

* Dear God Above, please show us Your wisdom today from Your word.

“For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

Here is one of Paul’s if-then-else binary statements in this passage.

It is a hard word of warning, and a comfort too.

There is only one way!

Our minds must be set on the Spirit, and that can only happen through Jesus.

The fleshy-mind cannot submit to God’s law, it cannot please God.

But if our minds are in the Spirit, heirs with Christ, putting to death the deeds of the body (from yesterday’s passage, the body of sin/death) – Then this amazing truth applies, that we can please God!

* Gracious Father,

Thank You that in Jesus we have Your Spirit, in Him and only Him.

Thank You for the hope this brings. For the simple truth of how to please You.

There is only Jesus, only Your Spirit.

Thank You Lord!

Amen.