Romans 13--The Government Controversy

Romans 13, the controversial chapter about obedience to government, should be read in context. The preceding chapter gives instructions for believers to "avenge not yourselves: but rather give place unto wrath; for it is written vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord" (Ro 12:19). The believer is then instructed to obey the rulers for they are ordained by God to be the avenger against evil-doers (Ro 13:1-4).

It is evident God set up government to keep the peace, to punish evil-doers and to protect the God-fearing people. The individual is not intended to take matters into his own hands: when he has been a victim of crime or of a civil offense, he is to take the matter to the governing authorities. In much the same way, the believer is to take grievances against fellow believers to the body of believers, the church, for mediation (Mt 18:15-17; 1 Co 6: 1-8).

In no way does the fact that God ordains government (or ordains church leaders, for that matter) alleviate those leaders from their responsibility to serve God and to lead in a righteous manner. Likewise, the people being governed have a responsibility to hold their leaders to a godly standard of conduct.

When leaders in the church turn out to be false shepherds, the congregation is warned not to follow them (2 Ti 3; 2 Pe 2; Jude). Neither should God's people follow wicked civil leaders. The idea that civil government is free from God's mandates is a perversion. Civil leaders are ordained by God to act righteously. If they do not, the righteous should act to remove them from leadership. The righteous; i.e., the believer, should not rely on a misinterpretation of Romans 13 to excuse himself from taking a stand against unrighteous leaders!

Romans 12--A Living Sacrifice

In view of all that God has done to bring salvation to His people, both Jew and Gentile, should His people not serve Him?

Romans 12 opens by instructing the brethren to live in holiness, to "present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy...." (Ro 12:1). In order to do this sacrificial life of holiness, the believer must turn away from the pressures of the culture to sin (See also 1 John 2:15--17).

Romans 12:2 instructs: "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind...." Instead of filling his mind with television, internet, music, magazines, newspapers, etc., the believer is to renew and refresh his mind by reading and meditating on the Word of God (See also Joshua 1:8).

Believers ought to think, act, speak, dress, in a way that is very different from the world; i.e., the culture around them. Therefore, they (as non-conformists) will experience persecution from those who live in conformity with the culture. However, beievers should be able to find solace and encouragement in the presence of fellow believers who share in their life of holiness. Believers are even given special spiritual gifts to enable them to minister to each other.

The church, as a body of believers, ought to be known for true righteousness and for love of the brethren for each other. Otherwise, it is no different from the rest of the culture; and, instead of encouraging holiness in the individual believer, it will persecute that believer much as the world in general persecutes anyone who does not go along with its dictates.

Romans 11--Gentiles Grafted In To Jewish Roots

God gave the Jews a religious system of sacrifice and ceremony in order to help them see the nature of their Messiah, the Christ (Jesus), who would be the epitome both of their sacrificial system (He was the Lamb of God slaughtered for their sins) and their ceremonial system (He was the anti-type, or fulfillment, for each of their Feasts; e.g., Christ, our Passover.)

In their religious practices, however, the Jews became more enamored with style than with substance; i.e., empty tradition. They used their system of religious laws to create a man-made self-righteousness that enabled them to feel superior over the Gentiles (who had not been so privileged as to have God speak directly to them and to give them His Commandments.)

As a result of their abusing the laws God had given them, these laws--their religious system--actually became a snare to them so that when their Messiah (Jesus) arrived, they could not recognize and honor Him (Ro 11:9). In their self-righteousness, the Jews had ceased to be a showcase demonstrating the righteousness of God. God then took away their privilege of being His spokesman to evangelize the unbelieving world.

Romans 11 presents a vivid illustration: the Jews are God's special olive tree. The Gentiles are a wild olive tree. The Jews, and their man-made religious system, are broken off the tree and the Gentile church is grafted in. The roots are Jewish.

The warning to the church is to beware of the snare that befell the Jews; i.e., do not use the church system as a man-made religion with empty rituals and traditions that enable the participants to appear righteous and thus feel superior to those who are not part of their religious system.

Romans 10--Warnings Against Self-Righteousness

The religious leaders in Jerusalem imposed a system of rules of conduct on their people and viewed it as a righteousness pleasing to God. The Apostle Paul, in Romans 10, explains that their legalistic rule-keeping resulted in a self-righteousness, not a Godly righteousness.

True righteousness comes by believing what God says (like Abraham did). The religious leaders knew God had said for them to obey the Messiah when He came, but they would not listen to God on this matter. They did not like it that the Messiah (Jesus) said that their laws were man-made and that their hypocritical religiosity was actually keeping people from finding true salvation through faith in God.

The religious leaders also knew God's Word included salvation for the Gentiles, but they would not listen to God on this matter, either. They preferred their man-made religious system that allowed them to feel superior to the Gentiles.

As a result of their hard-headed ways, God removed from them the privilege of being His spokesman to the unbelieving world. God gave this position to the church, which includes both Jew and Gentile.

The Apostle Paul warns the church (in Romans 11) that if they become arrogant and disobedient to God's instructions, that they will not last as His spokesman, either.

Before anyone judges the Jews too harshly, he should look at the church, especially his own church, and seek to determine if it is a religious organization following a system of man-made laws that produce self-righteousness.

Romans 9--God's Chosen People, The Elect

In order to better understand Romans 9, one should take a quick look at Romans, chapters 9-11: God chose Abraham and his progeny, the Israelites (Jews), to be His special people--they would receive His Commandments, live by them, and demonstrate the righteousness of God to the world around them so that the Gentiles, too, might come to know the one true God.

The Israelites, however, abused this privilege. Instead of being used by God as a showcase for the righteousness of God, they became arrogant and self-righteous for being God's "Chosen People." Their outward righteousness, but inner rebellion against God, is best seen in their hatred for God's Son, Jesus. Therefore, God removed their privilege of being His showcase for Godliness and He gave this privilege to another group--the church--made up of both Jew and Gentile.

Romans 9 explains that no one was ever saved (from his own sin and from God's wrath in judgment on that sin) just because he was a descendant of Abraham (an Israelite, a Jew). Abraham's "true" children, whether Jew or Gentile, are those individuals who share Abraham's faith in the one true God--they believe what God says as Abraham believed God.

To illustrate this truth, the Apostle Paul points out that Abraham's son Isaac shared Abraham's faith and followed God while Abraham's son Ishmael did not; Abraham's grandson Jacob had faith and followed God, while his twin brother Esau did not. No person has ever been saved because of his family ancestry--it is not by blood (John 1:13) but by believing God.

A distinction must be made between the nation of Israel, which was "chosen" to showcase God's righteousness, and the individual, whether Jew or Gentile, known as "chosen" because of his faith. The individual that believes God and follows God is saved; he is Abraham's child and a child of God. He attains this status by God's mercy. As salvation is not by blood, neither is it by works--good deeds--so that no one can boast. (Ro 9; Jn 1:12-13; Ep 2:8-9).

Anyone who is saved should be on his face before God in amazement, humility and gratitude!

Romans 8--Marvelous Promises!

Romans 8 reiterates Romans 7: God's righteous law could not and never did give anyone power to live a righteous life. Jesus, however, liberated believers from the condemnation of the law and provided them a new, godly nature, and along with it, the power to live a truly righteous life.

Romans 8 goes on to say that, since the nature of the believer is spiritual (the believer is indwelt by the Spirit of God), he ought to follow the leading of the Spirit in his conduct. Unlike the lost person, the believer is no longer alienated from God: he has been adopted into the family of God and is allowed to call God "Father."

As a family member, the believer is an heir: he will share in Christ's glory and he will receive a new, glorified, and immortal body. The believer is constantly being conformed to the image of Christ and his behavior should be increasingly Christ-like.

The Apostle Paul assures the believer that "...If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Ro 8:31). One way God is "for us" is through the intercessory prayers of both the Spirit (Ro 8:26) and Christ (Ro 8:34) on behalf of the believer.

Romans 8 ends with this wonderful assurance: "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, ...Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 8 ought to make a brother want to jump up and spin around!

Romans 7--Freedom in Christ

As in Romans 6, Romans 7 centers on how Christ saves the believer from a life dominated by sin. Romans 7 goes on to explain the relationship between God's law, sin and righteousness.

The law is righteous and good, but it does not have power in and of itself to enable a person to live according to its precepts. To the contrary, the law--God's standard of righteousness--condemns each and every individual because no one can keep the law without violating it. Because of the human sin nature, everyone violates God's law; no one can claim purity on Judgment Day. Therein lies the need for a Savior--Someone who never did violate God's law and Who was willing to intercede on behalf of each believer.

Romans 7 illustrates the relationship of sin and law: a married woman is bound by law to her husband (as her master) until he dies. Then she is free from his dominance and free from the laws of marriage that dictated that dominance. Similarly, every person born is "married" to, or subject to, a master: his sin and the law of God that classifies him as a sinner. Everyone comes under the condemnation of God's law.

There was a death that released the married woman from her marriage vows. Similarly, there was a death that released the believer, a sinner, from being subject to God's condemning laws--that was the death of Christ. All believers are said to be "in" Christ (John 17). When Christ died, all believers "died" with Him. Therefore, through Christ, all believers have paid the price for their sin (death) and God's law cannot exact another payment of death out of them. Believers are in this sense free from God's law (free from the condemnation of it).

But, as seen in Romans 6, this freedom from the condemnation of God's law is not a license to sin. Romans 7 explains that the believer, released from his "marriage" to the law (that condemned him for his sin), is now "married" to another: to Christ. The fruit of this marriage is righteousness. What the Law could not provide (power to live a truly righteous life), Jesus could and did provide (more on this topic in Romans 8)!

Romans 7 does contain a matter of controversy: there is a struggle, or inner conflict, exhibited by a person who wants to follow God's law and live righteously but who repeatedly fails in his efforts. Does this struggle describe the believer?

The Apostle Paul explained clearly throughout Romans 5, 6 and 7 that Jesus set the believer free from sin being the master of his life. Just what does "free" mean? The believer is free from the sin nature with which he was born; he has been given a new nature, one that is bent toward righteousness. He has been given power--a means by which to live a righteous life. Part of the victory that is in Jesus is this ability to live righteously without this constant struggle with one's own sin nature! Glory halleluia!

Romans 6--Mastered By Sin or By Righteousness?

The dilemma, as summarized from Romans 5: Adam sinned. His progeny are born with a sin nature; i.e., human nature has a bent toward sinning. God hates sin. All people, born sinners, are subject to God's judgment for their sin and are doomed to hell. No one can deliver himself or anyone else out of this predicament.

Then came Jesus! Jesus was without sin; thus, in a position to stand in the sinner's place of judgment before God. God was satisfied. He raised Jesus from the dead. Those that receive Jesus as Lord and Master are given eternal life and a new nature that has a bent toward holiness. Good News!

Romans 6 explains further: For the believer the old sin nature no longer has the power to make him sin. However, the believer can still choose to sin. For a believer to continue in his sinful ways is unpleasing to God.

The believer has been given a new nature that is capable of living in purity and righteousness. The believer can and should choose to live in this righteousness that has been made available to him through the death and resurrection of Christ.

All people are born into a slavery of sorts. Because of the human sin nature, people are born slaves to sin. Believers receive a new, righteous nature, but they are still slaves--slaves to righteousness.

The unsaved person has no choice but to sin. The saved person has a choice: he may either continue to act in accordance with his old sin nature or he may serve his new master--righteousness. For the believer to continue in sin dishonors God. A person who just cannot get free of a sinful habit is either unsaved, ignorant of this freedom from sin granted to believers, or in a back-slidden rebellion against God.

Romans 5--A Life Bent Toward Holiness

The righteousness imputed, or reckoned, to the believer puts him in right-standing before God: he has peace, or reconciliation, with God; whereas, the unbeliever (the unregenerate, the unconverted), in his lost (unsaved) state, is still subject to God's wrathful judgment, poised to fall on all sinners who cannot truly point to Jesus as their Savior (Ro 5:1).

Not only does the believer have reconciliation with God, which saves him from damnation and hell (as if that were not enough!), the believer is granted access to God--a personal audience with the God of the universe! (Ro 5:2). It is no wonder the believer rejoices! He rejoices even in tribulations because he now understands why he has troubles: "...knowing that tribulation produces perseverance, and perseverance, character; and character, hope (Ro 5: 3-4)."

This audience, or personal relationship, with Almighty God, made possible through Christ, enables the believer to live a "saved" life--a life marked by purity (Ro 5:10).

When Adam sinned, he caused the "Fall" of mankind. Thenceforth every child born would have a sin nature; i.e., a bent toward sinning. No person could save himself from this condition--his own sinful nature. No amount of good works or moral, upstanding behavior could alleviate the ultimate consequences of this sin nature: condemnation by a just and holy God.

God, in His mercy, however, provided one way (Jn 14:6) out of this dilemma--the sinner can receive Jesus, the Holy One, as Lord and Master (Jn 1:12). Thus the sinner, now a believer, receives a new nature (11 Corinthians 5:17). This new nature is bent toward holiness, unlike the old nature, which is bent toward sin. The believer, with his new nature, is not sinless, but the mark of his life is holiness.

Sinful man, in his fallen state, does not quickly recognize his depraved condition. Therefore, God gave mankind His law, to show each individual his impure state. If there is any doubt in a person's mind whether or not he is pure, he can read the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) and ask himself how many of God's laws he has violated, even still violates daily, in thought, word and deed.

Violating God's law is not the normal condition for a true believer. The rejoicing seen in Romans 5 is not just the joy of salvation from hell, it is the joy of salvation from the sin nature. God, through Jesus, has provided a new nature, with a bent toward purity, for the believer. Glory Hallelulia!

Romans 4--Righteousness By Believing God

Romans 2 and Romans 3 explain what righteousness is not: not morality (Ro 2) and not good deeds (Ro 3). Romans 4 explains what righteousness is--believing God.

Ro 4 gives Abraham as an example of a man who believed God and "it was imputed to him for righteousness." (Ro 4:22). God told Abraham that his wife Sarah would give birth to their son. At the time Abraham was about 100 years old and Sarah was 90. Yet Abraham believed God could and would do what He had said.

Anyone declared righteousness by God comes into right-standing with God and is no longer subject to the wrath of God when He judges and condemns sinners. To be declared righteous, a person must believe what God says. In His Word God has said:

1. All men are sinners by nature, separated from God by sin and condemned to hell (Ro 3:23). The wages of sin are death (Ro 6:23).
2. Jesus was God. He was sinless and did not have to die for His own sins like other men.
3. Yet Jesus did die physically, by choice, in order to accept the penalty for sin that would otherwise have condemned all men. He swapped places with the sinner who believes and that believer, instead of receiving the wrath of God in condemnation, receives the righteousness of Jesus by imputation.
4. God accepted this substitution. God's approval is demonstrated by Jesus being resurrected from the dead. Because of Jesus' death and resurrection, some (believers) are saved from condemnation.
5. Those that are saved are the ones who have received Jesus as Lord and Savior (John 1:12).

A person wanting to consider whether he believes what God has said can ask himself if he believes these Biblical truths:

1. I am a sinner, separated from God's grace and condemned by His wrath because of my sin.
2. I cannot work my way into His good grace because my very nature as a human is sinful. Moral behavior and good deeds in the eyes of mankind do not cover up my sinful nature in the eyes of God.
3. Jesus was sinless. Jesus stood in my place and received the penalty coming to me so that I could receive the righteousness that is His.
4. Jesus, being God, is my Creator as well as my Savior and my Lord. My life belongs to Him. I am to obey His Word, the Holy Bible. He gives me power to live righteously--truly righteously--and not just present a superficial righteousness created by men in order to approve one another.

Romans 3--Dangers of Doing Good Deeds

In Romans 2 God condemns people who exhibit a superficial, external morality in order to be seen as respectable. In Romans 3 God condemns religious people who go about doing good deeds in order to be seen as respectable. In these chapters the Apostle Paul repeatedly emphasizes that it is not good conduct that brings a person into favor with almighty God.

God views all mankind, regardless of conduct, as depraved sinners (Ro 3:9-18). Acting moral and respectable cannot fix a person's naturally sinful nature.

The marvelous thing is that God has provided a way for some to be saved from this innate condition of sin. Jesus, holy and righteous, can stand in the place of the sinner being judged by a holy God and God will declare that sinner innocent.

But not everyone is saved from this condemning verdict. Good conduct and respectability cannot save. To be saved from the sin that convicts him, a person must see and admit his sinful state. Then he must see and admit that Jesus is righteous and the only one who can stand in his place and be found innocent.

On Romans 2--Dangers of a Superficial Morality

As Romans 1 presented the dangers of self-deception, Romans 2 presents the dangers of a superficial morality.

After listing the sins of utter depravity (Ro 1:24-32), the Apostle Paul warns the respectable persons, including the religious leaders, that they, too, are subject to the wrath of God because they, too, have hard and impenitent hearts.

While externally they appear to be righteous, internally they steal, commit adultery, and practice idolatry (Ro 2:21-22).

Moral conduct, or a reputation for morality in the eyes of men, is worthless to God if there is no genuine holiness, or purity, according to His standards. The Lord commands: "Be ye holy; for I am holy." ( See 1 Pe 1:15-16.) Can anyone not be humbled by such a command from such a holy God?

Praise God for the assurance found in 1 John 1:9, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." His people are to please Him and not just other people.

From Romans 1--Dangers of Self-deception

Jesus is proved to be the Son of God by His Resurrection (Ro 1:4). By God's grace He calls out (separates unto Himself) a people to be His saints, or "Holy Ones" (Ro1:5-7).

Those that are saved (from God's wrath and from their own state of sinfulness) are saved through the power of God, the same power that raised Christ from the dead (Ep 1:19-20).

However, those that spurn God and His Word are subject to God's wrath. They do not realize their predicament. "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools" (Ro 1:22). They are self-deceived!

A person can be a church-goer and well respected in the community and think himself to be right with God. But Jesus says, "My sheep hear my voice and ... they follow me." So the question is, "Do I really hear Jesus speaking directly and personally to me and then do I obey what He says?"

Self-deception is dangerous.

Vanity of the Mind

Vanity means both conceit and emptiness or worthlessness (Webster).

Scripture warns of the dangers of vanity. Ephesians 4: 17-18 states that believers/Christians are to "walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their heart. "

In other words, a vain person is ignorant, without understanding, blinded to truth, foolishly prideful, and oblivious to his own sad condition. The vain person is a fool who thinks he is smart ("Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools...." (Ro 1:22).

Before dismissing these passages as inapplicable to one's own life, the wise person will ask God to reveal those areas of vanity/conceit/ emptiness in his own life. Can anyone truly say he is fully cleansed from vanity?

Envy Is Surely Sin

Romans 1:28-32 lists envy as one of the sins of a reprobate mind, along with such sins as fornication, murder and haters of God. Galatians 5:19-21 includes envyings in a list with adultery, witchcraft, heresies, murder, drunkenness....

Envy differs from covetousness in that envy is thoroughly odious. It is "discontentment at the sight of another's success, accompanied by some degree of hatred" (Webster). The origin of the word is invidia, meaning hatred, ill will. With envy, not only does a person inordinately desire the success or the possessions of another person, he hates the person that he envies.

Covetousness can be positive in meaning "eagerly desire" or negative in meaning "to desire inordinately, to long for that which is unlawful to obtain or possess" (Webster). The last of the Ten Commandments warns: "Thou shalt not covet ... thy neighbor's wife...." (Exodus 20:17) A person may covet his neighbor's wife and envy/hate his neighbor for having her.

How does one recognize envy in his heart? The psalmist went into the sanctuary of God (God's presence) and it was revealed to him. (Ps 73) What was his response to this revelation? Something similar to this: "Oh what an ignorant fool I've been!"

May the Lord help His people be set free from this insidious trap called envy.

Blinded to the Truth by Envy

The Apostle Paul, on his first missionary journey, preached in the Jewish synagogue at Antioch of Pisidia that by Jesus "all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." (Acts 13:39)

The gentiles were interested because Paul included them in God's plan of salvation. The Jews were not upset at this point because they had always accepted gentiles into their faith if the gentiles were willing to be circumcised and follow all of their laws.

However, when Paul spoke the next week, at invitation of the gentiles, "almost the whole city came to hear the word of God," and "when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy and spoke against those things which were spoken by Paul...." (Acts 13:44-45)

The Jews that were filled with envy were the Jewish religious leaders, comparable to the preachers, elders and bishops of the Christian church today. These men were jealous that another preacher had come to town and had commanded a larger audience than their own.

Because of their envy, these religious leaders immediately disputed what Paul was saying without first examining it for the truth. They were blinded by their envy.

The two-fold application of this passage requires the believer to ask himself:
1. Does envy in my life prevent me from looking for truth?
2. Are the religious leaders in the church I attend more interested in attaining those things they envy that in searching for the truths of God's Word?

Envy is Foolish

Proverbs 23:17 says, "Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long." The subject of the envy is the sinner. Psalm 73 explains more fully that the reason sinners are envied by the righteous is that they prosper in this world.For example, Ps 73: 12 says, "Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches."

However, in Ps 73:22, the writer says he was foolish and ignorant to envy the wicked. He came to that realization after the Lord showed him that the end of the wicked is destruction.

Ps 37:1-2 gives the same message: "Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb."

Not only is the prosperity of the wicked short-lived, this prosperity does not encompass spiritual prosperity. Isaiah 57:21 says, "There is no peace, saith my God, for the wicked."

Rather than envy the wicked and be a fool, the believer is to fear the Lord and be wise. 1 Ti 6:6 says, "...godliness with contentment is great gain." The antidote to envy, then (as stated is the first Proverb quoted), is to be in the fear of the Lord all the day long. Joshua 1:8 says to meditate in the Word day and night--that is the way to "be in the fear of the Lord all the day long" and that is the way to have "godliness with contentment" and that is the way to find relief from foolish envy. May the Lord be praised!

Labor Not To Be Rich

Proverbs 23:4 says, "Labor not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom." The "Labor not" in this verse refers to overworking--someone so taken with riches that he works all the time for more (obsessed.)

Proverbs 23:5 says,"Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven." This proverb may not seem to be the case all the time, but add the following to it: 1 Timothy 6:7, "For we brought nothing into this world and it is certain we can carry nothing out."
There will be a time that riches will fail to be of assistance!

If a person is instructed not to set his eyes, or his heart, upon riches, then upon what should his heart be set? Colossians 3:2 says, "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth." "Things above" are the things pertaining to God and His Word. Meditation on God's Word leads to obedience to His Word, which in turn leads to "good success" (Jos 1:8.) One thing good success means, in addition to having freedom from sin, is to have contentment. 1 Ti 6:8 says, "And having food and raiment let us be therefore content." This contentment with little--little prestige, little status, little in the way of material wealth--is given to the believer who truly believes this truth. The Apostle Paul said, "...I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content...I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Ph 3:11-13)

This contentment, and freedom from sin, eludes those who would be rich. 1 Ti 6:7 says, "They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition."

The question is this: Does the person reading these Bible passages believe them or not?

Wisdom from God

Proverbs 19:20 says, "Hear counsel and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in the latter end."

Who would say he did not want to be wise? What is wisdom and how is it attained? James 3:13-18 gives a clear account of true wisdom, i.e., wisdom from God, and distinguishes godly wisdom from earthly wisdom, or wisdom of man. According to James 3: 17-18, "... the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace."

Notice the tone of this passage: peace, mercy, gentleness, purity, righteousness. True wisdom is not self-seeking or grasping. In dealing with others, God's wisdom has no ulterior motives, lies, deceptions or manipulations.

How can one attain God's wisdom? Proverbs 19:20 says, "Hear counsel and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in the latter end." What counsel? What instruction? Proverbs 9:10 says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." One cannot even begin to be wise in a godly sort of way until he fears the Lord. And one cannot fear the Lord until he comes to know Him. John 1:12 says, "...as many as received him (Jesus), to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name."

If the Lord has granted salvation to a person and the believer has a fear, or reverence, of God, then the instruction that will make him wise is found in Joshua 1:8, "...meditate (on God's Word) day and night."

Bondage to Sin

The Apostle Paul gives a vivid illustration of the law of sin and death and how a person subject to this law is a slave, in bondage to his own sin. Ro 7:19 states, "For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do."

Anyone who has ever tried to "turn over a new leaf" or get free from some nagging habit should be able to understand what it is like to want to do the right thing, but to fail at it over and over. Try going through the day without lying at all or without coveting or lusting after anything. It is easier to understand the bondage to sin than it is to understand freedom from this bondage to sin.

People like to say, "The devil made me do it" or"I'm only human." In reality, a person who enjoys sin fits the description in John 3:19, "...men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."

Rather than a person making excuses for sin or pretending there is no sin in his life, why should he not read over the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20) and see how many violations there are in his life daily? A good look at the extent of sin in one's life, the utter pervasiveness of it, should make the freedom from sin as stated in Romans 8:2 a most compelling topic.

This Wonderful Freedom

This wonderful freedom from sin and death, as stated in Ro 8:2, is available to whom? That well-known verse, John 3:16, states that whosoever believes in the Son of God should not perish but have everlasting life. The first criterion for freedom from sin and death is that a person believes in Jesus as his Lord and Savior. The non-believer does not share in this promise of everlasting life.

The second criterion for this freedom from sin and death is an understanding that the Word of God, including this verse, is true and is applicable to the believer's life.

And thirdly, even while believing that God grants freedom from sin, a believer must choose to live in this freedom rather than to continue living in sin. In Ephesians 4:17-20, the Apostle Paul told the gentile believers at Ephesus, "... henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ."

Free from the Law of Sin and Death

Just as Jos. 1:8 speaks of the Book of the Law and Ps 1:2 speaks of the law of the Lord, Romans 8:2 speaks of law--the law of sin and death. The law of sin is illustrated in Ro 6:16, "Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness."

Sin is characterized as a slave master and the person in sin is in bondage to this master. Sin causes a barrier between man and God. Isaiah 59:2, "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear." Ultimately, sin leads to death (Ro 6:23), including eternal separation from a good and righteous God.

While Ro 8:2 speaks of this law of sin and death, it also speaks of another law--the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. The writer of Romans found life in Jesus. Ro 8:2, "For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death." The slave master, sin and death, does not hold Jesus in his grips (Jesus did resurrect from the dead.) Neither does this slave master hold in his grips those that belong to Jesus.

The freedom of which this passage speaks is the same freedom seen in John 8:36; it is freedom from a life of sin followed by eternal death. This freedom gives life where there was previously death and righteousness where there was previously sin. For all these things, Brethren, ought not we to rejoice day and night!

This Book of the Law

Joshua 1:8 has long been a favorite of mine: This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

Psalm 1: 1-3 is similar: Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

When I find delight in the Word of God, I meditate on it, and when I meditate on it, I find delight in it. When I pray to the Lord and ask for a word of encouragement--a rhema (Greek)--He speaks to me through His Word. He might say to me as He said to Joshua in Jos 1:5 "...I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." Or in Jos 1:9 "...Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."

What a comfort and encouragement God's Word is!