This will be more of a rant than anything else. One of the biggest things I've learned during my first year of seminary is just how much I have been taking scripture out of context in order to fit theology, or whatever other agenda I needed it to serve. I have been forced to work through a logical and methodological approach to finding meaning without laying a theological framework on top of the scripture I am determined to understand. This approach allows the text to speak in context. I know how simple it may sound, and many of you might think that you already find meaning in context, but I would humbly pressure you to re-examine your approach to understanding scripture. How well do you understand the meaning cohesively within the text itself, ie. verse to verse and chapter to chapter? One thing that is easy to do, for instance, is to use the writings of Paul to "figure out" other writings of Paul, but while that may prove effective generally, it's dangerous to use that as the first step in understanding a certain passage. That is what I mean by laying theology on top of scripture to understand it! Paul's theology in Romans might not have anything to do with a certain scripture in 2 Corinthians! Determine the argument, follow the logic, and let the text speak. This is really the point of this post: I have discovered too many scriptures that can be used to "force" believers into a false sense of guilt, which borders on a legalistic works based religious system, and all in the name of sanctification. We apply Romans 12:1-2 to personal sanctification when it is, in context, talking about two distinct groups (Jew and Gentile believers) coming together in worship, and the command to not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind isn't talking about a private "thought-life" battle, but simply changing the mindset of disunity that was pervasive in that context that prohibited them to accept each other! Now, should we offer our lives to Christ as a living sacrifice...YES! Should we think holy thoughts....YES! But we should use the right scriptures to teach it and not manipulate the text to say something it isn't saying, even though it may be right theologically. What about the often quoted 2 Corinthians 3:17 scripture that says, "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (or freedom)." That is a great scripture! But, I have always heard it used to say that we can freedom from sin, freedom from pain, freedom from this and that, and that we can overcome!!!! I would almost bet that you wouldn't agree, at least at first, that this scripture is intended to be an encouragement to boldly proclaim the gospel even in the midst of trails and persecutions. Show me in the context of chapters 2-5 where Paul is trying to develop an argument for triumphilism in this age, or that he's talking about sanctification. What you'll find is Paul defending his apostleship, and in doing so he has to prove that the ministry of the "new covenant" is one where afflictions, trials, and persecution are all part of it, and in the midst of it believers have confidence that God will prove faithful to give us glory in the next age...and because of that confidence we have the freedom to boldly proclaim the truth. It follows the logic. I wasn't even aware of how badly we abuse scripture until it was pointed out to me that, above anything else, I need to understand the text within itself as it relates in the first century, and I need to stop sytematizing scripture to death. Simple Application: Don't allow scripture to be used as your weapon to overwhelm people with a sense of guilt by applying sanctification to texts that don't have anything to do with sanctification!

The platform on which this paper will be built is the 

purpose statement of Romans given in class by Dr. Tomlinson, 

which is to show that "no distinction" exists in the

"impartial" judicial administration of God-all believing 

ones, whether Jew or Gentile, are justified by faith through 

the Gospel (Romans 1-11). This lack of distinction should

provoke in us an acceptance of one another, Jew and Gentile 

believers in the church (Romans 12-16).

In order to adequately support any purpose statement for 

Romans it is necessary to at least survey the vast and varying 

approaches by scholars over the years to this subject. 

Karl P. Donfried suggests that for centuries, “virtually all scholars 

would have agreed with Melanchthon’s evaluation of Romans 

as a christianae religionis compendium,”1 but in the realm of 

recent scholarship there can be as many purpose statements for 

Romans as there are serious readers of Romans, so the task is not 

an easy one. In his book, Solving the Romans Debate, A. Andrew Das 

appropriately quotes A.J.M. Wedderburn concerning the contention 

over the purpose of Romans, “that there should be so 

much disagreement over the purpose of Romans is disconcerting 

in a letter that has perhaps received more learned attention and 

research than almost any other piece of literature in human history.”2 

Das, in Solving the Romans Debate3, does a remarkable

job of providing a quick overview of the major theories about 

the purpose of Romans that depart from the standard 

“Romans as a theological treatise” position mentioned earlier, 

which many continue to firmly believe.4

Before moving too quickly from the “standard” understanding of 

Romans and into other theories for its purpose, two critical questions 

must be asked: Did Paul intend to summarize his theological positions 

and, if so, why did he leave out so many important theological 

points of interest? More importantly, does an understanding of Romans 

as a summary of Paul’s theology answer the question of 

whether or not there was a concrete situation that required Paul to 

provide such a summary? For any debate on Romans, how one answers 

the latter will determine greatly their conclusions as to the purpose of

Romans. 

See the remaining Posts:  Romans part 3 and Romans part 4

I've found myself without a true sense of the divine for some time now. I think the pressures of life and the reality of the harshness of it have given a sobering glimpse into the secrets of what remains in my heart when all the faking has been given in the offering of saving face. I'm amazed again at the ease in which repentance gives way to pretending, exposing the pride of self-vindication to be nothing more than failed attempts to prove to others that redemption happened. Honesty is the enemy when the truth doesn't line up with the image and the lie becomes the closest companion. Appearance is the cousin to first impressions and must be maintained with spotless perfection, in order to stay strong. I'm finding that people work harder at looking right than being right, when being right is a free gift of grace that can't be earned no matter how hard it's worked for. The path to right standing with God isn't something that needs our legalistic and guilt-ridden practices to be maintained, and by thinking righteousness needs our help we only perpetuate the cycle of guilt and legalism that lead to faking. I'm not saying that righteousness doesn't produce righteous actions, because obviously right actions will be birthed from righteousness. What I am saying is that righteous acts don't guarantee righteousness. There is only one righteous deed that matters: Christ offering his sinless life in our place to make us righteous. I think I'm getting closer to the point in my life with Christ that I'm beginning to trust His righteousness given to me more than I am my ability to work for it, or even maintain it. I'm tired of guilt being used as a motivation for righteousness. I want Christ's unbelievable love that was displayed to us while we were still sinners to be the motivation for accepting his grace and living a life pleasing to Him. I'm tired of legalism being pushed on people more than people being taught to accept Christ's work for their righteousness. I want to experience all that God has for me, and in that desire I have no problem sacrificing certain things, to focus my attention and my affections. If I feel God leading me to not watch television and instead devote myself to prayer or Bible reading, I'll do it to His glory, but I won't dare criticize someone for watching TV. Get my point? It's my opinion that God doesn't receive any glory from a hard-legalist. Their "righteousness" is their reward and God is left somewhere out of the equation. The whole point I wanted to make with this rant is that I'm tired of being forced into pretending when all I want to do is repent! I blame the system that makes us think we have to earn favor with God for giving us the false sense that we have to choose between faking and fixing. As Christ followers, we must trust His work and quit adding things that make our salvation conditional and weak. Simple Application: Are you working too hard on your image, rather than trusting in Christ's gift of righteousness to you?

I've learned some important things in the past few days, but one of the most profound realizations that I've had is just how much God cares about $1.35. Let me explain: We've had family staying with us since December 23, visiting for the holidays. My wife's grandma, grandpa, and great-grandma made the trip from Georgia to share Christmas and New Years with us. Her great-grandma, everyone calls her Big Mama...she's the head of 5 generations, she's 90 and in failing health, but the doctors gave her the ok to make the trip. This past Saturday while she was sitting in the living room, her heart stopped. Everyone acted heroically, calling 911 and performing CPR until the EMT's arrived. They had to shock her heart three times and were finally able to revive her. She has been on the ventilator since that time, and has steadily showed signs of improvement. Whether she's able to recover from this point on or not is still very much a concern, but the circumstances leading up to this present state are what I want to focus on. In tragedy it's easy to focus on the negative, blaming God or someone else for the misfortune, and asking the tough, "Why God," questions seems to be natural in the greiving process. I can't help but see the hand of God in almost every facet of these circumstances. I think about how they were supposed to be heading to a remote part of Oklahoma to visit more family, but stayed and were able to have almost instant access to EMT's and the best hospitals in the area. I think about how Shannon and I made a "random" trip to Target with her little brothers just before the event, which I believe protected them from seeing the chaos and helped eliminate the possibility of added confusion. I think about how the EMT's were even able to resisitate her, allowing family more time to process the events and cope, rather than have the tragic end right there in the living room. There are so many little things that seemingly "fell" into place. Even if she isn't able to recover, I can still see God's goodness through all of the chaos. The most profound thing to me, again, is found in the tiny details. Shannon's grandma has been at the hospital day and night, not even leaving once. The first night we were at the hospital we hadn't had the opportunity yet to get any dollars for the vending machines, and she really wanted a soda to drink. None of us had any dollars or change, but she looked in her coin purse and she found exatly the $1.35 in change she needed for the vending machine. That spoke to me of the immense concern that God has for us, even in the details. His hand was so in control of the situation that He knew she'd need a drink, and it would cost $1.35, so He made sure she had it. Simple Application: Are you trusting God for the details? He is faithful and active in our lives, and many times we miss his loving care over us because we don't pay attention to the details!

Has anyone read that story in Mark 8:22-26 where Jesus encounters a blind man who was in need of healing? The story goes that Jesus spit on his eyes..that's an interesting component in itself...and then asked if he could see. The man said, "I see men, for I am seeing them like trees, walking about." Apparently Jesus' miracle didn't work on the first try, so he again laid his hands on him and, this time, he could see. What is the point of this story? Why would Mark seek to include it in his gospel. Especially in a gospel that emphasizes the "events" of Jesus' life rather than extensive depth in his teachings. Wouldn't this second attempt at a miracle undermine the purpose of Mark to show that Jesus was indeed the Son of God, with all authority to not only perfrom miracles, but also to save? If you know anything of the structure of Mark, you'll notice all throughout the book certain "bookends" that sandwich truth. There's an opening event or theme followed by some "unpacking" and then closed with something similar to the opening. In this case we have the opening being the healing of a blind man at Bethsaida (8:22-26) followed by some teaching and closed again with another healing of a blind man in 10:46-52. So, what's the point? In the opening healing, you have a blind man who is "healed" but still can't see clearly, requiring Jesus to do it again. Jesus was giving his disciples an object lesson, one that they obviously didn't understand. He was trying to relate to them the truth of how they aren't seeing things "clearly". Immediately after this "unclear" healing, Jesus begins telling his disciples about his death, and what does Peter do? He protests! The Bible says that Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him! In Peter's mind, how could their conquering king restore the kingdom if he was dead? They didn't see clearly. So Jesus again predicts his death in 9:30-32, and this time the disciples argue over who's the greatest in the kingdom. They didn't see clearly. Again for a third time Jesus predicts his death in 10:32-45, and this time James and John are playing politics, asking Jesus to give them the highest status! They still don't see clearly! Jesus ends this section saying, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." Apparently the object lesson was over, or maybe Jesus just got tired of his disciples not getting it, so the next blind man he came across was healed on the "first try", which I think is not a coincidence. Simple Application: Are you seeing Jesus like a tree? Understanding is the marker of a disciple. Do you have understanding? Do you "perceive" the things that God is doing in your life, or the things He wants to do through your life? If it's as clear as mud, ask Jesus to help to help you see clearly!

When will the truth that it's all about the heart ever settle into our hearts? When will we stop taking the truth of the heart to our heads to puff it up and make it seem more secure to outside observers? When will we be satisfied that grace really does cover us and stop working so hard for it? When will we be able to simply live in front of people without postulating the perfection that we think they expect from us? When we stop pretending and start living. Let's stop using the standards of self to determine what is right and wrong. Let's stop forcing agendas on to morality. Let's stop giving preferencial treatment to the things that are easily followed. Let's stop twisting words. Let's stop brutalizing context. Let's stop justifying death as another expression of life. Let's stop making fools of faith. Let's stop following the lead of those with the loudest voices. Let's stop searching for ways around a life submitted. Let's stop inventing a beautiful substitute experience. Let's stop focusing efforts on a presentable outside and replace the disgust of ruined life on the inside. Let's stop pretending, stop lying, stop faking, losing, dying, and start living.

The crippled nature of my existence is emersed in the subleties of my addictions. Every person, strong and weak, exists to defeat at least one divinely inspired test; and each person has developed an efficient ability to defeat in the strength of humanity. Both strong and weak make lists of victories and the occasional failure. The strong boast in their accolades and justify their greatness to be the resounding force of a righteousness achieved. The strong are proud and their names ring truer in their own minds than a thousand amens. The weak forge lists in the shame of failure and the disapproving glances of the sanctified. Victories one and two, but failures ten and a hundred dominate the verdict; apparent lack of power consumes the honesty of the weak, while the strong drown in the wake of their own beauty. Failures one and two, with victories ten and a hundred still deserve death. The standards of sucessfully producing a virtuous life are set on the system of a sin-sick society. The strong can justify life by the failures of the weak and the meritous exploits of achieving perfection, but the death will still come. Even though now I am strong...I am being crippled by the subleties of my addiction, and so this is my prayer...Inspire me to something of reality. Reach into me like you created the universe to do. Give to me the force that raised death to life. Let me be the creation that embraces the purpose of existence, but let me be pure in my pursuits. Callosed hearts don't happen by accident, and neither do passionate pursuits and encounters with you. Give death to the past, even the comforting thoughts of grace given. Let the life of your present presence grow in me until experience is equal to the life of concecration I die to you.

The cycle is the same as it has always been: a momentary grief of continued disobedience and the lack of a true desire to be real. Devotion has been in the context of fear of the supernatural, and emphasizing on the ability to reason and grow in knowledge. But, knowledge of divine things can only create a cynic when that knowledge is void of experience. Continued efforts of the same fabric hopefully won't hurt more than help. Why does experience evoke a response of indifference in a hesitant pursuer? Experience is one of teh most irrational and subjective abilities we have of testifying about divine things. People can convince their minds of all kinds of testimony that would prove the existence of even the most unreasonable entities ie. bigfoot and the lock-ness monster. But, there has to be a place for experience; we can't just eliminate all experience just because some experience is taken too far beyond the accepted limits of reason. It has to be valid for some things and maybe simply not more so than within the context of those who already share certain belief systems. Experience, however, cannot prove the existence of God and we really shouldn't ask it to. Experience can prove only the existence of faith, or belief, in God, and we should allow experience to grow in that arena, and not in the realm of proving or disproving God. Testimony might, however, be able to stand strong if it is a consistent chronicle of percieved divine interaction; afer all, we overcome by the blood of the lamb and the word of our testimony. But, experience cannot only be wrapped in the context of feeling better after a long bout with sin. It cannot be returning home after being deployed by self into the realms of a nature that at its very core stands opposed to divine things. There is a battle that is more fiercely contested than any mere loss of human life can comprehend and its casualties are all found in the soul of man, in the form of his sinful and spiritual nature. Experience must thrive in the light of the what is good, holy, and pleasing, otherwise it will not build a foundation of faith, but a foundation cracked with the subtleties of sin, which leads to death. This war is not like other wars; we fight eventhough it's already won. The enemy of our soul gives us the impression that somehow it's worth forfeiting victory to toil in the trenches. Why do we believe his lies so consistently? My prayer is simple: to allow my mind, my battlefield, to conquer the enemy's power to distort my ability to perceive, and thus experience, spiritual things.

You all know "that guy". The guy from high school who was just drenched in arrogance, almost to the point of it being a caricature. This guy was the epitome of perfection, in his own mind. I've made this point in the past when reflecting on life, but to me, I see life as a really good balancing act. Most of the time, as life goes on, you see the hard edges of arrogance begin to be softened as the "reality of life" sets in. The subtle ways that life deals trouble and difficulties, even to the most proud and arrogant, serve as incredible humbling agents. I'm sure if I was to encounter some people from the "old days" I would see them in a completely different light, tested by the circumstances of life and hopefully a little better, and humble, because of it. It's those that continue to live their lives exhibiting incredible pride and arrogance that trouble me the most, primarily because either life hasn't dealt them the same kind of testing moments it has the rest of us, or they just go out of their way to avoid it. Either way they are missing something. Today, while contemplating, I applied this scenario to Christianity. Did you know that there can be some rather arrogant Christians? Surprising I know. How do they get to that point of being calloused, critical, cynical, and judgmental? I think it's not unlike the person who carries over their youthful arrogance into adulthood, they simply either haven't been tested or go out of their way to avoid it. Think about it, Christianity is supposed to be an active faith that should be shared as a light into darkness, not simply the fulfilling chapter in a personal journey to God. Trials and perscecution are built-in features to Christian faith, but for some reason we do everything to avoid them, not realizing that they are vital in keeping us fresh, relevant, and humble. Isolate your faith to where it is all about you, and you will be arrogant. You will judge people. You will criticize the faith of other believers. You will hold your "efforts" for the work of the Lord above all others. You will lose your ability to identify with sinners. You will become detached from ever personally leading anyone to Christ. You will slowly begin to think that you actually do deserve grace, maybe even that you've earned it. Just some thoughts to ponder. Simple Application: Are you suffering from Christian Arrogance? Probably the simpliest test is this: Are you experiencing any level of persectution in your life? How you answer that question will reveal if you are living a Christian life void of the trials and persectutions, because of the name of Jesus, that are guaranteed to come your way. If you are living void of those trials and persecutions, you are in danger of Christian Arrogance.

I was reminded again this week of the need for the Armor of God. It's easy to forget about the reality of the spiritual battle that is taking place right in the middle of our lives, and sometimes without us even thinking about it. I think the only time we actually think about it is when we are feeling the obvious effects of some kind of spiritual warfare taking place, otherwise we live our lives like there has been some kind of peace treaty. I doubt seriously that the enemy of our souls is actively persuaded into signing a peace treaty, leaving us alone. We are in constant battle. I don't want to sound the alarm of paranoia, but some effects of the battle can be so subtle that they don't even register as attacks. Not every tactic of the enemy is catastrophic. I think the simplist and most effective devices are those that are consistent in chipping away at the foundation of our faith, which opens the door to the utlimate collapse that the enemy is surely hoping to accomplish. The admonition in Ephesians 6:13 to, "Put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground," is a significant indicator that we are in a battle! The fact that we need to put on armor should be a clear indicator that we will need to use it! Simple Application: Don't wait until the obvious "attacks" of the enemy to clothe yourself with the armor of God. It is possible to guard yourself from the enemy's schemes without looking for a "devil behind every corner." Be aware and actively solidify your relationship with Christ.

Look at the similarity of the following passages. I wonder what the impact of those similarities really reveals. Abraham's servant addresses Rebekah in Genesis 24:17, "Please let me drink a little water water from your jar." He then reveals the intended plan of offering Isaac in marraige... Elijah and the Widow from Zarephath in 1 Kings 17:10, "please give me a little water in a jar, that I may drink." He then reveals a miraculous provision from God during a time of drought. Jesus and the woman at the well in John 4:7, "Give me a drink." He then reveals His plan of salvation, leading many to beleive. What an incredible use of an ordinary situation, turning it into a life changing moment. I suppose every person that walked to the well, in each instance, wasn't expecting their life to be completely turned upside down. There can be power in the ordinary. There can be life change in an instant. The important thing is to see beyond the routine of ordinary situations, and look for the moment when God can use you to change a life. Simple Application: What are you doing at the well?

Why is consistency so often replaced with complacency? It's almost like it takes over. You desire to consistently do a thing, and instead it seems like the only thing that is consistent is the complacent. I wonder what happens in the transition? What motivates a thing to become stagnate and eventually forgotten, needing a jump-start intervention later on? Do we train ourselves to rely on our own personal focus intervention to set things right again, jumping from peak to peak, rather than being steadily taken on a journey from one stop to the next? I think things get damaged in the process of setting ourselves up on a mountain top and having to jump all the way back up again when we fall off. We need to stop relying on the "jump" to redeem us, to put us back on track, or to make us consistent-AGAIN! We've got to find the balance of being consistent-which means finding the triggers for whatever causes the complacent to swell and suck the breath out of a life of consistency, whether it's because of routine, boredom, a lack of vision, pride, spiritual emptiness, or whatever it might be... Simple Application: Are you being consistent? A person of prayer? A person in the Word? A good spouse? Dedicated to God's plan for your life? Join me in fighting complacency!

Psalm 91:1, "He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty." He who dwells-takes residence, lives, rests in the shelter-safety, comfort, protection what is it to dwell in the secret place? -Psalm 91:9, "If you make the Most High your dwelling..." -intentional, dilibertate, action -acceptance of God's grace -Loving God, calling on upon Him (vs. 14, "Because He loves me..He will call upon me...") "Dwelling" involves making it a priority to be in the shelter of the Most High, by making it a priority to love Him and call upon Him. "Dwelling" requires some activity. It isn't simply resting in the knowledge of salvation, or even in the plan of salvation. It is an active rest: one that involves diliberate, intentional intimacy with God. Colossians 3:3, "For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God." -We are given access to the "secret place of the Most High" through Christ. Look at some of the things that aren't found there: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, greed, anger, rage, malice, slander, filthy language... -Look at some of the things that are found there: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, bearing others burdens, forgiveness, love, peace of God, thankfulness, dwelling in God's word, singing psalms, hymns, and spirtual songs. simple application: Am I actively resting in God's presence by intentionally, diliberately seeking intimacy with God?

Let’s imagine that we’re invincible and pretend to not feel the vicious attacks of tongue and indifference. Let’s communicate our apathy with the ease of simply giving up. Why don’t we just ignore the issues completely and then throw ourselves to something else entirely? The sticks and stones hurt for reasons of otherwise unreachable reality: the sting of life is one that bruises while it blesses, hurts while it heals, and loathes while it loves. True emptiness cannot be found in humanity as long as that humanity still has breath, no matter how dispensable the condition might seem. A connection is always made, from an unconscious need to belong, to something with the power to fulfill the most basic of life’s functions: interconnectedness. The treasure of the heart is always being spent on something, whether eternal or temporal, consequential or insignificant, even real or imagined. Feelings of betrayal and complete isolation are considerable maneuvers meant to usurp the ability of humanity to know the joy of inviting a major blessing into life: relationships that encourage, strengthen, and sustain. Here’s the truth: humanity will connect to something because it is bound by its very nature to do so, and if it isn’t getting meaningful connections with other people, and even God, it will ultimately secure those needs through other things. Simple application: Are you giving yourself to building meaningful relationships with others, or are you content to fill the void with “stuff”?

I was reminded again this week of Isaiah 44:12 vv- "The blacksmith takes a tool and works with it in the coals; he shapes an idol with hammers, he forges it with the might of his arm...the carpenter measures with a line and makes an outline with a marker; and roughs it out with chisels and marks it with compasses. He shapes it in the form of man..that it may dwell in a shrine...he cut down cedars...it's man's fuel for burning; some of it he takes and warms himself, he kindles the fire and bakes bread. But he also fashions a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it." Simple application: what common thing are you allowing to become an idol in your life?

This is my prayer. I'm sure it won't be exactly like yours, but it should motivate you to ask yourself this question: Am I dealing with God in honesty? "God, let me deal with you in honesty. Honest in my pride, admitting that it needs to be defeated. Honest in my anger, realizing that there shouldn't be such a struggle to find joy and peace. Honest in humiltiy, finding a way to remind myself that I truly am nothing when compared to you. Honest in my need, forfeiting self-dependance for the recklessness of giving you complete control." It's easier to fake spirituality when isolated, because there's no one to be accountable to; only self. An isolated person is usually a liar, lying about relationship with God and love for others. At what point can an isolated person break free of the cycles that keep them isolated? The path to freedom has been so familiarly faked that it's hard to get off of that path. This is key: The most reliable avenue is to give the Word of God a chance to be the light that will open up more God-directed paths to freedom. I find it true that when I feel like I am going nowhere spritually, eventhough I might even be spending time in prayer and worship, it's because I haven't placed the Word of God in its rightful place, to guide my life. Think about it, we can lie to ourselves in prayer, making ourselves "feel" like we are getting closer to God-just because we are using words, and, in the same way, our hearts can be far from being in the right place when we worship. But, when we hide the Word of God in our hearts, and begin to do what it says, there is no chance of being led in the wrong direction. I think the whole point is this: God's word will make us deal with Him in honesty.