I am sitting at my dinning room table studying to teach at ::elevate:: tomorrow night. We are going to be discussing Romans 3:1-8. Leading up to these verses, Paul spends the whole previous chapter telling the Jewish readers in Rome how their rituals, laws and/or heritage weren’t going to save them from eternal separation from God. It couldn’t have been good reading for that 1st century Jew. Anticipating that kind of response, Paul reminds those same Jews of how special they still are to God here in chapter 3.
In his New Testament Commentary on Romans, John MacArthur does a great job of explaining this. He points out what God said through His prophet Isaiah (5:4). He says, “What more was there to do for My vineyard that I have not done in it?”
Answer: Nothing.
God is basically saying, “I have done everything I know to do to show My chosen people what is important to me (FAITH!!!), and yet they remain faithless.”
It got my thinking about all “the hoops” God jumps through so that none will perish (2 Peter 3:9). He jumped through hoops so I wouldn’t perish. He jumped through hoops so you wouldn’t perish. It reminds me that salvation is and always has been all about faith. Faith is something we must have. No matter how bad God wants to hang out with us for all eternity, we must display faith IN HIM ALONE (specifically Jesus) to make that possible.
Speaking of faith, that is the topic of conversation at church this weekend. After speaking with Pastor David about it earlier today, it sounds like it is going to be another fun and creative weekend! On the menu is a casket (pallbearers and all), a tune from Evanescence done live by our worship team and awesome worship lead by Pastor Justin and the CBG Worship Band, of course!!! I hope to see you there! More importantly, I hope to see you heaven!
Tags: Church by the Glades, Faith, John MacArthur, Romans
October 11, 2007 at 7:47 pm |
they doing “bring me to life”?
October 12, 2007 at 8:38 am |
heck ya we are! Are you going to be there?
October 12, 2007 at 3:20 pm |
i’ve got two churches on the rope this weekend, one in pembroke and one in ft. laud. i’ve got about half a dozen left on my list i think.
next week, i think we are heading up to jupiter. the pastors at a church up there have asked us to come up there and “report” on their service. apparently, they like what they’ve been reading on my “church field trip reports”.
i’m a little bummed because we’ll be so close to the eby’s church, but there’s no way i’m going to try and make their 8 am service.