Paul’s gospel message was given to Him by Jesus, our risen Savior, it is the manifestation of the love of God for His creation. (John 3:16). in Him and His shed blood on the cross we are freed from the slavery of sin. In His sacrifice and in His righteousness He restores us to right standing with our Father. We, by faith, believe in Him to do what we cannot. Through the power of Holy Spirit we will be resurrected and will spend eternity with our God.
Romans 6:14-23For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. From Slaves of Sin to Slaves of God 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not! 16 Do you not know that to whom you present yourselves slaves to obey, you are that one’s slaves whom you obey, whether of sin leading to death, or of obedience leading to righteousness? 17 But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered. 18 And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 I speak in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves of uncleanness, and of lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness. 20 For when you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21 What fruit did you have then in the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22 But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Sin will no longer have dominion over us because we are not under Law but under grace! We are tutored by Holy Spirit the third person of our triune Godhead. He will deliver us safely home to our eternal life with God. We are hinged in by the love for God on one side and our love for others on the other. We can love others because He first loved us. Romans is doctrinal speaking of the grace of God given as a gift to mankind in the person Jesus the Christ. We are no longer slaves to sin but live in His righteousness and not our own. We WILL be changed, precept by precept! On this side of our salvation experience we can rest in His peace. It is finished.
Galatians 5:19-23 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
Ashamed of the things we committed in our past we now live our lives in His loving grace. We are forgiven in Jesus by His death in our place. God sees Jesus in us and His righteousness it is our hope and His glory.
1 Corinthians 1:23-25 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
All wisdom and knowledge comes from God. There is nothing new under the sun. all good things come from Him.
1 Corinthians 1:17-21 for Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of no effect. 18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
19 For it is written:
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.”
20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.
For the preaching of the Cross seems far to simple to those who think that only by their good works can they be saved. BUT God loved His creation and His Gospel of grace and our faith in it is our hope. We are free to love in His righteousness and not in ours. (John 3:16) Carla
If credit for Christ’s saving work were given to Paul or anyone else, it would be diminishing the power of the gospel and essentially rendering void its purpose in their lives. The gospel’s purpose is to do what they cannot do on their own: free them from sin and put them in right standing with God.
In this passage Paul explains the true nature of God’s wisdom and the meaning of the cross. The Corinthians failed to grasp both of these issues. This explanation serves as the basis of Paul’s appeal for church unity (1 Corinthians 1:10).
God’s provision of salvation through the crucifixion of a messiah appeared to be foolishness according to the wisdom of the world. The Romans used the cross as a humiliating form of execution reserved for the worst criminals—insurrectionists. The Greeks believed that the gods operated above the limitations of people and would not have allowed themselves to be treated as Jesus was. Jews regarded the cross as a shameful punishment and even a curse from God (Deuteronomy 21:23). Although Paul believed that people were made right with God when they entered into a relationship with Jesus, he also viewed God’s work of making people more like Him as an ongoing process. Faithlife Study Bible
Isaiah 29:14
Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work
Among this people,
A marvelous work and a wonder;
For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish,
And the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden.”
1 Corinthians 2:13–14 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
1 Corinthians 1:23–28 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God…
Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
Job 12:17
He leads counselors away plundered,
And makes fools of the judges
One of the ways we heal—and repair the world—is to see and affirm the light in those around us. Yes, with kindness, generosity and gentle words.
My hero—Mr. Rogers—did that faithfully.
And there were times I knew he was speaking directly to me. His timeless message of kindness and self-acceptance, and the affirmation that the light inside of me is real, even if, and when, I don’t see it, or believe it.
And today, I needed that.
And gratefully, from that affirmation, the light spills. SabbathMoments
In this world where so many people feel unseen, unknown and unloved, the book of Acts challenges and equips us to evangelize, or share the gospel with those around us! It also prompts us to examine ourselves and our church communities.
● Do our lives make the Christian faith attractive to those outside the Church?
● Do our churches demonstrate generosity and invite all people to believe in Jesus?
● Is our personal faith evident to the people in our lives, or would they be surprised to learn we are Christians?
First5
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