Romans 1
“18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”
-In the bold Paul is saying, it is obvious God exists by the universe we live in. Look around and everywhere you can see God. “…being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”
24Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
-In the bold Paul is saying, the people idolized. This can be applied to anything today, whether it be a car, or video games, a relationship or a job. Anything that is put before God could easily be put in place of this statement. I have some work ahead of me, that’s certain.
Romans 2
1You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. 2Now we know that God's judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. 3So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God's judgment? 4Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance?
In the bold: Do you really want that type of burden? When you judge you are adding to your load. Judgment is weight to your already burdened being. Lets be honest, when we judge can we really hold up to the standards we are applying for someone else’s life? Every time you judge, it is a double standard. There is only one Judge. You are a sinner, he is the judge, I am a sinner, he is the judge. A sinner cannot judge a sinner.
5But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God's wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.
In the Bold: Imagine a dam holding a huge lake full of water, and you are in the valley where the water would flow if the dam ever broke. If that dam opens (the day of God’s wrath) You are dead. That’s IT… But if you repent, its like a secondary dam on the other side of the lake releases all the water and safely empties the lake.
12All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. 13For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous. 14(Indeed, when Gentiles, who do not have the law, do by nature things required by the law, they are a law for themselves, even though they do not have the law, 15since they show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts now accusing, now even defending them.) 16This will take place on the day when God will judge men's secrets through Jesus Christ, as my gospel declares.
In Bold: To Be discussed.
17Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and brag about your relationship to God; 18if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; 19if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, 20an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— 21you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? 22You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? 23You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? 24As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."[b]
In the Bold: I cant just say I am a Christian, I need to be a Christian, and live like one as well. “24As it is written: "God's name is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."[b
Friday, December 28, 2007
The Study of the “Law” & “Sin” Pt. 1
The Old & New Covenant (The Laws)
A covenant is a contract, an agreement, between two parties. When God is one of those parties, it is a very serious contract, a sacred agreement. In fact, God looked at the Old Covenant as a "marriage" contract between Himself and Israel.
In the Old Testament, the word “law” is used to translated the Hebrew word torah, “instruction.” The Hebrew word for “law” probably comes from the causative form of the verb yarah, “to throw,” “to shoot (arrows).” In the hiphil stem, the verb horah means “to point, guide, instruct, teach.” Hence, the law is that which provides authoritative guidance. In the New Testament, the Greek word used for law is nomos. Nomos means “that which is assigned,” hence, “usage, custom,” and then “law,” or “a rule governing one’s actions.”
The Old Covenant Or “Mosaic Law” The law that, according to the Old Testament, God gave to the Israelites through Moses. The Mosaic law begins with the Ten Commandments and includes the many rules of religious observance given in the first five books of the Old Testament. In Judaism, these books are called the Torah, or “the Law.”
Old Covenant Fact: Commandments are divided into positive and negative commands, which are treated differently in terms of --Divine and human punishment. Positive commandments (of which tradition holds there are 248) require an action to be performed, and thus bring one closer to God. Negative commandments (traditionally 365 in number) forbid a specific action; thus violations create a distance from God. In striving to "be holy" as God is holy, one attempts so far as possible to live in accordance with God's wishes for humanity, striving to more completely live with each of these with every moment of one's life. 613 Total
Galatians 3:16 & 19 (The Old until the New) 16The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed,"[a] meaning one person, who is Christ. 19What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator.
The New Covenant Or “God’s Law” "'The day will come,' says the Lord, 'when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah . . . . But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day,' says the Lord. 'I will put my law in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people" (Jeremiah 31:31,33).
Jesus Christ came to fulfill the law of Moses (Matthew 5:17) and create a new covenant between God and His people. The old covenant was written in stone, but the new covenant is written on our hearts, made possible only by faith in Christ, who shed His own blood to atone for the sins of the world. Luke 22:20 says, "After supper, [Jesus] took another cup of wine and said, 'This wine is the token of God's new covenant to save you – an agreement sealed with the blood I will pour out for you.'"
Now that we are under the new covenant, we are not under the penalty of “the law”.
Summary: Old Covenant: The Ten commandments, and a bunch of rituals and rules of religious observance. Before Jesus died and essentially beat ALL sin that will ever exist, (An infinite amount of sin, would require an infinitely perfect sacrifice) people were required to follow certain guidelines that God established in order to stay “Clean” The New Covenant was made real when Christ died. This covenant is a set of rules applied to your heart. The new covenant changes the heart, not just the mind. “'I will put my law in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts” So we observe the law (10 Commandments) but you have really entered into this covenant when these laws are on your heart. (Desire to fulfill them)
A covenant is a contract, an agreement, between two parties. When God is one of those parties, it is a very serious contract, a sacred agreement. In fact, God looked at the Old Covenant as a "marriage" contract between Himself and Israel.
In the Old Testament, the word “law” is used to translated the Hebrew word torah, “instruction.” The Hebrew word for “law” probably comes from the causative form of the verb yarah, “to throw,” “to shoot (arrows).” In the hiphil stem, the verb horah means “to point, guide, instruct, teach.” Hence, the law is that which provides authoritative guidance. In the New Testament, the Greek word used for law is nomos. Nomos means “that which is assigned,” hence, “usage, custom,” and then “law,” or “a rule governing one’s actions.”
The Old Covenant Or “Mosaic Law” The law that, according to the Old Testament, God gave to the Israelites through Moses. The Mosaic law begins with the Ten Commandments and includes the many rules of religious observance given in the first five books of the Old Testament. In Judaism, these books are called the Torah, or “the Law.”
Old Covenant Fact: Commandments are divided into positive and negative commands, which are treated differently in terms of --Divine and human punishment. Positive commandments (of which tradition holds there are 248) require an action to be performed, and thus bring one closer to God. Negative commandments (traditionally 365 in number) forbid a specific action; thus violations create a distance from God. In striving to "be holy" as God is holy, one attempts so far as possible to live in accordance with God's wishes for humanity, striving to more completely live with each of these with every moment of one's life. 613 Total
Galatians 3:16 & 19 (The Old until the New) 16The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed,"[a] meaning one person, who is Christ. 19What, then, was the purpose of the law? It was added because of transgressions until the Seed to whom the promise referred had come. The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator.
The New Covenant Or “God’s Law” "'The day will come,' says the Lord, 'when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah . . . . But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day,' says the Lord. 'I will put my law in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people" (Jeremiah 31:31,33).
Jesus Christ came to fulfill the law of Moses (Matthew 5:17) and create a new covenant between God and His people. The old covenant was written in stone, but the new covenant is written on our hearts, made possible only by faith in Christ, who shed His own blood to atone for the sins of the world. Luke 22:20 says, "After supper, [Jesus] took another cup of wine and said, 'This wine is the token of God's new covenant to save you – an agreement sealed with the blood I will pour out for you.'"
Now that we are under the new covenant, we are not under the penalty of “the law”.
Summary: Old Covenant: The Ten commandments, and a bunch of rituals and rules of religious observance. Before Jesus died and essentially beat ALL sin that will ever exist, (An infinite amount of sin, would require an infinitely perfect sacrifice) people were required to follow certain guidelines that God established in order to stay “Clean” The New Covenant was made real when Christ died. This covenant is a set of rules applied to your heart. The new covenant changes the heart, not just the mind. “'I will put my law in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts” So we observe the law (10 Commandments) but you have really entered into this covenant when these laws are on your heart. (Desire to fulfill them)
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