The Spirit of Adoption, Part 2.

At his death in 1902, Cecil Rhodes left 6 million pounds to Oxford University to establish the Rhodes scholarships. As great as a material inheritance can be, Christians value a spiritual heritage more than any earthly treasures (Colossians 3:1-2). The Holy Spirit ensures countless resources for the believer as a result of our adoption.

The Spirit of Adoption.

Romans 8:14-17 describes how God comes to our aid in our greatest time of spiritual need. These verses come in the midst of a passage describing the activities of the Godhead, specifically in keeping the believer eternally secure. The Holy Spirit's activities of giving life and now of adoption give great solace, comfort, and peace in times of personal loss. At every time, we are being kept safe by God.

Glorious Life in the Spirit.

Human history is filled with stories of empires that attempted to rule as much territory as possible. It is part of our fallen nature to want to rule the world. Romans 5 told us that we used to be ruled by sin, but salvation changes the ruler of our lives. We are now governed by the life-giving Spirit of God.

No Condemnation: Our Eternal Standing in Christ.

Christian parents often tell their children, "There is nothing you can do to change my love for you." How much greater is God's infinite love! There is nothing we can do to change God's love for us. God the Father keeps us eternally secure in Jesus Christ, omnipotently held by the Holy Spirit. These truths provide hope for us throughout this earthly journey regardless of our circumstances.

The Safest Place in the World.

Our human fascination with the science of preservation, mummification, and time travel fiction reveal a deep desire to live beyond our earthly lifespan. Yet no human will ever be able to preserve life for eternity. Romans 8 teaches us how God preserves eternal life for His people.

Saved by Grace – Grown By Grace.

We cannot be saved by grace and grown by the law. Trying to grow ourselves or others by the law is setting up any external standard of holiness by which to measure one's spiritual growth. Whether the standard is given by God or man, it can never produce spiritual growth.

As Creator, God has revealed his majesty and has given us dignity – all so that we might worship Him!

The following is a quotation from scientist Carl Sagan, famous for his “Cosmos” documentary series:

“Who are we? We find that we live on an insignificant planet of a humdrum star lost in a galaxy tucked away in some forgotten corner of a universe in which there are far more galaxies than people… I am a collection of water, calcium, and organic matter called Carl Sagan. You are a collection of almost identical molecules with a different collective label.”

Feeling very small is not uncommon when contemplating Creation. As individuals, we are incredibly small. In the universe, even collective mankind is tiny.

The Christian and Modern Culture: Application.

Avoiding a Pitfall to Spiritual Growth.

Romans 6-7 are all about how a Christian becomes more Christ-like after he or she comes to know Jesus. Chapter 6 takes a positive approach, while chapter 7 takes a negative approach.

A Portrait of Divine Authority.

Certain events in life forcefully remind us that we are not in charge. Psalm 2 reveals who is in charge: Jesus Christ, God's Son.

Psalm 1.

As humans, we need to understand the axioms of existence. What is the big picture? What are the fundamental presuppositions of the universe? As we read the book of Psalms, what is the underlying galvanizing reality that underpins them all?

Independence Day weekend is filled with national interest, with many looking to our government for happiness. Psalm 1, however, identifies the individual and their relationship to God's Word as the true source of happiness. Your relationship to God’s Word determines your state of being.

Philosophy of the Christian and Modern Culture.

The Pitfalls of Religious Externalism.

Sinclair Ferguson compared studying Romans to climbing Mount Everest. We are in the midst of the book's third section discussing how we become more like Christ in our character: sanctification. This chapter will be like a base camp as we prepare to take on the next ascent. The content of Romans 6-7 help us to avoid extremism on two counts: spiritual license and legalism. In Jesus Christ, we have died to both sin and the law. We are free from the power of sin, though not yet of its presence.

Our Power Over Sin, Part 3.

James 1:25 makes clear that understanding God's Word and applying it result in God's blessing. This blessing, however, does not mean what most people assume. The blessing we receive is the operation of grace in our spiritual growth as we increasingly become like Christ. This is something we cannot do in our own power! Romans 6 is a longer treatise on that same progression from understanding to applying to growing.

The Christian and Modern Culture.

Our Power Over Sin, Part 2.

Romans 6-7 tells believers how we daily become more like God. God's grace allows us to understand and apply God's Word. We can reflect God's character in our lives only to the extent that we know His Word.

Our Power Over Sin.

We have just finished the section of Romans that laid out the doctrine of justification, or positional sanctification, in great detail. Chapters 6-7 deal with practical sanctification, or how Christians are set apart and become holy. Romans 5:15 and 5:20 give some context for what Paul begins in chapter 6. God's grace overwhelms the power of sin when it works our salvation. This same grace is the divine source of our sanctification and the reason we can have success in becoming more like Christ.

The book of Ruth comes to its focal point in the person of Boaz as he steps into the role of a kinsman-redeemer, giving us a picture of the work of Christ on our behalf.

So Much More in Christ!

Romans 5:12-21 concludes the first major section of this book. Alva J. McClain said about these verses, "A constant reading of this passage, under the leadership of the Spirit of God, never fails to bear fruit." It is a refrain of the blessings of justification in Paul's presentation of the Gospel.