Roots by the River

There is a verse that comes to my attention at least twice a year. It should come to my attention daily. “And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:3b-4). Notice what God did and why He did it: in order that . The words before “in order that” and the words after it are very powerful words. Condemning sin in sinful man was a means for the righteous requirement to be fully met in us. The “us” are those “who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.” The “us” are Christians. When God saved us, He made it possible to be fully obedient. This post coordinates with today's reading in the Same Page Summer Bible Reading Challenge . If you are not in a daily reading plan, please join us at TotheWord.com . We would love to have you reading with us.

Have you ever noticed that God expresses a personal interest in everyone? Here are a few of those statements: “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time” (1 Timothy 2:3-6). He has given us some commands to obey concerning everyone: “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone” (1 Timothy 2:1). “Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God—even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved” (1 Corinthians 10:3...

Dear X, You said in your last letter that you were most socially active in terms of things like the war, racial problems, and other issues that can be affected by taking political action. I am sure you realize that John Wesley declared that it is no Gospel if it is not at the same time a social Gospel. “First as a great evangelist and then as a zealous reformer, Wesley grappled with such great social issues as ignorance, education, money, war, poverty, liquor, and slavery. These problems he tackled with holy zeal.” J.W. Bready, a Christian historian, said, “If Wesley and Whitefield spent their careers as social reformers, they would have lived disillusioned and died heart-broken men. From their efforts, however, emerged the most profound political and social achievements, thus illustrating history’s central truth that the changing of the hearts of men is ever the surest road toward lifting the level of human society.” I would agree with you in most cases about the great social...

Dear Susan, I want to thank you for raising your son so well. He is a wonderful husband and a great father. I understand that his decision to leave the medical profession in order to be a pastor was a disappointment to you. I can understand why. The medical profession is held in high esteem all over the world, and the pastor’s income is small compared to a doctor’s. I thought I could shed some light on his reasons. I made a similar decision when I was 29 years old. I had a professional education to be a naval officer, and I practiced it for 6½ years. I had a wife and three children with a well-paying job. During those years on active duty, I saw thousands of immoral, profane officers and men. While on active duty, I was able to help perhaps 100 of them become moral men. These men were otherwise healthy and intelligent. But spiritually they were sick with a malignancy that the medical profession could not cure. I had been cured of this evil my second year at the U.S. Naval Acade...

Among nominal Christians, some world religions, and even some real Christians, there is a belief that many ways lead to God. Here are three verses that followers of the Way should memorize and meditate on: Jesus: “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’” (John 14:6). Peter: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). John: “No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also” (1 John 2:23). There is no wiggle room in these Scriptures. They are either true or false. This post coordinates with today's reading in the Same Page Summer Bible Reading Challenge . If you are not in a daily reading plan, please join us at TotheWord.com . We would love to have you reading with us.

“Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, ‘This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem’” (Luke 24:45-47). This is a comprehensive commission. It includes: •            the person: Christ •            the resources: the power of God •            the objective: all nations •            the message: the suffering, burial, and resurrection of Christ •            the means: the preaching of repentance and forgiveness of sins •            the starting point: Jerusalem. It seems to be fairly co...

We Christians spend a lot of time figuring out the meaning of Scripture verses which are not very clear on the surface. What are we going to do with these verses after they are understood? a)          Believe them? b)          Obey them? c)          Teach the meaning to someone else? d)          Debate the meaning with someone else? Normally the vote goes to c) and d). What about the verses which are very clear? Options c) and d) then are not part of the multiple choice; everyone understands them. That means we are stuck with a) or b) or both. Here is a possible evasive alternative— read them fast and don’t meditate on them . Here is a better sequence:             Are the verses true?             Are the...

“Brothers, if someone is caught in sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted” (Gal. 6:1). “If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven – if there was anything to forgive – I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake, in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes” (2 Cor. 2:10-11). The connection between these two verses of Scripture may not be obvious. There are, I think, two connections: 1. “You who are spiritual” and “I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake.” A spiritual person must be forgiven and forgiving . 2. “But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted” and “in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes.” There is a parallel between watching yourself and being aware of Satan’s schemes. Here are a few other Scriptures with similar warnings: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power....