High Point

It is generally accepted that Romans 8 is the high point in the Bible.

As one reads about the low point ~~ the challenges facing a believer in Romans 7:13-25, despair takes hold in verses 23 & 24 ~~ but then comes verse 25a ~~ and with it the introduction into the highest spiritual mountain peak of the Bible ~~ chapter 8 of Paul's epistle to the Romans ~~ and to us.

¹³ Has then what is good [the Law] become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good [the Law], so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful. 

¹⁴ For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. 

¹⁵ For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. 

¹⁶ If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. 

¹⁷ But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. 

¹⁸ For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. 

¹⁹ For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. 

²⁰ Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.

²¹ I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. ²² For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. 

²³ But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 

²⁴ O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? 

²⁵ I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

8 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 
² For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. 
³ For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,
⁴ that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 
⁵ For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 
⁶ For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.
 ⁷ Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 
⁸ So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
⁹ But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. 

¹⁰ And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

¹¹ But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

¹² Therefore, brethren, we are debtors—not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh.

¹³ For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 

¹⁴ For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 

¹⁵ For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” 

¹⁶ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 

¹⁷ and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
¹⁸ For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 
¹⁹ For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 

²⁰ For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 

²¹ because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 

²² For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 

²³ Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. 

²⁴ For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? 

²⁵ But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

²⁶ Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. ²⁷ Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

²⁸ And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to Hispurpose. 
²⁹ For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 
³⁰ Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
³¹ What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 
³² He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 
³³ Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 
³⁴ Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 
³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 
³⁶ As it is written:

“For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

³⁷ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 
³⁸ For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 
³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

From BibleGateway

Wonderful words from Micah!

These words apply to Israel, but can be applied to believers I think.

Micah 7:7-9


7 Therefore I will look to the LORD;
I will wait for the God of my salvation;
My God will hear me.

8 Do not rejoice over me, my enemy;
When I fall, I will arise;
When I sit in darkness,
The LORD will be a light to me.

9 I will bear the indignation of the LORD,
Because I have sinned against Him,
Until He pleads my case
And executes justice for me.
He will bring me forth to the light;
I will see His righteousness.

The first two lines of verse 9 rehearses the fact that we are under condemnation from the LORD because we have sinned against Him (Romans 3:23, Psalm 51).  But...

What a wonderful word UNTIL is!

Until He pleads my case ~ Revelation 5
And executes justice for me. ~ Acts 2:22-24
He will bring me forth to the light; ~ Acts 2:31-33
I will see His righteousness. ~ Galatians 2:20

Christ's righteousness, my worth.

True Love

Happy day of love and loving! While reading today in the Daily Study Bible (MacArthur) I was struck by the true love shown in the selected passages, which were not chosen because it is Feb. 14, but because that is where we are in these Scriptures, as we read each day.

From the Old Testament: Ex. 39 and 40 - the descriptions of the furnishings for the Tabernacle and the priests and we see the Beauty of His Love, as he wants us to see His Beauty every time we come together for worship. And when Moses finished the work and it was all done "The Glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle". (Ex. 40:34) Can anything be more beautiful than His Glory??

From Proverbs 8:23-31 - His love expressed through His Wisdom in the creation. We see His love every time we open our lives to all He has created for our enjoyment and edification. "Rejoicing in the world, His earth and having my delight in the sons of men". (vs. 31)

But then, --and I wonder - is this love??-- next in the reading, is Matthew 27: 1-26 which records the "trial" of Jesus Christ before Pilate, after the "trial" of Jesus Christ before the chief priests and the high priest; the presentation of the Christ before the people who yelled out for Barabas to be released; and then verse 26, "he delivered Him to be crucified". And I was so humbled by this extreme act of love, a love I can never know in full, a love that surpasses all love ever before expressed or ever after, a love that only a Loving God can give through the willing love, and death, of His Son for us. And I know -- This is love.

Oh My!! such nonsense is shown in red hearts, candy and flowers that soon fade and...
Oh My!! such love is shown in the Lord Jesus Christ.

"We love because He first loved us".1 John 4:19...Thank You, God, for True Love.

Praise God

The Lord brought to my mind these words this morning:

Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye host;
Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.

I was thanking Him for my three little pooches, my remote car starter (yes, I thank Him for that a lot!), safety in the rain on the road to the groomer and just because...

I couldn't remember the second line correctly so I checked it out when I got home and discovered that those words are the last stanza in a much longer hymn written by Puritan, Thomas Ken (1637-1711). In typical Puritan fashion it has 11 verses (when sung, I bet that all 11 were sung, not just 1, 3, 5...heh).

The Lord has a sense of humor. If I had known the first verse of the hymn, I might have been singing something else...heh

Awake, my soul, and with the sun
Thy daily stage of duty run;
Shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise,
To pay thy morning sacrifice.

You can check out the other verses here. The tune is unfamiliar to me, but it refreshes my mind since I am over-familiar with the tune with which I usually sing it.

shekina radiance

You note that in the NKJV translation of M. 5:16, Matthew says "and glorify your Father in Heaven". Some translations say "your Father who is in Heaven". "our goods works" of course will both glorify our Father who is in Heaven and our Father in Heaven; beautiful facets of Truth.

We do our good works before men because our godly lives, Biblical truths and the work of the Holy Spirit will bring men to a saving knowledge of Christ.

We will meet those in Heaven who will have been saved because we were obedient to the command in Matthew 5:16 to...

"Let your light so shine before men that they will see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven."

Incredible to think that we insignificant beings might be used as instruments to enable others to be in heaven to glorify our Father for eternity.