“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 set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:5–8)

To continue to draw upon our analogy from yesterday’s post, Romans eight can be conceptualized as an art gallery filled with all the beautiful portraits of the gospel’s manifestations.

As we wander and muse at the creativity and beauty of God’s grace, we behold, first, the beautiful new life revealed in the Spirit of Christ.

And next to it, stretching down the corridor in consecutive order, we are astonished by displays of our grand inheritance, our future glory, and our God’s everlasting and uncompromising love.

It’s breathtaking! Continue reading “Something We Must Never Forget” »

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1–4)

I don’t draw well.

I would probably have a difficult time drawing a figure that someone would recognize as the iconic stick man.

And, when it comes to music, I learned to honk out a few numbers on the saxophone when I was in high school, but I’m best left to playing the radio.

However, I truly love the arts. Continue reading “More Beautiful Than Beethoven” »

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” (Romans 8:1–2)

I suppose it’s not much of a confession to tell you that I have been angry with my children when they’ve misbehaved. I’m not saying I was justified in doing so. It’s just a fact.

And it’s not that they’re bad kids; they’re not. They’re actually really great kids—especially by typical teen-age standards.

But sometimes they disobey, have bad attitudes, or conveniently forget to do things they’re responsible for. And I wish I could say that I’ve never raised my voice, never disciplined them unjustly, and never felt out of sorts when they messed up. But I can’t. Because I have. 

But what about God? Has he ever been angry with his children? You might be surprised by the answer. Continue reading “No Condemnation” »

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1)

Outdoor activities have been enjoyable pastimes for our family. But a recent hunting trip proved to be one of the more challenging excursions to date.

Each of my two youngest children drew tags and spent a week on a guided hunt for coos deer in the mountains of southern Arizona. Not only was the shot range outside anything they were used to at approximately 400-700 plus yards, the hikes were enough to give Jim Bridger blisters on his heels. Continue reading “The Destination of the Gospel” »

“So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.” (Romans 7:21–25)

In 1687, Isaac Newton published his masterpiece, Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy) in which he famously revealed his discovery of the laws of motion and universal gravitation. Newton’s laws became the foundation for all scientific work in the physical universe. Continue reading “A New Law” »

“Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.” (Romans 7:16–20)

We’ve all heard it said in one way or another that no struggle is endured in vain if we learn something valuable from it.

Well, nearly every change necessary for personal growth has come to me as a result of some abstruse struggle in my life. Examples are too numerous to mention, but it seems to be human nature to reach our wit’s end before changing the way we approach and solve problems in real life. Continue reading “The Million Dollar Question” »