Romans 4:13-25
Of the various stories of Christian life that I have heard, nothing inspires me more than the stories of Christians who in the course of their ministry, fell into great sin and learnt the true meaning of redemption. Call me romantic, but I consider the life journeys of mere mortals far more appealing than the great evangelists who turn nations to the Cross overnight. While nation changers stir up my spirit to persevere in the Lord, the stories of real men are real and tangible; but often sidelined and hushed.
One such person to me is Geoff Bullock. A lot of us know him as the songwriter and composer of the song ‘Power of Your Love’ and ‘This Kingdom’. Once the worship director of a prominent church in Australia, Geoff left the church he was serving in 1995 and was party to a divorce soon after leaving the church, marrying another woman over time. Geoff came to my school in 1999 to give a worship concert and I distinctly recall my friends whispering under their breath that ‘the woman he was with was not his first wife’. Today, Geoff is a man saved by grace. Not that we are not also saved by grace, but what Geoff has been through is testament to the grace that he received even though he fell into grievous sin.
In this passage, Paul takes one step closer to analyse this saving grace he raised in the previous half of the chapter. He points out that if we consider ourselves saved because we follow the law, we will never find salvation because there will always be transgression in the law. However, if there is no law, there is no transgression – and this is evidenced by Jesus coming to die on the cross for us. This act of dying for our sins takes away the consequences of the law and justifies us – as long as we have faith to accept it.
Again, if we accept the fact that humans have the innate capacity to commit sin, then this begs the question as to how much sin we can throw God’s way before God gives up on us. In theory, the answer is an infinite quantity. Lest we think that grace is the free ticket to sin as much as we’d like, the challenge is this: if you have truly grasped what it means to be justified, you will understand that God has forgiven you of all your sins in the past, the present, and the future. Being thankful for this forgiveness, you will not use God’s grace as an excuse to sin and will instead strive to lead a life that is pleasing to the Lord.
Today, consider a sin that you have committed repeatedly. It may be a sin that you have repented from many times, but still end up committing. Rather than feel guilty about this sin you have – grasp the concept that when you accepted Christ in faith, you were already forgiven of this sin. Sharing the same faith that Abraham had in God, hold on to the promise of life eternal and deal with that sin in the light of this knowledge you have.
Action:
Talk to your leader or your pastor about overcoming this sin; ask your friends to pray with you as you struggle; learning to live by the Spirit in view of what was done for you on the cross.
For more information about Geoff Bullock, consider the following articles:
• http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/4734.htm
• http://www.pastornet.net.au/renewal/journal6/bullock.html
• http://www.sightmagazine.com.au/stories/interview/bullock13.8.04.php
One such person to me is Geoff Bullock. A lot of us know him as the songwriter and composer of the song ‘Power of Your Love’ and ‘This Kingdom’. Once the worship director of a prominent church in Australia, Geoff left the church he was serving in 1995 and was party to a divorce soon after leaving the church, marrying another woman over time. Geoff came to my school in 1999 to give a worship concert and I distinctly recall my friends whispering under their breath that ‘the woman he was with was not his first wife’. Today, Geoff is a man saved by grace. Not that we are not also saved by grace, but what Geoff has been through is testament to the grace that he received even though he fell into grievous sin.
In this passage, Paul takes one step closer to analyse this saving grace he raised in the previous half of the chapter. He points out that if we consider ourselves saved because we follow the law, we will never find salvation because there will always be transgression in the law. However, if there is no law, there is no transgression – and this is evidenced by Jesus coming to die on the cross for us. This act of dying for our sins takes away the consequences of the law and justifies us – as long as we have faith to accept it.
Again, if we accept the fact that humans have the innate capacity to commit sin, then this begs the question as to how much sin we can throw God’s way before God gives up on us. In theory, the answer is an infinite quantity. Lest we think that grace is the free ticket to sin as much as we’d like, the challenge is this: if you have truly grasped what it means to be justified, you will understand that God has forgiven you of all your sins in the past, the present, and the future. Being thankful for this forgiveness, you will not use God’s grace as an excuse to sin and will instead strive to lead a life that is pleasing to the Lord.
Today, consider a sin that you have committed repeatedly. It may be a sin that you have repented from many times, but still end up committing. Rather than feel guilty about this sin you have – grasp the concept that when you accepted Christ in faith, you were already forgiven of this sin. Sharing the same faith that Abraham had in God, hold on to the promise of life eternal and deal with that sin in the light of this knowledge you have.
Action:
Talk to your leader or your pastor about overcoming this sin; ask your friends to pray with you as you struggle; learning to live by the Spirit in view of what was done for you on the cross.
For more information about Geoff Bullock, consider the following articles:
• http://jmm.aaa.net.au/articles/4734.htm
• http://www.pastornet.net.au/renewal/journal6/bullock.html
• http://www.sightmagazine.com.au/stories/interview/bullock13.8.04.php
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