The day with dianne Louise

Abraham believed in God, who gives life to the dead and calls things into existence that do not exist. He believed, hoping against hope, so that he became the father of many nations according to what had been spoken: 'So will your descendants be.' He considered his own body to be already dead ( since he was about 100 years old) and also considered the deadness of Sarah's womb, without weakening in faith. He did not waver in unbelief at God's promise but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, because he was fully convinced that what God had promised He was also able to perform. Therefore it was credited to him as righteousness. Now ' it was credited to him' was not written for Abraham alone, but also for us. It will be credited to us who believe in Him, who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. Romans 4:17-25 Our God gives life to the dead and calls things into existence that do...

Is this blessing only for the circumcised then? Or is it also for the uncircumcised? For we say: 'Faith was credited to Abraham for righteousness. In what way then was it credited- while he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while he was circumcised, but uncircumcised. And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. This was to make him the father of all who believe but are not circumcised, so that righteousness may be credited to them also. And he became the father of the circumcised, who are not only circumcised but who also follow in the footsteps of the faith our father Abraham had while he was still uncircumcised. Romans 4:9-12 Abraham believed God's word to him, in faith he trusted God to keep His word. Circumcision was a painful reminder of the seal of his faith. As a Christian our seal is a circumcised heart. We can no longer do our own thing, we belong to another. However, the seal of ou...

God presented Him as a propitiation through faith in His blood, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His restraint God passed over the sins previously committed. God presented Him to demonstrate Gus righteousness at the present time, so that He would be righteous and declare righteous the one who has faith in Jesus. Romans 3:25,26 Feel overwhelmed by this? It is so thick with meaning and our feeble minds have become lazy and unwilling to think, we find ourselves severely challenged by it. Hang in there! Jesus is our peace who has broken down every wall. The coming of Christ stayed God's wrath, that is how powerful it was to be. Even when men went their own way, God looked down through time to the day Jesus would say: "it is finished!" The perfection of Christ's sacrifice was such that not only all who come after have been given this free gift, all that went before were in Paradise waiting for Him and He came. After His death He descended and took captive the c...

Now we know that whatever the law says speaks to those who are subject to the law, so that every mouth may be shut and the whole world may become subject to God's judgement. For no one will be justified in His sight by the works of the law, because the knowledge is sin comes through the law. But now, apart from the law, God's righteousness has been revealed -attested by the Law and the Prophets- that is, God's righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe, since there is no distinction. For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. They are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Romans 3:19-24 Romans can be a difficult book and it calls us to sit and meditate on the truth held in it, in bite size chunks. For the longest time I shunned such an activity but now am drawn to it. Verse 19 seems difficult and it reeks of legalism and judgement. However we need to know that the Law came so that we would realise h...

For circumcision benefits you if you observe the law, but if you are a lawbreaker, your circumcision has become uncircumcision. For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, and true circumcision is not something visible in the flesh. On the contrary, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart-by the Spirit, not the letter. That man's praise is not from men but from God. Romans 2:25,28,29 We could say the same about one who calls themselves a Christian. What does the fruit of our lives say of us? Yes being born a Jew has causes much grief to many Jews during the Holicaust, many would have wished they were not Jews. Yet I could understand the clinging to th rich history and heritage that belongs to the Jewish people. However, just as being know as being born in Australia carries a certain stigma, it is of no benefit if I live a life that shames my culture. Not only would my country disown me, other countries would shun me. Being born into a Christian h...

He will repay each one according to his works: eternal life to those who by persistence in doing good seek glory and honour, and immortality; but wrath and indignation to those who are self-seeking and disobey the truth but are obeying unrighteousness; affliction and distress for every human being who does evil, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek; but glory, honour, and peace for everyone who does what is good, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. There is no favouritism with God. Romans 2:6-11 Does this passage confuse you? Do you feel like you are back under works, as you were before salvation? I think passages like James 2:14-26, where James tackles the thinking that now I am saved, Jesus did it all, I don't have to do anything. James slams such false thinking with examples of Abraham and Rahab from the Old Testament. Two people who dd not have the law but acted in faith. True faith is displayed in 'acts of righteousness,' it visits the sick, gives to the poor, ...

Therefore, any one of you who judges is without excuse. For when you judge another, you condemn yourself, since you, the judge, do the same things. We know that God's judgement on those who do such things is based on truth. Romans 2:1,2 At the end of the prior chapter we see that God's wrath is on those who 'did not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God.' Among the sins named as a result ofGod  delivering them over to a 'worthless mind to do what is morally wrong,' ther are all sorts of wickedness yet some things that are common to the Christian world as well: unloving, disobedient to parents, gossips, slanderers etc. did the doers of such 'small' sins not think it worthwhile to acknowledge God? There is always a moralist brigade who would judge some sins, such as homosexuality, but fail to see the log in their own eyes and all the while are shameful gossips. Paul is saying in the above scripture that God's judgement is on the judge. At the end of a...