DELIGHTING in the LORD

Transcription

1 The one thing I ask of the Lord - the thing I seek most - is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord s perfections and meditating in his temple. Psalm 27:4 DAY 1: Called and Separated Romans 1:1-17: The Gospel of God Are you ready to embark on a great faith journey through the book of Romans? Paul is leading the way and begins by introducing himself, sharing his credentials and describing his purpose for writing to the Roman believers. From the foundation of the world, God had a plan for Paul and his people-a plan of salvation through Jesus Christ. God called Paul and then separated him to be a minister of the gospel of God. Paul responded in obedience. He declared Jesus to be the Son of the living God and then asked Him, Lord, what do You want me to do (Acts 9:6)? You are going to walk with Paul through many facets of God s great plan for all people. Along the way, you ll come across some pretty foundational words like righteousness, salvation, justification, sanctification, the law, sin, grace, and faith. Together, we will dive head first into understanding each of these words and what they mean for you and a life lived in faith. Our prayer for you is that along the way, your life will be transformed and you will live each day in a right relationship with Jesus Christ and others. That is the power of the gospel. Today is the first step on this great journey. Don t turn back now!!!! Remember, you, too, were called and separated by God for great things! But beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation... Hebrews 6:9 R RECEIVING God s Word Open in Prayer Read Romans 1:1-17 Today s Scripture Focus: Romans 1:1-4 E EXPERIENCING God s Word 1. In verse 1, you learn of 3 things about Paul. What are they? 2. Read Acts 8:1-3 and Acts 21:39-22:5. List everything you learn about Paul from these verses. Who did Paul, previously named Saul, persecute? Romans 7

2 3. The Greek word for servant in Romans 1:1, is doulos. It means slave or one devoted to another in disregard for his/her own interests. This would have struck a chord with the Romans as there were 7 million living in Rome and of that, 1 million were slaves. They knew the value of freedom and the cost of slavery. Paul was a free-born citizen of Rome, and yet, he counted it his highest privilege to be a slave. Who was his master? How does he refer to his master in verse 3? 4. Define apostle. Read Matthew 10:1 and note what Jesus gave His 12 apostles. a. To be called an apostle, you must have seen the risen Christ. Read Acts 9:1-9. Describe what happened to Saul (Paul) on the road to Damascus. Did he see the risen Christ? b. Read Acts 9:15. What was Paul s calling from the Lord? Paul thought of life not in terms of what he wanted to do but in terms of what God meant him to do. W. Barclay pg According to Romans 1:1-3, Paul was set apart by God to share the message of the gospel of God. This can also be called the Good News of God or the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The word God occurs 153 times in Romans. This is more frequently than in any other New Testament book. Romans is a book about God and everything that Paul touches on in this letter he relates to God. Why is this important? The gospel of God was promised in the Old Testament. It is not a new message, but one promised beginning in Genesis 3: According to Romans 1:3 & 4, what do you learn about Jesus and God s gospel? Romans 8

3 7. Read 1 Corinthians 15:1-5. What is the Gospel of God? Why is it important to you? 8. Why is it important for the gospel to be based solely on Jesus Christ? 9. Paul was separated to this gospel. What does it mean to be separated to something or someone? Formerly, Paul was a Pharisee which literally meant, separated one. He was separated unto the service of the Pharisees to the Jews and away from Gentile people. The Pharisees wouldn t even let the skirt of their robes brush against a Gentile man. Paul now is separated to the gospel of God. His utmost purpose is now to share this life-changing and life-giving gospel with every person, regardless of whether they are Jew or Gentile. God had a plan for his life, as He does yours. Let s look for a moment at when Paul was separated and called by God. 10. Read Galatians 1: When was Paul separated and called by God to be an apostle of Jesus Christ? (Note the word grace. We ll dig deeper into this tomorrow. It wasn t Paul s doing, but God s!) We already read in Acts 9:15, that at Paul s conversion, he was called and separated by Christ to bear and proclaim Christ s name. 11. Read Acts 13:2. Who called and separated Paul at this time and for what reason? (This began Paul s 1st missionary journey.) Romans 9

4 The one thing I ask of the Lord - the thing I seek most - is to live in the house of the Lord all te days of my life, delighting in the Lord s perfections and meditating in his temple. Psalm 27:4 A ACTING on God s Word 1. Before Paul was God s messenger, he became God s servant or slave. On the road to Damascus, Paul was his own master until God interrupted his life asking him the question we all must answer, Who are You, Lord? Jesus asked this question of Peter in Cesarea Philippi and He asked this question of Paul. As Paul answered this question from his heart, God changed him from the inside out. Paul became God s bondservant and answered God s call upon his life. God asks the same question to you. Who is Jesus to you? Do you believe the message of God s gospel, that Jesus came to earth fully God and fully man? He was sinless and gave His life for you upon the cross. Do you believe that through Jesus death and resurrection your sins are forgiven and you can have eternal life with Jesus? All you have to do is receive the gift God gave you and believe that Jesus Christ is Savior and Lord. Romans 3:28 tells us, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. and Romans 10:9 & 10 says, if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. If you ve never received Jesus into your heart, the Lord is calling you right now. It is a simple prayer of faith and a prayer that comes with eternal blessing and rewards. As you sit with the Lord now, you can pray this prayer to Him: Lord Jesus, I need You. I confess that I am a sinner and that you paid the penalty for my sin through your death on the cross. I believe that You died for my sins and were raised from the dead. I ask You to come into my heart, take control of my life, and make me the kind of person that you want me to be. Thank you for coming into my life as You promised. Amen. If you prayed to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, please tell someone today. Share this exciting news with a close Christian friend, your small group leader, your pastor or one of the Bible study teachers. They will be thrilled to encourage you in your faith and your decision to follow Jesus! 2. If you are already a servant of Jesus Christ, having received Him into your heart and life, consider what George Mueller said of his servanthood to Jesus and respond from your heart. What is God asking of you as His servant, called and separated unto Him alone? At more than ninety years of age, in an address to ministers and other Christian workers, George Mueller said, I was converted in November 1825, but I didn t come to the point of total surrender of my heart until four years later, in July It was then I realized my love for money, prominence, position, power, and worldly pleasure was gone. God, and He alone, became my all in all. In Him I found everything I needed, and I desired nothing else. By God s grace, my understanding of His sufficiency has remained to this day, making me an exceedingly happy man. It has led me to care only about the things of God. And so, dear believers, I kindly ask if you have totally surrendered your hearts to God, or is there something in your life you refuse to release, in spite of God s call? (Streams in the Desert, pg ) Romans 10

5 D in God s Word Ephesians 1:4-5 For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will. (NIV) Praise God today that it was His will for you to know Him and recognize Him to be your Savior! You are free from all condemnation through Jesus Christ our Lord. Close in Prayer NOTES Romans 11

6 The one thing I ask of the Lord - the thing I seek most - is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord s perfections and meditating in his temple. Psalm 27:4 DAY 2: Grace & Apostleship Romans 1:1-17: The Gospel of God 2 Thessalonians 2:13-15 tells you that it is God who called you from the foundation of the world. He choose you to receive salvation through the gospel of Jesus Christ and as you stand fast in Him proclaiming His truth, He is glorified. God gives us grace whereby we can receive eternal life through Him and then calls us to serve Him that we may carry out His command in Matthew 28:19 where He says, Go ye into all the world and make disciples. God calls you to Himself in His grace. You didn t do anything to deserve salvation. He gave it to you! Doesn t that just blow your mind? The greatest gift given to us is out of God s great love. And because of this great gift, your life should change, and you should be motivated deep within to share the good news of Jesus Christ with everyone. Girls, you have been set apart for the service and ministry of Jesus Christ. Gift upon gift He lavishes on us. How are you responding to His call? Can you say as Paul did in Philippians 3:8-9,...I count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness is from God by faith. R RECEIVING God s Word Open in Prayer Read Romans 1:1-17 Today s scripture focus: Romans 1:5-7 E EXPERIENCING God s Word 1. According to verse 5, upon salvation, you receive grace and apostleship from God; that is a gift and a task. Define grace: Define apostleship: Grace comes before apostleship, salvation before service. Jesus says, Come unto Me, before He says, Go ye into all the world. Commitment to the truth comes before commitment to the task. (John Phillips p.16) Romans 12

7 2. In verse 5, having received grace and apostleship, what should result in your life as it did in Paul s? Give examples of how this is lived out in your life. 3. Read Acts 6:1-7. Seven men were chosen, having received grace and apostleship. Their lives were consistent with their faith in Jesus and they were asked to carry out the ministry. According to verse 7, what resulted? 4. Why do you think that obedience and faith are often linked together? 5. Look at the end of verse 5. What is Paul s greatest motive in proclaiming the gospel to all nations? In verse 6, as a believer, you are among this group. Therefore, what should be your greatest aim? Why? 6. Fill in the blanks using NKJV of Romans 1:5 Our attitude must be o t t f. Our assignment or task must be to a n. Our authority is H n. 7. According to verse 6 & 7, to whom is Paul writing? What are the two titles Paul gives his audience? What does this tell you about the recipients of Paul s letter? 8. What does it mean to be beloved by God? How do you know you are beloved by God? What did God s love do for you? Romans 13

8 9. What does it mean to be a saint? How does someone become a saint according to God s Word? Look at 1 Corinthians 1:2 if you need help. 10. Paul offers the Romans God s grace and peace. In God s Word you always see grace come before peace. It is often said that you can t experience God s peace until you have received God s grace. Do you agree or disagree? Explain. A ACTING on God s Word In the last two days and through 7 verses, you learned six fundamental truths about the gospel. You learned that the gospel began with God, it is about Christ, it is according to the scriptures, for everyone, unto obedience of faith and for the sake of God s name and His glory. Take a minute and think about each of these areas. How do these truths about God and His great love for you speak to your heart today? Paul just finished introducing himself, stating his calling and purpose to the church in Rome. How about you? If you were writing a letter to a group of believers, how would your letter begin with the same three categories: introduction, calling and purpose. Write it out in a short paragraph below. D in God s Word John 14:23 Jesus replied, If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him. (NIV) There are so many blessings that accompany obedience. Today, praise God for His love and ask Him to help you obey Him in everything. Close in Prayer Romans 14

9 The one thing I ask of the Lord - the thing I seek most - is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord s perfections and meditating in his temple. Psalm 27:4 DAY 3: I Long to See You Romans 1:1-17: The Gospel of God I have two sisters that live on the other side of the United States. One sister is in California and the other in Texas. With the span of many states between us, the cost of travel and the daily demands on our lives, our face to face encounters are few and far between. But oh how I long to see them. They are both believers and are a source of encouragement and support. Over the miles that separate us, we ve walked with each other through a divorce, premature baby delivery, infant death, miscarriage, job changes and breast cancer. We ve prayed for each other and thanked God for the gift of Godly sisterhood. When we re able, and God makes the way, we do what we can to see each other, but those times don t come as often as we would like. How I long for those times to sit face to face, sharing our hearts and encourage each other in God s callings. Can any of you relate? Paul had a longing, as well. He longed to visit Rome and encourage and establish the church in Rome, that their faith would be well-instructed. His longing grew and with each missionary journey, he tried to lay the plans to include Rome in his travels (Acts 19, 23, 28). But it wasn t God s timing, and so Paul waited and went where the Lord instructed. He would eventually make it to Rome, but it certainly wouldn t be the way he anticipated. It would be during Paul s 3rd missionary journey to Corinth that he wrote the letter to the Romans. It was also during this time that Paul met Aquila and Priscilla (Acts 18). They were Jews who had been in Rome but were forced to depart from Rome under Claudius command. It is thought that Aquila and Priscilla may have helped start the believing church in Rome. However the church started, Paul was not a part of the church s initial establishment. Through the grace of God, the gospel reached the Romans and many became believers. In Romans 16, Paul names some of the believers living in Rome. It is uncertain how he knew these people by name. What is certain is Paul s love for the Lord and his desire to bring the gospel message to all the gentiles. His longing was to preach the gospel and instruct believers in the ways of the Lord and share with others the transforming power of the gospel. As the Lord instructed, Paul knew, the Lord would bring forth in His perfect timing and perfect way. Be of good cheer, Paul, for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome. Acts 23:11 And so Paul waited on the Lord. His longing grew and grew and as he waited, he thanked God for them, never forgetting to remember them in his prayers. We are going to cover a lot of ground today. May your heart be pricked as you witness Paul s great testimony to Jesus despite some difficult circumstances. Never once did his circumstances deter him from proclaiming Jesus as Lord! Romans 15

10 R RECEIVING God s Word Open in Prayer Read Romans 1:1-17 Today s Scripture Focus: Romans 1:8-15 E EXPERIENCING God s Word 1. In verse 8, what was the first thing that Paul did and why? There are some people whose tongues are tuned to praise, and others whose tongues are tuned to criticism. There are some people whose eyes are focused to find faults, and others whose eyes are focused to discover virtues. You will always get far more out of people by praising them than by criticizing them. The people who get the best out of others are those who insist on seeing them at their best. (W. Barclay pg. 18) 2. In verse 9 & 10, when Paul prayed for the Roman believers. What did he pray? a. Why did he say that God was his witness? b. What can you learn from Paul regarding prayer? c. In his longing to visit the church in Rome, did he force his way there or did he wait on the Lord s timing? What does this tell you about Paul s relationship with God? 3. From verse 11-13, list the 4 reasons why Paul longed to visit the church in Rome Romans 16

11 4. In verses 14 & 15, Paul tells us two things about himself. What are they and why are they important as a servant of the Lord? 5. In verse 14, why would Paul describe himself as a debtor? To whom or what is he in debt? Sir Henry Rider Haggard says this regarding Rome, Nowhere, not even in old Mexico, was high culture so completely wedded to the lowest barbarism. Intellect, Rome had in plenty; the noblest efforts of her genius are scarcely surpassed; her law is the foundation of the best of our codes of jurisprudence; art she borrowed but appreciated; her military system is still the wonder of the world; her great men remain great among a multitude of competitors. And yet how pitiless she was! What a tirgress! Amid all the ruins of her cities we find none of a hospital, none I believe of an orphan school in an age that made many orphans. The pious aspirations and efforts of individuals never seem to have touched the conscience of the people. Rome incarnate had no conscience; she was a lustful, devouring beast, made more bestial by her intelligence and splendor. (Sir. H. Rider Haggard, Pearl Maiden, pg. 15) 6. Despite the oppression and self-indulgence in Rome, a city considered the center of the world s greatness, but yet entrenched under Satan s yoke, Paul was eager to bring the gospel to these people. What does this tell you about Paul & his love for God s people? What we can learn from Paul? 7. Let s take look at how Paul arrived in Rome. Read Acts 21: Describe what happened to Paul. a. Read Acts 22:22-23:10. List everything that you learn about Paul. Romans 17

12 b. Read Acts 23:11. After longing for some time to go to Rome and establish the church in Rome, the Lord speaks to Paul concerning His will, His plan and His timing. What does the Lord say to Paul, and from what you just learned, how will Paul go to Rome-- as a freeman or a prisoner? From Acts 24-28, we learn a lot about Paul s voyage to Rome. I encourage you to read through these chapters, but for sake of quick review, I ll recap them for you. After Paul s arrest, he goes before Felix, the governor of Judea who governed under Claudius, the Emperor. Felix gave leniency to Paul. While Paul was being held in the barracks, Felix actually summoned Paul before himself and his wife, Drusilla, and Paul shared the gospel message with them. Unfortunately, their hearts were hardened to the truth and they kept Paul imprisoned for two years. In Acts 25:11, we learn that Paul, being a Roman citizen appears before Felix, the new governor of Judea. It is here that Paul uses his Roman roots and asks to stand before Caesar s judgment seat. He is sent to Rome as a prisoner in chains awaiting his judgment. He travels there by boat. Along the way a storm comes over the sea; the men are hungry and eventually shipwrecked on the island of Malta. It is on this island that Paul is bit by a snake, God protects him and finally brings Paul to Rome after a three month perilous journey. Paul remained in house arrest in Rome. c. Read Acts 28:16-31 and list what you learn about Paul, his longing to be with the Romans and what he desired to share with them. A ACTING on God s Word God put the desire in Paul s heart to take the gospel message to Rome. God brought about this desire in His timing and way. As you learned today, God s ways are not our ways. When Paul was preaching throughout Judea, I don t think he ever anticipated entering Rome having been persecuted, arrested, shipwrecked, bitten by a snake and in chains. And yet, he never stopped preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to all he met along the way. Recall a time in your life when you had a Godly desire in your heart and had to wait on the Lord to fulfill that desire. Maybe you have a Godly desire in your heart today, and you are still waiting. What did you learn about God as you waited? What opportunities did the Lord provide to share the gospel with others as you waited on His fulfillment? Romans 18

13 How does Paul s example encourage your heart today as you wait on the Lord? D in God s Word Isaiah 55:9 As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (NIV) God s ways are so different than our own. Sometimes patience is necessary to see God fulfill His plan in our lives. Delight in Him today, knowing He knows the desires of your heart and will never withhold any good thing from you. Close in Prayer NOTES Romans 19

14 The one thing I ask of the Lord - the thing I seek most - is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord s perfections and meditating in his temple. Psalm 27:4 DAY 4: Part 1: Faith and Righteous Living Romans 1:1-17: The Gospel of God I am a music lover. Mind you, I can t sing. But oh how I love being among the body of Christ as they worship Jesus in song. I stand in awe of musical ability and those who have an ear for music. My boys are musicians. God bestowed upon them the ability to not only play an instrument and sing, but also write music. I ve often listened to them collaborate as they are writing a song and putting it to music. The songs often start out slowly, the tone is set, the heart quieted before the Lord and then the music builds and builds until the crescendo erupts right before us. Ladies, the crescendo of Romans is erupting. The introduction is over. The tone has been set and now the overriding theme of Romans is laid down for each of us to lay hold of in our hearts. Let s listen carefully to the music God is singing to each one of our lives. It is the most beautiful music to behold, for in it is power, salvation, righteousness, justification and faith! R RECEIVING God s Word Open in Prayer Read Romans 1:1-17 Today s Scripture Focus: Romans 1:16-17 E EXPERIENCING God s Word 1. In the beginning of verse 16, describe in your own words how Paul views the gospel of Christ. 2. In the second half of verse 16, we are given the answer to why Paul feels so strongly about the gospel. Despite having faced considerable persecution and difficulty through out his missionary travels, He stands steadfast on this statement. Write this part of the verse in your own words. What does the gospel have the power to do in each of our lives, as it did in Paul s? Romans 20

15 Keep in mind that Rome was a proud and powerful city. They had conquered Jerusalem, the very city from which the gospel message came. Many of the Romans were considered the elite in society and were great philosophers, artists and politicians. They looked down on the common people and especially slaves, considering them of a much lesser status and dignity. To think that a young, Jewish man who was crucified held any power was almost comical to a Roman citizen. And yet, Paul knew the truth and the truth had set him free. He knew that it was the gospel that could make a drunk sober, a blind man see, an adulterer faithful and a sinner forgiven. Talk about power! Talk about a powerful message! Despite all the power, authority and influence that Rome had in the western world, like all men, they were powerless to make themselves righteous before God. Only God holds that power. They needed the message of the gospel, just as we do today. 3. Lets look at the reasons why Paul had confidence in the gospel message as we look at verses 16 & 17. Who does the gospel come from? What is in the gospel? Who gives the gospel power? Us or God? What is the gospel able to do for us? Who is the gospel for? What does the gospel reveal? What do we need to do to receive the gospel? Once received, how does the gospel empower us to live? 4. Read 1 Corinthians 1:18. Why would someone be ashamed of the gospel of Christ and call it foolishness? 5. Look up the following verses on salvation and write down all that you learn about salvation through Jesus Christ. John 3:16 Ephesians 2:8-9 Acts 4:12 Hebrews 12:2 John 1:12-13 Galatians 4:4-5 Romans 21

16 6. According to Romans 3:23, why do we need salvation? What are we saved from? 7. Summarize all you learned today regarding salvation. A ACTING on God s Word As a believer in Jesus Christ, describe a time when you experienced the power of God in your life. In what areas of your life are you needing God s power? What may be hindering His power from being manifested in your life in this area? Have you ever been ashamed of the gospel and neglected sharing it? Why? What sin lays as the root of this behavior? How can you be more like Paul and say, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes... Romans 1:16. D in God s Word Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. (NIV) Today we have learned about God s awesome power yet as we see in Zephaniah, He sings over us! As you delight in Him today, remember that fact and praise Him for His incredible power and tender amazing love! Close in Prayer Romans 22

17 The one thing I ask of the Lord - the thing I seek most - is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord s perfections and meditating in his temple. Psalm 27:4 DAY 5: Part 2: Faith and Righteous Living Romans 1:1-17: The Gospel of God You are about to hit what is believed to be the high musical note of Romans which is Romans 1:17. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, The just shall live by faith. It is thought by many to be the theme for the entire book which is the righteousness of God. The word righteousness is used in some form over sixty times throughout this letter and is often synonymous with justification, just and justified. You need to grab hold of the meaning of God s righteousness as we move forward through this letter. It is foundational to understand that we need faith to believe God and then faith to live in a Godly way. God gives us the faith to believe Him and it is God who sits enthroned and declares the verdict of righteous upon every believer at the time of salvation and then continually as a believer walks with the Lord. This righteousness is not obtained through human efforts. Remember from what you learned yesterday, it is the power of God and His alone to give. It will culminate the day we stand before God s heavenly throne in glory. R RECEIVING God s Word Open in Prayer Read Romans 1:1-17 Today s Scripture Focus: Romans 1:16-17 E EXPERIENCING God s Word 1. According to verse 17, what do we find in the gospel of Christ? The Greek word for righteousness is dikaioo. It means I justify. William Barclay in his commentary on Romans says this about righteousness and justification: All verbs in Greek which end in oo...always mean to treat, or account or reckon a person as something. If God justifies a sinner, it does not mean that he finds reasons to prove that he was right - far from it. It does not even mean, at this point, that he makes the sinner a good man. It means that God treats the sinner as if he had not been a sinner at all. 2. How do we receive God s righteousness? Can we obtain God s righteousness on our own through human effort? Look at Romans 5:17. What is God s righteousness to us? Romans 23

18 3. What does it mean in verse 17 that God s righteousness is revealed from faith to faith? 4. The statement that Paul declares in verse 17, The just shall live by faith, was not a statement he made up. It had been carried down from God through the prophets. It can be read in Habakkuk 2:4, Galatians 3:11 and Hebrews 10:38. What does this statement mean to you? 5. What is essential for God s righteousness? Why? 6. Look up the following verses on righteousness and note what you learn. Ephesians 3:8-9 Romans 10:3 Romans 3:22 2 Corinthians 5:21 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 A ACTING on God s Word Many people think of God s righteousness as that which condemns. Today we learned the contrary. It is God s righteousness that gives life and deliverance. It is God s righteousness that delivers us from the power of Satan. How have you seen God s righteousness demonstrated in your life? How has it given you life and deliverance? Romans 24

19 When we are in a right relationship with Christ and walking in faith, as Paul, our lives should be a reflection of our walk. What does walking in faith mean to you? What does righteous living look like in your life? What areas do you sense God pressing in with you as He desires a deeper faith and trust in Him? D in God s Word Philippians 3:8-9 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. (NIV) Nothing we can ever buy or accomplish can ever compare to the greatness of knowing God and the righteousness we obtain through our salvation. May you delight in that knowledge today and may it set you free from any entanglement of trying to obtain righteousness through anything you can do in yourself. Close in Prayer Romans 25

20 The one thing I ask of the Lord - the thing I seek most - is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord s perfections and meditating in his temple. Psalm 27:4 Delighting in God s Design: The African Impala Google images Romans 1:17 The righteous will live by faith. The African Impala is a species of antelope that roams the planes of Africa. They have a rather short stature and are only about 3 feet tall. Despite their size, African Impalas can jump 10 feet high and bound forward up to 30 feet! In addition, God created them with a great sense of hearing, sight and smell. He also created them with a built in GPS, if you will. Impalas live in large herds of 100 or more. When one Impala travels away from the herd, he leaves a scent trail along his route through a unique scent gland located above its hoof. When the Impala needs to get home, it simply follows the scent trail left behind. Pretty amazing! When I think about this animal and all its God-given abilities, I think what a confident animal it must be. It is beautiful, strong and fast, able to leap astonishing distances. I would think that nothing would stand in this animal s way! Yet, despite its God given ability to leap tall buildings in a single bound, if the Impala can t see where its feet will land, it will not jump. Fear of uncertain ground paralyses the Impala. A creature so strong and confident becomes weak and scared in uncertain situations. As we close out our week in the first part of Romans 1, we see the last sentence say The righteous will live by faith. Why is living by faith so important? Well, Hebrews 11:6 tells us And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him. Romans 26

21 When we come to faith in Jesus Christ there is a bit of a leap of faith if you will. You admit you re are a sinner, repent and recognize you are saved by the work of Jesus Christ on the cross. His righteousness covers all of your past, present and future sin. That initial step takes faith! God gives you the faith to take this step. As you begin walking in a relationship with Him, faith is needed each day. That faith trusts God with each landing even when the ground appears uncertain. Perhaps that looks like waiting patiently for God to work out a situation that is difficult in your life such as your marriage, your children, your health or your job. There are also times that God asks us to trust Him when we step out to serve Him in a certain area. Sometimes this is a huge step of faith. But when we trust God with our next leap, He gently guides us and brings us to a soft and safe landing. You may not see the other side, but you leap anyway knowing God is there. Sometimes, as believers, we too can be like the Impala allowing fear to keep us from leaping in faith. Remember, in Christ, you can be confident and strong just like the Impala. We know all creation declares God s attributes, therefore we can see the Impala showing us God s faithfulness, confidence, power and strength. How are you leaping through life? Are you soaring high like the confident Impala trusting God with each step or are you stopping short afraid because you can t see the next step with your eyes? Trust Jesus with your next leap. When we live by faith we recognize we may not know where our feet will land, but part of the beauty of jumping without seeing what is ahead, is that we are trusting God with the landing! And remember, just like the Impala, He will always lead us home safely. Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Romans 27

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