Prayer of Consecration

Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

Jesus, I belong to you.

I lift up my heart to you.
I set my mind on you.
I fix my eyes on you.
I offer my body as a holy and living sacrifice to you.

Jesus, We belong to you.

Praying in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Scripture

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

Romans 6:5–10 (NIV)        

Consider This

My life and faith began to change quite dramatically in my early twenties. It began with Romans 6. My daily practice up to that time had been to read a devotion or two in the morning. By “devotion” I mean a short written entry from some periodical or book that began with a nice and encouraging Scripture text followed by a few paragraphs that usually had little to do with the Bible verse at the top. Then came a prayer and some sort of benign thought for the day. I considered that I had done my “quiet time” duty for the day and then got on with it. I’m sure these devotionals helped me in some way but in retrospect, I was really just going through the motions of devotions. (This is largely why I don’t consider the Wake-Up Call devotional literature.)

Somewhere in those years, I actually started reading the Bible. I remember reading Romans 6 and being stopped dead in my tracks. It was this very verse:

For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin—because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

What did he just say?! Did he say I was free from sin? While I presented well to the public, underneath I was plagued by all sorts of sinful thoughts, attitudes, behaviors, and complex patterns of self-justification, shame, pride, and hiding; while fiercely judging others for the same things. After reading Romans 6, I knew one of two things had to be true. Either: 1) The Bible was wrong on this point about being free from sin, or 2) I was not “getting” it—these words did not describe the truth of my actual life.

This became the Matrix-red-pill moment of my life.1 I could not unsee what I had seen in God’s Word. The Holy Spirit had planted this word in my mind as truth and there began the long reckoning with the gospel. Jesus could no longer be an eternal life insurance policy. He would become the source and substance of a transformational life.

This chapter continues to teach and train my mind to the present day. Looking back over the years, I have tended to focus mostly on myself, my behavior, and my willpower even to believe the truth that I am dead to sin. Here’s what’s changing now. I’m starting to get this at a new level:

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

The focus is not on me and my sin. The focus is on Jesus and his Life. My old sin life is dead and buried in the tomb in Jerusalem. My new life is raised up and caught up in his life.

Yep, everything changed that day and is still changing . . .

 

Prayer

Our Father, thank you for your son, Jesus, and the comprehensive, compelling change he brings to life. I claim it again now, I am set free from sin. I have been crucified with Christ. I no longer live but Jesus Christ lives in me. Yes, the life I live I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given himself for me.2 Holy Spirit, fill me and make this truth real in my actual life, over and over and over again. Jesus, Jesus, how I trust you; how I’ve proved you over and over. Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus, O for grace to trust you more. Praying in Jesus’s name, amen.

Prayer of Consecration

Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

Jesus, I belong to you.

I lift up my heart to you.
I set my mind on you.
I fix my eyes on you.
I offer my body as a holy and living sacrifice to you.

Jesus, We belong to you.

Praying in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Scripture

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

Romans 6:1–4 (NIV)           

Consider This

There are two sites in the ancient city of Jerusalem that compete for the prize of being the place of the cross and the empty tomb. If you go there, you will undoubtedly visit both sites. The first is known as the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. It is a massive cathedral-like building that meanders across the space of what feels like a small city block. Inside the cathedral is the place the authorities say is the place where Jesus was crucified on the cross. Nearby, in the cathedral is the empty tomb. Interestingly, the place feels like neither. Across town, actually outside the gates of the Old City is the other site, known as “The Garden Tomb.” There’s a rocky crag there on which you can trace the contours of a skull (i.e., Golgotha) and nearby there is an ancient cave-like tomb cut into the side of a small hill complete with a large stone next to the mouth of the cave. This has all the “feels” of the place and yet less verification as the authentic site. All this to say, I have been in both empty tombs and both hold enormous gravitas.

Most of the emphasis over all the centuries has gone into the focus on the fact that the tomb is empty. It’s true. The tomb could not hold the risen body of Jesus Christ. He is not there; nor are his bones. In another sense, however, it is not empty. It is quite full. It is filled with the Sin of Adam and all the sins of all the saints from all the ages. As Jesus was crucified on the cross, he took on himself, in his body, the Sin of Adam and the sins of the world past, present, and future. Further, as Jesus’s body was laid in the tomb, the Sin of Adam and all the sins of the world, past, present, and future, were laid there in his body. We, our Sin and our sins, both crucified and buried Jesus. “They” did not kill Jesus. We did. (And of course “we” includes “them” too.) As Jesus rose from the dead, he left the Sin and the sins in the grave, buried, dead, lifeless, forever.

Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death . . .

Our Sin and our sins are buried in a tomb outside of the city gates in Old Jerusalem. They are dead, rotten and ever rotting, dead to us, dead to eternity, forever dead and buried. They have no life, no power, no gravity but that we accede to them—which is an utter absurdity and only betrays the reality that we have a very inadequate understanding of the death and resurrection of Jesus. This is Paul’s point in the opening salvo of Romans 6.

We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

When Jesus was laid in the tomb, we were laid there with him—our old self, our old life, our Sin, and our sins. When Jesus rose from the dead, we rose with him, our new self, our new life, free from sin and delivered from death.

We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

We have many and varied understandings of what Christian baptism is and what it means. Paul gives us the ground zero definitive picture of it here in Romans 6.

Death. Burial. Resurrection.

Right here and right now.

Baptism is not a symbolic rite of passage as we are so prone to believe. It is a literal living participation in the real, physical, and embodied deliverance of Jesus Christ from sin and death into life and love which is freedom.

I fear we have largely missed the point when it comes to baptism. We have majored in the minors while debating over trivialities. Baptism is first and foremost about Jesus’s death, Jesus’s burial, and Jesus’s resurrection. He went to the cross and carried our Sin and our sins. They carried his lifeless body, murdered by Sin and sins, and laid him in the tomb. Our Sin and our sins and our old life were buried in the literal tomb in Jerusalem. Jesus was raised from the dead and as he ran out of that grave, our new life, our freedom from sin, and delivered-from-death life ran out with him. And we are still running free from sin and full of faith in the newness of life today.

We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

Reflect deeply on this today, because it is going to get a lot deeper tomorrow and the day after that.

Prayer

Our Father, how we thank you for your Son, Jesus, who took on our Sin and our sins in his physical body. He took them, and us with them, into the tomb. And he rose from the dead and took us with him, leaving our Sin and our sins behind in the grave forever. Holy Spirit, bring our own baptism back before our memory—open the eyes of our hearts to see what really happened there. Bring us into the depths of remembrance such that we understand it beyond what we did before—that we were buried with him into death in order that we might be raised with him into life. Give us the vision to see our Sin and our sins left behind in that tomb in Jerusalem forever—they are dead to us and we are dead to them. Praying in Jesus’s name, amen.

 

Prayer of Consecration

Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

Jesus, I belong to you.

I lift up my heart to you.
I set my mind on you.
I fix my eyes on you.
I offer my body as a holy and living sacrifice to you.

Jesus, We belong to you.

Praying in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Scripture

Consequently, just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

The law was brought in so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 5:18–21 (NIV)       

Consider This

Have you learned the soundtrack of the gospel? Paul wrote it down in his letter to the church at Philippi. I’m almost sure the Romans would have seen that letter too and probably sang the song. If Romans 5 is a sermon, then Philippians 2:5–11 is the closing hymn. It is the gospel’s soundtrack. If Romans 5 is our story then Philippians 2 is our song. It was kind of like Paul’s “And Can It Be” (which we have been singing like rock stars all week on the podcast for those of you who aren’t listening yet).

 

This song is the perfect setup for Romans 6 which we will dive into next week. Here it is.

Have the same mind in you that was in Christ Jesus,

Who, being in very nature God,

      did not consider equality with God something to be grasped;

rather, he made himself nothing

      by taking the very nature of a servant,

      being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man,

      he humbled himself

      by becoming obedient to death—

            even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place

      and gave him the name that is above every name,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

      in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,

      to the glory of God the Father. (Phil. 2:5–11)

The hymn is actually a response to the broken story of Adam. If you will trace the story of the hymn you will see it unfolds in the form of a \/, tracing the journey of Jesus from heaven to earth, all the way down to the cross and the grave and then all the way back up through the resurrection to the ascension and to the final coming of the kingdom.

Now notice something about the story of Adam. It unfolds the opposite journey. It is an /\ form. The glory of the gospel, who is Jesus Christ, is the way he reverses our course and leads us from the broken story of Adam, depicted in the /\ form, and into the grand story of grace, depicted in the \/ form. Prepare now for your mind to be blown by how this tracks out:

/\  Adam (Eve) is created in the very image of God and yet considers equality with God something to be grasped. “If you eat of the fruit of the tree you will become like God.”

\/  Jesus is the very image of God himself yet he “does not consider equality with God something to be grasped.”

/\  Adam being a human being bearing God’s image tries to make himself something higher.

\/  Jesus, the image of God in the form of a human being, makes himself nothing and takes on the nature of a slave.

/\  Adam, becomes disobedient to the word of God, covered his shame, and then hid in pride from God and thereby introduced sin and death into the created order.

\/  Jesus, humbled himself and became obedient to death, bearing our shame, exposed in nakedness, not in hiding but in public view of all.

/\  Adam’s rebellion at the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil brought a curse upon the entire human race.

\/  Jesus, by his death on the cross, reversed Adam’s rebellion by taking on the curse of Adam. “Cursed is everyone that is hanged on a tree.” Galatians 3:13

/\  Adam and Eve and all their progeny to the present day have fallen to the lowest place.

\/  Jesus was exalted by the Father to the highest place in his resurrection and ascension.

/\  The curse of Adam continued forward through Cain murdering his brother Abel in the quest for a better name and forward until the entire human community was building a tower to reach the heavens in order to make a great name for themselves.

\/  Jesus climbed all the way down from the heights of heaven to be crucified on the towering, contemptible cross and he was given the name that is above every name.

/\  Because of the disobedience of Adam, the entire human race is born into a state of rebellion against God.

\/  Because of the obedience of Jesus’s faith, the entire human race (the living and the dead) will ultimately kneel (willingly or otherwise) before the risen and returning Lamb of God and be judged according to the obedience of faith and the righteousness of grace.

/\  Because of the disobedience of Adam and his progeny, the language of the human race was confused and all the people scattered in enmity.

\/  Because of the obedience of Jesus’s faith, every tongue will confess, in an agreement of diverse unity—in all of the many distinctive and varied languages of the whole world, the very same confession: Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Indeed, the heavenly throngs are already gathering in the midst of angels and archangels, in the presence of the elders and the living beings and the white-robed witnesses from every nation, tribe, and tongue all circling the throne of God where sits the risen Lord of heaven and earth, the Lamb Slain from before the foundation of the world, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, Jesus Messiah. And he shall reign forever and ever. Amen.

Now, if you have not sung with us yet, today is the day to join in as we will sing all five verses of our fight song, “And Can it Be!”

 

Prayer

PRAYER

Today for our prayer, let’s remember the words of Hebrews 12:18–29,

You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm; to a trumpet blast or to such a voice speaking words that those who heard it begged that no further word be spoken to them, because they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” The sight was so terrifying that Moses said, “I am trembling with fear.”

But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”

Praying in Jesus’s name, amen.

 

Prayer of Consecration

Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

Jesus, I belong to you.

I lift up my heart to you.
I set my mind on you.
I fix my eyes on you.
I offer my body as a holy and living sacrifice to you.

Jesus, We belong to you.

Praying in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Scripture

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—

To be sure, sin was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not charged against anyone’s account where there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.

But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Nor can the gift of God be compared with the result of one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!

Romans 5:12–17 (NIV)        

Consider This

There are only two stories. The story of Adam and the story of Jesus.

The story of sin and the story of grace.

The story of death and the story of life.

The story of crucifixion and the story of resurrection.

The story of trespass and the story of forgiveness.

The story of idolatry and the story of worship.

The story of brokenness and the story of wholeness.

The story of lost and the story of found.

The story of darkness and the story of light.

The story of ashes and the story of beauty.

The story of empire and the story of kingdom.

The story of war and the story of peace.

The story of despair and the story of joy.

The story of fear and the story of faith.

The story of condemnation and the story of embrace.

The story of slavery and the story of freedom.

The story of injustice and the story of justice.

The story of pride and the story of humility.

The story of indifference and the story of love.

The story of theft and the story of gift.

There are only two stories. The story of Adam and the story of Jesus.

 

Who in their right mind would choose the story of Adam?

And therein lies the problem. We are the unfortunate inheritors of the mind of Adam. The bad news is we are all born into the story of Adam (and Eve). The good news is we are all invited into the story of Jesus. And the story of Jesus is truly a “how much more” story. There is literally no comparison. So how on earth could anyone ever choose to remain in the story of Adam and not take the invitation to enter into the story of Jesus?

There are many reasons I suppose, but one should concern us the most. People don’t take the invitation because they see people who claim to live in the story of Jesus, who have no intention of leaving the story of Adam.

That’s not who we are. We are Jesus people. His story is our story. His life is our life. His love is our love. The Holy Spirit is making this a reality for all who accept the invitation and receive the gift. Indeed, the love of God is being poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit even now. That’s our story. That’s our song.

 

Prayer

Father, how we thank you for the story of Jesus, who has won, is winning, and will win the battle. What a beautiful story you have held out before us. What a gracious invitation you have delivered to our door. What a compelling life you offer us day after day after day. Forgive us for the way we continue to vacillate between these two ways. Forgive us for the way we remain of two minds. We confess our hearts become so easily divided. We actually need Jesus to heal us before we can even wholeheartedly follow him. And that’s the miracle, isn’t it? While we were still sinners he died for us, making the way open. Holy Spirit, let faith arise in us; deep, defining faith moving in love. Praying in Jesus’s name, amen.

 

Prayer of Consecration

Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

Jesus, I belong to you.

I lift up my heart to you.
I set my mind on you.
I fix my eyes on you.
I offer my body as a holy and living sacrifice to you.

Jesus, We belong to you.

Praying in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Scripture

Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. Because of what law? The law that requires works? No, because of the law that requires faith. For we maintain that a person is justified by faith apart from the works of the law. Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too, since there is only one God, who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through that same faith. Do we, then, nullify the law by this faith? Not at all! Rather, we uphold the law.

Romans 3:27–31 (NIV) 

Consider This

Most everyone understands what it means to carry debt and the onerous burden it can impose over time. Many people work very long and diligently to pay off all their debts and when they get to the last penny it is an occasion of exuberant celebration. It evokes an appropriate kind of pride-filled boasting in them to be debt free. It is the kind of thing you want others to know about and celebrate with you.

There is a similar sense of pride in legalistic types of religious people about their hard-fought rule-keeping righteousness. They want others to know and they find ways of letting their righteous deeds be known. There are brazen ways of wearing one’s religion on one’s sleeve and then there are quite sophisticated ways of doing so. Jesus hates this. He loves the humility of hidden righteousness and the quiet deeds of secret goodness.

My friend Brent is a pastor at a local church in the next town over.1 A few years back he was carrying a significant student loan debt dating back to his seminary education. One day he learned that the church which had planted his church campus had a program to help their pastors retire their seminary debts. Brent went to the administrator and inquired. She told him the church would pay up to half of his school debt. He reported that he had been making a hefty monthly payment for years which had been a real struggle for his growing family. He commented how he wished he had known about this earlier as it would have helped. He had already paid half of the debt. The Administrator reported even better news—they would pay the debt retroactively. She said to Brent, “You are now debt free!”

I love what Paul says in today’s text—Where, then, is boasting?

This is the moment when you begin to boast in Jesus. It’s one of those big moments when Jesus pays a small debt for you. Now, imagine, having the unpayable debt of your soul, paid in full by Jesus, by his atoning blood. It is not only the retirement of the capital S Sin debt but the reversal of bankruptcy and all its penalties and ruinous consequences. It means the restoration of your full faith and credit. It means being made better than whole. As bad as the present day and future consequences of our inherited debt of Sin and all the debts and interest we have personally added—that is how good and even greater are the consequences of the saving grace of Jesus Christ. And as we will see through the unfolding letter to the Romans, it is not a mere future benefit to be received at our death. It is an overwhelming gift of abundant life beginning immediately.

Few things are more surprising and joyful than when someone comes in and pays your debts with no expectation of being paid back. This is what Jesus has done for us beyond belief. It’s why it requires faith to realize it. This is what it means to be saved by grace through faith. Faith is not assenting to the truth of something arguably real. No, faith is the complete reliance on the reality of something demonstratively true. Faith does not mean, “I believe in Jesus. ” Faith means, “I belong to Jesus.”

(And if you have another few minutes, read my own extraordinary story of someone paying my debts in the note below.) [note 2]

Prayer

Jesus, we belong to you. Yes, Jesus, I belong to you. These are not the mere words of my mouth. They are not merely the hope of my aspiration. No, these words are the bedrock truth of my reality. I belong to you and you belong to me. This is my life. You are my life. I welcome the fullness of your durable reality right here and right now. Thank you for paying my debt in full. Thank you that your credit is now my credit. Holy Spirit, please awaken me to fully realize these eternal verities as realities on which I stake everything. Praying in Jesus’s name, amen.

Notes

 

 

Prayer of Consecration

Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

Jesus, I belong to you.

I lift up my heart to you.
I set my mind on you.
I fix my eyes on you.
I offer my body as a holy and living sacrifice to you.

Jesus, We belong to you.

Praying in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Scripture

But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

Romans 3:21-26 (NIV) 

Consider This

Today, dear ones, we have witnessed what is referred to as a mic drop.1

 

My dear friends in Jesus. We have heard the gospel today as handwritten by Saul of Tarsus, THE apostle Paul, somewhere around the year 50 in the year of our Lord. There’s a lot to be said about what Paul said, but I am moved to simply slow-walk us through what the Holy Spirit is saying here. We need to savor it, relish it, treasure it in our hearts, and ponder it. I’m going to line-break it like a poem; like the divine verse that it is:

 

But now

apart from the law

the righteousness of God

has been made known,

 

to which the Law and the Prophets testify.

This righteousness is given

through faith in Jesus Christ

to all who believe.

 

There is no difference between Jew and Gentile,

for all have sinned

and fall short

of the glory of God,

 

and all are justified freely

by his grace

through the redemption

that came by Christ Jesus.

 

God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,

through the shedding of his blood—

to be received

by faith.

 

He did this to demonstrate his righteousness,

because in his forbearance

he had left the sins committed beforehand

unpunished—

 

he did it to demonstrate his righteousness

at the present time,

so as to be just and

the one who justifies those

 

who have faith in Jesus.

 

[Full Stop.]

 

Mic Drop.

 

See also note 2 below.2

Prayer

Jesus, we belong to you, and we are not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes; and for me. Thank you that your Word is powerful, full of grace and truth, and mighty to save. I hear these words, Jesus, but there are places in my heart and mind needing to hear them deeper. Holy Spirit, search me and find those hard places, those resistant places where I am not moved by this good news. Awaken me to more of you. Only then will I be less of the me I used to be and more of the me I was made to be. Praying in Jesus’s name, amen.

 

Notes

But in our time something new has been added. What Moses and the prophets witnessed to all those years has happened. The God-setting-things-right that we read about has become Jesus-setting-things-right for us. And not only for us, but for everyone who believes in him. For there is no difference between us and them in this. Since we’ve compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ.

God sacrificed Jesus on the altar of the world to clear that world of sin. Having faith in him sets us in the clear. God decided on this course of action in full view of the public—to set the world in the clear with himself through the sacrifice of Jesus, finally taking care of the sins he had so patiently endured. This is not only clear, but it’s now—this is current history! God sets things right. He also makes it possible for us to live in his rightness.”

(Romans 3:21–26 The Message)

 

Prayer of Consecration

Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

Jesus, I belong to you.

I lift up my heart to you.
I set my mind on you.
I fix my eyes on you.
I offer my body as a holy and living sacrifice to you.

Jesus, We belong to you.

Praying in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Scripture

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.

Romans 3:19-20 (NIV) 

Consider This

Near the end of his life, John Newton, author of the hymn, “Amazing Grace,” said these words:

“My memory is nearly gone; but I remember two things: that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Saviour.”

The purpose of the law is to make us conscious of our sins. On this point, the Bible is clear.

In other words, the Law was not given in order that people would endlessly strive to fulfill it and consider they were doing a pretty good job. It was given to show us our desperate need of God and our hopelessness to obey it apart from him. More on that tomorrow.

In other words, the Law was given to reveal to us the insolvency of our souls. Yes, we are born into bankruptcy. We didn’t ask for it. We didn’t earn it. It’s not fair. You might say we didn’t even deserve it. None of this changes the fact of it. This is what the Bible reveals to us about the nature of human beings. We are born debtors because of the sin of our forbears in the Garden. Though we didn’t create the original debt we have added to its immensity.

Here’s the problem I have. I have debts, but I don’t much think of myself as a debtor. And I surely don’t think of myself as bankrupt. (Well, maybe a little bit, but that’s for another day). But doesn’t that tell the story? There’s no such thing as a little bit bankrupt. Our capital S Sin has put us into the condition known as bankruptcy. Our little s sins are like the interest adding up on the debt. We can never repay it. It’s kind of like the national debt of the United States. As of now, it stands at $31 trillion dollars. And somehow, all of us are able to walk around and live our lives like it is not even real. And we certainly don’t really own that we have had anything to do with it. Nevertheless, the day is coming when that debt will come due. Though it can be extended and extended it cannot be extinguished unless it is repaid.

It is the same with our sins. We can walk around a long time carrying a debt we can never repay—just wracking up interest—and living our lives like it’s not even real. At the same time, it is taking its cruel toll on our souls, bit by bit, day by day. The day is coming when that debt will come due. Whether we want to face it or not, there will be a judgment, an accounting, a calling of the note.

It is a terrible, awful thing (even shameful) to be in so much debt without hope of repaying it. It leads to the searing of the conscience and the hardening of the heart.

It’s why the gospel is such a song: “Jesus paid it all. All to him I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow.”

Again, what can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Again, “My sin, O the bliss of this glorious thought; my sin not in part but the whole is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! O, my soul.”

Prayer

Jesus, I am not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. And I believe. Part of me is ashamed of my bankrupt soul and yet you came in and paid it all. It is too good to be true and yet it is true. I receive it, Jesus, as an unworthy, grateful sinner. I receive it. Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord. O, my soul. Praying in Jesus’s name, amen.

 

Prayer of Consecration

Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

Jesus, I belong to you.

I lift up my heart to you.
I set my mind on you.
I fix my eyes on you.
I offer my body as a holy and living sacrifice to you.

Jesus, We belong to you.

Praying in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Scripture

What shall we conclude then? Do we have any advantage? Not at all! For we have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under the power of sin. As it is written:

 

“There is no one righteous, not even one;

      there is no one who understands;

      there is no one who seeks God.

All have turned away,

      they have together become worthless;

there is no one who does good,

      not even one.”

“Their throats are open graves;

      their tongues practice deceit.”

“The poison of vipers is on their lips.”

      “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”

“Their feet are swift to shed blood;

      ruin and misery mark their ways,

and the way of peace they do not know.”

      “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

Romans 3:9-18 (NIV) 

Consider This

Repeat after me . . . and aloud so your ears can hear it:

I am not righteous—not even me.

I do not understand.

I do not seek God.

I have turned away.

I have become worthless.

I do not do good—not even me.

My throat is an open grave.

My tongue practices deceit.

The poison of vipers is on my lips.

My mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.

My feet are swift to shed blood.

My ways are marked by ruin and misery.

I do not know the way of peace.

My eyes do not see the fear of God.

I know—many of you had a hard time with that because it’s not where you are now. However, at minimum, it is where you were before you met Jesus. It cannot be overstressed to remember who you once were. Even if you did not actually do these sins, this Sin was in you. It commanded you, ruled you, and ruined your life; even if everything on the outside had the touch of a master decorator.

When we say with Paul, “I am not ashamed of the gospel,” we are saying this was me, my lot, my reality, even if I didn’t fully realize it at the time. I was under the power of capital S sin. I could do nothing to free myself.

And this is the reason why so many decent, God-fearing, church-going people are not really saved from Sin—because they haven’t yet realized they were really under the power of Sin—which is another way of saying you still are. To say, “I am baptized,” is just like a Jew saying, “I am circumcised.” The gospel is not skin level. It is deep heart level. It gets down into your guts where shame hides and tries to convince you it’s not there.

It’s why at the end of the day I contend there is only one prayer and one prayer alone. And it goes like this:

Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.

 Prayer

Yes, Jesus, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes.” I confess something in me wants to believe Jesus is a great savior without believing I am a gross sinner. It offends my pride, which is another way of saying it stokes my shame. So I will say it here before you, Jesus, not as a self-condemning statement, but as the liberating words of the honest truth—I am a gross sinner. It was far worse than I realized. And I am beginning to now know you are far greater than I ever could have imagined. Something about knowing who I once was opens me up to knowing who you most truly are, and who I am most truly becoming. Yes, Jesus, this is the way. You are the way. Praying in your name, amen.

 

Prayer of Consecration

Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.

Jesus, I belong to you.

I lift up my heart to you.
I set my mind on you.
I fix my eyes on you.
I offer my body as a holy and living sacrifice to you.

Jesus, We belong to you.

Praying in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Scripture

What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision? Much in every way! First of all, the Jews have been entrusted with the very words of God.

What if some were unfaithful? Will their unfaithfulness nullify God’s faithfulness? Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written:

“So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.”

But if our unrighteousness brings out God’s righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.) Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world? Someone might argue, “If my falsehood enhances God’s truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?” Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—“Let us do evil that good may result”? Their condemnation is just!

Romans 3:1-8 (NIV) 

Consider This

I’m not going to lie. Romans is hard. Today’s text is hard to make heads or tails of for me. I get the feeling someone out in the audience has lawyered up and is asking the kinds of questions a person asks when they don’t get (or don’t like) what’s being discussed. They are the questions of a religious person whose heart is not right. They are the questions of a person who doesn’t really want answers but rather wants to play the part of an agitator. It’s kind of like when people don’t want to hear what you are trying to say so they ask ridiculous questions that obfuscate the whole conversation. It’s kind of like those people in the Bible study who never do the homework and instead of being quiet, they try to convince everyone of their intelligence by releasing their pet rabbits into the room so others might give chase.

It is very difficult to deal with uber-religious people on the one hand and recently converted pagan heathens on the other. Maybe I’m missing it, but that’s how I’m sizing up the scene here in Rome. And the truth is, these two groups of people don’t get along. It’s a judgment-fest. It’s kind of like that scene in the movie The Jesus Revolution, when the pastor’s daughter invites all the unkempt and uncouth hippie Jesus freaks into their prim and proper church and the deacons pitch a fit and start to leave.

In a poignant scene around this point in the movie, the drifter-hippie turned preacher, Lonnie Frisbee, (ironically played by Jonathan Roumie who plays the part of Jesus in The Chosen), says to Chuck Smith, (pastor of Calvary Chapel played by Kelsey Grammar),

“There is an entire generation out there searching for God. My people are a desperate bunch—and desperation—there is power in that word. What would it take for you Chuck Smith to become desperate?”

I think I cried for the rest of the movie after that.

Paul is desperate to reach the lost Gentiles, but he has to deal with the legalistic Jews first. What we are witnessing here is the master stroke of the gospel. Before Jesus lifts, he first levels. All the status markers in the house, especially religious ones, must go. Truth be told, this is what most churches need most. We need the most religious people in the house to rend their hearts and repent. We need the families who think they own the church and run the place to stand down and make room. The gospel is a wrecking ball for comfortable, conventional, respectable religion. The ground is level at the foot of the cross. Why does this matter?

Because there is an entire generation out there searching for God.

What would it take for you to become desperate?

 Prayer

Jesus, we belong to you. Yes, Jesus, I belong to you. Jesus, you are the gospel. We confess we have tried to fit you into our program and make you serve our agendas. We like our familiar crowd and our easy beliefs. Would you level the ground under my feet? Search me and show me the ways I have put myself on a higher level than others. Convict me of my secret pride. Holy Spirit, awaken me to the desperation of Jesus who is searching for those who are desperately searching for him. Praying in Jesus’s name, amen.