Uncle Dave

Q3. (Romans 8:31-32) What is the significance of the statement: "If God is for us, who can be against us?" Who might our enemies be? What is the evidence presented that God is for us? How does this statement make you feel? How does it affect hope? How does it allow you to act? What might: "...graciously give us all things" refer to? Who is stronger than God? Nobody! If the strongest holds the door for you who can close it? Only God. If God is for us we can do anything which is inline with God’s will. Anything! Our enemies are people who Satan uses to intimidate us, or by attempting to influence the minds of people with evil thoughts, however subtle they may be. God has proven His words to us by allowing His son to go through the ultimate torment of paying the biggest price imaginable, or better put, what one could never imagine, for every wrong we would ever do and sharing with us Jesus’s inheritance of all things. It is a very humbling feeling when one lets it sink in the process by which the penalty for our sins was paid. In the way of how it affects hope, it is the ultimate proof of what we have to look forward to when we depart from this world as we know it. It allows me to act more boldly when I talk about these things to people I don’t even know. Graciously giving us all things? I’m not sure how to deal with that kind of security at this point. To literally have all things is way too much for me to fathom at this point.

Q2. (Romans 8:29) What does it mean to "be conformed to the likeness of his Son"? In practical terms, what does that involve in our lives? Why does Paul support this statement with ideas of our destiny? Why does he support this with ideas of brotherhood with Jesus? Being conformed to the likeness of Jesus is not the same as physically looking like Him, but rather being like Him in the sense of doing things as Jesus did. For example, Jesus said to forgive a person 70 time 7 times, so if you are holding a grudge against someone you’re not conforming to the likeness of Jesus. The list of examples continues. We need to do things the way Jesus would. Jesus said if you look at a woman with **** you are guilty already of adultery, so we also need to not do things Jesus would not have done. Paul supported the statement with ideas of our destiny because God already knew every person who would ever walk the earth and it was His will that all would be saved and that the destiny of every person would conform to the image of Jesus. One must begin the process of fulfilling this destiny by confessing their sins to God and having faith in Jesus to save us from what was to come. Brotherhood with Jesus? Did Jesus not call God His Father and instruct of that He was our Father? Would that not place us at a brotherhood status with Jesus, even though much the same as Joseph became his brother’s ruler, Jesus is our Lord and King.

Q1. (Romans 8:28) What is the actual promise contained in verse 28? What does this promise mean? Put it in your own words. What are the two qualifications to the recipients of this promise? How does verse 28 give you hope? The promise is that everything is working for good for those who love God. After seeing the example used about Joseph and the problem his brothers had with him, and how Joseph talked of how God used the whole situation for his own glory, I would say that simply by looking back at one’s life, a Christian should have no problem seeing how some things were denied, which would have ruined the person’s odds of gaining salvation. One could look at their past as a sort of puzzle and how the pieces were being fitted together to form the current state of things and how everything takes on the value of a learning experience to be placed in the “wisdom chest”. Qualifications for this are: 1. You must love God. The most important of all the commandments. 2. You must be called according to His purpose doing God’s work through you. I admit we could never do God’s job, but He does give us work to accomplish. I don’t mean that everybody needs to become a missionary (although there is much mission work to be done in our own back yards) but sometimes something as simple as just being a good example goes a long way. There is a never-ending list of things we need to be praying for, we are called to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Verse 28 gives me much hope in that the biblical meaning of hope being what it is, I know that even when things are not going as planned (a sweet way of saying things are lousy), I accept it for what it is because that “what it is” means that even though I may not be around to see it come to pass, God will make good come of it. This can be a hard concept to grasp, even for a person familiar with the verse. I still remember the first time I was presented with the verse I had just entered a dark time in life, or, should I say I thought I did and it things worked out for better and the fix, which was temporary turned into something that has really showed me the glory of God at work. The verse came true. I’m going to call that person and tell him how I was able to use what he presented to me in answering this question. We are now separated thousands of miles apart but it is something that often comes to mind.

Q5. (Romans 8:18-25) In what sense do we expect to experience God's glory when Christ comes? How will the suffering creation experience God's glory? How will our mortal bodies experience God's glory? In what way will our spirits experience God's glory? I don’t really have an answer for the first question, other than it will be greater than anything we could possibly imagine. Just being resurrected and the feeling of knowing that this is it. The creation will go through a major change beginning with a total destruction of the old earth. This is the verse that tells me of getting rid of the old: 2Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up., and the verse that speaks of in with the new begins with Revelation 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. There are other verses which testify to the changes creation will undergo like the animals in Isaiah 11:6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. There are, of course many other verses which give a hint as to what we can look forward to. It is hard to even imagine being so radiant that others would be afraid. I am sure our spirits will be overwhelmed to far beyond what we would even be capable of imagining at this point. So many things I look forward to like no pain, never ending energy, even though I’m not sure what God has in mind for that.

Q4. (Romans 8:24-25) What are the characteristics of a person who has lost hope? How does this person typically conduct his life? How does this differ from a person who holds an eager expectation of a better future? What is the "Christian hope"? How should it motivate us and affect our lives now? The characteristics of a person who has lost hope can range all the way to being suicidal. Things like drugs, alcohol, gambling, and slavery to other vices are common for this type of person. Often, it is the result of mental trauma resulting from things that have happened in the past that leave a person living a guilt-ridden existence in which there seems to be no escape. A person in this condition often goes through life in a careless fashion and is as much of a threat to himself as others. It is a grip which Satan has put on many a person, and a grip from which one can be released from upon asking God’s forgiveness for their mistakes and acceptance of Jesus and what He did for us. The Christian hope is that of eternal life, that is, looking forward to it. We need to decide on life and not death if we desire eternal life. Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly: John 10:10 …I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Q3. (Romans 8:26-27) How does the Holy Spirit act as a Helper or Mediator or Intercessor in verses 26-27? What similarities do you see between the Holy Spirit's ministry here with Jesus' teaching of the Spirit's ministry as Counselor/Comforter/Paraclete in John 14:16 and 15:26)? Why do you think we tend to take the Holy Spirit for granted or fail to understand His ministry to and through us? The Holy Spirit acts as a mediator in that He is always praying to God for us. It could be that He prays to God over something we’re not even sure He’s praying about because we are usually very shallowly informed on what is going on in the spirit world. This is comparable to Jesus because He is also a mediator between us although the Spirit prays over things we know nothing about. I think we fail to understand His ministry, number one because so little is known about Him, like our heart which just keeps ticking and we can go for long periods of time without even thinking about it, but to put in in the truest sense, He is always praying for us. It is hard to tell how many things He has prayed to God on our behalf. Another reason, a very big reason in fact is because He is rarely taught about. I have seen service after service and the names of Jesus and God are always talked about but not the Holy Spirit. I have heard many actually teach that the Bible speaks of how the Holy Spirit and the gifts thereof went out the window after the first century, I am looking forward to the study coming up in a couple weeks on the subject.

Q2. (Romans 8:17-22) In what ways was suffering Jesus' lot in life? Why do we suffer? Why does all creation seem to be suffering? What will signal the end of that downward cycle of suffering, decay, and death? Is there anything good to look forward to in this present life? Jesus suffered an agonizing death which included a severe flogging, which was for man’s healing and also he suffered intensely on the cross to pay the sin debt for ALL of mankind. We suffer because it reminds us of the fact we need Jesus and it increases our faith in Him. All of creation, however appears to be suffering because of it’s fallen state. The end of that cycle of suffering will end when Jesus returns for His church. It is interesting that the words “cataclysmic implications” was used because I my mind often goes to a verse in II Peter when I think of this event: But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up (2Peter 3:10). That pretty much sums up creation as we know it. Of course, there is something to look forward to, it is that day when Jesus does return. Maybe we’ll be in the first batch to go up (the dead in Christ), but we do have that to look forward to. What could be better?

Q1. In Romans 8:14-21, 28, how many times is the idea of being sons and daughters of God alluded to? What are the promises made to these sons and daughters? What do we learn about our future and our role in the future of all creation? 1. How many times is the idea of being sons and daughters of God alluded to? My count of 10 is likely disputable (+-), but what I came up with for now. 1. 8:14 are the children of God. 2. 8:15 adoption to sonship. 3. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." 4. 8:16 we are God's children. 5. Rom 8:17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs— 6. heirs of God 7. and co-heirs with Christ, 8. 8:19 children of God 9. 18:21 and glory of the children of God. 10. 8:28 who have been called according to his purpose. 2. What are the promises made to these sons and daughters? We have the promise of eternal life and being co-heirs with Christ, who is heir to everything God owns. 3. What do we learn about our future and our role in the future of all creation? I’m not 100% clear on this one but after reading various Bible versions of the verses in question, it appears to me that we would be taking part in the liberation of creation. We will be with Christ, who will dwell with His people forever.

Q6. (Romans 8:15-16) How does the Holy Spirit inspire us to pray "Abba, Father"? What is the significance of us referring to God as our Dad? What happens in our lives if we don't have some kind of personal assurance of our salvation? How do we receive this kind of personal assurance? Because it is the very Spirit of God who is communicating with your spirit. You are talking to the highest of the highs who has claimed you as one of His children. If we don’t have that assurance, it is time to seek God in a determined way. He is easy to find if you are earnestly looking for Him. It is through faith we receive that assurance just like salvation itself is found through faith in God and what He sent His Son to do and what His Son did (for us).

Q5. (Romans 8:13-14) What does it mean to "mortify" or "put to death" the deeds of the body by the Spirit? What would it look like to watch a person do this? What does it mean to be "led" by the Spirit? What does this look like in actual practice? How do "putting to death" and being "led" by the Spirit fit together? How much of this is the Spirit and how much is us? To mortify the deeds of the body was to replace the Spirit of the flesh (Satan) with the Spirit of God. There are two invisible forces in the world. We have been studying about the Spirit of God, but there is another, the spirit of darkness: “Ephesians 6:12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”. The deeds of the body are controlled by the spirits of darkness and need to be euthanized and the only way we can do that is by the Spirit of God. On our own we lack the strength to do this but Philippians 4:13 says it all: ‘I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me’. To watch a person do this? I will have to go with the fact that this is something only God can do and it is possible to see/watch the results of the transformation. To a person of the world it would like a really boring movie, but to the one being saved, indescribable. To be led by the Spirit is to listen to God speak to you through the Spirit He placed in you (for the sake of clarity, I’m taking about the Holy Spirit). Seeing this in actual practice would be watching a person who is producing good fruit. The two go together in that you are destroying the life you lived in darkness (or, by the spirit of darkness), and replacing it with the abundant life which Jesus gives us. These two types of life are in constant conflict and only one can be in charge. It is us by decision and the Spirit will take care of the rest. We do, of course, have to watch we don’t make a wrong turn onto the broad, super-highway with the dazzling lights that ultimately burn out.

Q4. (Romans 8:12) Do we have to sin? Are we compelled to sin? Is it possible to live for two hours of wakefulness without sinning? Four hours? One day? Two days? Where do we Christians get such a defeatist attitude towards sin? From Scripture? Do we have to sin? No, we don’t have to sin. We have been set free of the law of sin. “For all have sinned?” In that verse the key is the ‘ned’ added to the word sin. That makes it a past tense meaning we have sinned, as in the past but this brings up verses that always come to mind when this subject presents itself: Matthew 5:48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect. And Matthew 19:21 Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." There are other similar verses, but these ones get the point across. Jesus is saying be perfect, like our Father is. It was in a previous Bible study that I learned that perfect, (according to Greek grammar, which by the way, is all Greek to me) means living the way we should, even though we will err from time to time. Are we compelled to sin? No. Why do we sin then? The definition of compelled means force, pressure, press, push, urge, dragoon, browbeat, bully, intimidate, strong-arm; oblige, require, make; and regardless of which word is part of the attack by Satan against you, it is ultimately up to YOU. Satan has an endless supply of tactics to get you to deny Christ, and like the wolf, relentless work at wearing you down. Sometimes it even comes down to whether or not you are willing to give your life for your belief in Christ. The verse, Matthew 24:24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect tells us that deception is the trigger behind all weapons. We get tricked into sinning. Jesus said in Mathew 5:28 “But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to **** after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart”. How easy is it to get duped into thinking the wrong thing? Emotions can be fired simply by watch the news or when something happens to a loved one. Our need for Christ is bigger than we could possibly imagine. Stay in constant communication with our Father in Heaven through the name of Jesus always. Is it possible to live for two hours of wakefulness without sinning? Four hours? One day? Two days? Although it is possible if living in the Spirit and in constant commune with God, it seems we all eventually slip in wet grass along our path. How much control of your emotions do you have? Two days? Can you stay in a constant state of prayer that long without distraction? Satan will not give up. Don’t quit. Where do we Christians get such a defeatist attitude towards sin? From Scripture? We get this attitude from everywhere you might venture to on the earth. Out in the world you will be called a hypocrite and asked if you really think you are that perfect and pious all because you refuse to go their way and told over and over that nobody is or can be perfect. Possible later in the same day you might hear it from a brother in Christ or even a well-meaning pastor trying to comfort you when you do make a mistake. Many people twist scripture into thinking that sin is going to happen whether you like it or not, verses like “for all have sinned”, when the verse is speaking in a different tense. I wish I could be the person I would like to be and even though I refuse to believe I can’t be perfect, even the way Jesus already claimed it for us, if that day would come I would not need Jesus and that, would be the worst sin I could do.

Q3. (Romans 8:9) Is it possible to be a Christian without the Holy Spirit residing in us? What is the difference (if any) between the indwelling of the Spirit and the fullness of the Spirit? How do we remain "full" of the Spirit? According to the verse, one would have to say no. The KJV is, perhaps a little more direct: Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. Not trying to be a wise guy but typo found: "... Guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives (enoikeō) in us." (1 Timothy 1:14), is actually 2 Timothy 1:14 If there is a difference between the indwelling of the Spirit and the fullness of the Spirit, I would almost have to say that it would be a sort of terminology to describe the difference between one who has received the Spirit by accepting the gospel of Christ and confessing it, etc., and living a life where there is no outward appearance of salvation and one who is zealous for Christ(I don’t mean someone simply trying to push their own agenda).

Q2. (Romans 8:5-6) Exactly what does it mean to set your mind on the things of the Spirit? How do you do this? How can you recognize when the things you're setting your mind on relate to your sinful nature? How much of this is deliberate? How much is habit? What part does the Holy Spirit have it this? Or is this primarily right living by force of will? Setting our mind on the things of the Spirit is a way of life, i.e., in the way we present ourselves to those around us in living for God and the things of Him. We do this by “giving up” our life of sin. You can tell you’re leaning to your sinful nature when you begin to do things which just aren’t right. Sometimes it is deliberate because we are regularly tempted, and we just have to say no but the more we are deliberate, the more it becomes habit. The Holy Spirit has everything to do with this because I would have never even thought about changing my ways of my own accord.

Q1. (Romans 8:3-4) Why can't obedience to the law save us? What is the weak link? What then does it take to save us? The problem with obedience to the law is that nobody can do it. Yes, the law is good, the law is holy, but if it were possible to fulfill it the way Jesus did, anybody desiring eternal life could do it without having any thought for God. To save us takes faith in the things Jesus did, not only while He walked the earth, but for what He did non the cross.

Q5. (Romans 7:14-25) Christians disagree about who is the "I" in Romans 7. Is Paul referring to himself or others? What is your opinion? (We won't all agree here, but we'll learn what the issues are by taking and arguing for a position -- lovingly). I agree that we won’t all agree here and I’m thinking that some of the opts have left some information by the wayside. I would say that Paul was talking about himself simply because of the use of the word “I”. If he were talking about we, I would be bound to argue think he would have worded things differently. It is possible that in time I could have a different outlook on this, but some things just speak for themselves. As an example, if I were an officer on patrol with a couple of enlisted people (seeing as this is an example, I’ll keep their names simple: O for the officer, Enl1 for the first enlisted man and Enl2 for the other enlisted man) and I gave an order to Enl1 to take point and Enl2 to carry my pack, it wouldn’t mean hey you guys, how about if you give me your packs and I’ll take point. No, there would be a distinct separation between I (O, and Enl1 and Enl2). I can’t imagine Paul wanting his readers being any more confused than they would already be at this point. In verse 23 where he talks about “another” law, I believe he would be talking about the law of the sinful nature that is always there to try and get you to slip up in any way possible to frustrate you. Seeing as God had the plans He had for Paul, it could be that Satan knew he would have to do everything he could to maintain an especially intense pressure on him. I don’t think Paul was talking about the law of Moses because Jesus said He did not come to abolish the law but to live up to it (perfectly), that nothing what-so-ever would be taken away from it until all was fulfilled (Matthew 5:17). If Jesus was talking about the fulfillment of His work, it would constitute lawlessness. I seriously think Jesus was referring to the time talked about at the end of the book of Revelation. When Paul called himself a “wretch”, it appears he was talking about the imperfect creature he was. I guess I’m not really taking sides with the Greek Father, St. Augustine, or Stott. Paul would be lying if he were to impersonate an unregenerate person, and although he was a slave to the law of sin (who isn’t?), he was not a slave to sin itself. Concerning St. Augustine’s comment:‘Only believers think and speak of themselves in self-disgust and self-despair’, I went through years of feeling like that before I became a believer as well as knowing non-believers who took their lives because of feeling that way. Concerning Stott, if Paul didn’t have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit how was he able to talk about having multiple gifts of the same spirit as he talked about in so many verses throughout his letters in the New Testament? It is very evident that Paul was a spirit-filled man.

Q4. (Jeremiah 17:9; Matthew 15:18-20; Romans 7:24) What is the doctrine of "total depravity"? Put it in your own words. Does it mean that none of God's original goodness shows through? Then what does it mean? Why does modern man tend to believe that man is basically good? How does this differ from what the Bible teaches? The corrosion of purity works overtime in its effort to poison the hearts of the whole of mankind with vile corruption. Total depravity describes the state of the heart of mankind in general. A hard concept to accept, for sure. Does it prevent God’s original goodness to show itself? God has done many good things for me, so in that sense I would say that His goodness does show but, we’re talking about His goodness showing through people. I think that if you study any individual long enough you will find corruption, no matter how slight. Otherwise we would have found somebody who has not inherited the sinful nature that all of mankind is supposed to have inherited from Adam. While I believe that the goodness of God shows through in people, in every mind (heart) corruption of one sort or another exists. People who are generally looked upon as being good are usually pretty good at hiding faults within themselves, but I think that the bigger problem is the failure to investigate our own hearts in a diligent way to uncover the evils which lurk in ourselves? It is not your sin which condemns me, but my own. We all have evil in us, but praise be to our Father in Heaven who sent His Son to bear the punishment we deserve. Modern man likes to think of himself as “good” because of a failure to accept the truth. The truth is that man is inherently sinful in his ways. The Bible teaches the truth but the one who deceives, Satan seems to be quite busy trying to convince people otherwise.

Q3. (Romans 7:12; 8:3) What does the law do well? What does it do poorly? Why is the law (knowing right and wrong) powerless to save us? What is the problem here? The law does good in that it tells us in explicit detail what sin is. It explains in detail, things we may be tempted with. It does a poor job, in fact it does nothing to prevent the temptation that goes along with it. Just knowing what the law is will not help one bit however because unless one can perfectly keep it the result is death. The problem here is that there is not a person alive who can perfectly maintain the righteousness to enter the Kingdom of God. Sin is sin, regardless of how great or small and sin, will not be allowed past the gates of glory. Jesus said that looking at a woman with **** in the heart is committing adultery, even though no physical action took place. If even thinking about doing something wrong is sin, how can the law, which has been broken at this point be of any good to us when asked why we broke it? The problem is this, man is doomed because of the sinful nature he is born with. It appears mankind in general has bitten into the tree of the knowledge of good and evil which results in nothing less than death. The best part of all this is the fact that putting our trust in Jesus is the fact that we can be forgiven and cleansed of ALL unrighteousness. The reward of eternal life awaits all who will accept it. Sometimes I wonder if the problem with the law is, the prowling of the tempter, Satan. Would man still have eaten from the tree had he not been deceived into doing it? A serious breach of trust with God takes place with each bite of forbidden fruit a person eats causing him/her to desire that which is unnecessary, a prime example being the fact that Adam & Eve thought they had to cover the perfection God created in them. Praises to our Father in Heaven for His Son, Jesus. I went through a period of many years worried about being tempted after eternal life began, but if that were possible it would not have been called eternal life. Satan and his army of demons, the ones who tempt, have been defeated and will be in their place of eternal torment when we enter the Kingdom of God, with Jesus as our King, and they will no longer be able to tempt us into going against the will of God.

Q2. (Romans 7:7-8) The law reveals sin for what it is. Why wouldn't we be better off just not knowing that we should not covet, for example? Why does the flesh respond to being told "Do not covet" by coveting all the more? Maybe using examples would be the best way to answer this one (at least for me). So, we know it is wrong to covet, and of course I do not consider myself to be an all-round coveter. Or am I? When I heard that a certain lottery was approaching a billion dollars I told my wife that maybe we should invest a couple dollars. After all, thinking of all the good things we could do with that much money. It is very likely that the story of Ananias in Acts, chapter 5, would see a replay before all the smoke cleared. After all, what would a couple million be compared to how much was there to begin with. Promising it all to God’s work but thinking one could sneak a little bit aside as “wages” without God knowing about it. I sat back thinking about how the problems would begin escalating right off the bat. Someone I know called me on the phone who through careful planning, should be okay to the end was telling me how he bought tickets and how nobody in the family would ever have to worry about money again. I laughed to myself and told him if I won I would give everybody in the immediate family, both on my side and my wife’s 5 million and he immediately responded with “well I was going to give you 10 million. I could see the covetousness already setting in and I had already decided I wasn’t even going to donate to whoever the winner would be by buying into it. Then I thought of everybody I ever knew coming to see me asking for loans (which I suspected would never be repaid), all the scammers I would have to deal with, and, to make a long story a tad shorter, the possibility of losing that which I hold dearest (which represents everything to me), over something that would do nothing but cause problems. I never worried about money anyway. The world is full (anyone who has visited the “3rd world” knows this for sure) of people who have little more than the shirt on their back, yet they are here and although life is hard for them, God sustains them. All the good the money would be used for? I’ve always known the resourcefulness of God making sure the things He wants done to be taken care of. Do not covet covers more ground than could be imagined. Amazing how we can look at something we don’t even need and immediately think we got to have it. We need to stay focused on that in which our hope lies, eternity with Christ. I say that but at the same time admit that being side tracked (myself, in particular) happens with frightening regularity. A verse to be called as a cure for this can be found in I Timothy: 1Timothy 3:10 Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?

Q1. (Romans 7:5) Paul uses the word "flesh" (or NIV "sinful nature") many times in chapters 7 and 8. In your own words, what does Paul mean by "flesh" in these verses? Paul is talking about humans in the rawest state, an un-repentant, unsaved, state which only doesn’t drive faster than the speed limit because of the penalty involved, or perhaps not caring and in search of a thrill, breaks that speed limit as compared to someone who lives in the spirit, who would obey it without thought of consequence. The person in the flesh is the one who is constantly in search of happiness and is easily driven to do things which can get him in trouble. For every mountain they get to the top of, there is always something more rewarding to achieve. Easily trapped into the restraints of drugs/alcohol where they lose all they have acquired, the hopelessness of the vicious cycle causing many to surrender to the life which only ends in death. Life in the flesh is not a happy, peaceful place in which to exist. All in all, life in the flesh is a rebellious state against God. There is no peace or happiness. The only end to life in the flesh is death.

Q5. (Romans 6:18-22) In Paul's analogy in these verses, is there a place of independent freedom apart from "slavery" to sin or to Christ? Why do we long for this kind of independent freedom? Why do we hesitate to firmly take sides and make our allegiance clear to all? There is NO middle ground. The line between righteousness and sin is cut and dry. Just like the saying that states that just a partial, or little white lie is a lie, not matter what kind of coating you try to apply. Christ represents ultimate righteousness whereas Satan is the complete opposite. One bad apple spoils the whole cart. Perhaps the reason we long for the independence of both is because no matter how much we are cleaned up, there always seems to be something else that at the least needs dusting off. The fact that we are not as perfect as we would like is a constant source of frustration for many. It is so easy to get sidetracked into wanting to do something that we know we shouldn’t do. Sometimes we achieve victory and sometimes we take a fall. The culture of “being independent” which is constantly in our face doesn’t help either. The problem itself originates with the biggest trouble maker of all, Satan, who is not content to leave God’s people alone. There could be several reasons as to why we are slow to make our allegiance known to all. Among these, fear and pride. A new convert often gets harassed in more ways than one. Pride sets in because having come to the saving power of Christ, being called a hypocrite the next morning by his boss doesn’t exactly help. Being the designated low man on the totem pole, having to work the hardest while being the least paid can do something to a person. It takes a strength which we often don’t realize we have acquired, which is Christ in us. Humility doesn’t always come to us overnight, and that, in my opinion is a real big thing. Also, it takes faith to believe in all the promises the Bible has to offer whereas the worldly view is much easier to accept because of the lack of commitment. The world’s view of commitment is much different that that of a firm, faith-filled believer. If I appear to be talking in circles here it is because I know what I want to say but just not good enough with words.

Q4. (Romans 6:17b) How does good doctrine affect the way we live? Why should we honor good doctrine? If we shouldn't look down on doctrine itself, what kind of teaching should we be avoiding? Then why try to resist sin at all? hmm, that is just about the same as giving up. I’m not saying giving up completely, but I’ll never forget the words from a person whom I held in very high esteem when they spouted out “everybody does it”. I will never say who the person was or what the incident was, but I do know that it is a surefire way to NOT have victory in life. I fell into that state more than once before coming to terms with the truth. I blame nobody for my fall but the times I did, I hit hard. The path can also lead to some strange ways of thinking, none of which line up with what the Bible tells of. I did have to admit to my wrongdoing before being rescued and put back on my feet, which is a stark contrast to “defeatist confessions in the name of humility and evangelical political correctness”. Anyone who knows me knows that political correctness of any type does not describe me and defeatist confessions in the name of humility is the same as saying “God can’t do it”. ~end of rant. Good doctrine is what leads to victory. Temptations and trials will still come, in fact the storm can get rough at times, but it is good doctrine which leads us to the calm waters. We should all follow good doctrine unless you are a glutton for punishment who loves nothing but sorrow because without it that is what we are headed for. Good doctrine comes from the Bible, in fact 2 Timothy 3:16 fills us in quite clearly on the subject: “ All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:”. Any doctrine that doesn’t have Biblically sound roots should be “religiously” avoided. There is much doctrine taught by worldly people which has its roots in righteousness. Just like the Bible, most worldly doctrines will tell you not to steal as an example. If a person lives by good solid Bible doctrine they should have no problem just about anywhere in the world, setting aside that persecution will still arise because of your core belief in the Bible. Seemingly good people, Christians included, tend to think it alright to pocket the sign-in pen at a doctor’s office because it will be replaced, and the doctor can surely afford it. Imagine the cost if every person who works for the government plus everybody who visits such an office were to steal a pen every day. Might not seem like much but would not take long for it to turn into multi-millions of dollars involved. This is the kind of doctrine that should be avoided. Anything that involves or promotes sinful practices needs to be avoided when possible lest its fruit get the best of you. There is not a person alive who doesn’t follow some type of doctrine in their life whether it is good or bad or a combination of the two. As Christians we must decide to follow that which leads to victory. The world is watching, and you never know the effect it can have on a person you are trying to introduce to Christ. Being a Christian, the world will surely judge you more harshly than one of its own.

Q3. (Romans 6:15-18). What does obedience have to do with slavery? In what way does doing acts of righteousness demonstrate your slavery to God? In what ways does doing bad things demonstrate a slavery to sin? How is such a slavery or bondage broken? What part does obedience have in breaking this bondage? In what areas is God speaking to you about a fresh obedience in your life? I never really thought about it this way, but in an essence of sorts it appears that everybody is in one way or another, enslaved. One could be enslaved to doing good or bad. We always hear of people who are “married” to their job to the point that their work is the only thing on their mind. They bring their work home with them and have no time for God or family. Some people are just the opposite. The question is: who controls your enslavement? I personally find it hard to think of myself as a slave of God because He set me free. The beauty of being one of God’s people is the fact that I have the freedom to just do something out of heart without thinking that I did it as an act of demonstration of slavery to God. God does not take control of your mind the way Satan does. Maybe it is just the word “slave” that has me riled. Before I knew Christ, I must admit that I was a slave to sin and probably, if sin categorizes commitment to sin, I was probably with an upstanding commitment to not doing good. If doing acts of righteousness demonstrates my slavery to God, so be it. I remember at one time asking God to “program” so to speak, my mind so that I could do no wrong. I still do much that I wish I didn’t and don’t do all I should but there has been a major shift in personal policy in my ways as I look back. Doing bad things demonstrates a slavery which needs to be broken. There are all kinds of chains a person could be tied up with. Alcohol, drugs, smoking are examples of these chains. When I came to Christ I wore all of these. He didn’t break them all at once but over the years he removed them. There are still things where I can see changes taking place, but the flag of victory has been on a narrowing path over the years. Slavery to bad things can only be broken by God. Sometimes it takes lots of prayer (and there have been many times where it involved others praying for me), and there are also times when the “leap of faith” or “jumping out of the boat” is required. You might struggle, swimming through a stormy sea but if you are persistent you will eventually rest on the warm sand of the beach and quickly forget about the whole thing, if you are willing to “let it go” and trust God and be obedient to His teachings. Speaking of “letting go”, I heard another version of the monkey story. An empty coconut shell is used instead of a cage though. A small hole, only big enough to slide his hand in is cut into the side of the shell. A chain is connected to the shell and attached to a tree. A couple of shiny coins, or anything representing the glamour of the ways of the world is placed inside the shell for bait. The monkey reaches inside, grabs the bait, and because he will not let go he cannot withdraw his hand because it is balled up in a fist. He only needs to “let it go” and he can be free, but the worldly attraction inside of that coconut shell has enslaved him. Presently, God is speaking to me in a big way about losing some of the excess pounds on my body which means I will have to let go of fresh baked cinnamon rolls, cookies, and other things which I pull out of the oven. It’s a tough one, but obedience to God is prevailing (slowly, but surely).

Q2. (Romans 6:13) In what ways do you "offer the members of your body" to either sin or God multiple times in a day? Why is it that we can sin unconsciously? How can we begin to offer our members deliberately to God? What changes will it take in our daily life to do this? We can offer the members of our body to God by doing good things for others and even by resisting temptation. Ways we off our body parts to sin would include things/actions which are unpleasing to God. Acting on temptations willfully, and I say this because temptations are ever with us in this life and some things come under control easier & faster than others and we often do things merely as a reaction as a result of a lifetime of worldly education. We could begin to offer our members deliberately to God by doing good things for others, standing up for righteousness. These things really do require somewhat of an effort at first. The changes required to do this could be avoiding places of temptations, no longer running with people who have no desire to live a righteous life.

Q1. (Romans 6:12) What does obedience have to do with the "reign" of sin? The question is who will we obey? To obey the “reign of sin”, all one must do is continue in an un-repentant life, at the expense of eternal life of course. Even before we began following Christ we practiced a form of obedience. That was a deadly form of obedience which holds no eternal future along with all the benefits we started to reap when we began to obey God.

Q5. (Romans 6:11) What does it mean to "reckon, consider, count" in verse 11? Does this actually mean that we are convincing ourselves of something that isn't really true? What will be the effect in our lives if we actually do consider it to be true that we died with Christ's death with regard to sin? http://www.joyfulheart.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=804 The word “reckon, consider, count” refers to numbering we among those who are crucified with Christ and a member of the group who is dead to sin, but alive in Christ. This doesn’t just mean that we are convincing ourselves of something that either isn’t, or might be true, but with faith we accept the fact that we are alive with Christ, though dead to sin. Rather than trying to convince ourselves of something written as possibly being true, we know, from the shallowest to the deepest depths in our hearts that it is 100% ironclad guaranteed TRUE. The effect in our lives is a renewing of our minds and actions because the addiction to sin has been crushed. Not the same as you would see in an AA or NA meeting where people stand up and introduce themselves with something to the tune of “I am an alcoholic” or “I am a drug addict”. We could say something like “I used to be an alcoholic/drug addict, but that person has died and being a new creation, I am neither”. In other words, our past has disappeared to where it should be – somewhere into a history book which God has cast into the sea to be never opened again. We have been set free and it doesn’t matter as to who likes or doesn’t like it.