A Slave of the one whom you Obey

Romans 6: 16-23

“Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness? But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.”

Always ask to whom is this being written, and the answer once more is to the followers of Jesus Christ.  And how appropriate is the question being ask: “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?”  I’m very concerned that a very large number of people who call themselves Christians would fail the test if asked the question.  Many years ago a Baptist boy signed up for the army, he was not a follower of Christ, but he wore the title of Christian, and for the first time in his young life he had his rights taken away, he was a slave to the one he learned to obey.  This is a small part of the story; “When I enlisted in the United States Army, I went to boot camp, my civvies were taken from me, and I was issued a new set of clothes.  I was introduced to a man we called Sergeant Major he told me the old Bob was dead. The old Bob could wear what he wanted, eat what he wanted, and go and do what he wanted, all of that was lost now.  I would look to the United State Army and its rules and commands.  I no longer needed my opinions; all I needed was to obey his orders.”

Now do not go crazy on me I’m using that time as an example of becoming a slave to the one I obey, but one day I ended my commitment to the army and I was once more free to go and do whatever I wanted, and I was still a lost Baptist with no relationship to the Jesus I claimed to know.  The army helped to grow me up but I went in with a lot of fear and came out with fear of being a failure.  Now I’ve shared that I had an encounter with Jesus Christ in a hotel room in Victoria, Texas, when I was 27 years old and I was changed, but I also was making some bad choices, going to church but not learning to follow Jesus, I had no real prayer life, I did not attach myself to a men who could teach me how to walk in the world but not to look to the world, but to Jesus and the Father.  I did not know that the Holy Spirit lived in me and would guide me into all truth; I was a mess.

And so flying without a compass but with great zeal to do great things for God I began to teach youth when it was I who needed a teacher, and zeal will only take you so far, and for me it brought about pride, arrogance and broken fellowship with my Lord.  The best thing that happened to me was a wreck, it cost me big time and yet it brought me to brokenness and I found the Father waiting with open arms to welcome me back into fellowship.  Would that be a great way to end this?

With little knowledge or understanding of the way the world system was molding me, or wanting to mold me and that the enemy of my soul was a thief whose goal was to steal what I valued, to kill or destroy my testimony, I began to achieve acclaim in the market place, and without understanding I almost became a slave to the success of my business life.  I made many mistakes the greatest was I used people more than caring for them.  But God; don’t you love those words, He sent people into my life that challenged my actions, people l worked with like, Cory Munn, Bill Taylor, Joe Whitehouse, Bill Barr, John Craig, and Greg Stovall who were Christ centered and people centered and their actions more so than words drove me to confess that I had left the road of real success, to gain what; the acclaim of what?   

A follower of Christ should take on the attitude of the one they are following, so learn from a messed-up guy like me and look to Jesus for the real life, it will begin by looking to Jesus and not religious acts, “So now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.”

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

“Saint vs. Sinner.”

Romans 6:12-14

“Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.”

As each of us look at the Scripture above, it seems to be our choice to sin or not to sin.  Next, we must come to grips with whom the apostle Paul is writing, and verse six makes clear that it is to all who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.  And verse seven gives more insight; “To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints . . .”  (Romans 1:7) I’m sure we can all agree this letter is being addressed to followers of Christ, and back then they were called disciples, not just 12, but after Pentecost thousands, and under the direction of the Holy Spirit, Paul addressed them as saints.

Dr. Gillham has this footnote on “Saint vs. Sinner.” “The word “sinner” is often used to describe both performance and identity, which becomes confusing.  As Christians, we have received a new identity.  We are no longer sinners, but saints who sin – and hate it.”  Let me inject what I know Bill would state if still with us, you better hate sinning and if you can do it with no problem, you have a heart problem that only Jesus can fix.  “Do you understand that from Acts chapter 2 after Pentecost to Revelation 22:21, we have three scriptures that appear to refer to Christians as sinners: 1 Timothy 1:15; James 4:8; and James 5:20.  On the other hand, there are 56 Scriptural references to Christians as “saints.”  Why not focus on the Prevailing emphasis of God’s Word and agree with Him that you are indeed what He calls you – a saint?  Even though your performance does not always reflect your new identity, the fact remains: When you became a Christian, you entered into Christ’s life and became a new creation with a new identity (2 Corinthians 5:17; Colossians 3:4).  Remember your identity is determined by birth, not by what you do.” (Dr. Gillham and I took some freedom on his quote.)

So we cleared up the “to whom” the letter is addressed, but in a culture of no blame, no losers, all winners, no fault, can we really expect people to grasp that all have sinned and all have missed the mark?  Is it not clear that the no fault culture has invaded the Christian Church, the preaching and teaching is often skewed so as not to offend.  And if it is not your fault and you have never heard anything was really your fault, it was always someone else’s, it comes down to I’m ok are you ok?

So to those who have had the misfortune of growing up in a culture of no blame and have entered into Christ, this day you have been put on notice, not by me but by the Holy Spirit who told the apostle Paul to write Romans 6:12-14, it is your choice to sin or not to sin. 

Now you need to be aware that the one Jesus calls the thief in John 10:10, is one smooth dude, he’s real, he knows a lot about you, but he has no clue what you are going to do, he is not God, not even close.  But he has watched many a person like yourself and he knows how to push your buttons.  I call it the deceptive Channel One and the dude’s voice sounds just like your own, and his message is you deserve, and guess what you are almost always in agreement with that message.  But he has a nasty condemning side, after you have got what your wanted he turns the table and tells you you’re a scumbag, a loser and that you have little or no worth and your family and friends would be better off with you out of the picture.  Yes, the thief does not play fair, and the sad news is it is your fault, for if you had studied the Bible and ask the Holy Spirit to be your teacher He would have guided you to truth.

And Truth testifies, “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” (Colossians 2:6-7)

I will close with a quote: “God has no plan to make something beautiful of your life (in Adam).  The plan is to kill it and start over again.”  (Dr. Bill Gillham)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice 

A Higher Standard than God

Romans 6:5-11

My hearts desire is that you and I grasp to some degree that we have been born again, I know the world media loves to make fun of anyone who advocates such doctrine, but not to worry for that is what Jesus said; “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.”  (John 3:7)  Something wonderful has transpired in your spirit, so listen and think on these verses; “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.”  (Romans 6:5-6 ESV)

Now it is clear from sitting in adult Bible study classes that some people do not believe they were enslaved to sin, and that is not a new happening for it is recorded in John 8:39-44, and you can look it up.  Jesus is teaching at the temple and people came to Him and the scribes and the Pharisees were also there, and in the exchange Jesus told them God was His Father but not theirs.  They answered him, “Abraham is our father” and like many who call themselves Christian they believe being born a Jew, as so many today believe being born in the good old USA makes them Christian.  These people believed going through the steps or being a rule keeper made them in right standing with God.  It was a wrong answer then and now, going to a church will not make you in right standing with the Father, only by agreement with God that all have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory and by faith receiving His gift of grace by faith in the person of the living Christ will one find peace and enter into fellowship with God the Father.

Let’s look at the rest of the story; “For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 6:7-11) It is a choice!

Once more, Dr. Bill Gillham makes clear in my simple mind, and yes I’m very simple and often I praise the Father for designing me so.  I believe Jesus tells the truth, in fact I believe He is Truth.  And the following is from Bill:

Key Concept - God accepts you based upon what you have done with

                         Christ.  If you base acceptance upon anything other than

                         Christ, you have higher standards than God.

                                    (See Diagram 3.4)

1.  When Christ went to the cross, you were in Him.

2.  When Christ was buried, your old self was buried in Him.

3.  When Christ was raised, you exploded from the grave a

     new person in Him.

4.  When Christ took His seat at the Father’s right hand, in

     Christ, you took your seat next to the Father.

Note: God views everything (including your time line) as present tense.

Christ’s life is eternal, extending forever into what you call the future  and the past.

            The dip in Christ’s lifeline represents His time on planet earth.

            In some way, Christ’s work on the cross occurred outside the time     

            dimension. (Rev. 13:8)

Note: The Diagram would not transfer.

A personal relationship with Jesus Christ

Romans 6:4

As one who has by faith entered into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, what are your expectations?  Now do not tell me you do not have any, but that could be true and if so, maybe you need to confess that to the Father.  For your life would be much like a person taking a trip with no maps, or GPS and always surprised that you are going in the wrong direction, never finding a place of contentment. 

The apostle Paul put these words on paper as directed by the Holy Spirit, “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:4)  When you buried someone it is assumed they are dead, no breath, no organs working, the person has left the building we refer to as a body.  And Scripture is clear that when you enter into Christ and He enters into you death took place.  It is written in 1 Corinthians 15:22, “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.”  Now look at 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”

So the most important question one can ask is, have I put on Christ?  “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” (Galatians 3:27)  Now do not be deceived Paul is not referring to being put under water, or sprinkled, no he is talking about each of us coming to an understanding we need a Savior, we are lost on the wrong road of life and need direction that only God and His grace can bring into our life.  You will find that Scripture states clearly that you died and your life is hidden in Christ, look and ponder on these verses: “Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.  For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.”  So much Scripture that states very clearly something died, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

My teacher and friend Dr. Bill Gillham in his series “New Life” titled chapter 6 “The Death of the Old You is a “Done Deal”

A. How to appropriate the truth that your old self has been crucified with Christ (Romans 6:6, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”)

1.    Question: How many of your sins did Christ take to the cross 2,000 years ago?  Answer:  All of them.

2.    Question: How many sins had you committed 2,000 years ago?  Answer: None of them.

3.    In the same way you claim He took your sins to the cross, you claim that He took you to the cross.  The old you (who you were in Adam) died.

B.  The death of the old you from Romans 6:

1.    Verse 2: you have died to sin.

2.    Verse 3: you have been baptized into His death.

3.    Verse 4: you have been buried with Him.

4.    Verse 5: you have been united with Him in the likeness of His death.

5.    These verses are all past tense!

C.  We all believe that there were two thieves crucified with Christ, but there is 

      a lot more “ink” in the Bible about you being crucified with Christ than

      there is about those two thieves.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

A shallow understanding of Grace

Romans 6:1-4

Do you recall how chapter 5 ends, it tells us that the Law exposes sin, and so when one has the Law sin increases, but the good news is grace abounds all the more.  Sin brings about death, but grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.  So as we begin looking at chapter 6 we must deal with the question that is asked: “What shall we say then?  Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? 

I believe many of us have a shallow understanding of the grace of God; the act of grace that happens when you bow your knee to our Lord Jesus Christ by faith and enter into a personal relationship with Him is beyond my understanding.  But this I know, that moment in a hotel room in Victoria, Texas, when I asked Jesus  into my life, something died, for I was crucified with Christ and He broke the hold of sin and death in my life.  At that moment I had the authority to choose not to sin for the power of Jesus Christ now lives in me.

Now that is not to say you and I are not abusers of the Divine grace, for we were set free by God’s grace, and yet it is written, “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.”  (Galatians 5:13-15)  It is also recorded in 1Peter 16, “Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.”

How often the flesh is referred to it as the old man, I’m not buying into that, I do not have and old man and a new man living in me, but I do have flesh, and it is written in Galatians 5:16-17, ^“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.  For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.”  “Old man” may be used as a synonym for “flesh”, but there is a problem with that, when we came into Christ something got crucified, and it is my belief it was sin personified as the “old man.”

So each of us, yes, your pastor, or priest has the same war ongoing in them, the flesh wants to be religious but it has no desire to live under the authority of God.  With that back drop, I’ve learned that my flesh and my emotions will often lead me on a path that desires evil, it has a desire to be first, to want to look better than both myself and God know to be true.  It causes me to grumble when things are not to my liking and often I’m clueless about having a spirit of rebellion until the Holy Spirit brings it to my understanding through Scripture or preaching and teaching.  So once more it is written, “Therefore let anyone who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.  No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man.  God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Corinthians 10:12-13)

These things we should grasp about faith, it is freely given, it empowers us to serve God and others, it gives us the ability to live a simple life, it also gives us the ability to live in humility toward one another, for it is written, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5b) 

I almost forgot to let the apostle Paul answer the question asked in the first verse; “By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”  (Romans 6:2-4 ESV)

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

A smart person examines all the facts

Romans 5:18-21

Back in October, 2015 I was the taxi for my two grandsons this week, and it’s some schedule they keep, Zack has to be at swim team by 6:30 and John Mark has to be at school for a workout at the gym by seven, and that means granddad is up by 5:30 getting breakfast cooked and making sure all are up and ready to go.  I am sharing this because today taking John Mark to school, we saw one of the Geek cars and I said, I wonder if he has a master’s in Geeking?  J.M said those guys are really smart and I ask him to define smart, for they do know a lot about computers, but does that make them smart? 

I’m back home ready to put words into the computer and I’m reading Romans 5:18-21, “Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  Maybe for many of you there is no need to define smart, but if my observation is correct we have an enormous problem, and it is not a new one.

The Scripture states that one man’s act of rebellion led to condemnation for all men, but the act of Jesus Christ’s obedience to His Father by taking on flesh and choosing to be the pure sin sacrifice for the sins of all of mankind by His death on the cross.  T. W. Hunt in the “Mind of Christ” page 116 shares this insight with the reader; “Finally, about noon (“the six hour,” Mark 15:33), came the dread moment for which Jesus had sweated blood.  By now the whole of His holy being was dreadfully, terribly gripped by all the filth, dirt, and slime of our sins – a distress far worse than any of the outward, physical anguish.  God “made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf” (2 Cor. 5:21).  Jesus was now ugly.  He was hideously deformed, repulsive, and repugnant.  He was guilty; although it was our guilt He was bearing.  He was sin.”  But that was not the worse thing, no not even close, for the first time ever fellowship was broken between the Father and the Son, for God the Father cannot gaze upon sin.  For the first time Jesus was exiled from His Father, and T. W. shares, He was also helpless.  “Guilt is also helpless and irreversible.  Guilt is powerless to help itself.  Jesus deliberately remained powerless so that we would have the power to accept His work.  We are not helpless in our guilt because He was.  He had to accept helplessness if we were to be redeemed.  In these terrible moments, all the fury of offended absolute holiness was poured out on the vileness of our guilt, then on His shoulders.”

Would you agree that a wise person, a smart person would examine all the facts before making a decision that could change life in the now and for all of eternity?  So here is the question for each person, what will you do with this information?  The computer dictionary states the following: informal having or showing a quick-witted intelligence: if he was that smart he would never have been tricked.  But if you have not examined the evidence and believe yourself to be smart, you have been tricked by the one Jesus calls the thief in John 10:10, for his game plan is to kill, steal and destroy, and he is the great deceiver.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

The two Adam's in Scripture

Romans 5: 15-17

“But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.”

It is clear in Scripture that we have two Adam’s in Scripture, the first man was perfect in all ways until he made the choice to sin and at that point death came into the picture, for the wages of sin is death.  It seems sad to have to note the following but because many never study Scripture and have strong opinions on what they have heard or ignorantly believe this truth needs to be stated: man was made in the image of God, and people are the only beings that were created in the image of God.  The Scripture never lumps people into the category of animals.  Scripture clearly states the separation of the creation of people from all other things. 

So we know that sin entered by one man, the first Adam and the apostle Paul shares this with us in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Now turn in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 15:39-47, “All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds.  There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory.

So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.  However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.” (1 Corinthians 15:39-49)

So in Adam number one, mankind suffered and had ruin, but in the second Adam, Jesus the Christ, mankind had redemption and by the way of the cross and the blood that was shed to cover sin, mankind was given the ability to choose, the ability to confess sin and agree with God that He alone had the authority to forgive trespasses and set right or justify all who seek the free gift of redemption.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Death & Sin - A Recurring Problem

Romans 5:12-14

“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.”

As we age and it seems strange but often it requires one to get in there thirties before recalling some of the wisdom of their dads, at least that was true with me.  My dad enjoyed history and he was a reader of history and well versed in biblical, world, and United States history.  He would say; “If one would only learn from history they would not have to repeat it.”  And he often said; “We repeat history because of our ignorance of history” and I believe that is so true in and out of the Church.

 I was reminded Sunday that a good writer will always use the (“5 W’s) when covering a topic.  Not having any claim to being a writer, but enjoying hitting keys on the computer, I’m going to try that method to give a history of how sin entered into mankind.

In the beginning Scripture gave an account of what happened, God created the heavens and the earth, no one has a time line on this, in fact it may have happened before God made time.  Next, it would be of importance to know who was there, and Scripture tells us, the players were God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.  You may be wondering why did it happen, and maybe that is one you can ask the Father when you enter His presence.  You also may be wondering when did it happen, and it is clear it was in the beginning, and the where did it happen, in the vastness of nothing. 

Now you may stand with the many who do not accept God or Scripture and you allow man to give you what they believe about not only Creation but about how you were formed.  It seems one should consider these men of great learning; they believed or at least stated the very first man and woman were formed from millions of years of slime, and some how a cell came about and that is how the process began and millions of years later a monkey somehow became a man, now that is not precise, but close.  It seems no one can tell where the slime came from, when it happen, why it happen, or even if it happen, that is why it is called a theory.  Now I cannot choose for you but the slime theory requires more faith than I have.

So let’s stay with Scripture, we have this account in Genesis 1: 26, God formed the first man, and I hope it answers the (5W’s) for us, in that Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.  And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth.”  Now Scripture tells us God placed them in a garden in Eden and they were without sin, they fellowshipped with God daily, and were given work to do and commands to keep and all was good.

Then along came the serpent and he was a crafty rascal and one day while Adam was standing with His lady, the old serpent ask Eve, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden.”  And I’m sure you are not going to believe that Adam was passive, totally inactive letting Eve do the heavy lifting much like many men are doing today.  And she let the deceiver, the old serpent, the devil, the one God calls Lucifer or Satan, con her into doing it her way, she ate the forbidden fruit and gave some to Adam and for the first time in the history of mankind sin and death entered into man.

So we have a problem, and guess what, it is still in the works 100% of the time, mankind is sinning and dying, and yet we are not without hope, for in Christ we have a Redeemer.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Words and the meaning derived from them

Romans 5:6-11

Do you ever wonder, I do, and yes often I speculate about words and the meaning derived from them?  That is especially true when it comes to things God’s word has to say about you and me.  So shall we begin with the word weak for in verse six the apostle Paul states the following, “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.”  Often I make the assumption that I have an understanding of the word, and that you do also, but as I look at the Christian culture that has been invaded by the world’s culture I’m not sure we have seen or are willing to admit we were ever weak.  (Weak: lacking strength, not able to handle weight, pressure, or strain. Not able to resist external forces or attacks, resulting from a lack or judgment or discernment.  Not able to withstand temptation or persuasion <the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak>.)   Yes for 27 years of life I was vulnerable to looking to myself, or to others, and lacking strength of character.

But I did not see myself as weak, in fact Channel One the deception channel would tell me that the really weak were followers of Christ.  I also did not see myself as ungodly, I had the attitude “I’m ok and I’m not sure about you.”  If I had been confronted with, am I a godly person, a follower of Christ, I would have fallen short; I was a Baptist, with no relationship to the living Christ.  Now if you had ask if I was a sinner, I did understand that word, for from birth my parents and teachers and preachers had defined the word sinner, and I would have agreed, I was a sinner, but so were almost everyone I knew, and the Scripture was very clear; “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”

Verse ten injects another word we would have a problem with at this stage in life in that it states; “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, now that we were reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”  Now I’m not sure about you but at the core of self, old Bob is a coward, and cowards knowingly do not pick fights with God.  So this may present a problem with many regulars at church, and it matters not the church, for when one looks to anything to get their needs met outside of Christ they have become an enemy of the Father.  I had picked a fight with God and for 27 years of life was determined to run my own life and yet would call out to God when the walls came tumbling down, I wanted His help but did not want His moral authority in my life.

A life outside of the desires and authority of God the Father is a weak, sinful life, and it has put you on the side of the one God calls, many names; the thief, the deceiver, the devil, the old serpent, and many others including Satan.  Being a religious person is of no value, being a Baptist fell way short of the kingdom of God, but when my barber Bob Keese invited me to a Bible study at the age of 26 years, the Holy Spirit began sending the hounds of heaven after me and I became aware that the men I was doing Bible study with had a relationship with the person I was only informed about.

I now can testify that by the grace of God and the faith He extended to me, I’ve now received reconciliation.  I’ve been adopted into the Father’s family; I’m a child of the King!

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

Endurance Produces Character

Romans 5:1-5

“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

We began life on planet earth with a dead spirit toward God, we all came with a “WIIFM” spirit (What’s in it for me) but after our exposer to the gospel of Jesus Christ by faith we were convicted by His Spirit and came to grasp the love of the Father for each and everyone of us, and grace was extended by faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ as we entered into a relationship with God, and His Holy Spirit became our Helper and teacher.

When I came to understand to a small degree the magnitude of what had transpired in my spirit it became clear I was acceptable because of my act of confession and faith, and had obtained access by faith into God’s grace.  Have you experienced peace with God, and do you have a spirit of rejoicing in the understanding that Christ in you is the hope of glory?

Now what I consider as suffering is not being able to sleep which is what is happening at this moment, and yes, I’m very thankful I’ve not experienced suffering, as I have seen in the life of a dear lady named Marty Lindley who at the time of this paper is living out the following verses.  Marty, when ask if she ever loses faith, and why is this ten year battle with cancer happening to me, will answer “Why not me”?  For us who are observers we marvel at her resilient faith in a big God, who has promised to never leave her and we see His glory living in and through Marty.

I along with so many have been a witness to this truth lived out in Marty’s life; that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”  Marty’s suffering has touched the lives of so many and we have seen Jesus living out His life in her earthsuit, because God’s love has been poured into Marty and her husband Jeff’s hearts.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice

"It was counted to him”

Romans 4:16-24

Mankind by its sinful nature looks for loopholes, and the sad news is those of us who study the Scriptures, attend church, even teach, and preach and go by the name Christian are often found guilty of being lawbreakers.  Jan will say Bob the speed limit is such and my response is “I’m going with the flow of the traffic.”   Is it all right to flow with the other law-breakers, and what does that lead to?  Most of our mothers went to the same school on quotes, do you recall this one: “So if everyone else is going to run into a building on fire are you going to follow them?”

Now it has often been stated in Scripture that Salvation does not come from your acts of right living, but by the grace of God and through the faith given to you by the heavenly Father.  But that did not slow down the chosen people, they made rules and laws that required them to perform outward acts, acts to be seen by men, for mankind was the one on the stage of their lives, not God. 

So all who are called Christians have learned to walk by faith and not sight.  We have learned to walk by faith like Abraham; wrong, oh so wrong, our churches are filled with people who believe God is going to grade on the curve.  They are putting faith in mom and dad’s faith, in the church they attend, and when ask the question; Why should God allow you into heaven, they come up with some of the dumbest answers, “I’m a good person, I have never committed the big sins, I’m a Baptist, a Catholic, a Methodist, a Lutheran, a Presbyterian, and the list keeps going, but it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”  The message of the Bible is not what you can do for God, but what Jesus Christ has done for you, it is Jesus with not one thing added, and it is grace extended to sinners.  The Scriptures state clearly; “Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.”  (Romans 10:9-10)

It is clear that Abraham heard the voice of God, and God told him he would be the father of many nations, and yet he was 100 years old and Sarah was about 90 years of age and still had not had a son.  Now you understand that Abram who became Abraham was not raised under the law, the law had not been given; he was living in a land where they worshipped idols and when God spoke to him Abraham believed God.  We are told by the apostle Paul in Romans 4:16-23, “That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.”

Now do not miss this; “But the words “it was counted to him” were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification.”

Never forget Religion is about what we can do for God, Christianity is totally about what God has done for you.  My prayer is that if you had the wrong answers about heaven, that today you would bow your knee to the Father and confess your sins, and receive the free gift of Christ coming to live in you, the hope of glory.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice