Another week in Romans and what a week it was …
We began the week with reading Romans 7:1-6.
“We have been united to Him for a distinct purpose.”
(from Romans: The Gospel of Grace, page 145)
With that said, we settled on verse 4:
“Therefore, my brethren [and sisters 😊], you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him, who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.” (NASB)
This verse brought to mind another verse:
“My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.” (John 15:8, NASB)
The disciples knew, and were certain, this is the purpose for which they were united to Christ. And so are we!
Our fruit-bearing lives will prove to the world we are His disciples. When the world is struggling to be productive, our productive and fruit-bearing lives will point others to Jesus.
“But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place.” (2 Corinthians 2:14, NASB)
How does our union with Christ enable us to bear fruit?
“The Spirit enables in us what we could never do on our own.”
(from Romans: The Gospel of Grace, page 147)
May our lives bear much fruit this week!
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Mid week we settled on Romans 7:24-25. The topic – the battle within us.
We all have one. Those days that leave us wondering why did we say that? Or do that? Or think that? Or eat that? Or watch that?
“So now we have a war that takes place within us. It is a war between the new creation that God has made us to be… and the old man inside of us.”
(from Romans: The Gospel of Grace, page 154)
It is a constant battle and doesn’t end until we one day see Him face to face.
We long to please Him and live rightly, yet we slip into old habits or patterns of behavior.
The study asks us to: Make two columns and contrast the struggle which takes place between our old heart and our new heart.
It’s a good exercise, for when it is before us in black and white, we can truly see how much we need, and must depend on, His Spirit to work inside of us.
It is then we will see for ourselves how much we need to be in God’s Word on a daily basis.
“We will grow in His grace, little by little, moment by moment, one stumbling, limping, forward step at a time.”
(from Romans: The Gospel of Grace, page 155)
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We ended the week with Romans 8:3-4. In this reading, we can see the beauty of the Gospel at work in our lives.
Sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit growing us spiritually, but sometimes we think we need to make that growth happen on our own. How does union with Christ change our perspective of sanctification?
And very simply it is this >>> Jesus has done for us what we could never do for ourselves.
As I read the Scriptures and the study, my mind was filled with such hope. Jesus came to live, die, and indwell us so that we would have hope in this life.
“And this is the beauty of the gospel that Jesus came as a man to dwell among us. The language implies that He tabernacled or pitched His tent in the midst of us. He came to dwell among us so that He could dwell in us. He came in us so that we could come to Him.”
(from Romans: The Gospel of Grace, page 163)
With the Advent season quickly approaching, this begins to breathe such hope!
~*~*~
He came to live in us to keep us moving forward,
one step at a time so that
our productive and fruit-bearing lives will point others to Jesus.
Photo 1: by Sincerely Media on Unsplash
Photo 2: by Sixteen Miles Out on Unsplash
