Needing More than Law

July 3, 2016 Background Scripture: Romans 2 Lesson Passage: Romans 2:17 – 29 Very few Christian doctrines can be stated or explained without at least one reference to Paul’s letter to the Romans. The scope of the letter is all encompassing in that it includes all persons and covers all times. From the onset of his writing, Paul asserts the fairness of God. God punishes evil and rewards righteousness. For those who do evil and will not repent, punishment will come; to the Jews first and then to the Gentiles. Although most Gentiles did not have the law, those who sin will perish without the law because their conscience is proof of God’s law written in their hearts. We know right and wrong because God has placed His law in our hearts to discern right and wrong. On the other hand, those who have the law and sin will be judged by the law. In either case, all unrighteousness will be judged by God and evil doers who refuse to repent will be punished. Paul accused the Jews of feeling exempt because they had the law. The clarity he provides is that faith, according to the law, must be demonstrated in actions demanded by the law. They need more than the law. Teachers and preachers are warned that they must live according to the doctrine they are teaching and proclaiming; they will be judged by what they teach and preach. The ones who teach and preach are held to a higher standard than those who don’t. They clearly show that they have the law and demonstrate their understanding of it through teaching and preaching. Having and understanding the law does not make them right with God but it places them in position to know of God’s righteousness and righteous requirements of the saints. It is a shameful situation when saints, who have the law, sin in the presence of people who do not know God. God is blasphemed or seen as weak when the righteous sin before the unrighteous. Why should a sinner turn to God if the actions of the saints who have turned to God prove to not make a difference in the lives of the saints? Why should a sinner forsake his ways if the righteous participate in the same activities? The law defines the righteousness of God but the rituals of the law are not prescriptive to becoming right with God. Conformance to the rituals of the law does not equate to right standing before God. Persons who seek to only conform to the letter of the law as defined by its rituals will never become right with God based on their actions. Believers must seek to live up to the spirit of the law and not merely conform to the letter of the law which does not bestow right standing before God. Certainly Jesus expounded on this very point in his “Sermon on the Mount”. He taught that it is not enough to not kill but we must not harbor anger in our hearts because it is still sinful; and the sin of adultery occurs through lust long before the act. The spirit of the law is written in our hearts and we are condemned by it even as we meditate on sin. The sin in our bodies is evidenced in our hearts through sinful meditations. It is this sin in our members that the spirit of the law exposes to us. The law does not eliminate or correct it. Therefore, we need more than law. Robert C. Hudson June 21, 2016

Ignoring God’s Plain Truth

June 26, 2016 Background Scripture: Romans 1:18 – 32 Lesson Passage: Romans 1:18 – 32 It has been noted that professionals who are trained in the physical sciences are more likely to come to believing faith than a person whose occupation is in the social sciences. It is difficult to observe the physical world closely without finding oneself in awe. From the grandest mountains and deepest ocean canyons to the innumerable stars and galaxies, the sheer vastness of the universe is hard to fathom. Yet the microscopic environment of life forms and lifeless atoms and molecules that hold everything together physically is just as vast and awe inspiring. When we are no longer impressed by what we can see around us, the telescope brings larger than life objects within view that are relatively close to us and hint at others that are too far for the telescope’s reach. Likewise, the microscope magnifies some of the seemingly invisible and makes them visible so we can observe them and the evidence that shows that there are other objects that remain invisible even to the microscope. Whether it is what we can see or what we cannot see unaided, the evidence of the physical sciences suggest the work and presence of an intelligent being who is still somehow actively involved in His own creation. There is an old adage that if you see a turtle on a fence post, you know he didn’t get there by himself. In other words, some evidence is so striking that it should produce a conclusion that is obvious—or as we sometimes say “as plain as the nose on your face”. The earth has more evidence than one should need to begin to seek God. The evidence within the universe beyond this world is even more overwhelming. With so much evidence around us, the only theological discussion should be questions as to the person of God. There should be no discussion relative to the existence of God. In spite of all the evidence available, there are still many who question God’s existence. The conclusion by the Apostle Paul is that they are without excuse. Long before the apostle’s statement, the psalmist wrote that the heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork. With so much evidence pointing towards God, where then is the place of faith? In spite of and in light of the physical evidence, faith gives us the assurance of that we do not see. God is spirit. Jesus said the Spirit is like the wind. We cannot see the wind but we can tell by the evidence when it comes through and when it has passed through. We cannot always say where the wind came from or where it goes when it leaves us. However, we are always sure when we have been affected by the wind. The evidence for the existence of wind cannot be denied. We readily accept that the wind does exist. Why then do questions of God’s existence remain? The wind makes no moral demands of us. The wind doesn’t force us to examine ourselves and then look at the options placed before us. God is a living being who has created everything. We know that God is by the things that are. It’s as plain as the nose on your face. Why ignore God’s plain truth? Robert C. Hudson June 8, 2016