Romans 6:22-23 11/18/2025

“But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 

We’ve all heard the verse, but have we really considered the phrase “gracious gift of God”?  It is astonishing that God would offer us such compassion.  I get swept up in the joy of the offer and tend to miss the stark contrast depicted by it.  To fully comprehend the gracious gift of eternal life, we must fully understand the alternative. 

The wages of sin is death…which means separation from God… Eternally.   We don’t like to talk about hell… but Jesus clearly spoke of it, so it must be acknowledged.  And its existence magnifies the importance of God’s gift. The magnitude of a rescue is determined by the consequences, had it not occurred… and there has never been a more impactful rescue than this one. We cannot comprehend hell, nor eternity, much less the combination of the two, but that is what’s on the table.

Sin equals Death… God equals life. There is no gray area, no “choose your own truth”, no relativism… Just Death or life.  If I could, I would work incessantly to achieve life… but I can’t. It’s unattainable for me… BUT GOD made a way.  What I couldn’t do, God did. My acceptance of His plan sets me free, makes me new, and delivers the gift of eternal life.

His sacrifice also gives me the ability to resist sin here on earth. Purity in life is breathtaking because it is how we were designed to live.  It’s as if we are birds, but we’ve been walking our entire lives and suddenly, we start to fly.  Once you fly, you’ll never be satisfied walking again… So, the gift is twofold.

First, on this earth we get to trade in our shoes for wings, and secondly, we avoid our rightful punishment and instead spend eternity where we were created to be with our Heavenly Father. Considering the alternative makes this the most gracious gift ever given.

 “Think lightly of hell, and you will think lightly of the cross. Think little of the sufferings of lost souls, and you will soon think little of the Savior who delivers them.” - Charles Spurgeon

Romans 6:11-12 11/11/2025

“So, you too, consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.  Therefore, sin is not to reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts.”

The old me died when I gave my life to Christ. At that moment I began my eternal life with Jesus and was given the power to live as God designed me to live.  

Before this took place, I was a slave to sin… it ruled over me. And since Adam’s fall in the garden, that has been the human condition. We are all born into sin and are powerless to resist it with our own strength. 

That is why so many believe that their sin defines them… They think they were ”born that way” and must “live their truth”… On some level they are right. We were all “born that way”.  We were all born as slaves to various types of sin… But it is a spiritual problem, not a biological one. And believing you can’t change, is believing a lie. 

We call it addiction,  predisposition, alternate lifestyles, blaming DNA and environment because we don’t like the word slavery. Call it what you like, but the fact is we are all born in bondage to sin, and whether it be pride, sexual perversion, greed, idolatry, or selfishness, we all have the opportunity to be reborn into freedom in Christ. 

When I accept salvation, the battle becomes choosing not to allow sin to rule over my earthly body. The difference is, now that I have The Holy Spirit inside me, I can win the fight. I can see sin for what it is and resist temptation. A choice I didn’t have before. 

With this newfound power, I can dethrone sin and be set free from the ravages of depravity. Regardless of which sin rules me, I must recognize that it is not liberty. Living in opposition to God’s plan is not freedom. It is a thinly vailed trap that keeps me desperate, lost, and in bondage to a power that is killing me. 

The good news is that Jesus died to destroy the darkness. My cell door has been kicked open, the chains have fallen off, and all I have to do is keep my eyes on Christ, and walk out.

“If you don't know you're in prison, you're unlikely to escape.”
- Wayne Trotman

1 Timothy 2:1-2 11/24/2025

“… I urge that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made in behalf of all people, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” 

This is the antithesis of America today. We are not tranquil or quiet when it comes to our leaders and no one in their right mind would describe us as having dignity. 

There should be no “endzone dances” or pointing fingers this morning, as both sides of the isle violate these verses. There may be some who pray, intercede and give thanks for ALL who are in authority. But most of us prefer to call our adversaries names, assign blame, and slander our opponents.

As Christians who profess to believe that the Bible is the inerrant word of God…it’s odd that we so quickly ignore what this chapter refers to as “good and acceptable in the sight of God.” We are stringent when it comes to sin outside our accepted parameters… but casually ignore verses as crystal clear as the one above.

Will you do this? Will you pray for a party you don’t agree with and conduct yourself with dignity?... Will you pray for ALL who are in authority?… Because that is what the verse instructs you to do.

The second part of the passage and the rest of the chapter, instructs us to lead tranquil, quiet lives in all godliness and dignity not seeking attention but pursuing holy obedience.

Is that your target today?… Are you aiming for tranquil quietness or are you itching to get on your keyboard and start a fight.  Is today going to be about you and your stellar debate skills? Or about God?

Making ourselves and our plans the center of attention is tempting. We honor our leaders if they agree with us. If not, we go completely off the rails. Yet our job is to lift holy hands in prayer without anger or dispute… live with dignity and direct all attention to our Maker.

Leaders can do nothing without God allowing it, so focus your hope on the highest authority instead of subordinates. Live today as if the one who is in control loves you… because He does.

"The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will." – Proverbs 21