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Beloved

How many times per day do we inquire about the price of something? Morning coffee, an on-the-go snack, fuel for our vehicles, a car wash, lunch with a friend, groceries, the electric bill, that cool new shirt, pants, jacket, etc. at our favorite clothing store, etc. In general, we are conscious of the price we pay in exchange for goods and services.

for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19b-20)

Today’s reading link: 1 Corinthians 6

I’m without my family for several days and this time alone has presented the opportunity for spiritual renewal, reflection, some loneliness, and even some crying out to God as I seek His will where my will is clearly in the way.

This morning’s reflection is filled with the thoughts of my wife’s smile and the many reasons why I married her. She is a part of me; we are one. My love for her is deep.

I think of my children; their silliness, some of the unexpected things that they say or do and how much joy they bring to this home. My love for them is deep.

When we take a step back to reflect on the love in our lives, what we would do for these people, how deeply we feel for them, and how important they are to us it is a feeling like no other. They are our beloved.

All of this leads us to the cross. Jesus was and is the son of God. Not only did Jesus sacrifice his own life, it was the plan of his loving father for him to be sacrificed. Jesus was beloved in the eyes of his father.

and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)

When I think about how much love I have for the people in my life, I can hardly fathom the agony of the cross; God observing his son being beaten and tortured as a sacrifice for our sin. There has been, nor will there be any greater price paid for anything, ever. Thank you Jesus. Amen.

United In Christ

Good Morning, today’s Bible Journal post is by my friend and brother in Christ Jeremey Helmer.  Praise! 1 Corinthians 3

As I read through the first few chapters of 1 Corinthians, especially Chapter 3, I can’t help but be reminded of the spiritual journey my wife and I have been on to find a church home since we wed ten years ago. I grew up Catholic while she spent her childhood in Baptist and evangelical churches, so we began our journey miles apart from a theological and liturgical perspective. I think we’ve regularly attended somewhere around ten churches in the ten years we’ve been married. Now, some of the changes were due to relocating from city to city. However, others were admittedly due to the fact that we just couldn’t find a pastor or church that (insert subtle sarcasm) represented a perfect blend of our Catholic/Baptist backgrounds.
Or, to put it another way, since we were both walking away from the faith traditions of our childhoods, we wanted to be sure we found a pastor that was undeniably “right” in both our minds.

Fortunately, through the frustrations of this journey, I’m thankful we’ve returned to Christ as the foundation of our walk together. And now, hopefully we’ve come to a minimal level of spiritual maturity to see the how what we’ve been searching for has been here all along. So with this context in mind, Paul’s opening of Corinthians speaks volumes about spiritual maturity and the roles of the church and its leaders.

The chapter begins with Paul essentially saying, “Look, the fact that there’s division among you regarding which pastor you choose to follow is demonstration that you’re still spiritual infants.” Basically, Paul pointed out that the envy and strife among them should have been evidence that they were completely missing the point. Neither camp was going anywhere fast because they had taken their eye of Jesus as the foundation of their faith. So for Andrea and I, the more we clung to our theological background and held on to our own right-ness, the more prone we were to take our focus off the person of Jesus Christ.

Paul then goes on to explain “Apollos and I are just servants. Don’t boast or brag that you follow either of us. And, even worse, if you can put together a 43-point narrative about why I’m right and Apollos is wrong, you’re even further from the truth.” Several times this past week, I saw a post pop up from a pastor at a small church calling out and refuting some remarks made by Franklin Graham. I won’t go into details on the post, but I was struck by some of the conversations and remarks between sympathizers of the small-town church pastor and fans of Franklin Graham. Each side was firmly entrenched, supporting the leader of their cause to the detriment of their brotherhood and sisterhood. At one point, I too, caught myself thinking “yeah, this guy is completely right, and anyone that supports the other guy just doesn’t have a clue.” It’s so easy to fall into that trap. But then I wondered, “where and how does the reconciliation begin? How could these two sides ever come together to form a body of Christ that would be a beacon of light to the world?”

I could be wrong, but I have to think the communal reconciliation begins the same way that Andrea and I have reconciled our differences through the years – returning to Christ as the foundation, and laying down our entrenched “wisdom.”

Christ Alone ~ Hillsong

Ambassadors for Christ

Today’s Reading: 1 Corinthians 2

In preparation for today’s post I read several commentaries from sources that usually help me to distill the scripture into a clear message.  I spent a good amount of time studying the Holy Spirit and how we as Christians should rely on it when sharing our testimony of faith. Paul wrote his letter to the church in Corinth around 55 A.D. near the end of his three year ministry in Ephesus and during his third missionary journey. In chapter one we hear him address problems of division within the church. We know Paul is a brilliant scholar, but we see him here choose to write to the Corinthians with a simple message. In my mind this means so much. In fact, when I think of the spiritual experiences that have drawn me closest to Jesus are the sermons or small group meetings that connected our modern life directly to the scripture. Paul does this by allowing the Holy Spirit to guide his message. My favorite commentary on today’s reading is from Blue Letter Bible. The author, Paul Guzik says this:

“Paul didn’t come as a philosopher or a salesman; he came as a witness declaring the testimony of God. Paul was certainly a man who could reason and debate persuasively, but he didn’t use that approach in preaching of the gospel. He made a conscious decision to put the emphasis on Jesus Christ and his crucifixion. Paul was an ambassador, not a salesman.”

If that didn’t just change your life, please read it again. An ambassador, not a salesman. Paul draws his strength and confidence as a preacher not on his intellect but on the knowledge that the Holy Spirit will guide him. He tells us in verse four:

“My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power.” 1 Corinthians 2:4 (NIV)

I love the NIV here because it says “my message and my preaching…” Paul is encouraging the members of the church to become ambassadors.  If we are truly led by the Holy Spirit and if we simply live Christianity then we don’t have to sell it. For me, selling it is hard. I really struggle to invite people that don’t know Jesus to church.  I feel like I have to somehow sell the idea of church and a life with Christ. But Jesus is not a product. There is no next thing after Him. There is no salvation 2.0. This is it. Paul reminds us later in the chapter that God’s hidden wisdom was revealed when Jesus rose from the dead:

“No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began….What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived the things God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2: 7 and 9 (NIV)

There is no way for us to imagine what God has planned for us. There will come a time when we live in him forever. Until then, this Holy Spirit comforts and guides us. Knowing that there is more for us, encourages us to keep going.  To endure the challenges and hardships here on earth. We know that we can battle against temptation and greed because the best is yet to come. God asks us to be an ambassador for Him. There’s nothing to sell, there is no upgrade, He is not a product.  He is the product.  We don’t have to sell him or a life with Christ.  He only asks that we live it and through the living we’ll bring others to Him.  Have a great Monday.

1 Corinthians Introduction – Nothing New Under The Sun

The city of Corinth is on an isthmus which is a narrow stretch connecting the mainland of Greece to the Peloponnese peninsula halfway between Athens and Sparta. Scientists have found artifacts which they believe date back to 6,500 B.C., but the city was destroyed by the Romans in 146 B.C. Under Roman rule, Julius Caesar built the city back up in 44 B.C. It became the capital of the Roman province Achaia. A few weeks back we were visiting family in Auburn which is near Springfield, and we attended West Side Christian church there. Pastor Eddie Lowen gave a great sermon on God’s plan for sex and marriage and the damages of sexual sin with the focus being on 1 Corinthians. He called Corinth “the original anything goes city like Vegas. In fact, it would make Vegas look good.” I have a note written in my Bible which says, “Vegas with the power of D.C.” It was known for its commerce, rampant immorality, and multiple religions.

Paul established the church and lived there for approximately 18 months with Priscilla and Aquila as we learned in Acts 18:1-18. In these verses, Jesus told Paul in a vision to stay there and to speak up because he would protect him.  Despite the immorality there, he also told Paul there were many there who were his people. Paul wrote 1 Corinthians to the church he established there a few years later while in Ephesus between 53-57 A.D.

In 1 Corinthians, Paul not only addresses sex, marriage, gifts of the Holy Spirit, and the Resurrection, but also unity in the church. He was concerned with division and wanted the church to have one thought and one purpose which was to glorify God. A few years ago, I came across my Grandfather’s Bible, and I found his many notes written in the margins and a Sunday school lesson he had likely written 40-50 years ago. As a side note, I love the Bible app and the ability to get  into the Word anytime when I don’t have my Bible. However, I want to thank Pete Wiedman who challenged me a few years ago to go back to using a physical Bible and to write my thoughts and notes in it so that my kids and grandkids could read it someday. Not I only have I found it helpful to reference back to past notes myself, but it is one of the main spiritual legacies, outside of words, teaching and actions, I want to leave to my kids and grandkids that can go on and hopefully impact them long after I leave this Earth. As far as we can figure out, my Grandfather was a chain breaker in his family as a believer and the legacy he left by raising my Mom in that way which now (with the help of our Father too) has carried on with my brother and me and down to our kids and I pray for their kids someday is truly awesome. I can’t describe how neat it was to go back and read his notes in his Bible. I would encourage you to give some thought to going back to physical Bible if you don’t use one. Anyway, I digress. My grandfather referenced in his Sunday school teaching notes many of the issues and problems at that time such as absent fathers leaving and creating single parent homes and the damage of some of the same sins Paul references in 1 Corinthians. Doesn’t sound much different than today in 2017 does it? One of my former mentors, John Wright, would often reference Ecclesiastes 1:9 which says, “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.”

As we read 1 Corinthians, I would encourage you to look for Paul’s themes mentioned above and how the Gospel is the answer to many questions. Imagine how different the world would be today if we followed the instructions given to us by God through Paul’s letter to the church in Corinth…one unified church, following one source of instruction on how to live which is the Bible, with one common goal of glorifying God in all we do.

Greetings my friends!

Romans 16

How many times a week do you greet someone? Have you ever stopped to think about how many times you either introduce yourself to someone new or say hello to a friend you know well. How do you make these greetings meaningful? Do you think about the impression you leave on someone just by smiling and saying hello?  How about when you introduce a friend to another person?  Do you go out of your way to make the “greeting” memorable?

At an early age, our parents taught us to mind our manners when we meet someone new. Reminders of etiquette included “smile”, “have a firm handshake”, “make eye contact”, say “nice to meet you”. It is not always easy to do, is it? Or it wasn’t back when we were little and adults sometimes seemed a bit scary or intimidating. If you are meeting someone new, it is all about being confident and trying to be in moment with this new individual. It takes some practice for many of us. We also want the person we are meeting to remember us. How do we make a positive, memorable impression? Again, easy to say, hard to do. For me, it is easier to meet someone new if I am being introduced rather than initiating the greeting or first meeting. It gives you a common ground on which to begin. With practice, it becomes easier the more we think about greeting someone for the first time.

Think of the world today and how greetings have changed. We often “meet” people online, via e’mail, or on a conference call. How do we make these initial introductions important? Do you have a phrase you use? “Nice to know you” is my favorite. Even greeting someone on the trail; you may not know the person but on a run or walk, it’s hard to pass someone without giving some sort of acknowledgement, such as a wave or “good morning”.

In today’s reading, Paul helps point out how important greetings can be.  He starts out greeting women and fellow workers in the church.  He almost goes around the room introducing each person.   I can hear the excitement and compassion he has for these people as he goes through the round of greetings. He wants people to know these women.  He also demonstrates the significance of these women in the early days of the church. He demonstrates his caring attitude toward those who worked hard with him and for him, and those who stood by him.  He wants to offer proper greetings.

3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 5 Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert[b] to Christ in Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia,[c] my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles,[d] and they were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. 11 Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. 12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers[e] who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

May we be role models in greeting others, both those people who we may know and those we are meeting for the first time. Let us make a concerted effort in our “greetings” to introduce friends to other friends.  May we use greetings as a way to practice being good role models and good disciples.  Make a stranger’s day with a friendly hello. Don’t wait to be told to make that introduction or greeting. Just do it!

 

Endurance and Encouragement

“We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.  Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.  For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.”  For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.  May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 15:1-6

Do you ever feel that scripture has been written to you through our Heavenly Father? Oh right, hello, it’s Jillian writing under cover for our Bible Journal author Luke today! I’m writing for him because a few weeks ago he wrote for me when our daughter was very ill. At the time I asked him to be sure to allow me to return the favor, and today, he did! I accepted the opportunity blindly. I hadn’t looked ahead in the scripture and to be quite honest, I had fallen behind on reading God’s word. In fact, for weeks we’ve been drowning in turmoil at our house. Our three year old continues to struggle with seizures daily, her new medication makes her aggressive and volatile.  Our two year old has been ill and we’ve spent most of our time trying to protect our truly sick kid from all the germs! On top of that I’m working at two new jobs and trying to find a livable working Mom balance. It has seemed as if each day brings a new challenge for me to endure. It’s taken me to that place of asking, “why me?” When are these hardships ever going to end for our family? I fall prey to the constant social media trap that lures us into believing that everyone else is living a flawless life. And then I read this:

“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Romans 15:4

 There it is. Paul is literally speaking to us.  He’s revealing the promise of the living gospel. Not only that but he’s encouraging us to build one another up through faith in Jesus Christ.  Don’t miss it! Today’s reading was specifically designed to give us hope and empower us to hold one another up. He then goes on to say that when those of us that are strong hold up others that are weak, we’ll live in harmony. What a convicting message to hear when our small corner of the world has become so divided. Paul’s message is simple. We must be strong in our commitment to the Lord and reading His Word. In turn we must then hold up our fellow Christians and support them when they are weak. It’s only through the God of endurance and encouragement that we can praise him with one strong voice. I hope you’ll take this simple message today and use it.  Use it to praise Him for making you strong and unshakeable in the face of the enemy or use it to hold others when they need support.

 

Lord, we thank you for words that come directly from you when we really need them. We know that when we stand together we are stronger than when we stand alone.  Thank you for blessing us with your presence and for giving us endurance for the long journey.

How Shall We Decide?

Todays reading is Rom 14

This chapter in scripture is dealing with the freedom we have in making choices about how we live since we are no longer held to the specifications of the Jewish law for our salvation. Since Jesus gave His life to pay the price for our sin, we no longer have to follow the rules about making sacrifices to atone our sin. Just as our culture today is full of opinions and disagreements about what is sin and what is not sin, the people of the church in Rome were struggling with working out their new freedom (from the law) in Christ’s salvation since all the “rules” had just changed. I think it is important to note here that while the “system” of how we get to have relationship with God, changed drastically because of Christ, God didn’t change at all before, during or after the “system” change. He has loved us and longed for relationship with us since the beginning of time, and that will NEVER change!

So what does Paul have to say about these disagreements, or the deeper issue at hand, people judging and criticizing each other? First Paul says, “Who are you to condemn someone else’s servants?” God has accepted both groups of people and He will judge whether they stand or fall. (vs 4) It’s not up to us. He goes on to say in vs7 that, “We don’t live for ourselves or die for ourselves. If we live, it’s to honor the Lord. And if we die, it’s to honor the Lord.” Paul continues in vs 12 telling us that each of us will give a personal account to God, so let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall. God wants us to look at our own hearts and check our motivations for why we are making the choices we are making, not be concerned with other people’s decisions. Furthermore, if we know that a freedom we are taking is causing another person to question their motives or decision then we should be willing to choose differently to help the other person along in their faith.

It seems to me that the crux of what Paul is trying to convey here is in vs 17-19. “ The Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ with this attitude, you will please God, and others will approve of you, too. So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up. “

Disagreements will arise. God didn’t lay out every possible sin in every possible situation so we would have a catalogue to refer to. He has shown us His character, written His principles in His word, and given us countless guidelines to test our situations and attitudes against. Our job is to search the scriptures for answers to questions on our own sin, while seeking God’s heart through relationship with Him. It’s not our job to judge, criticize, or shame others for their decisions. If we try to build each other up and aim to live in harmony, the relationships that are created through genuine love and care for others, just might foster relationships where the other person respects your opinion enough to ask you what lead you to the decision you made on an issue.

The Body

Today’s Reading: Romans 12

Romans 12:4- 8

For as in one body we have many members,[e] and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads,[f] with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

After reading and reflecting on this chapter I am reminded of my 19th birthday. I was a sophomore in college and I had a part-time job as a “Casual Handler” at FedEx. I basically unloaded the small commuter trucks and loaded the semi-trucks in the evenings. This was a labor intensive two hours that you had to perform without delay or injury. On my birthday, I decided to go into work early and get into a particular work rhythm to get off earlier. As my teammate and I started to get into a groove, I misjudged a packaged and crushed my right hand into the conveyor belt [I am right-handed].   At first I wanted to continue to work, but was pulled off the line to get checked out. I was okay, except a couple of pulled tendons on my two middle fingers. I had one expectation of the workday and another one was resented to me. I found myself unable to type, write or prepare anything for a while.

My beautiful wife and I have three amazing kids. I think of us as a hand, five members of a unique unit. Each of us a vital member that if something happens to one part, the unit cannot function properly. Last year and through out this year different parts of the hand have been bruised, clipped, or pricked, but we have been able to preserve with the strength of Christ and His love.  Exactly a year ago, Oliver was in the hospital with what we have found to be a Crohn’s Flare.  Ruby has been having absence seizures for the past couple of months.  On top of the “normal” parenting and growing pains.  God has place each of us into the body of Christ we need each other to survive and grow.

This community of believers forms a beautiful body which each person and household represents a vital part of the central body: some may be the legs, arms, feet, neck, torso but we all need each other to function. The Holy Spirit is the connection to us all, but we need to make sure that we can communicate with the Spirit and with each other in order to grow and prosper. The finger cannot know that there is a thorn in the toe; and the arm does not know that the tooth has a cavity. We must be intentional about what our needs are to each other, only then will we be able to provide for each other in the way that will allow us to grow.   I am blessed to be a part of the body and if there is anything I can provide let me know, as I will reach out to you.

Accept-Believe-Confess

Romans 11:33-36

33Oh, what a wonderful God we have! How great are his riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his methods! 34For who can know what the Lord is thinking? Who knows enough to be his counselor? 35And who could ever give him so much that he would have to pay it back? 36For everything comes from him; everything exists by his power and is intended for his glory. To him be glory evermore. Amen.

The end of verse 33 pretty much sums up this 11th chapter of Romans for me…”How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his methods!” I have spent countless hours dissecting this chapter and still do not understand all of the information well enough to share in an eloquent way! I have learned much history about Israel, the Jews, and God’s plans. But, I  have So Much More to learn!! This is a chapter I would have skimmed over in the past. But, because I have been assigned this chapter today, I had to really seek what there is for me to take from it and share with you.

Here is my VERY simplified version of what happened here:

God has chosen Israel to be His chosen people. Paul used this chapter of Romans to present proof that God is not through with Israel. The Israelites rejected God and their hearts were hardened. Because they closed the door on the Messiah, the door was opened to us, the Gentiles. There are many theories out there as to how many of the Jews will be “saved” in the end times, and I will leave you to do your studying and come to that conclusion on your own…

BUT here is the crux of this chapter…it does not matter if you are JEW or GENTILE, what background you have, what family you come from, what traditions you hold, what kind of person you are, if you are a rule follower, if you have made the worst decisions ever, if you have made the best decisions always…there is only ONE way to salvation! It is through GRACE alone. It is through A) Accepting that Jesus Christ came to this earth as the Son of God. B) Believing that Jesus Christ went to the cross and died for YOU and for YOUR sins. and C) Confessing His love for you and sacrifices for you to others.

We may boast in Jesus only! He wants a personal relationship with us and that is all that He asks! This chapter is proof that God has a plan and it began back in Genesis! He will not falter from it.

Accept – Believe – Confess

To Him be the Glory

Today’s reading:  Romans 11

The primary message of Romans 11 is God’s gift of grace to all mankind.  Last month in my post, An Invitation for All, I talked about God’s plan for salvation.  It started with the Jews, then expanded to the Gentiles.  Based on our text for today, we could dig deeper into how his plan played out through the Old and New Testament.  Instead, I’d like to focus our thoughts on who the plan is about.  Did you pick up on it?  The plan isn’t about the Jews or the Gentiles, it is about God.  Look how Paul describes him in the last four verses of chapter 11.

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!

“For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?”

For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen (Romans 11:33-36).

In verse 33, Paul describes three attributes of God:  wisdom, knowledge, and judgment.  Dictionary.com defines knowledge as the perception or state of knowing facts or truths.  Wisdom, is then about how knowledge is applied – the soundness of an action or decision with regard to the application of experience, knowledge, and good judgment. God is perfect.  Not only does he know everything, but he also has the ability to perfectly apply knowledge in every situation.

I smiled when I read these definitions.  Every weekday when I drive my kids to school, we spend time talking to God on the way.  We confess our need for him.  We ask him to be by our side as we move through the day’s activities, and we specifically ask for his help to make WISE choices.  Wise choices are hard for fourth and seventh grade kids.  (They are still hard for their forty-four year old mother, too.)  Peer pressure is strong, and they don’t always have the wherewithal to think about the consequences of their choices ahead of time.  Our prayer helps remind them relying on God’s knowledge and wisdom can make up for their shortcomings.

Paul goes on to describe God’s judgment as unsearchable and inscrutable.  I’ll admit, I had to look these words up to really understand the second half of this verse.  It means God’s judgment is unable to be clearly understood.  This makes sense.  Without his complete knowledge and perfect wisdom, we don’t have the capability to really understand the depth of his plan.  At times we are able to connect the dots through study and experience, but generally only after the fact.  Seldom are we able to prospectively figure out what God has in store for us and why.  I think this is by design.  I’m a planner.  While I’d love to know every detail of what is to happen (surely I’d make wiser choices if I knew it all), it would lead me to rely on myself rather than rely on God.  My human nature wants it, but without God’s perfect knowledge, wisdom and judgment, I know it wouldn’t have a good ending.  How do I know?  The prophet Isaiah reminds me,

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Paul closes the chapter with the following statement to remind us the plan is about God not us – For from him and through him and to him are all things…

  • It is all from him – the plan came from God, it wasn’t our idea.
  • It is all through him – even if we had the plan, we couldn’t make it happen.  We couldn’t free ourselves from the bondage of sin.
  • It is all to him – the plan is not for me, it is not for you.  We were created to glorify God, and we find our fulfillment in bringing him glory and honor.

…To him be glory forever.  Amen (Romans 11:36).