JC Blog

Jesus accomplished so many things upon the cross. Through him, we have total victory over sin and death. Paul stresses in this verse, that there are three very important ideas and truths to take away with us and understand. First, Jesus was betrayed and deliver over to death as the payment for our sins. Secondly, as he was raised to life, he conquered death once for all. Lastly, he ascended to heaven to acquit us before God and declare us justified before him.

Although it is true that Jesus was betrayed and delivered over to death, it is equally important for us to recognize that he had authority in the matter. He life was taken, only because he had already laid it down for us. We were without hope before God because sin had corrupted us, but Romans 5 says, "... when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." ( Romans 5:6-8 ) We were without hope and enemies of God but Jesus still laid his life down for us, to take away our sin once for all. ( Hebrews 9:28 ). Through his death, sin had been completely paid for.

The resurrection of Jesus is the pinnacle of history as we know it. Jesus is the first person to rise from the dead and conquer death permanently. Romans 6:8-9 says, "For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. " He conquered sin in his sacrifice upon the cross and then he conquered death in his resurrection from the dead.

Lastly, after his ascension, he now intercedes for us at the right hand of God. Hebrews 10:14 says, "because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy." So the end result for us if we believe in Jesus by faith, is justification. Justification is the act whereby Jesus makes us completely holy before God. To do this he not only forgives our sin, but he imparts righteousness to us, so that it is as if we have never sinned.

Both Abraham and David saw glimpses of this incredible feat that Jesus would do for us and they called us blessed. Today, if you believe in Jesus as your savior then have complete victory over sin and death because he purchased it for you. Today, we are completely blessed having been redeemed from the curse of the law and made righteous and holy before God. Praise Jesus for his love and this precious gift to us.

Abraham was the only saint in the Old Testament who was called a friend of God. Abraham pleased the Lord greatly, but it wasn't because he was good or even because he was living a holy life. In fact Abraham did some things that would raise our eyebrows today. But nevertheless, he pleased the Lord because he lived fully immersed in faith.

Hebrews 11:6 says, ‘without faith it is impossible to please God..." so the opposite is also truth, with faith it is possible to please God. The rest of that verse goes on to say, "...because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." ( Hebrews 11:6 ) Abraham was a living example of this, he knew the Lord intimately and because of it, he was convinced that God was capable of everything he had promised to him. God loves that kind of faith!

The Bible is God's love letter to us. He has done everything that can possibly be done to redeem mankind. The Bible is God's promise to us. In the same way that Abraham believed what God had promised him and was credited with righteousness, we too, need only to rely on the promise within His word and what Jesus did to obtain right standing with him.

Abraham believed and exercised his faith in God and received right standing with God. In the same way, we also only need to put our faith in Jesus and firmly rely on him as our personal savior and then God credits us with that righteousness that solidifies our standing before him. Today if you have done this, then you, like Abraham, are also considered a friend of God! What a blessed thing!

This is an amazing truth about God's love for us. While we were enemies of God, Christ came and died for us. We were held and locked up under the power of darkness and grew increasingly wicked against God, but he didn't let that stop him from coming to redeem mankind from sin and shed his blood as our atonement before God.

Paul uses an example that we can easily understand. We know of people who have died in war, sacrificing themselves for another or greater cause. However, it is unconceivable in our minds that someone would die for their enemies. However that is exactly what Jesus did for us. He came while we were enemies of God to redeem mankind. Paul said in the beginning of Romans, that we God-haters ( Romans 1:30 ). He went on to list a long lineage of characteristics that mankind possessed steaming from the desire within us to walk away from God. "They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them ( Romans1:29, Romans 1:29, Romans 1:30, Romans 1:31, Romans 1:32 ). Amazingly enough even though we deserved death as enemies of God, he had mercy on us and sent Jesus to died in our stead.

I am reminded of a story that I heard about World War I. It was Christmas Even and soldiers were encamped in their trenches on both sides of the battle lines. The Germans soldiers were singing a familiar song and as they sang Silent Night, the American soldiers began singing it in their own language. Bitter enemies all of a sudden had a common ground. As they sang soldiers on both sides started venturing out into no-man's land meeting in the middle to share food and cigarettes. Although they knew that the very next day, they would resume fighting and killing each other, the commonality of Christmas brought peace to them for those few precious hours.

Like this story, our story has an amazing ending. It was the love of God that brought us peace while we were his enemies. He reached out to us while we hated him and demonstrated his love by dying a criminals death upon the cross so that we could be reconciled to him. Unlike the story of our soldiers, our peace treaty lasted more than a few precious hours. Our peace contract with the Lord will last for all eternity because we have been saved from God's wrath through Jesus ( Romans 5:9 ). Not only is this so, but since His wrath has been appeased through Jesus, we will experience life abundantly through Jesus who now lives and intercede with the Father on our behalf ( Romans 8:34 ).

Today, I praise God that came to redeem us while we were his enemies. Now we are no longer his enemies but instead we are considered his friends. May this revelation of grace bless you today, amen.

Have you ever watched an nail biting action movie? Hollywood does a great job of evoking emotions from us while we watch our heroes save the day. Just when all looks lost and it looks like the villain will win, we always have hope because we know at the last moment the champion comes to rescue and restore.

In our story about God's love for us, our hero is Jesus. The Bible tells us that 'while we still powerless, Christ die for the ungodly' ( Romans 5:6 ). Why were we powerless? If you remember back to the garden of Eden, Satan took Adams authority from him by deceiving him. God had given Adam dominion over all the earth and he told him to subdue it. At the Fall, Satan became the legal owner of that power and dominion. Since that time, mankind was held ransom under his control, powerless to break free of it.

This is an amazing verse, because it says that at the right, perfect time Christ came to take back all power and authority. Mankind was week, feeble and unable to obtain freedom from the control of Satan's kingdom. We were in essence, enemies of God. Slaves to sin and born under the Law. But at the perfect time, God demonstrated his great love for us and sent Jesus. Born under the curse of the Law so he could redeem us from the law. He delivered us from the dominion of Satan and ushered us into the kingdom of heaven. ( Galatians 4:4 )

Not only were we powerless to get free but we were enemies of God. Sin had corrupted and the result was evident in the hearts of mankind. Paul is writing about God's great love for us. His grace and mercy is the reason that he came to redeem us. He did this while we were still sinning and powerless to change. It was based on nothing that we did, or could ever do to obtain it. Instead it was solely based upon his intense love for us.

Just like our movie heroes always sweep in to save the day, destroying the enemy and getting the girl, in the same way, Jesus had complete victory that day on the cross. The difference is that he came to save us while we were his enemies and powerless to help ourselves. But because of his great love for us, he removed all barriers, demonstrating his grace and mercy in the process. Today, know that you don't need to do anything except believe and accept this free gift that has already been purchased for you. When you do, then know that you are righteous before him and he now considers you a friend and his heir.

In the first eight chapters of Romans, Paul has laid out an amazing summary of what God has done for us. He started with how sin had separated us from God ( Romans 1 ). He showed us that by our works we could never obtain a right standing with him (Romans 2). Next he illustrated how God provided a way apart from the law in which we can be justified by faith ( Romans 3 ). He then described that faith was how the patriarchs were also justified and that this has always been God plan for salvation ( Romans 4 ). Then he told us that since we had been justified in this way we have peace with God. He revealed that the gift of His grace was much more than the trespass ever was ( Romans 5 ). To prove this, Paul taught that we have been freed from the sin nature by faith in Christ ( Romans 6 ). Paul then warns us about living according to the flesh and following it's desires instead of living according to our new nature ( Romans 7 ). Lastly, Paul teaches us how to live according to the spirit so that we will not fulfill the desires of the flesh ( Romans 8 ). He teaches that our obligation stems out of a love debt to the Lord because he first loved us.

Paul's revelation of God love was so amazing. He closes Romans 8 with wonderful words expressing the extent of His love for us. We are his children ( Romans 8:16 ), we were predestined, we were called, we were glorified ( Romans 8:30 ). In fact who can stand against us if God is for us. God is the one who justified us ( Romans 8:33 ), Jesus is the one who died for us and was raised again to continually intercede for us ( Romans 8:34 ). So in light of all of these things, Paul was convinced that nothing would separate him from the love of God in Christ Jesus.

He was persuaded beyond a doubt that not even death could separate him from God. He goes on to list several things noting that not one of them could separate him from God's love. Not death nor life, not angels nor principalities, not things impending and threatening not things to come, not powers, Not height nor depth, not anything in all creation... What an amazing thing to understand. Knowing this empowered the Apostle Paul to do amazing things because he knew that his life was hidden in Christ. Understanding this in our own lives will enable us to fulfill God's plan for our lives. His love is a foundational truth that we must grasp in fullness to really be who we are called to be.

The truth is that God loves you so much, but so many people I talk to do not understand the depth of how God loves them. They may know it intellectually but they have not experienced it personally. Many try to earn his love, when all along he has freely given it. Many feel like they do not deserve His love, but seeing how He sent Jesus to die for us, this alone makes us worthy of this love. Many are afraid to be loved by God because they do not understand who He is. John tells us, "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love" ( I John 4:18 ). All of these emotions can keep you apart from really knowing God. Not because he removes himself from you, but because you keep him at a distance not understanding your position before him and place along side him. On the other hand, Paul understood the depth of his love that is why he was confident that nothing would separate him. He was perfected in love.

Today, it is my prayer that you evaluate your heart and remove any barriers that keep you out of the love of God. He is waiting for you with open arms ready to build this foundation in your life. This foundation is built with Christ as the chief cornerstone and God's love for you is the mortar that holds it all together. Today I am blessed to encourage you that nothing can separate you from God's love. It is my prayer that you internalize this truth and get a revelation of His love so that, like Paul, you can be fully persuaded in it, amen.

Amazingly enough, this is a question that we should be asking ourselves regularly. ‘If God is for us, who can be against us?' In Romans 8 alone, Paul has written extensively to prove this very point. God loves us, he sent his son Jesus to die for us, he gave us the Holy Spirit to be our counselor and guide and to remind us of everything Jesus told us. In lieu of this, this question holds amazing implications for us as believers... understanding the dynamics of how God feels about you will change your life. When holding this perspective in view and weighing everything else that happens against this revelation of God's love towards you, then the rest seems unimportant. David held this perspective throughout his entire life, he wrote in the Psalms, "The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" ( Psalm 188:6 ). He penned this in the midst of turmoil and unrest. However he could write this because he knew God and knew that God loved him and in light of that, nothing else mattered.

Just as asking this question is important, so is reminding ourselves of the answer. ‘If God is for us, then who is against us?' Who can be our foe if God is on our side? Paul goes on in the next couple of verses to explain how God is the one who justified us ( Romans 8:33 ) and Jesus is the one who died for us ( Romans 8:34 ) so in reality who can bring an accusation against us. This is so important to understand. So many people miss it in life if they do not understand the extent of God's love towards them. Jude tells us to keep ourselves in the love of God ( Jude 1:21 ) because he knew that having this revelation equips the saints to be powerful in the kingdom.

It is amazing to me to know that God chose me and called me to be his child. It is amazing to know he died for me and sits at the right hand of the Father interceding for me. It is amazing to know that nothing can separate me from his love. Understanding this will empower you to overcome any obstacle you face. Understanding this will release you from the fear that keeps you in chains. David said in the Psalm, "The LORD is my light and my salvation- whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life- of whom shall I be afraid?" ( Psalm 27:1 ). And in today's passage Paul asks, "What, then, shall we say in response to this?" What is there to say? This revelation leaves me speechless!

Today, I am blessed to know and understand that God loves me and nothing can or will separate me from him. Today as you celebrate Christmas with your families, may you take the time to praise God for the marvelous thing he has done by sending Jesus. Merry Christmas!

In today's passage, Paul is encouraging us that when we join with the Holy Spirit in intercession we can be confident that everything will work together for good. This is because God is a partner in our labor. As we work together, the Spirit intercedes for us and we release His power to operate on our behalf. Since this power works in accordance with God's will for our life, His will for his church and his will on the earth, we can rest assured that good will come out of it no matter what the circumstances are.

But notice that for good to result there is a few prerequisites to this statement. First of all Paul is tying this back to his previous statement about our active involvement in intercession with the Holy Spirit. When we pray, the Spirit intercedes for us, searches our hearts and makes supplication to God on our behalf. To do this is an act of faith, however reminding ourselves, when we pray, that all things work together for good helps will help us step out in faith and partner with the Holy Spirit making intercession.

Secondly, for all things to work together for good, we must love God. This wonderful promise does not extend to everyone. This amazing promise is for those who love God. Love is not a passive thing, love is an action. John reminded us to show our love, "Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth" ( I John 3:18 ). Love is more than a feeling, love propels us to do as the Lord directs. Love is what drove God to send Jesus to die for us. So, in the same way, for all things to work together for good we must love God and be willing to go and do as he directs.

Lastly, for all things to work together for good, we must be called according to his purpose. No matter what circumstances come our way, God is able to make all grace abound. When we are operating in God's will then we can be confident that He will work it out in the midst of the situation. We can know what God's will is by finding this expression in His word. The Bible is full of His desire for you and for His church. We can also find God's specific will for your life by listening to the Holy Spirit. He will guide and direct you in all things. When we know and operate in this will then we can be confident in the good that will result.

We have been called into a wonderful partnership with the Lord. As His church we are His footprint in the world today. We have been commissioned and set apart for this specific purpose. We can know God's will for our lives and we can operate in accordance to that will through the power of the Holy Spirit. As we do this, we can constantly remind ourselves, "... that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" ( Romans 8:28 ). Today I praise God through Jesus that we have this sweet and precious promise to cling to in this midst of trials. I praise God that he partners with us to do wonderful works upon this earth. I am so thankful that God is able to bring about good in all things. May this revelation bless you today, Amen!

Everyone loves to watch an exciting football game. We hold our breath and root for the underdog, but some teams excel to the point where they cannot be beat. This fall was a great example of this. The country watched the Iowa Hawkeyes win nearly ever game they played. Even in the last moments of the game, when they were down and all seemed lost, they would miraculously come back for certain victory. Their name alone struck fear in their opponents. No matter how strong and highly ranked their rivals were, the Hawkeyes would crush them and send them home defeated. This football team was victorious everywhere they played even when outmanned or outranked. They didn't listen to the media who said they were a poor team, they listened to their hearts that told them they were winners and proved it based on this knowledge.

In today's passage, Paul is writing that we are winners. The victory is ours through Christ Jesus. This knowledge will keep us going in life when all seems hopeless. What a marvelous perspective to have. In the midst of trouble, persecution, being beat and run out of town, Paul writes to us that in all these we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. He knew the love of God and his position in the Kingdom and this knowledge brought him victory in all things.

Many times, we act like our circumstances and opposition is too overwhelming for us to be victorious. But Paul said, "in all these things we are more than conquerors..." The Greek word in this passage for conquerors denotes that we are literally hyper-conquerors. We are pre-eminently victorious through Christ Jesus. We will gain a decisive and surpassing victory because Christ was victorious and he conquered death. Not only is this so, but he passed along this victory to us. Paul said in Colossians, "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross" ( Colossians 2:13-15 ). Christ made a public spectacle of all powers and authorizes and hyper-conquered them. He defeated them so badly that there was no hope for a counter attack. This victory was passed along to us through faith in Christ. We are more than conquerors because Christ loved us.

Paul knew that this victory stems out of the fact that God loves us. Victory in life only comes through Christ's strength displayed in us. The power of God's love for you will changed circumstances in your life. This is the most important thing that you can know and understand. God loves you. Paul tells us that we should be rooted and established in this love. "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God" ( Ephesians 3:16-19 ). How are we filled to the full measure of God? It is by understanding the breath, the length, the depth and height of His love for you. This will make you rooted deep and founded securely in him. This knowledge will prove to your circumstances that you are more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus who loves you.

Today, I pray that your spiritual eyes are opened to understanding the depth of God's love for you. May you understand your victory in Christ Jesus. May you be fully convinced, rooted securely and strengthen in power through in him alone, amen.

Love is an incredible thing. Love is what initiated God's redemption plan for us. Perhaps the most well known verse in the entire Bible says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" ( John 3:16 ). Because of God's great love for us God sent Jesus into humanity to recue mankind from the power of darkness and bring us into fellowship with Him. In the same way, as believers, we ought to love one another, "Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love" ( I John 4:7-8 ). Our love for each other shows that be belong to the truth because "God lives in us and his love is made complete in us" ( I John 4:12 ).

Paul reminds us in today's passage that we are to leave "no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another". As believers we should owe no man. We should be free from the bondage of debt. We should pay in full for the things we have and the thing we buy. This goes back to the previous verses identifying that we should pay what we owe, whether taxes, salaries, honor or respect ( Romans 13:7 ). The only debt that we should have is the debt to love one another. This obligation comes out of the realization of what Christ did for us. Once we understand how he overcame every barrier that sin put between us to bring us back into a restored relationship with the Father, it gives us a new perspective about our fellow mankind. We didn't deserve His grace or His mercy but because He loved us we received both. In the same way, because he loved us we should also extend both grace and mercy to each other.

The amazing thing about this is that Paul said this love we extend to one another fulfills and summarizes the rest of the law. All of these commandments hinge on how we treat others. If we love then we will not murder, steal and covet our neighbor's things. Love fulfills the intent of the law because all things can be summarized and fulfilled by love. Paul said in I Corinthians 13: 3, if I have not love, I am nothing. Love will never do harm to one another, therefore it meets all the requirements of the law.

When questioned about the Law Jesus recited the exact same observation. "One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."  ( Mark 12:28-31 ). By loving God with everything we are, we fulfill the law because we are looking to him for grace and mercy. This love equips and enables us to love one another in a deep and genuine way, showing that we are walking in His truth. This is the only debt that we should owe, the debt to love one another because "Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God" ( I John 4:7 ).

Today, I am thankful that God is love. I rejoice that he demonstrated His incredible love for us in the person of Jesus Christ. I am forever changed because of this love and I know that it extends to those around me because he has enabled me to love deeply. Today, I pray that you let His love flow through you and touch those around you. May you be a blessing and a light for His kingdom in this dark world, amen.

An amazing thing happens when you internalize a passage of scripture such as this and start living it out. Once you show consideration for people who disregard you, then enemies can no longer stay enemies. By caring for them, God's love spills out of your heart, becomes an action and people respond to it.

God's love showed action when he sent Jesus into a hostile world. Romans 5 tells us that while we are still steeped in sin, God demonstrated his love for us in the person of Jesus Christ ( Romans 5:8 ). It is amazing to think that this act of mercy brought us into fellowship with God. Romans 5 goes on to say, "For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!" ( Romans 5:10 ). His act of love brought us to the place where we were no longer enemies. His mercy and goodness was never deserved, but Christ's purpose was to overcome evil and offer us freedom from death.

In the same way, our actions should resemble this act of love and mercy. Paul is quoting from an Old Testament passage when he reminds us to love our enemies by caring for them when they are in need. ( Proverbs 25:21-22 ) But Jesus told the disciples something very similar, "I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" ( Matthew 5:44 ). And again in the Gospel of Luke, "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you" ( Luke 6:27-31 ). This attitude shows the genuineness of your faith. Jesus' point is that even sinners love and care for those who love them. But in the same way that he came and rescued his enemies making  us sons and daughters, we should love and care for those who hate us. In doing this we are not only allowing room for God to judge and make right in the end, but we are extending the love and mercy of God to our fellow mankind. Romans 2 says that it is the goodness of God that brings us to repentance ( Romans 2:4 ). By showing his goodness, love and grace to one another we are opening the door for them to come to God and be fully justified before him.

Today, I pray that you understand this amazing truth from God's word. May this revelation of God's mercy toward you extend to those around you and bless them. May God's love flow freely through you as you love and care for your enemies in His name, amen.