JC Blog

Wow! This statement is the pinnacle of the entire case against humanity. Paul is the prosecuting attorney building his case against mankind. The first chapter of Romans showed the Gentiles guilt before God because of their innate knowledge of Him. The second chapter of Romans showed that the Jew were worst off then the Gentiles because they had the Word of God but did not keep it. And finally the beginning of chapter 3, concludes that everyone is guilty before God, citing back to Old Testament scripture supporting this claim.

This is not a new concept. They condition of mankind was hopeless before Christ. The Amplified Bible describes the state as 'under sin, held down by and subject to its power and control.' The grasp of sin so tight that we had no hope of defeating it. By looking at this collage of Old Testament scripture that Paul shared, it is evident that man was destitute to save himself. We needed a savior.

The truth expressed in this passage of scripture is crucial to understanding the Salvation message. Since we were never capable of reconciling ourselves to God by atoning for our own sin, God did it for us. He paid the price with His precious blood shed on the cross.

We have to recognize this in order to move pass the condition that we are in. Once we accept the terms that Paul has laid out over these many verses, we are free to move into the next section of scripture. Paul will move from being the prosecuting attorney to the defense attorney acquitting us on the bases of Christ.

Today, it is my prayer that you will join me on this journey of faith. I pray that God will enlighten your heart to the truth of His word. God Bless you!

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!

An incredible love exists towards you from the Lord. It is a perfect love. It is a love that casts out all fear. So many times we think we must clean ourselves up and be good enough before we come to the Lord. We look at the state we are in and think that God cannot love us, forgive us or accept us on that basis. But this is not the case. God loved you from the beginning. He sent Jesus into the world to die for you. God has chosen you to be his beloved child. He does not want you to exist in fear but wants you to understand who you are in Christ Jesus and how much you are loved.

Several years ago, a dog wandered into city hall where my mother worked. He was mangee, dirty and scared. They kept him for several days waiting for his owners to show up and claim him. But they never did. This dog had obviously been starved and beaten, he was in poor shape. My mother had compassion on him and loved him right from the start. She started campaigning my dad to come meet him. She wanted him to see this dog because she knew that he would see what she saw. A wonderful kindhearted dog needing a good home beneath the layers of dirt.

Needless to say, they welcomed Buddy into their home with open arms. They feed him, they cleaned him up, they took him to the Vet to get the necessary medicines to take care of the problems associated with neglect and most importantly they loved him. They welcomed him unconditionally into their home. It was nothing that Buddy did or contributed to the family that made them love him. They loved him and accepted him because of who they were not because of who Buddy was.

At first it was slow going. He was a friendly dog and fit nicely into the family. He was gentle with the grandkids and loved the lifestyle he was grafted into. However, in the early years when ever someone would approach him quickly he would cower and whimper in fear. There was no basis for this behavior in his new home, he had never been hit or mistreated. But this fear came from remembering where he had come from. Time and time again he learned of my parents goodness towards him instead of the pain he suffered before them. After a while this memory faded out of existence and the unconditional love he experience became his reality. No longer does Buddy cower and timidly approach those that love him, but he excitedly runs to them with no fear. Buddy experience their love and it changed everything.

That is why God sent the Holy Spirit into your heart to testify to the fact that He loves you. It has nothing to do with who you are or what you have done. It has everything to do with who He is and what He has done. He loved you. He gave His Son to die for you. He forgave you. He gave you his righteousness. He made you worthy to be a part of His family. The only thing we need to do is respond to this love. Many of us are like Buddy in the early stages, we are wrapped up in our fear remembering where we came from. But Paul said "you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear..." ( Romans 8:15 ). God does not want you to live in fear, shame or remorse. He wants you to get a revelation of this love he extends towards you. If we truly understand this and let the Holy Spirit remind us daily of this very thing then we will experience the confidence that comes with sonship. "...but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father" ( Romans 8:15 ). He longs for you to approach him in confidence. Hebrews tells us the Holy Spirit testifies to us the New Covenant that Jesus brought to us. He assures us that our sins and our lawless acts he remember no more ( Hebrews 10:15-17 ). And if he doesn't remember them, then we shouldn't either.

God Loves you! Today I pray that you understand this love and remove any fear that keeps you from experiencing this love and grace. May you approach God in full confidence and find rest at his feet. Today I am going to leave you with one of my favorite verses, This is what God spoke about you even before you were born.

"The LORD your God is with you,
he is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
he will quiet you with his love,
he will rejoice over you with singing."
Zephaniah 3:17