Psalm 121 • Genesis 12:1-4a • Romans 4:1-5, 13-17 • John 3:1-17

This week’s theme is the eyes of faith. In our call to worship Psalm, we have the psalmist lifting up his eyes to God to trust and see God’s care for him. In Genesis, we see God asking Abraham to leave behind everything and to trust that God will show him where to go. In Romans, Paul confirms that Abraham did trust God by faith in what was unseen to him. And in John’s gospel, Jesus talks to Nicodemus about being born from above and seeing the kingdom of God as a result.

Abraham’s Children: By Law or by Faith?

Romans 4:1-5, 13-17 (NRSVUE)

Today, we find ourselves in the second Sunday of Easter preparation. This is a time to reflect on the importance of Jesus’ victory over sin and death through his resurrection. However, a church can sometimes struggle with keeping the most important things in mind, which was the case with the church in Rome.

If it appears that we are looking at the middle of a longer conversation, that’s because we are. Paul is addressing a Roman church that is in danger of fracturing. The lines have been drawn between the Jewish believers and the Gentile believers. And so, Paul is trying to do damage control here.

What Paul is attempting to deal with is no less important for us to understand as it was for his intended recipients. And he is going to appeal to Abraham to make his case. With the first few verses he’s going to start by asking a question, he will then build his argument in the middle verses, and then finish with his definitive answer in verses 16 and 17.

The Question

What then are we to say was gained by Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh? Romans 4:1 NRSVUE)

What matter are we talking about here? Well, right before we got to this section of the letter, Paul is addressing the fact that God is not only the God of the Jews, but of the Gentiles as well. And as such, all are justified by faith and not by the works of the law.

Paul’s question could be rephrased this way, “have we found Abraham as our forefather according to the works of the law or by trusting God?” Can the law bring about our righteousness before God? Can we boast in what we have done or are able to do? Or are we supposed to accept our righteousness as a gift? Abraham trusted God in what he said he would do, and it is on that basis alone that God’s righteousness is credited to him.

It seems like Paul is having to spend a lot of time on this issue. Perhaps it wasn’t so easy to convince people that their righteousness was by faith. Put yourself in the sandals of the Jewish believers. The law had dictated every part of their life. It was the lens through which they viewed all things.

While the Jewish believers welcomed their new life in Christ, the forgiveness of sins, and being filled with the Holy Spirit, it sounds like they were still struggling with the idea of not having to keep up their side of the bargain.

They were probably thinking “we’ve had to live with all these requirements our whole lives, what happens if we don’t continue living by them?”

And here is where we need to be honest with ourselves. Do we really believe that we are justified by the faith of Christ Jesus, or is something still required after believing? In our minds, we take out religious insurance policies. “What if I’m wrong and I overestimate God’s grace? Just in case, I better supplement my salvation with works. I may be saved by grace, but I better work for the kingdom like it’s up to me.”

 A little leaven leavens the whole lump (1 Corinthians 5:6), and soon we do end up thinking that we need to keep up our end of the bargain, or else…

When this line of thinking gets exposed, it sounds absurd, doesn’t it? Yet, that is often our temptation. The world gives us the message that we are the ones that should be in control of our destinies. That “if it’s got to be, it’s up to me!” We like to take credit for any good we do, and we don’t like to ask for help either. But this is not the way of the kingdom.

Another temptation is to “blur” the lines of the covenants. Some well-meaning Christians are known to say “well, I believe in the entire bible.” That’s great! I don’t know many believers that would say that they don’t.

But the problem is that not every scripture carries the same weight. We have to look at the scriptures in context. We have to be careful not to put the old wine into new wine skins. The old covenant does not mesh with the new.

There were no small numbers of Jewish believers in Rome who had a hard time trusting Christ for their righteousness alone, and they insisted that others should not be allowed to either. This is still a problem for us today.

The Argument

For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness.” Now to one who works, wages are not reckoned as a gift but as something due. But to one who does not work but trusts him who justifies the ungodly, such faith is reckoned as righteousness. (Romans 4:3-5 NRSVUE)

For the promise that he would inherit the world did not come to Abraham or to his descendants through the law but through the righteousness of faith. For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law, neither is there transgression. (Romans 4:13-15 NRSVUE)

Imagine if you worked for the next month but never saw a paycheck. I’m sure that you would remind your employer that they have an obligation to pay you. Here in the United States, we have labor laws that are in place to protect workers to ensure that they are getting paid properly. It is against the law to work and not get paid.

I think we can all understand that wages are not a gift, but an obligation of payment for work done. But here’s where things begin to shift. Paul then says that to the one who doesn’t work but trusts God, he is totally just and considered righteous with Christ’s righteousness.

Once again, what Paul is saying flies in the face of how the world works. And yet, this is precisely how the Kingdom operates. We have a saying that goes. “If it’s too good to be true then it probably is.” But in this case, our righteousness in Christ is too good not to be true.

Appealing again to our forefather Abraham, Paul reminds the Romans that Abraham simply believed the promise that God had given him. And it was because of that belief he was made righteous in God’s sight.

The Mosaic law had not been instituted at that point and wouldn’t be in place for at least another 400 years. Therefore, keeping the law had nothing to do with being a child of Abraham.

Paul allows for no middle ground in this argument. Law and faith are not compatible. Those who are trying to earn their place with God through the law are making their faith useless. Our relationship is no longer to the law, it is to Father, Son and Spirit by faith that we are heirs of Christ.

Very few believers today would admit that they are still under the law with all of its demands. Yet many live lives that are full of all sorts of moral or ethical imperatives they believe they must follow to please God. To them, faith isn’t enough, because they choose to trust more in their abilities than in God’s grace. And where there is no trust, you can’t leave anything to chance.

Their standing with God, they assume, is predicated on their performance. When we believe this, we are tempted to start judging the performance of others based on our own self-righteousness. Which is what the Jewish believers in Rome were guilty of.

You may have recognized the futility of keeping Old Testament commands, statutes and judgments, but where is it that you might still be trusting in the law to keep you in good standing with God? The problem with the law is that it will always demand more of you. (Examples might include resting your home garden every seven years, not mixing fabrics on clothes, not mixing dairy and meat, which meant no more cheeseburgers.) There is no satisfying the law.

The Answer

For this reason the promise depends on faith, in order that it may rest on grace, so that it may be guaranteed to all his descendants, not only to the adherents of the law but also to those who share the faith of Abraham (who is the father of all of us, as it is written, “I have made you the father of many nations”), in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. (Romans 4:16-17 NRSVUE)

Paul’s “for this reason” in verse 16, is the answer to the question posed back in verse one. It is also the punctuation mark for his argument that he settles for the Roman church. Jew and Gentile alike are the offspring of Abraham, made so by faith. The many nations, the Gentiles, are now included by way of Christ.

An appeal is made here to end the judgment and enmity that had sprung up between the Jewish believers and the Gentile believers. Paul is emphasizing that all of us have one father according to human heritage, and that is Abraham. Spiritually, we also have the same father in heaven.

We can appreciate our spiritual pedigree. We can take pride in Christian traditions and institutions, but that does not give us the right to boast in any of our good works. We are not permitted to think more highly of ourselves than others who profess the same faith.

God loves all who follow him; our doctrines and beliefs are not superior; they are what God has given us. Following incarnational trinitarian theology is a blessing, but it doesn’t make us better than other Christians, or unbelievers. We are all God’s beloved.

All are included by faith in Jesus’ forgiveness. All are included in his offer of redemption and reconciliation. We all have received the righteousness of Christ Jesus as one body, one church, with Abraham as our father, according to the faith, through Jesus Christ who has brought us all into right relationship with the Father.

Small Group Discussion Questions

Psalm 95 • Exodus 17:1-7 • Romans 5:1-11 • John 4:5-42

This week’s theme is thirsting for love. The call to worship Psalm presents a liturgy of praise celebrating God’s provision of water in the wilderness to his people, while also using their example of complaining as an admonishment against hardened hearts. The Old Testament selection from Exodus recounts this story of Israel complaining about thirst, which is met by God’s gracious act to provide water through a rock Moses was instructed to strike. The epistolary text in Romans provides a contrast to Israel’s complaining hard hearts, using Paul’s picture of endurance that flows from God’s love poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit. In the Gospel reading from John, we witness Jesus offering living water to a Samaritan woman.

Repentant Response of Faith, Hope, and Love

Romans 5:1-11 (ESV)

Today’s text begins with the word “therefore.” Paul often uses this word to look back on something he had just established in his writing, as the foundation for the implications he is about to present. This is a good word to begin with for the season of Lent, or as GCI calls it, “Easter Preparation.” During this season we are encouraged to take time and look back on who God has revealed himself to be in Christ Jesus, and what he has done for us. This is the ground for our repenting and turning again to the Lord. As we are reminded of God’s faithfulness and love toward us revealed in Jesus Christ, we can turn from unfitting responses born out of fear and guilt, to responses filled with faith, hope, and love in all that we do. We will see in Paul’s words following his “therefore” that all three – faith, hope, and love – will make up the fitting response of those who have come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior, turning to him again in preparation of receiving his life more fully by the Holy Spirit.

Let’s pickup with Paul’s transitional word, “therefore.”

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1 ESV)

With the word “therefore,” Paul begins a new section in Romans by drawing a conclusion from his argument that he has been making through the first four chapters. He will go on to tell us of three things that “we have” on account of Jesus Christ. It is important to note that the three things are not presented as three things we must achieve or acquire on our own merit. Rather, they are three statements of reality that believers already have.

The first thing we already have is justification. As Paul says, “we have been justified by faith…” It may be hard to grasp the reality Paul states here with the words “we have been.” This means that we have already been made righteous. How can this be since we so often fall again into sin? During this Easter Preparation season we become painfully aware of our great need as sinners to be made righteous. Our experience indicates that we are not yet righteous and our justification, or being made right, still lies in the future. We are easily convinced that righteousness is a goal to pursue rather than a present reality to receive. But Paul leaves no room for a potential justification, only a justification that is already accomplished and real. Paul does add the qualifier that this justification comes to us “by faith.” That’s important in Paul’s statement.

Paul is not saying that our faith is what justifies us or saves us. Rather, faith is trusting in Jesus for our salvation. It is only in him that we have justification. The righteousness we have is the very righteousness of Christ that he gives to us through the work of the Spirit. In this way faith is a means of receiving, not a means of achieving. We don’t work up our own faith in order to accomplish something towards our own justification. Rather, in trusting Jesus, we receive what he has already accomplished on our behalf. And even this faith is a gift that comes to us as we come to know who God is in Jesus Christ. There is nothing we do that makes ourselves righteous.

So, in verse one Paul has already brought in the fitting response of faith upon knowing who God is as the one who has made provision for our justification. During this season we are reminded and encouraged to once again live in the faith of Jesus Christ who is ever faithful to us. We are reminded and encouraged to turn once again from other competing objects of our faith. We do not put our trust in any other person, thing, or ideology to justify us. It is only in Christ, who is faithful to give us his righteousness, that we can place our whole trust and allegiance.

From here Paul tells us the second thing we have as a result of this justification given to us: peace with God. Again, Paul states boldly that we already “have peace with God,” not that we must pursue or attain peace with God. That would be a pagan concept. But this God of grace revealed in Jesus Christ literally takes our sin and guilt, along with its ultimate consequence of death and alienation from God, and overcomes it in order to bring us into a right relationship with himself. This is all done “through our Lord Jesus Christ,” which indicates Jesus as our High Priest. He is the one who mediates our peace with God by cleansing us of our sins and clothing us with his righteousness. Again, this is a reality to receive by faith, not works. We do not have to work ourselves into the Father’s good favor.

How might this change how we go about our day? We are not called to cower in fear of a god who is angry at us, seeking to catch us in some sin in order to blast us on the spot. We have peace with the Father. His thoughts towards us are only for our good, not our destruction. Peace, biblically understood, is an active peace. It seeks the good of those who live in this relationship of peace. It is not merely a cease fire or cessation of conflict. It is a dynamic, intentional, and active relationship aimed at the good of the other.

This will mean that the Father will not turn a blind eye to our sins and shortcomings. On the contrary! That would not be a loving Father who has our best interest in mind. That would be a god who is disinterested in us, who doesn’t care about us at best, or who aims for our destruction at worse. No, the Father is intimately concerned with our life choices as they reflect an orientation of either trusting in him for the life he gives, or an orientation that rejects what he gives in favor of providing our own life, which he knows will never amount to a life of peace. And that is why the season of Lent, or “Easter Preparation” stands among all the other liturgical celebrations. Repenting and returning to receive from the Father is part of the life of faith into which we are called. He is calling us further into his relationship with us in Jesus by the Spirit. He is not a God of neglect.

Let’s move to verse 2 to see the third thing Paul says we “have” by faith:

Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:2 ESV)

Paul wants us to see that not only does Jesus bring us into a life of peace with the Father, but he also brings the Father’s life of grace to us. Again, this is a life that Paul states we already have. Further, he says “we have also obtained” grace in such a fashion, that it can be said that we take our “stand” on it. Our standing with the Father is secured by his grace. Like God’s peace, his grace is also active toward our good. God’s grace is not some exception or pass, but rather a committed and determined will to bring us fully into the righteous life he has for us. That’s why Paul can go on to say, “and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” God’s glory is our destination, and we can rejoice in hope because God’s grace is determined to bring us there.

Here Paul has introduced the second fitting response to knowing who God is as revealed in Jesus Christ—hope. And this is not the type of hope we refer to as a child may “hope” to get dessert after dinner. He may or he may not, but hope has nothing to do with it. The hope we have in Christ is a sure hope, a guaranteed reality that we know is here now, and is coming more fully in the future. Living in this kind of hope grounds all our thoughts and actions on the sure foundation of who God is and what he has done to bring us into “the glory of God.” That’s where we are going, and we have absolute assurance he will get us there.

Paul has more to say about rejoicing in hope:

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope. (Romans 5:3-4 ESV)

Paul does not divorce the glory of God from the glory revealed on the cross. Because of what Christ has done on the cross, even our sufferings now serve the good purposes of bringing us into the life of glory the Father intends for us. I think it is safe to say that virtually everyone hates to see or experience senseless suffering. For Christians, we know that all our suffering, no matter how small or large, is assumed in Christ’s sufferings. In fact, what we see on the cross is Jesus entering into our very sufferings. He has made them his own. Because of this, we are assured that our sufferings are not senseless. They now serve God’s purposes to bring us further into his glory. Our sufferings are never a waste or a senseless occurrence in our lives. God has employed them into his work of bringing us to share in his own glory.

As Paul puts it, our sufferings now “produce” something. They add up to “endurance” which comes from the nearly untranslatable Greek term hypomone. This word means a patient waiting upon the Lord in the confidence that comes by Jesus’ faithfulness to us, even though our circumstances scream otherwise. Through this dynamic, our sufferings produce character, which in turn adds up to more hope. In this way, hope becomes the disposition and orientation of the believer regardless of what they are experiencing in this life. They become more and more like Christ, entering more fully the glory God has for us in his Son.

Paul is not done talking about hope:

And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Romans 5:5 ESV)

This hope is a resurrection hope that “does not put us to shame.” We will not be shamed or embarrassed or disappointed for putting our hope in Jesus, just as he was vindicated through his resurrection. Suffering will end in glory. And Paul gives us assurance of this by telling us another reality that has already happened. Namely, that the Holy Spirit has already come to us and poured God’s love into our hearts.

As we grow in receiving the Father’s love, we are given a sign and seal by the Holy Spirit that what he is presently giving us is what we will eternally be receiving in the future. And here we see the final fitting response to knowing who God is—love. As we come to know more and more who God is for us, we will be receiving his love more and more, enabling us to love others with the same love we receive.

During this season we can repent and turn away from all our distorted and ineffectual attempts of love that do not flow from God’s love poured out into our hearts. We do not need to manufacture or signal our own love to the world. The Father’s love is not kept at a distance for us to try and emulate. It is given to us through the Holy Spirit to participate in with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength.

Now Paul is going to turn our attention to the cross for a fuller revelation of God’s love.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8 ESV)

In these verses Paul has shown the extreme radical nature of God’s love. This is not a love that comes to the deserving or lovable. Rather it has come and continues to come to the weak and ungodly sinners. These verses confront us with two realities we must deal with during this season of repentance. First, we are not deserving of God’s love. Our pride may resist the stark reality of our sinfulness that Paul captures with the words “weak,” “ungodly,” and “sinners.” Not only are we ungodly sinners, but we are too weak to do anything about it. There is no room to justify ourselves or better our situation. To turn to the Lord, one must realize there is something to turn from. There is no life gained by holding onto our miserable state. But Paul knows that just being confronted with this dismal reality of the human condition does not move us one inch forward in repentance.

From the description given, we must conclude that even our attempts of repentance would be sinful as well. Paul mingles our sinfulness with the proclamation of God’s love demonstrated in the very thick of it. Only by seeing who Jesus is as the very coming of God’s love to us, even in our sinfulness, can we begin to turn to him. Perhaps Paul knew this best as his history of persecuting the church came to a halt once he was encountered by the resurrected Lord. Paul knows that we do not turn to the Lord until we first see that he has turned to us.

It is God’s love that comes to the unlovable that initiates the first steps toward him. Paul is trying to show how completely paradoxical God’s love toward us is. There is no human justification for his divine justification. We are given in Christ a revelation of God who is love all the way down. He loves us because that is who he is. Our unlovable and ungodly stance against him does not turn his love away. Our position simply prevents us from seeing it and receiving it. But in Jesus we are now shown the love of God.

It may be important to mention here what Paul is not saying. He is not saying God loves us as sinners. God does not love our sin. His love moves to remove our sins and not leave us in our weak, godless, and sinful state. His love aims to perfect us and bring us into his glory. The Bible is not antiquated in proclaiming God’s love when it warns against the many sins that our world pridefully celebrates and promotes. On the contrary, our loving Father knows we are not created for sin. It is not the fitting response humans were created for. We are created to respond with the same love he loves us with. And this love does not include a life orientation that worships itself over its Lord.

Paul will now return to his opening statement of being justified, but with a difference. He has “much more” to say on account of our justification.

Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. (Romans 5:9 ESV)

Paul began by saying “we have been justified by faith.” Paul now states that “we have now been justified by his blood.” He is moving from how we receive our justification, to giving us the assurance that our justification is a secured reality because of what Jesus has done for us through his death. The crucified Christ is the bedrock reality that we have justification. It is on that solid ground that we can acknowledge, receive, and participate by faith, in the justification secured for us by Christ. Paul wants to ground our justification on an objective reality. In other words, our justification is real and sure, and we do not have to live in fear or doubt about it.

Paul springs from this objective statement to give us assurance that we can be confident that God will not leave us in our sins. Paul says there is “much more” to come on the basis of the justification we now have. Namely, the complete deliverance from our sins, or as Paul states it, we will be “saved by him from the wrath of God.”

For Paul, divine wrath is understood to be the opposition God has toward sin. This wrath is manifested in God’s final judgment. So, we can rightly say that Jesus took God’s wrath against sin on the cross as he assumed all our sin. This doesn’t mean that Jesus took some arbitrary punishment from his Father that was intended for us. Rather, Jesus took on the punishment that sin delivers, the penalty of death, by dying on a cross. The Father was not going to let sin have the final word over us. He sent his own Son, the Word of God, to speak the final word, “It is finished.” Therefore, Paul can conclude that we are saved from God’s wrath on account that Jesus has already exercised God’s wrath over sin on the cross.

Paul is still not done, he still has “much more” to say:

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. (Romans 5:10 ESV)

Paul now speaks of our reconciliation as connected to our justification. And he once again grounds this in the reality of what Jesus has done for us. Clearly, we do not reconcile ourselves to the Father, as this was accomplished “while we were enemies.” God has reconciled us to himself through Jesus’ death, not on account of anything we have done. But Paul wants to move from the death of Christ to his resurrection. So, he gives us another “much more” statement.

On the present reality of our reconciliation accomplished by Jesus’ death, we are assured that we will live out this reconciliation on account of Jesus’ resurrection. In other words, when Paul says that we are “saved by his life” we are being assured that we are now participants in that life. That is what salvation amounts to. What would be the point of being reconciled to someone if you never engage in the relationship? That would be an empty reconciliation. The Father didn’t only save us from something – sin and death – but he saved us for something – righteousness and life. And that life is now available to us in the risen Lord, who ever lives to share with us his life with the Father.

Paul has one final thing to say.

More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:11 ESV)

Have you noticed that Paul keeps using the word “more.” Even with two previous “much more” statements he wants to say even “more than that.” And we will be glad that he did. Paul wants us to know that our justification and reconciliation, the righteous life of knowing the Father through the Son and by the Spirit, given to us all by grace, is a life of great joy. We are brought into the righteous life of God to rejoice. We are assured that the life we are given in Jesus is not going to be a disappointment.

As we come to know the Father as Jesus knows the Father, we will come to share in Jesus’ joy of knowing the Father. In other words, we have much more to look forward to. Even now in the present, as we come to know the Father more in Jesus, we grow in faith, hope, and love. We come to see more and more the goodness of God, and how richly blessed we are to belong to him. But, in the end, we will come to see that on this side of heaven, we have only scratched the surface of the depth of all that God has in store for us. We will not be disappointed that we have turned to him in faith, hope, and love.

Small Group Discussion Questions

Psalm 23:1-6 · 1 Samuel 16:1-13 · Ephesians 5:8-14 · John 9:1-41

This is the fourth week of the Easter Preparation season (Lent), a time when we ready ourselves to commemorate the atoning work of Christ on the cross, and when we prepare to celebrate the glorious empty tomb of our resurrected Lord. To participate in the process of examining our walk with Christ, we have to recognize our inability to accurately discern spiritual things. We need God to reveal us to ourselves to be aware of the ways in which we need to spiritually grow. It is only by the Spirit that spiritual growth takes place. This week’s theme is God leads us through spiritual darkness. In the call to worship Psalm, we read how the Lord leads the psalmist peacefully through the darkest valley. In the passage in 1 Samuel, we learn that God is far better than we are at judging human hearts. In Ephesians 5, Paul is speaking to an audience who God has brought out of darkness and into light. Finally, John tells the story of a man whose sight was restored by Christ.

Being Light

Ephesians 5:8-14 NIV

You are at your congregation’s Sunday gathering when you see Phyllis coming your way. She is a wonderful person, but she tends to be heavy handed with her perfume. It is a scent you do not enjoy but she obviously likes it…a lot! Phyllis is a wonderful person — salt of the earth — but she is also a chronic hugger. Most people would agree that hugs are great. However, not everyone thinks hugs are great, and not everyone thinks hugs are great all the time. Phyllis is not one of those people. Phyllis is a wonderful person — a ray of sunshine in this cold, cruel world — but she does not know her own strength. She has wrapped you in a hug of the bear variety and you are fairly certain that you have sustained some mild rib damage. On top of your physical pain, you now smell like Phyllis; and you will keep smelling like Phyllis for the rest of the day. Every time you breathe in you have a powerful aroma that reminds you that Phyllis is…wonderful.

You may or may not know a Phyllis, but you have probably had the experience of getting an unwanted aroma stuck on you. Getting someone’s scent on us can be unpleasant. Even when we think the cologne or perfume smells good on them, it is not the scent we chose for ourselves. If we did not intend to smell a certain way, it can sometimes feel like another person’s scent was imposed on us.

This is what it is like for some Christians when they encounter people who are doing things they believe are wrong. They believe that if they are around people who do “bad things,” they risk picking up the scent of their sin. Perhaps they also fear that other Christians will think they condone the behavior of “sinners” if they “smell” like them? Many believers avoid engaging their neighbors because they fear being corrupted by those who make different life choices. They feel it is important to be separate and distinct from “the world,” and they avoid sharing space with those who do not follow Christ.

To some extent, one can understand this perspective. Our society is filled with a lot of distractions, and it is easy to have our eyes turned away from God. If we are not careful, we can allow others to influence us and make it easier for us to act in a way that is outside of God’s will. At the same time, we have to consider if Jesus feared picking up the scent of humanity’s sin. If Phyllis represented the world and the stench of its sinful ways, would Christ try to avoid hugging her? Was Jesus afraid of “catching” humanity’s corruption? The answer is “no.” Jesus put on human flesh and became one of us. He was not afraid of catching our corruption. Rather, we caught his health and wholeness.

So, what does that mean for us? How are we supposed engage those who might live in spiritually harmful ways while not imitating them? Paul gives us some guidance in his letter to the Ephesians. He writes:

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible — and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (Ephesians 5:8-14)

In Ephesians, Paul addressed an audience that was experiencing divisions between Jewish Christians and non-Jewish (Gentile) Christians. Also, Ephesus was a cosmopolitan city where several belief systems vied for new adopters. Given this context, Paul encouraged his primarily Gentile Christian readers to behave in a manner fitting of their calling in Christ, and he used the metaphor of darkness and light to convey his message. In the context of Ephesians, darkness symbolized sin, especially sexual immorality, obscenity, greed, and idolatry. Light, on the other hand, stood for love, goodness, righteousness, and truth. Now that we have a bit more context, we can get a better understanding of how this scripture applies to us.

Paul began this passage with a startling truth about who we are. While the light metaphor is used often in the New Testament, no statement is quite as strong as what we find in verse 8. In other passages, we are called the light of the world (Matthew 5:14) and children of light (John 12:35-36). However, here we are called “light in the Lord.” We have been made light, just as Jesus is the “light of the world” (John 8:12), and “God is light” (1 John 1:5). We have not been made light by our good works, and our status is not something we earned. Rather, it is because we are in Christ; his atoning work has made us light. Since, we are light, Paul encourages us to be light.

If we fear being corrupted by the darkness in the world, could it be that we think of ourselves as less than what we are? Perhaps we think too little of what it means to be in Christ? Maybe we underestimate the profound transformation that takes place in all those who accept the new humanity offered in Christ? In Jesus, we are light, and light has no reason to fear darkness. If he lives in us, we need not fear catching the corruption of the world. Working through us, Christ will spread the health and wholeness of his light.

Let’s be honest with ourselves. When we separate ourselves from Christ, we can find ourselves living in the shadows – we can start to slip back into our dark ways. Because of this, we sometimes find ourselves striving for perfection. But God does not require perfection; he looks for the willingness to repent – to turn back, to see Jesus as he truly is and to see ourselves in him. The fact that we will make mistakes does not prevent God from declaring us as light. The light of Christ shines brightest through imperfect vessels.

To Paul, chasing away darkness is part of the role of Christians. In order to chase away darkness, light needs to be in proximity to it. In verse 11, the apostle exhorted his audience to “have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” Notice that Paul says to have nothing to do with the deeds of darkness themselves, not those who sometimes do dark things. In other words, we are to share spaces with those who do dark things, but we are not to adopt their ways. We are to be in proximity with those who at times do dark things so they can see the futility of their behavior — so they can see a better way.

How are we then to show others a better way? Some have read this passage and interpreted it to mean that Christians should confront sin and call it out in our neighbors. People with this view take it upon themselves to tell others how they are sinning and that they need to repent. They can even be combative and view their engagement with their community as some kind of war to be won for God. It is true that believers should oppose the works of sin, but how we oppose sin matters.

We do not expose darkness by assuming a posture of confrontation. Rather, we expose darkness by treating our neighbor with compassion, empathy, honesty, openness, and love. Verse 14 reminds us that Christ is the light that causes the sleeper to emerge from the darkness of sleep. In other words, darkness is exposed when believers try to be like Jesus to their neighbors. Jesus did not constantly call out the sins of those around him. Rather, he lived amongst them and through love showed them the light. Similarly, we do not chase away darkness by focusing on darkness. We expose darkness by focusing on the love of God demonstrated in Jesus Christ.

Did you hear that? Followers of Christ who live in the light do not chase away darkness by focusing on that darkness. We expose darkness by focusing on the love of God demonstrated in Jesus Christ.

This happens through authentic relationships. It happens when we meet our neighbors where they are and love them right where they are, seeking nothing in return. It happens as we live questionable lives causing others to ask about the joy they see in us. It happens as we join in the normal life rhythms of our neighborhood and seek to be a force for good in our community. It happens as we practice random acts of kindness and outrageous generosity. It happens as we weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. It happens as we listen to the stories of others, especially those who seem different from us. It happens as we practice radical forgiveness and uncommon humility. It happens as we put our faith, hope, and love into action for the glory of God.

Loving others is not always pretty. Sometimes, loving others is a challenge. However, as we go forward in love, we should remember that the behavior of our neighbors is not the most important thing about them. The most important thing about our neighbors is what God thinks of them, and the value he places on every human being. The most important thing about them is that in Christ they have been reconciled to God and to us, even if they do not know it. This is good news for all of us. I am so glad that my behavior is not the most important thing about me. I do not always do right. I mess up. I miss the mark. Yet, every time I turn to God, he is waiting with open arms. He does not throw my sin in my face, and he does not shame me. When I confess my sins to God, I do so knowing that, in Christ, my sins have already been forgiven. Therefore, I am free to enjoy my relationship with God despite my sin and even though I will sin again. Shouldn’t we imitate this loving posture when dealing with our neighbors?

To me, the most amazing truth about Paul’s teaching is that darkness can become illuminated, and what is illuminated can become light. Darkness does not need to stay dark. It can be turned into light! In this present evil age, darkness will not be completely dispelled. However, this passage can give us hope that some of the darkness around us can be turned into light. If I am honest, it is easy to doubt that this is true. When I look at my neighborhood, I see a lot of darkness. I see so much pain. I see so many self-imposed prisons. I see so much anger. I see so much prejudice. I see so much oppression. I sometimes wonder if it is possible for the darkness to be made light.

Yet isn’t that what Jesus did on the cross? Jesus, by the Spirit and to the Father, lovingly bore all darkness — all the sins of the world — and was not overcome. His spilled blood and pierced body forged a new humanity by which anyone who calls on his name becomes light. In this Easter Preparation season, let us be reminded of the hope that can be found in Christ. In him, darkness can become light. As we go into our neighborhoods, let us carry this hope with us.

Since we are in Christ, let us live as children of light. Let us participate without fear in the work he is doing to bring light to all dark places. Let us shine in our families and on our streets. Let us shine in our neighborhoods and communities. Let us shine at our jobs and at our schools. Jesus is in you so shine on!

Small Group Discussion Questions

Psalm 130 • Ezekiel 37:1-14 • Romans 8:6-11 • John 11:1-45

This week’s theme is living into life. The call to worship Psalm is an individual’s prayer offered in hope that the Lord will save him from trouble on account of the Lord’s steadfast love. The Old Testament reading from Ezekiel offers a vision of dry bones coming to life as a prophecy to Israel that they will be delivered from the death of exile to live again in their own homeland. Romans records Paul’s comparison of life in the Spirit with death in the flesh. In the Gospel reading from John, Jesus raises Lazarus to life after being dead four days.

A Mindset of Life and Death

Romans 8:6-11 (ESV)

We are now five Sundays into Easter Preparation (referred to as Lent in many Christian denominations). We have a text before us that may serve well in guarding us from making some common mistakes when it comes to this season on the Christian calendar. During this season we seek to align our lives with the reality we have come to know in Jesus Christ our Lord. This alignment leads us to make changes, repenting of things in our life that do not fit the revelation of who Jesus is, and who we are in him. When we see who we are in Christ, we no longer want to live as if we are living apart from Christ. That is a life of contradiction and chaos. We want to live in our true identity as those in whom Christ lives.

But here is a common misstep that can take place during this process. Our focus can turn from Christ and get fixated on our sins. If we are not careful, we can become preoccupied with our individual sins where our actions and inactions blind us to the larger issue. The larger issue that our text will focus on is our mindset. The point of the Easter Preparation season is not to make a list of every little sin that we struggle with and then commit to overcoming those sins. That can quickly become a list of dos and don’ts that serve as a scorecard of our righteousness. Our focus is diverted from Christ and onto our actions.

Here is an analogy that hopefully is not too oversimplified. Let’s say you are trying to eat healthier. In this analogy, chocolate cake may represent the sin you most easily fall prey to. If you spend all day thinking of chocolate cake and how you need to avoid eating it, guess what’s going to happen. You are probably at some point going to eat chocolate cake. Why, because it’s what you have been thinking of all day. Your mind is set on chocolate cake, not eating healthier. If you are focused on eating more vegetables, getting exercise, and so forth, then you will not be tempted by chocolate cake unless it is put under your nose. You’re not even thinking about it. The point of the analogy is that it’s the mindset that is more important than making a list of sins to avoid. And that is what we will see in our text today. So, let’s dive in.

For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. (Romans 8:6 ESV)

Right out of the gate we are given what is important during this season. Our mindset. Or more precisely, what our mind is set on. Paul will give us a comparison to make his point. He contrasts a mind that is set on the “flesh” with that of a mind that is set on the “Spirit.” And Paul is clear that this contrast is a matter of life and death. A mindset on the flesh is death. A mindset on the Spirit is life.

More than that, a mindset on the Spirit is also peace. Not only does the Spirit bring us into life, but this life is a life of peace. And peace biblically understood, is living in relationship with the good of the other in mind. It doesn’t just mean there is no fighting. The peace of the Spirit is an active peace, seeking and working for the wellbeing of the other. This kind of peace in a broken world may actually amount to “fighting” at times. Like Jesus telling Peter to “get behind me Satan.” Those are some serious fighting words. Peter was going down a dangerous path resisting what Jesus was sent to do. So, Jesus “fights” for Peter, to set him back on the right path. So, a mindset on the Spirit cannot be spiritualized away as if we are talking about some ephemeral realm outside the body. Peace will mean living in this present world with a mindset that seeks to be a blessing to others. It’s a mindset that does not want any harm to come to another even if it means harm to one’s own self. That’s the kind of peaceful living we see in Jesus Christ.

And to avoid confusion, let’s be clear. Paul is not saying that there are two competing parts to being a human. (The pagan Greek philosophy of “dualism” taught the mind and body were two distinct and separable entities.) He is not saying our bodies are bad and we just need to be “spiritual.” That would not stand to the fact that Jesus Christ assumed a human body, was raised in the flesh, and will return in the flesh. This come into sharper focus in the next couple of verses where Paul first deals with the mind that is set on the flesh.

For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 8:7-8 ESV)

It’s important to understand that when Paul contrasts the terms “flesh” and “Spirit” he is making a contrast between two “ways of life.” He is not talking about the body as if our material flesh is in some way evil or sinful on its own. No, God created us with bodies, and he blessed it and said it is good. Again, for Paul, the “flesh” is a mindset, a way of living, one that is shaped and controlled by the ways of the world, which stands in opposition and outright rebellion against God. So, Paul is also not referring to a list of bad behaviors, but a mindset that wants nothing to do with Christ. This type of orientation is a focus on death because it is not focused on the author of life. It is a mindset that will lead to nothing. Paul is so bold to say that this mindset, this way of life, is not even capable of pleasing God. It’s worse than just making some bad decisions, it is a form of slavery, an inability to live according to who we are created to be.

Those strong statements may lead us down to another misstep that can occur during the season of Easter Preparation if we are not careful. We may be tempted to look around and try to determine who has the Holy Spirit and who does not. We may even begin to wonder if we have the Spirit. We will need to move to the next couple of verses to avoid that pitfall.

You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. (Romans 8:9 ESV)

Now Paul is going to move to the other mindset. And it is important to remember that he is writing to believers. So, he is trying to encourage them to live out the reality of who they are. He begins by confirming who they are as those who are first, “not in the flesh,” and then second, “in the Spirit.” If we ever begin to wonder whether we are in the Spirit, let Paul’s words here remind you that you are. In fact, if you ever are concerned about not being in the Spirit, it is only because the Spirit is nudging you to live into the fact that you are. If you weren’t in the Spirit, it wouldn’t even cross your mind. Remember, for Paul, living in the Spirit is a mindset. In this case, the mind is turned to the reality of living in Christ.

If you ever get discouraged over a sin in your life and begin to doubt that you have the Spirit, or fear that you don’t belong to Christ, remember that if you did not belong to Christ, you would never be discouraged or disappointed that you have sinned. You wouldn’t care one bit. So, Paul is not trying to beat us down and tell us we need to get with the program and quit sinning. No, he is reminding us of where our focus needs to be, what our minds should be occupied with. And that is Jesus Christ whom we belong to. Focusing on him is the only way we ever overcome any of our sins, because the reality is we don’t overcome our sins, we come over to the one who has overcome them for us. Paul has not turned from grace and now is preaching works. He is trying to turn our eyes and our minds back to Jesus. And that is the whole point of this season. To turn to him again and again, for only in him is there life and peace.

This verse and the two following will also give us three things to remember about living in the Spirit which flows from God’s grace.

First, the Spirit is not something that belongs to us. We do not possess the Spirit like we do an object. The Spirit is “the Spirit of God.” It belongs to him and is a gift to us. The Spirit is a “who” and not a “what.” And it is given to “dwell in you.” Living in the Spirit is living in the relationship we have with the Father through Christ, all by the power of the Spirit. The mindset of the Spirit is to remain and abide in this life-giving communion we are given in Christ. We no longer live as if we are not in relationship with Jesus.

Second, the gift of the Spirit empowers us. Let’s look at the next verse.

But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. (Romans 8:10 ESV)

Paul has already established that his hearers are in the Spirit. So, his “if” statement is not set up as a question to see “if” Christ is in them. Rather, he is stating a reality on account of having Christ alive in them. He is letting us know that our body of sin is dead. It has been crucified with Christ and it no longer has any power over us. We are free from the bondage of sin, and free to live a life of righteousness. That righteousness is not our own, but the righteousness given to us in Christ by the power of the Spirit.

This is a staggering new identity that is hard to believe. But, since you are in Christ, you are actually given his righteousness. You don’t have to work up your own righteousness. You can’t get more righteous than you already are in Christ. But, in this life we do need to have our mind set on that reality in order to live it out. We won’t do it perfectly this side of heaven, but we are given hope and assurance that in the end, our lives will perfectly align with who we truly are in Jesus Christ. And that’s the third and final point we see in the last verse for today’s text.

If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:11 ESV)

Third, living in the Spirit today will not be taken away tomorrow.

One thing the season of Easter Preparation will force us to acknowledge is that we still sin. Even as believers we still struggle to live a life of righteousness and peace. The more we walk with the Lord the more we will see our sins and hate them. We are growing to be more like Christ, and anything that does not look like him we will not want to see in ourselves. But we are assured that the Spirit was not given to us to leave us in our sins. He is determined to bring us to resurrected life, the very life Jesus has for us. So, even when we fail today, we have hope for tomorrow. And it is on this ground of hope that we can repent and turn to him once again. He’s not going anywhere, and his grace is always towards us.

Small Group Discussion Questions