Tag: The Apostle Paul

The Relevance of Ephesians Today

THE APOSTLE PAUL CONCLUDED his letter to the church at Ephesus by writing, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might” (Eph. 6:1). His concern was that many of the believers at Ephesus had begun to fall under the influence of local culture, which was weakening their relationship with Jesus Christ. This is still happening today in the life of many believers. In his Revelation to John, Jesus expressed this same concern regarding the church at Ephesus, saying, “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first” (Rev. 2:4). Jesus told the believers at Ephesus to repent and return to Him as their first priority or He would remove the light of the message from their church (Rev. 2:5b). In Ephesians, Paul reminds the church of the many blessings they have in Christ—being made holy and blameless before God; predestined for adoption into God’s family; redemption through His blood; forgiveness of sins (1:4-8). Paul adds, “In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will” (Eph. 1:11).

Believers today face many of the same challenges of those at Ephesus. We live in a culture that vehemently denies the notion of ultimate truth, rejects the concept of universally established morality, and refuses to believe in man’s sinful depravity. Moreover, many are focused solely on physical pleasures and the accumulation of earthly treasure. The so-called New Atheists[fn1] today combine typical denials of God with an intolerant, dogmatic and aggressively anti-religious rhetoric, including an agenda of removing religion (particularly Christian influence) from academia and politics. Richard Dawkins in particular has come out against the “Christian Right” and religious extremism. One of his key marketing strategies included a bus campaign launched in London in 2009 carrying the sign, “There’s Probably No God. Now Stop Worrying and Enjoy Your Life.”1

Christians will always face opposition and persecution. Jesus said, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you” (John 15:18). Believers at Ephesus fell under outside influences that began to undermine important Christian doctrine. Many believers wandered away. As a result, their love and devotion to Christ was in decline.

Obtaining Strength and Insight

Paul prayed for the believers at Ephesus to be strengthened with power in their inner being through the Holy Spirit. It was his hope that members of the church would once again become rooted and grounded in the love of Christ; that they would again be filled with all the fullness of God (Eph. 3:14-19). Further, Paul said it was crucial that the church maintain unity in the Holy Spirit in the bond of peace, with all humility and gentleness, as they all were called to one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all (Eph. 4:1-7). He reminded the church that this is why Christ established a five-fold ministry of apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds, and teachers (Eph. 4:11-12) in order to assure that the church not be “tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine” (4:14).

No doubt standing strong in the gospel and in our love for Jesus Christ is not an easy task. Sometimes, concentrating on issues regarding correct doctrine and preserving the purity of doctrine can distract us from tending to our love for Christ. We are, in other words, in battle mode with our blinders on when under attack. Fellowship and unity can get lost in the messiness of defending the gospel. Putting off the old self and surrendering to the renewal of the mind—indeed, putting on the new self, created after the likeness of Christ in righteousness and holiness—requires constant, rigorous, and honest work. Moreover, it is the bedrock of being to victorious over the enemies of the gospel.

Whenever our love for Christ wanes, we begin to look elsewhere for comfort and strength. Perhaps we seek a new romantic partner, discover the decadence of chocolate marshmallow ice cream, or begin to abuse alcohol and other drugs. Or, maybe we simply find ourselves isolating and wondering why life is so hard. It is often during these times that our secret behaviors cause lasting damage to our love for Christ. We get up in our own heads and forget others in the community of believers. Knowing this to be true, Paul says we must take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them to the light of Christ.

The Armor of God

Paul’s lasting message to the believers at Ephesus is, “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might” (Eph. 6:10). He is speaking of living by God’s strength, ready to do battle. I used to think I could hastily prepare for battle at the moment it arrives, but this does not work. Rather, we are to live in God’s strength at all times. We are to “put on” the whole armor that is inherent in the gospel message and never take it off. Remember, Paul warned about the hopelessness of living without Christ at the beginning of his epistle to the Ephesians. He reminded the church there, and us as well, that we are made alive in Christ (Eph. 2:1-10), and he called upon them to build on unity, strength, insight, and reconciliation. We simply must have a united front in order to defeat the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. This is not a battle that can be won relying on our own strength. Our adversary, the devil, loves to go after the one and keep him or her from returning to the herd.

Paul says that in order to be successful we must first be united in the hope we have in Christ Jesus. He then tells us, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” (vv. 11-12). The NIV translation says, “…so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”

Putting on the whole armor of God is not about a technique, a secret oath, or visualization exercises. Amazingly, the armor Paul speaks of is already laid out and ready for us. We can only put it on by believing in the complete redemptive work of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit. Preparation for war against the devil and his spiritual forces is about coming to realize we are already equipped to do battle because of what Christ did on the cross. It is about knowing our identity in Christ and standing therefore in who we truly are. We have been given everything we need to defeat sin in our lives. The “Law” (i.e., being well-informed of what sin is and how we are to behave in the face of it) does not defeat sin. Paul said sin seizes opportunity through the Law (Rom. 7:9-11). He adds, “So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand” (7:21). Delight in the Law is of no effect. In our members, that is in our flesh, another law wages war against the law of our minds, taking us captive to the law of sin that dwells in our flesh. The battle is not “out there somewhere” in the heavenly realms; it is being prosecuted from there, but it is being fought in us.

The Relevance of Ephesians Today

Paul’s purpose for writing to the believers at Ephesus was to remind them of who they are in Christ. In chapter 1, he points out that as followers of Christ they were “…blessed in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Eph. 1:3). He goes further, listing numerous blessings of Christ, such as being made holy and blameless, redeemed and forgiven, adopted into God’s family, sealed by the Holy Spirit, and reconciled to the Father. Paul reminds them, “…you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (Eph. 2:19). All of these blessings are to be expressed in the body of believers, built upon the foundational cornerstone of Christ—the entire structure joined together, growing into a holy living temple in the Lord. This is want is meant by presenting our bodies as living sacrifices to God. We are called to be a lampstand; a standard bearer. The temple of the Spirit of Christ.

Our battles are the same as those of the early church. Paul’s teachings on salvation, reconciliation, the nature of God’s family, and Christian identity are timeless. As Christians, we need to strive constantly toward growing in every way in Christ, who is the head of the Body. Simply, we are to put on Christ. Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians is a practical guide for Christian living, beautifully communicating theological truths about God and his plan for redemption. But it also shows us the critical connection between being well-grounded in gospel truth and church unity and being capable of securing a victory over the darkness. Paul speaks boldly of this unity, indicating it is of paramount importance when going into battle against spiritual forces of evil. His writings remain relevant for us today simply because we will always need encouragement and instruction in the faith.

Steven Barto, BS Psy, ThM

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references contained herein are from the English Standard Version (ESV).

1 The Sunday Morning Tribune, London, https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/travel-news/londons-iconic-buses-declare-theres-probably-no-god-20090107-7bme.html

[fn1] Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, and Christopher Hitchens

Paul on Reconciliation

REGARDLESS OF WHAT OTHERS think of us, we are forgiven, redeemed, restored, set free from the past. Our lives have been turned around through the grace of God and the power of the cross. Lies, deceit, selfish motivation, manipulation, provocation—all are gone. We were not merely “remodeled” or “refurbished.” Rather, the old self has passed away. We are a completely new creation in Christ. Part of our conversion includes being reconciled to the Father. “Reconciliation” is a term unique to Paul, which originates with him following his conversion on the Damascus road. The apostle writes, “All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation” (2 Cor. 5:18-19). We find parallels to this passage in Luke 15:6 (the lost sheep) and Luke 15:24 (the prodigal son).

Paul was en route to Damascus with letters to the synagogues giving him authority to bring anyone belonging to “the Way” back to Jerusalem to be tried as heretics. A mighty light appeared overhead and a voice cried out, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” Paul asked, “Who are you Lord?” And the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” Paul was knocked to the ground and struck blind. I find it fascinating that Christ took Paul’s sight in order for him to see Jesus as the Messiah. While in Damascus, Paul met a disciple of Christ named Ananias. Paul’s reputation had preceded him, so Ananias was reluctant to meet with him. Ananias said, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints at Jerusalem.” God told Ananias that Paul was “…a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel (see Acts 9).

Jesus entrusted Paul with the gospel message of reconciliation—overcoming estrangement and restoring unity. According to Strong’s Greek, καταλλαγή (or katallagé) is “…adjustment of a difference, reconciliation, restoration to favor, (from Aeschylus on); in the NT of the restoration of the favor of God to sinners that repent and put their trust in the expiatory death of Christ” (1). The phrase “hath reconciled,” καταλλάσσω (or katallassó) means to “…properly, decisively change, as when two parties reconcile when coming (“changing”) to the same position” (2). Our reconciliation (“restored to favor”) with God is essentially a covenant; we move toward reconciliation with the Father through faith in Christ, and God moves toward us, restoring His relationship with us. As used in 2 Corinthians 5, “reconciled” is a passive verb suggesting one person ceasing to be angry with another, receiving him back into favor.

In Spite of Our Past

God used Paul to preach the good news of the gospel to Gentiles in spite of Paul’s violent and sinful past, as he also used Moses in spite of his anger and murderous act, and David despite his committing adultery with Bathsheba then sending her husband to the front lines to be killed in battle. He used Peter regardless of his quick temper and his denial of Christ, and Abraham in spite of his impatience and disobedience. God uses broken people to reach the broken. He calls the defeated to live in victory. He shares himself through rebellious nations (Israel) and deceitful prostitutes (Rahab). Amazingly, God also uses us because of our past. Paul was most suited to bring the gospel to Greek and Roman citizens (“Gentiles”) because of Paul’s grasp of Jewish rabbinical law, his vast knowledge of OT Scripture, his extensive knowledge of Greek philosophy, his mastery of rhetoric, and the fact that he was a Roman citizen.

I heard a recent message on Jonah. Many have wondered why God used Jonah after he refused God and ran to the ends of the earth to hide. Why didn’t God get someone else to deliver His message. There are two reasons for God staying with Jonah as “his guy.” First, He is a God of second chances. In addition, God sends whom He needs specific to each mission—the one who can best carry His message under the circumstances. Quite often what God needs to say in a situation can come only from the person He sends! Jonah disobeyed God’s call because he objected to God’s intent to bless Israel’s adversary, the nation of Assyria and its capital city, Nineveh. Admittedly, this would be like calling a Jew during WW II to share God’s salvation with the Nazis. Jonah substituted his own judgment for God’s, but during his flight to Tarshish, his shipwreck, and his time in the belly of the giant fish, Jonah was convinced in a powerful way that all salvation comes from the Lord.

The Scope of Reconciliation

Beginning at 2 Corinthians 5:17, Paul shifts from the subjective aspect (the old has passed away; the new has come) to the objective aspect (atonement) through the death and resurrection of Christ on the cross. We are reunited with God through the act of conversion—restored to relationship with the Father. Verse 16 emphatically says, from now on we are no longer “in the flesh.” Enmity between God and humans has been removed, and we are empowered with the ability to resist sin. We are literally “under new management.” We realize that the Father is both the architect and the instigator of reconciliation. Paul said in Romans 5:1, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” God caused Christ, who knew no sin, to be sin for our sake. Justification is the logical foundation for reconciliation. Paul wrote, “We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Cor. 5:20).

Paul wrote much about the scope of reconciliation. He told the believers at Rome, “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” (Rom. 5:10). Paul focuses on the height of God’s love for us in Romans 5:9-11. This agape love refuses to stop short of providing the catalyst for sanctification—ongoing spiritual perfection or maturity. We have been justified through faith alone in Christ alone. More specifically, at the cost of His blood. Through reconciliation, we are able to draw near to the Father: “Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool” (Isa. 1:18). We are clothed in the righteousness of Christ.

Paul wrote, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8). God will carry us on in reconciliation to the full end of our salvation. We are able to live a restored life through the gospel, for in it the righteousness of God is revealed (see Rom. 1:16-17). Through our reconciliation, we step into a ministry of reconciliation. It is not enough to limit our conversation to the basics of the gospel; we must practice the ministry of reconciliation with the goal of bringing unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ (see Eph. 1:10). This is predicated on living in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him—bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God (see Col. 1:10).

Matt Chandler puts our role in God’s restoration in plain language:

“As we have seen… the entire creation is also out of sorts. The stain of sin affects creation. The very ground we walk on is cursed on our account. Jesus’s ministry of inaugurating God’s kingdom, with himself as king, was not simply a mission of recruitment of subjects, although it is firstly and chiefly that, but it is also about reversing the curse.” He adds, “For the reconciliation enacted by the cross to be cosmic, then, it must encompass more than just our individual relationship with God. We each may be saved as an individual life, but we are not saved to an individual life. We stand as part of God’s restoring of all things, and we are brought into the missional witness to God’s restorative gospel, the Body of Christ” (3).

Reconciliation is only made possible through our redemption. Old Testament law held that if a man lost his inheritance through debt or if he sold himself into slavery, he and his property could be redeemed only if someone of kin came forward to provide the redemption price (see Lev. 25:25-27, 47-54). Psalm 49:7 emphasizes the impossibility of self-ransom. Without salvation, we are like the beasts that perish (49:12). Like sheep, we’re appointed for Sheol where death shall be our shepherd. David wrote, “But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me” (49:15). Referencing wealth as being unable to redeem us, it is clear that neither the rich or the poor can ransom themselves out of dying. To this end, the life and ministry of Christ terminated in an act of self-sacrifice to serve as a ransom we simply cannot obtain under our own power.

Consummation

Merriam-Webster defines consummation as “grand finale,” “endgame,” or “conclusion.” Further, consummate is said to mean “complete in every detail; perfect.” We might also say it means “accomplished” or “finished.” When Jesus said “It is finished” (John 19:30) He meant everything was completed. God’s plan for redemption was fulfilled by the death of Jesus Christ. Consummation, the last leg of reconciliation and restoration, falls under the doctrine of eschatology, or “last things.” As followers of Christ, we are able to approach the subject of the end times with great expectation, in full realization of the timeline that began when God created the universe; that through sin the universe has been fractured; that God is reconciling all things to Himself through Christ; and that Christ consummates the will of the Father.

“Last things” relates both to mankind and the world. “In the last days” may suggest the end of the present order, but it also refers to “hereafter.” The biblical concept of time is never meant to be cyclical or linear. It blows my mind to realize God sees all time at the same time. In God’s mind, everything simply “is.” F.F. Bruce says of God’s time, “…it envisions a recurring pattern in which divine judgment and redemption interact until this pattern attains its definitive manifestations” (4). Psalm 73 says one who walks with God in life cannot be deprived of divine presence in death. 73:21-22 notes a new depth of repentance wherein the believer finds himself continually moving toward God. This denotes spiritual perfection or maturity. The term “afterward” (or “in the end”) in verse 24 makes an obvious reference to what Kidner calls “the climax of the whole” (5). This is the last phase of God’s plan for redemption: the crowning joy of passing into God’s presence for all of eternity.

Written by Steven Barto, B.S. Psy., M.A. Theology

References
(1) Strong’s Greek, URL: https://bibleapps.com/greek/2643.htm
(2) Ibid., URL: https://biblehub.com/greek/2644.htm
(3) Matt Chandler, The Explicit Gospel (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012), 136, 143.
(4) F.F. Bruce and J.J. Scott, Jr., “Last Things” in the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 3rd ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2017), 477.
(5) Derek Kidner, Kidner Classic Commentaries: Psalm 73-150 (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsityPress, 2008, 1975), 291.

Unless otherwise specified, all Scripture references are taken from the ESV (English Standard Version).

Released From the Law and Sin

KNOWING HOW TO READ the epistles is very important. Twenty-one of the 27 books in the New Testament fall into this category, establishing the importance of their application to Christian living. Specifically, I wish to focus on Romans. Paul noted the critical function of God’s righteousness in Romans 1:16-18. Martin Luther struggled personally with this passage while studying at a monastery. Later in life, in 1545, Luther wrote, “I had already for years read and taught the Holy Scriptures both privately and publicly. I knew most of the Scriptures by heart and, furthermore, had eaten the first fruits of knowledge of, and faith in, Christ, namely, that we are justified not by works, but by faith in Christ” (1). Initially, however, Luther struggled immensely with how Christians are to live by the righteousness of God. He knew what the prophet Isaiah wrote on the subject: “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away” (Isa. 64:6, ESV).

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:17).

Luther’s obsession with the issue of righteousness caused him much grief. Nothing mattered to him more than his faith and his obedience to God. Yet, he often felt overwhelmed by the fear of death and hell (2). He joined the Augustinian monastery at Erfurt at twenty-two years of age out of concern for his own salvation. A feeling of terror overwhelmed him during the writing of his first sermon: a sense of being unworthy of God’s love. He was convinced that he was not doing enough to be saved. I believe his concern was directly related to claims of the Roman Catholic Church that faith must be accompanied by works in order to receive salvation. Over-wrought with a sense of his own sinfulness, he supposed he was not a good monk; that his life was licentious and immoral despite his commitment to the gospel. Luther repeatedly punished his body—flagellation, enduring harsh winter conditions without a coat or shoes, denying himself of basic physical needs. He worried that his confessions would not be exhaustive enough to cover all his wrong deeds; that he would die in his sins.

As Luther prepared for a sermon on the epistle of Romans some time in 1515, he had an a-ha moment regarding Romans 1:17—the just shall live by faith. It is through the gospel that the righteousness of God is revealed, not through anything he could do to earn it. As Gonzalez notes, Luther came to understand that the “justice” or “righteousness” of the righteous is not their own, but God’s. He settled on salvation through faith alone, in Christ alone. “Justification by faith” does not mean that we must do that which God demands of us, as if it were something we have to achieve. Rather, it means that both faith and justification are the work of God, free to sinners (3). I believe Luther had to arrive at this understanding before he would be able to see the error in Catholicism relative to sacraments and works governing forgiveness and righteousness. It was shortly after coming to this conclusion that Luther prepared and posted his 95 Theses on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences.

Romans 1:17-18 contains three points: (1) revelation of God’s righteousness; (2) revelation of God’s wrath; and (3) revelation of God’s grace. Paul establishes the truth that the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel of Jesus Christ alone. God’s righteousness operates as both a moral standard and as a spiritual standard. As Jesus died on the cross, He uttered the phrase “it is finished” (see John 19:30). According to Dake, sixteen things were finished at the moment of Christ’s death: fulfillment of all Scriptures of the sufferings of Christ; the defeat of Satan; a breakdown of the wall or partition between God and man; establishing personal access to God; cancellation of the reign of death; cancellation of sin’s power; demonstration of abject obedience to the Father; the perfection of Christ; salvation from all sin; establishment of peace between God and man; penalty of death paid for all; cancellation of the “claim” of Satan over man; satisfaction of the full justice of God; bodily healing for all; establishing a way for believers to receive the full power of the Holy Spirit; blotting out or fulfillment of the Old Covenant (4). As we can see, much depends upon believers grasping the full meaning of Romans 1:17.

The Hebrew word typically translated as “righteous” or “just” is sāddîq, which originally meant “straight” or “right.” The corresponding Greek term is dikaiosynē, meaning “to do justice,” “to be just,” “to vindicate” or “justify” in the forensic sense of “declare righteous” or “treat as just.” Diehl writes, “Much of the NT is taken up with showing that Jesus of Nazareth is indeed the promised Messiah… God’s purposes of righteousness and salvation are centered in him” (5). It is in the sixteenth and seventeenth verses of Romans 1 that Paul sets forth the design of the entire epistle—a charge of sinfulness against all flesh; a single path to deliverance; and righteousness through Jesus as Messiah.

In Romans 6, Paul addresses the peculiar dilemma of habitual or deliberate sin in the life of the believer. Why does he or she still sin? Is victory possible? In the closing remarks of Romans 5, Paul notes the function of the Law (to identify our trespasses), and he remarks, “…where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (5:20-21). Clearly, we can never out-sin God’s grace. However, it is possible to taste of the freedom we have in Christ and decide to turn back to our old existence. A stubborn and callous spirit risks being unable to repent. Miller writes, “If God forgives me today I might as well do the same thing tomorrow, and have God forgive me tomorrow, and then the third day, and so on throughout my entire life. So Paul faces that question in chapter 6 with the exclamation ‘God forbid!'” (6). If our old man is crucified with Christ, then we have crucified our fleshly affections and lusts. When we accepted Christ as Savior, we chose to identify with Him in the crucifixion; our “sin body” was suddenly and abruptly terminated and made inoperative. In fact, Miller believes if we are born again and yet still practice our old habits and lusts, we “…have never died with Christ, have never made a complete surrender of self and sin to the will of God” (7).

Paul said, “We are crucified with Christ, in order that henceforth we should not do the things we have been doing, and serve the master we have been serving. Our affections and lusts are crucified.”

Paul presents the essence of carnality in Romans 7. The carnal Christian is predominantly self-centered. Moreover, carnality leads to spiritual impotency. He relates being bound to sin and flesh as long as we let the old nature persist. If we died with Christ (as in Paul’s example of a widower no longer married to his wife if she dies), then we are no longer “in relationship” with the old nature. Paul frequently uses the pronoun I in Romans 7, finally coming to the place where he is helpless: “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out” (7:15-18). This recitation describes the carnal Christian.

In verse 21, Paul says “So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.” The reason for this state of helplessness is the supremacy of sin. Carnality brings us to the point where sin once again becomes our master, dictating its orders to us in the flesh. Clearly, we have no choice in the matter while we walk in the flesh. Paul essentially says, “I find that sin dwelling in me is forcing me to do these things. It is not merely weakness, nor is it because I have no will power. It is because sin has supremacy in my life and has reduced me to slavery.” Our struggle in this matter is the same as Paul’s. We delight in doing what is right (obeying the Law). We know what is right. We love studying Scripture, attending church, and enjoy the fellowship of other believers. But while carnal we find another law warring against the Law within us. There is a solution: “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin” (7:24-25).

Faith, however, is a divine work in us. Luther said in his Commentary on Romans, “It changes us and makes us to be born anew of God; it kills the old Adam and makes altogether different men, in heart and spirit and mind… and it brings with it the Holy Ghost… faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that a man would stake his life on it a thousand times” (8). The believer who walks according to the “flesh,” as Luther describes it, is “…a man who lives and works, inwardly and outwardly, in the service of the flesh’s profit and of this temporal life.” In contrast, he says the man who walks in the spirit “…is the man who lives and works, inwardly and outwardly, in the service of the Spirit and the future life” (9). He writes in the general commentary, “The object of this Epistle is to destroy all wisdom and works of the flesh no matter how important these may appear in our eyes or those of others and no matter how sincere and earnest we might be in their use” (10). He concludes that we must dwell in a righteousness which in every way comes from outside of us, and is entirely foreign of us. This is the only means by which our hearts can be free and divested of our own attempts at righteousness. We can reach this level only through remaining humble, as if we are nothing of ourselves.

Steven Barto, B.S. Psy., M.A. Theo.

References

(1) Martin Luther, Weimar Edition of Martin Luther’s Works (Berlin, Germany: Phon Publishing, 2012), 183.
(2) Justo L Gonzalez, The Story of Christianity, Vol. II: The Reformation to the Present Day (New York, NY: HarperOne, 2010), 22.
(3) Ibid., 25.
(4) Finis Jennings Dake, Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible (Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Publishing Co., 2008), 211-12.
(5) D.W. Diehl, “Righteousness” in the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 3rd ed., Daniel J. Treier and Walter A. Elwell, editors (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2017), 755.
(6) C. Leslie Miller, Expository Studies on Romans (Cleveland, OH: Union Gospel Press, n.d.), 125.
(7) Ibid., 131.
(8) Martin Luther, Commentary on Romans (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1954), xvii.
(9) Ibid., xviii.
(10) Ibid., 28.