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So I arrived here Monday evening. I bumped in Russel Evans at the airport before meeting Bret in the car park for a 2 and a bit hour trip to our (his) home in Matamata. The ride in was filled with general conversation – what’s been happening – what’s going to happen – why aren’t I married yet… love, love, loved it 
.
We arrived in Matamata just in time for dinner and I was met at the door by Bret’s wife Heidi and my good friend Katie Waa… I was shown to my room where I found a bed full of goodies and surprises to make the trip ‘special’ – and I can tell you A LOT of thought went into the little things those 2 ladies made me… .
I haven’t ‘done’ a whole lot yet – there is 400 kids playing just outside my window on a sports camp – so I have gotten involved a little with chores around the campsite to make things easier… I shared at staff study last night but don’t have any more ministry untill the leadership weekend starts on Friday…
Tonight though *big grins* I am heading into Hamilton… Catching up with my good friend Ben for coffee and then dinner with 2 young people who moved over here from my youth group in Melbourne… love. it. I need to mention Courtney in here as well because if I don’t I’m likely risky severe punishment maybe even certain death… *waves at Courtney*
I have to also add that I am honestly impressed with myself having posted through Romans EVERY DAY… I didn’t think I’d be disciplined enough to do it… Not sure yet what book I will read next (leaning towards Second Peter) and I’m also not sure if I will continue posting my thoughts as a journey through the bible chapter by chapter – thoughts and suggestions appreciated .
Romans 16 is what I call a ‘P.S.’ chapter… Paul, it would seem, officially signed off on his letter at the end of the last chapter when he finishes with the word – Amen. And while this chapter is no less important than any other Paul does what to make it clear that the main content of his letter is finished and these are some after thoughts… some house keeping even…
Paul wants to remind them (it seems to me) of the wider community of the church world-wide… At that time churches met in smaller groups in houses around the cities – not in large congregations like we see today… and in that setting it can be easy to see the church as small and insular… But by signing off with the mentions of people from all over the world the church gets a reminder of just how big the whole movement is… and I can imagine those moments being exciting for a church forced to meet underground…
I think it’s important for us to remember our brothers and sister’s in Christ also… in the church next door and even the churches over seas… God is doing a mighty work – and if we consider our church as the length and breadth of his Kingdom we are selling both Him and us short… when was the last time you spent time with Christians outside of your regular community??
Think about that this week .
See you soon… Ak.
As Paul’s letter to the Romans begins to draw to an end he wants to make sure they understand 3 things:
Thing one: (I’ve always wanted to call a point a ‘thing’ haha) – You are good: “I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.”
Paul, who has been exceptionally blunt throughout his letter to the Romans wants them to know he recognizes that they are doing well. He doesn’t want to leave them with a sense of dissatisfaction – but a sense that they have indeed pleased Paul and indeed pleased God…
Thing 2 – But I’m holding you accountable: “I have written you quite boldly on some points, as if to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me” It really could almost be a continuation of point 1… But it answers the question ‘why?’
Okay Paul – you say were good people then why the barrage?? Paul tells them here that it was about accountability – He wanted to remind them of whats important, remind them of what to focus on, remind them of the relationship between Jews and Gentiles… not because they didn’t already get it but because everyone needs accountability… a little reminder or refocus…
Aaaaand thing 3 – Look after me when I come: “But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to see you, I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to visit you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while.”
It was obviously encouraging for any church to know that one of the apostles was coming to visit… Paul wanted Rome to know that he was (eventually) on his way… But this was just as much about respite for Paul as it was encouraging for the church – Paul was Roman citizen and quite frankly was looking forward to spending some time at home… “Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there, so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed.”
Perhaps as a person in ministry these 3 points are something you need to read right now – if they are I hope God reveals what he needs to.
much love (ps NZ is warmer than Melbourne *grins*)
Ak
This is an awkward piece to write… not because it has any ‘special’ significance… but because airports are not conducive to sitting and typing… lol…
Romans 14 is a fairly well-known passage – a lot of people who quote it might not know that they are quoting from Romans 14 but they are quoting it none the less .
And generally more than all the other verses it is verse 21 that gets the biggest mention… “It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.”
But what exactly is the significance?
Paul is clearly trying to settle a dispute in this part of Romans… or at least clear the air on what was an obviously contentious issue for the church at the time… As both Jews and Gentiles learnt what it meant to do church together (for the first time EVER) there was obvious culture clashes… this is normal and expected…
Paul begins to unpack the questions that each demographic has around food and alcohol – providing room for both beliefs within the Kingdom of God… His prefix, of course, is that whatever your stance IT MUST come from faith…
I remember having discussions with my old leadership team about the issue of drinking alcohol as a youth leader… I am against the idea… Biblically I take verse 21 of this chapter very seriously… and I take it seriously because in a practical sense alcohol amongst our young people is as big an issue as anything else they face… it is simply out of control… If that isn’t enough reason to take verse 21 seriously then nothing is… lol.
The team had to ‘umm’ and ‘ahh’ about it for months – one of them even took a stand for a year before going back on it… and this it would seem is something that Paul is more than nervous about…
In verse 22 and 23 he brings it back to the question of faith… and he defines for us what it is:
“So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.”
I guess if your thinking about whether you should drink or not… you really shouldn’t…
sorry if this is rushed… and sorry if it comes of brash… my plane boards in 5 minutes… eeeeeeeeeeeek.
bye.
Ak.
Here is something I wrote last year whilst sitting in the exact same seat I’m in now… hope it makes sense .
2 in one day. I know for some of you the decision has already been made not to read any more of these (elliot, trish). haha. others, perhaps the thoughts I share and the journey we go through these emails will encourage you or challenge you – I hope so.
The setting I find myself in has become all too familiar… I have a system now with check in and departure lounge – I know where all the power points are too – it means I can plug-in my laptop one last time before flying out.
This time – the same as every other – I have a HOT Hudson’s coffee on the chair next to me – I stop typing only to take another sip. My iPod is on shuffle (xavier rudd atm), my phone is already turned off and I’ve made all the last-minute purchases I need for the trip.
Maybe it’s sad – the fact that this has become natural – were we ever supposed to have a routine for this kind of thing? There is definitely something not right about this experience… but it has little to do with the regularity with which I find myself here…
Whats sad, for me, is that I feel like im always here on my own… and please before you switch off assuming this is a plea for friends or for fellowship – read on – you may be surprised… It’s not about needing friends, or about having a companion – in fact I would do this trip 100 times over and not regret it… (song change: between the trees)
It’s about balance – here I share a lounge with 100 other people – honeymoons, holidays, business trips… I often wonder where are our missionaries – why don’t we have people leaving abroad to serve God and serve people more often? I wonder how many other christians will feel this same way in this same lounge next week as they embark on a journey of their own…
Me (song change: death cab), I long for a world where we line up for trips like this one – even if we all go on our own – just to know that we are all doing this – that we are all fighting to share hope and truth with a broken and often forgotten world. There are 2,000,000 church goers in Australia – but how many of us are mission goers?
I am – and i always will be – bring on the familiar check ins and the routine departure lounge, bring it on indeed. Perhaps i will see some of you here with me one day . (song change: colbie calait)
adam
Haha. So the day after voting in our federal election I open my bible to read Romans 13… and after reading it and considering it there isn’t anything spectacular that jumps out and hits me in the face… That leads me to 2 conclusions: 1 – I’m an Arminian and a Pentecostal therefore not ‘Christian’ enough to hear what God is saying… or 2 – It really is just one of those strange coincidences – proof that God indeed does have a sense of humour.
I will say, before going any further, that reading through Romans like this has been great – and whether or not I post through the next book on my blog I will probably read through it and study through it the same way…
So, what’s the big coincidence?
Romans 13:1-7 reads: “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full-time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.”
I figure this is as good a time as any to tell you my thoughts on Politics…
Thought 1: The Chasers probably summed it up best last week when they wrote a song called ‘They’re all ****ed’
Now while I don’t condone bad language – It probably sums up exactly how I feel… lol… That is that all parties have policies that do not line up with scripture… that makes voting as a christian very difficult.
Thought 2: If you can’t live to the proposed policies of your preferred party – don’t vote for them… lol
So many people vote for parties who make completely unsustainable promises… Before falling for the nonsense spend a month seeing if it is possible for you to live the way they are suggesting… If you can’t do it – why would you vote for it?
Thought 3: God will grant you the desires of your heart.
And it’s this point that, in the light of Romans 13, I want to unpack… briefly… hahaha…
Often people think that when God says that He will grant the desires of our heart that He is only talking about the ‘good things.’ I remember working with a girl who went for a job interview for a full-time job waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay outside the area of her giftings… (imagine me auditioning for Australian Idol… lol)… I asked her about it and she said she was praying about it and that if the door opened and she got offered the job then she would know that God wanted her to have it… because God will grant the desires of our heart…
BUT unfortunately the truth is God is willing to grant us the evil or unnatural desires of our heart also… I don’t even have to go outside of Romans to read about it… “Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts” and “Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts” and again “Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.”
And if we look through the OT we see plenty of examples of God allowing people who he knew would be bad leaders for Israel to lead because that is what the people wanted…
All that being said: We need to be extremely careful who we vote for and why… Because God will give us the leader that we want… not that leader that he wants… and when he does he expects us to honour them and follow them – even if we realize that we don’t agree with them… If your bible wasn’t open when trying to decide who to vote for – you might want to start opening it now for next time 
…
Ak
Romans 12 is one of the most important chapters in the bible when it comes to understanding ‘church’. Let me explain why…
It starts by looking at the foundational responsibility of the individual to himself:
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind”
I think it’s (obviously) important that before anything else we know where we stand before God… I remember working for a church that were kind enough to give me a group of leaders when I started… Most of these guys were not ready for leadership – and it came from the their foundational response to the gospel… I remember being told that its important to ‘work with who you’ve got’ and ‘work with people where they are at.’ But in a leadership role I disagree… Christian leadership should never be a ‘promotion’, should never be a ‘stop-gap’ and should never be a ‘logical next step.’ It shouldn’t be something people ‘graduate’ into because of age… God set a standard and he expects us to rise to it… Leadership shouldn’t be any different… Leadership should be matured into – and that passage in Romans 12 is the perfect place to start when asking the question ‘how?’
The responsibility of the individual to the church body:
“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”
Without going into too much (or any – lol) depth here, the keys to this thought are humility and unity. One of the deadliest things to any church culture is gossip – and gossip is born out of a lack of those two qualities…
The responsibility of the church to the individual:
“We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.”
There are plenty of passages in the NT that talk about ‘gifts’ or ‘talents’ – and exactly what they are is irrelevant to this point. The point that needs to be made here is two-fold: Firstly, allow people to function as God has intended them… And secondly, challenge people to function as God has intended them…
You need to create an environment where there are ‘spaces’ for people to step-up and serve in a capacity that is biblical… and having done that if those gaps remain then you need to challenge the appropriate individuals to step-up and fill them… And honestly – it’s usually simple: If you have a disorganized environment, you forget appointments, you can’t use a diary, your spelling isn’t great (like me) THEN DON’T GET INTO ADMIN… If your voice is less than average and, your ability to read music lacking (also like me) THEN DONT TRY AND STEP INTO WORSHIP LEADING…
The responsibility of the individual to others:
“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”says the Lord. On the contrary:
”If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
It is summed up by the ‘sub-heading’ in one word… love…
The bible tell’s us that ‘if we have not love we are nothing but a clanging Gong and a noisy cymbal.’ It says that ‘If I have not love I am nothing.’
Love (in either discipline or compassion) should be our primary… no, our only response.
thanks and bye
Ak
I love verses that remind us of how BIG God really is… Dont get me wrong – they do hurt… lol… But that reminder is eternally important in our relationship with God.
So much emphasis is put on how lovely God is – and it’s true – God is love… God does desire a relationship with all of us… John 17: 18 – 23 says: “I am also praying for all those who will believe in me because of their teaching. Father, I pray that they can be one. As you are in me and I am in you, I pray that they can also be one in us. Then the world will believe that you sent me. I have given these people the glory that you gave me so that they can be one, just as you and I are one. I will be in them and you will be in me so that they will be completely one. Then the world will know that you sent me and that you loved them just as much as you loved me.”
But I also urge everyone to understand that God’s nature is so much bigger than just ‘lovely’ – If you havent read Job, read it. And If you haven’t read Romans 11:33-36, read that too:
“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
“Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?”
“Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay him?”
For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.”
Perhaps one of the most profound passages of scripture can be found in proverbs, it says: ‘The fear of the Lord is the beginning of Wisdom…’
Now, I don’t believe that we are meant to be scared in the same way that people are scared of spiders… or heights… It implies more of a respect and a reverence… God is our friend… But he is also the King… And that can never be lost…
Another short one – see I’m not so bad
Adam
Hello again .
Yesterdays post was bigger than I intended……………. sorry… actually I probably could have gone on for hours – lol – but my head was hurting so I stopped. hahaha.
Romans 10 always reads like a breath of fresh air to me… I’m a missionary so anything that talks about our responsibility to ‘go’ is automatically one of my favourite verses…. hahahaha… and Romans 10 is all. about. go.
I want you to read Roman 10:12 – 15: “For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’”
Really read it. Because biblically our response to the gospel needs to be both personal and missional… Mission was never assigned to a department in a church… rather it is an expectation that God has on everyone who accepts Him as their saviour…
short as promised .
Adam
So this is probably seen as the top of the ‘Calvinistic’ iceberg… And it is an incredibly complex passage – it certainly (if nothing else) raises a heck of a lot of questions… As I have said to people in that past – I understand why the idea of ‘unconditional election’ get’s serious consideration… It’s just I personally don’t think it’s correct………………….. 1 of 3 things is (probably) about to happen. Firstly, you could have no idea what predestination or unconditional election is… 2 – you’re a Calvinist and your frustrated at how anyone could read Romans 9 and not be convinced… or 3 – you’re not a Calvinist but you certainly want some more understanding around this chapter.
This chapter is one I have looked forward to as much as I have not – It is an incredibly complex passage to even begin to try to understand… and honestly, the issue of whether God predestines’ or God does not is an issue that has been debated for hundreds of years… without resolve… I don’t consider for a second that my own thought’s will change that. But let me try to explain to all 3 groups I mentioned before why I believe what I believe.
So you don’t know what it is:
That’s okay – a lot of people don’t know what it is… The idea is probably best summed up by the founder of this theology, Calvin: “By predestination we mean the eternal decree of God, by which he determined with himself whatever he wished to happen with regard to every man. All are not created on equal terms, but some are preordained to eternal life, others to eternal damnation.”
The thought is that God has decided before the world began who would be saved and who wouldn’t… That nothing we can do will ever change our fate because at the end of the day we (as humans) are so totally depraved that we don’t have the capacity within ourselves to choose God. Therefore, God chooses us…. well, some of us…
So you cant understand my view:
Also okay … I am a choleric and am quite used to ticking people off – just ask my old church…………. *awkward silence*
Firstly, my conviction is that God has a love that is inclusive and not exclusive… However, this particular chapter does challenge that thought in verse 13: ‘Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”‘ (I knew you were gonna raise it so raised it first :p)
What we know about this verse is that Paul is quoting OT – because he starts with ‘it is written’ – so the first thing is always to do is go back and read the original passage/s… And this one can be found in Malachi – not referencing the literal people rather referencing nations… Malachi interchanges Esau and Edom and we read that while Israel is promised the Messiah Edom/Esau is turned into a wasteland…
And honestly while there are a handful of passages and verses that I can see make a genuine case for predestination I find dozens of verses that point to a god who’s love is inclusive… we don’t even need to look past the very famous John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”
The other mention here that seems of particular note is the mention to Pharoah – the bible clearly says that God hardened Pharoah’s heart – and Romans 9 touches on that passage – Honestly, that truth gets quoted to me as proof of Calvinism by more people than any other passage or thought in the bible… So let me address it from my point of view:
Firstly, It wasn’t ever a reference to Pharoah’s salvation…
Secondly, It’s important to note that when the Bible says “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth” It is actually a more accurate translation to read it saying ‘ I spared you’ rather than ‘I raised you up.’ Although subtle the difference clearly shows that God simply did not destroy him sooner in order that his name might be proclaimed amongst all the earth…
And thirdly, The word harden (used a number of times throughout this story) has 3 different translations… This one also is probably better translated to ‘stiffen’ – That God exaggerated his already self hardened heart…
My biggest struggle with the idea of predestination is that if God predestined some to death and some to life – then we are all already following God’s will… and if we are all indeed following God’s will and plan for our life why are some suffering?
And of course I know that right on the tip of your tongue is vv 19 – 21: “One of you will say to me: “Then why does God still blame us? For who resists his will?” But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’ “Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?”
Seems pretty damning… lol…
What I find often gets neglected in expository investigation is the question of audience… who (exactly) was the writer trying to talk to and what exactly were they trying to say… Because that meaning cannot and should not ever change… To answer that question I have to remember that the bible was not written by chapter and verse… rather as singular complete passages – chapters and verses were added much later for ease of referencing… and a great addition I might add. But the draw back is we rely on small passages of scripture to try to find truth or back up thoughts… Thus far, all of Romans has had a 2 fold focus – Firstly, the struggle to reconcile both Jews and Gentiles to the Gospel and secondly the struggle to reconcile both faith and works to salvation… Paul gives us no indication that the topic of conversation has changed – in fact quite the opposite it would seem (based on how the chapter starts) that it is in fact a continuation of those same thoughts…
That being said: What do I think Paul is saying?
I believe Paul is still trying to encourage his audience into understanding how both Jews and Gentiles, both faith and works FIT into a relationship with God… and as I mentioned in previous chapters this was a hard conversation for Jews to hear… for 2 reasons… 1 – Since the dawn of time only they were seen as God’s chosen people and 2 since Moses their faith seemed to be entirely based on works… Now they are being told that that is not enough??? The Question (I think) that is really being asked here is one being asked by the Jewish people – God, I’ve done this ‘thing’ exactly how I was taught… exactly how your scriptures commanded my ancestors to live – why is that not enough?? Haven’t I done everything you originally willed for me?
I believe that God doesn’t will anyone to damnation… In fact I believe It is his desire that we all might come to know him…
Ezekiel 18:23 and 32 sums it up best…
“Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?”
“For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!”
So, what do I believe this chapter is actually saying:
Simple – You don’t get to negotiate with God on who get’s into heaven and who doesn’t… You no longer (as Jews) have the right to decide who get’s to serve in certain capacities and who doesn’t – God, who is sovereign has made his salvation available to all people – get used to it or accept. your. own. fate…
Cheers
Ak
And this is where the party starts… Paul has just unpacked (in-depth) how depraved we all are and how difficult this life is… and then he hits us with this: “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”
And this “What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
This “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand this “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
It’s an absolute celebration. A toast to victory. A reminder that not all is lost… that in fact as a result of the sacrifice of Jesus all has been gained.
Awesome. But perhaps the theme I like the most (at least at the moment… hahaha) is the idea of hope. Paul talks about it in this chapter a couple of times… and from a couple of different angles… Firstly, Paul reminds us that all of creation hopes for the redemptive plan of God to be complete… In verses 20 – 22 it says: “For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.”
Im sure greenie’s LOVE that passage – hahahaha - and whether you believe in ‘Global Warming’ or not you don’t have to look far to see the effects of a ‘creation that has been groaning’ – On Land, in sea… or even in the atmosphere.
The second focus of hope for Paul is the hope of God’s most beautiful creation… us. And we read about it in verses 23 – 25: “Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”
In this passage Paul is talking about the Kingdom that has ‘not yet’ come. Sure, we see evidences of the coming of God’s Kingdom everywhere… But here Paul reminds us to hope for the Kingdom that ‘we do not yet have.’
Yes church. God has saved us. Yes, his Kingdom has authority here on earth. Yes, we see his redemptive work in us already. But church – there is work yet to come and having been assured of our own salvation that is where the focus of our hope needs to be…
And perhaps it’s time our churches shifted our hope in the same way……………………….
Ak
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