[God's words] are all straight to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge.

Proverbs 8

[God's words] are all straight to him who understands, and right to those who find knowledge. Proverbs 8:9

I completed my study of Proverbs for the week, where I examined chapter 8. Today, the commentary focuses on how chapter 8:

•  portrays "wisdom [as]...integrally present at creation...[and how it] points to the eternal Son of God"
•  describes wisdom, and thereby Jesus Christ, as "the way to life...and to miss her is to love death" (v35-36)
• describes wisdom and how "God wove wisdom into the created order so that it would function as coherent system...those who submit to God and His ways-the wise-are able to participate in the rationality at the heart of created things" (v9)

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are a great God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - You provide Your Words - wisdom - and You give me ears to hear and eyes to see so that I can understand and have life. Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of Your Word.  It is more valuable than silver and gold.  Again I am not deserving.  My sin is great and it continues.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.

Romans 5:12-21

 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. Romans 5:18-19

This morning, I continued my study of Romans.  Using my commentary - Exalting Jesus in Romans (eBook) - I moved on to chapter seven Christ's Triumph Over Sin and Death, which covers Romans 5:12-21.  My focus today is Romans 5:15-19 which my commentary refers to as The Contrasts. Here we see Paul focusing not so much on how Adam was a "type of man" like Jesus (see v14 and yesterday's post) but instead on how Adam brought sin and condemnation and how Jesus brought life - hence contrasts. 

In showing such contrasts, my commentary starts by pointing out how in v15 and again in v17 the use of the words "much more" - indicating the use of such words describes the supremacy of Jesus vs Adam in how both are not equal in power. "In Jesus Christ, believers have gained much more than they ever lost in Adam."  My commentary describes the contrasts four ways:

1. trespass and gift (v15)
2. condemnation and justification (v16)
3. death and life (v17)
4. disobedience and obedience (v18-19)

Regarding #1, my commentary wants us to see how "gift" or "grace" appears eight times in v15-17 underscoring how we should never forget how we are undeserving of our salvation and that we should be humbled and have a heart of gratitude and worship. We are also encouraged to understand the value of the gift: "Paul is painting a dark picture of sin so that the good news of Christ will shine.  It is like what a jeweler may do when putting a diamond on a black cloth, so as to make the diamond sparkle." 

Regarding #2 we are to realize and walk the walk of our new identity as justified people and to build our lives on obedience to Christ. 

Regarding #3 we are to realize how we do not receive the gift of Christ automatically we must confess and believe in Christ. 

Regarding #4, my commentary leans on Tim Keller who wants us to see the importance of Jesus' obedience - his entire life - is a matter of life and death for believers 'because that obedience is our obedience, if we are in Christ instead of Adam.' The commentary goes on to state that "[s]o we have the whole biblical story line in this passage." We are encouraged to look at and reference 1 Corinthians 15:45-49 where Paul describes the superiority of Jesus vs Adam and how we have this hope of "being united in Christ."

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who led of life of obedience so that I could have life - to the full now and for eternity in Heaven!  What an amazing act of grace and it is the greatest gift of all time.  I am undeserving.  I am full of anger and worry and other sins...which I am guilty of daily!  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

The life of every creature and the breath of all people are in God’s hand.

Chapter 24: Pages 333-347

The life of every creature and the breath of all people are in God’s hand. Job 12:10

This afternoon, I continued John Piper's book Providence (purchased from Amazon Kindle Store) and started Part 3 "The Nature and Extent of Providence", moving to Section 5 "Providence Over Life and Death" - moving to chapter twenty-four "The Lord Has Taken Away; Blessed Be the Name of the Lord".

In the previous chapter, Piper explore primarily God's providence over birth and in this chapter, he explores God's providence over all life and death, stating right away that although "physical and satanic causes of death are real.  But they are not ultimate or decisive [God is however]."  

Using the Declaration of Independence as an example, Piper makes a distinction between rights to life in relation to other people and those in relation to God.  Piper writes that, Biblically, we don't an "unalienable" right to life.  We do have one in relation to other humans who are not allowed to take our life (as directed by God by the way in Exodus 20:13).  But we DON'T have such a right in relation to God as "God has absolute rights over our lives.  He gives and takes life according to the principle Jesus laid down in Matthew 20:15[.]" See also Job 41:11, Psalm 24:1, Acts 17:25, Ecclesiastes 12:7, Isaiah 57:16, Zechariah 12:1, and Job 12:10, 33:4.  Piper sums it up: "[t]herefore, since life belongs to God, and we have it only as a stewardship to be used while he pleases for his glory, God may take it at any time and in any way he pleases, as he acts in the fullness of his wisdom and goodness and justice."

Since the Fall (Genesis 2-3), when death entered the world, according to Piper, "every human being is under the condemnation of death." Piper uses several significant judgements, including the Great Flood (Genesis 6), the firstborn taken in the Passover (Exodus 11-12), Israel's defeat of the Canaanite nations (including 185,000 Assyrians in a single blow), and not alarmingly given the depth of Israel's sin - Israelites themselves, to show death is the result of God's judgement and His purposes.  We are reminded that even the sinful actions of Pilate and Herod (Acts 4:27:28) are an example of how God uses the sinful actions of humans to accomplish His good purposes.   

Comment and discuss this post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and I know You both created my life and hold it in Your hands - I am deserving of death due to my sins, yet You are full of mercy and compassion that knows no bounds.  Thank You Jesus!  Yet I know I am undeserving.  I focus on my self and neglect Your praise and glory!  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.