On this first day of Lent, I’m happy again to post this painting by my dad, which he’s entitled:
Matthew 7:14 “…the way is narrow that leads to life…” Ash Wednesday to Good Friday to Easter
What images in it speak to you? What do you see? What might God be saying to you through it?
For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. Romans 8:18–30 (NIV)
In my twenties, I experienced a crash in my faith when I suffered several big disappointments, including a failed romance and the falling through of new job in a new city. In the midst of the aftermath of my shattered hopes and dreams, a friend prayed for me. She knew that I was low on hope, and mentioned in her prayers Proverbs 13:12: “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” The simple fact of being able to name my heart-sickness from my deferred hope actually gave me hope, for I realized that the longings I harbored might one day come true. Which was the case – some decades later!
Paul continues to tell the church at Rome about the picture of the new life in Christ, one in which Christians are defined by hope. Though we suffer and though we fail, we long and hope for God’s coming in our lives – now and in the age to come. And we see in verse 26 how God through his Spirit yearns with us – when we pray, we are joined by the Spirit, who intercedes for God’s people according to God’s will. What a winning combination that is!
During that crash of faith, I found my stores of hope were sorely depleted but were never completely empty. I knew that the Lord had the power to change me and to alter my circumstances, even if I didn’t know how or when that would happen. Having a friend pray with me lifted me out of my troubles and helped me to sense that God loved me and hadn’t abandoned me. I was given the gift of being able to hope once again.
Prayer: Father God, when we lose hope, please send us the Scripture, song or friend we need that we may trust in you again. And may we be those who bring this hope to others.
Great art is that which is shaped and honed, which is why I enjoy sharing this study of my dad’s. Sketched on cardboard (I believe), it feels like a work before a work. A draft that’s necessary before the next stage. It’s a behind-the-scenes glimpse at what my dad puts into his painting.
Do you feel unfinished, as if you’re in a draft stage?
For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin – because anyone who has died has been set free from sin. Romans 6:1–23 (NIV)
The apostle Paul speaks often in his letters about the old self and the new self, as we see here in Romans. It’s not surprising, for his conversion was so radical – one day he was persecuting the new church to the point of death, and the next he was blinded while traveling to Damascus as he encountered the risen Jesus. He turned from a murderous antagonist to the gospel to one of its biggest proponents.
Paul tells the Roman church that no longer do they need to be slaves to their old life of sin, but now, empowered by the Holy Spirit, they can live out of the new self. No longer do they have to be at the mercy of sin and wickedness, for they live united with the resurrected Jesus.
We might read this and lose heart, thinking that we never will win the battle with the besetting sin we face, whatever it may be. But God transforms our character day by day as we seek to live for him, and often we may not even be aware of the subtle changes that are happening within us. For example, I remember years ago in my weekly small group when we each named how we noticed God working in and through the members of the group. I was surprised and heartened to hear some of the lovely things people said about everyone.
We can be encouraged to know that no longer are we tied to the things of sin, but that Jesus dwelling within us makes all things new. We who have been baptized into Christ Jesus live a new life.
For reflection: “You were taught … to put off your old self … to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness” (Ephesians 4:22–24, abridged).
The sunrises have been beautiful lately. Not to the level of my dad’s painting, but lovely nonetheless with pinks and oranges spreading across the sky. I love to pause and take a moment to soak in God’s creation and his beauty, especially when the sky is painted with his glory.
Today, keep aware for moments of unexpected beauty, and see them as God’s loving gift to you.
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Romans 5:1–11 (NIV)
“Therefore.” Paul uses this word in his letters to signify a change or a climax or a conclusion. Here in the letter to the Romans, he uses it to signal that he’s moving from his discussion of how people find redemption through Jesus to the benefits of living as those who are transformed and redeemed. We who have “peace with God” now can “boast in the hope” of God’s glory – our salvation is assured and we are free to embrace life empowered by God’s Spirit living within us. No longer do we need to be shackled to the ways of sin. And all of this through Christ’s death – he who died not only for good people, but for the ungodly.
We hold onto the hope of glory, which helps us when we suffer and things go wrong. Because we live in a fallen world which is not as God intended it, we experience pain and the death of loved ones and disease and betrayal and so on. The Lord redeems our pain, and through our suffering we learn to persevere, our character is strengthened, and we find hope that does not disappoint.
And yet sometimes some Christians seem to put such a positive spin on suffering or pain that they almost seem to welcome it. Yet how can we rejoice in cancer or heartache or any of the horrible things we experience and witness on a regular basis? I believe the Lord doesn’t send these things to us, but when they happen in this fallen world, he’s right there with us, holding us and helping us.
Today, know the assurance of the Lord that he will never leave you and that through Jesus’ sacrifice you are his redeemed one whom he loves.
For reflection: “Even though I walk through the darkest valley,I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4).
This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3:21–31 (NIV)
In the sixteenth century, Martin Luther read the book of Romans again and again in his quest to understand God’s grace and the role of our works in the role of our redemption. In the margin of his Bible he wrote that this passage was “the chief point, and the very central place of the Epistle, and of the whole Bible.” We might disagree that this section is the very most important part of the Bible, but I think we can agree that from it we can learn so much.
We encounter here the central themes of God’s plan of salvation (and do read the full section if you have time) – that God sees us as righteous through Jesus Christ, that we all have sinned and done wrong, that Jesus atones for this wrongdoing through his blood shed on the cross. To use more technical language, we are justified by faith in Jesus. That simply means we have been set free from the consequences of our sin – in the kingdom of God on earth and in heaven.
The gospel is a wonderful leveler, for as Paul says we all fall short of God’s glory – we all need Jesus to save us. We cannot think ourselves superior to our family or neighbors, for we know that our hearts can lead us to temptation and sin just as much as the person we see caught in a cycle of destruction. We’re led not to pride but to thanksgiving for the amazing way God sets us free – and we want to share this good news with others.
Read through the passage again if you can, and try to put it into your own words. Maybe you’ll encounter someone today who needs to hear of God’s love for them.
Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ, I think about your sacrifice of love and mercy on the cross and I am profoundly grateful. May your love mark my going-out and coming-in this day.
I was a commissioning editor at HarperCollins UK at the turn of the millennium when I was given the delightful job of working with Michael Green. It was Graham Tomlin, who was then at Wycliffe Hall with Michael, who spurred him on to pen his reflections over what was then fifty years of ministry. Michael came into the offices in Central London, his twinkling eyes and cheery disposition shining. We hit it off, and I was so delighted to have the honour of helping him shape his memoirs.
Adventure of Faith is a rich romp through fifty years of God’s faithfulness to Michael and Rosemary. He shares wonderful stories of being at the right place at the right time – such as how he published The Truth of God Incarnate, a response to the shocking The Myth of God Incarnate in a mere 6 weeks! Or how he and Rosemary followed God’s call to the frozen north of Canada, what he called his adopted country, or later to help pastor a church in North Carolina. Of preaching on the streets and engaging in academia. Of writing book after book during a heyday of Christian publishing. Edward England was the visionary publisher at Hodder then, and he and Michael produced many a work that equipped Christians in being faithful disciples of Christ.
Often when I’m preparing a chicken I think of Michael – strange, but sometimes those seemingly little actions can communicate volumes. Mark Greene tells the story of Michael coming to dinner with his parents. They were struck by the care that Michael took in carving the chicken and remarked over it, to which he replied something along the lines of, this chicken gave its life for us; shouldn’t we be grateful and respect it?
Rest in peace and rise in glory, friend.
My dad has titled this watercolor, “Storm Arriving.” Often we can see a storm rolling in, especially for those living on an island, the clouds taking shape or the dark descending like a blanket.
In life too we sense storms arriving. The concerning lumps and bumps or the worrying images on a scan. The telephone call from loved ones far away, their voices cracking with unwelcome news. The notice of necessary repairs, depleting our bank balances. The disappointments; the betrayals; the relationships that drain.
Jesus told us that in this life we will face troubles. The storm clouds will descend at one point or another. But God through his Son and Spirit promises to be with us, and to comfort us: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). This comfort comes via trials we’d rather not experience, from dark times when the light seems illusive.
How have you felt attended to in times of crisis and disappointment?
Whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law… Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. Romans 3:9–20 (NIV)
As we saw last week, Paul writes to the Jewish and Gentile Christians in Rome with his radical message of God’s saving plan. No matter what our racial heritage, we all fall under the curse of sin. As Paul says, God’s law reveals our sinful hearts and actions, and we don’t find freedom and grace through observing the law. Rather it shows us how we fall short of God and his standards – and thus how we need a Savior.
We so-called New Testament Christians can misunderstand God’s law, thinking of it as commandments and strictures that the Lord gave in the Old Testament to keep his people in line. But God’s people saw it as a source of life and joy and hope, for through it they found guidance for living life to the full. As the Psalmist cried out, “Oh, how I love your law! I meditate on it all day long” (Psalm 119:97).
I made this mistake when I was writing my BRF Lent book The Living Cross, and was gently corrected by the wonderful writer Michele Guinness, who combines her Jewish roots with her vibrant Christian faith. She showed me how Jesus relieves us from the curse of our sin, not from the law. After all, in Jesus’ greatest commandment, he quotes from the law that God’s people love the Lord with all of their heart, soul and strength (see Mark 12:29–30, in which Jesus references Deuteronomy 6:4–5).
I’m grateful for Michele elucidating this for me, for I’m reminded that the depth of God’s wisdom is so great that we will keep discovering it to be a well of living water that cleanses and fortifies us. The law brings life!
Prayer: Father God, your words help us to walk in your way, and your Spirit leads us into all truth. Show me today how I can follow your life-giving law, that I might be your ambassador of love and peace.