We’re born in bondage to sin and death. We naturally consider what tickles our fancy a friend. We live like God is our enemy. Paul tells us that’s exactly wrong. He describes it as a battle between our flesh and the Holy Spirit. The flesh is our tendency to seek our own pleasure in everything we do. We serve ourselves instead of God. The flesh pollutes what we think, feel, and do. We view life through “Me” colored glasses. It’s as natural as breathing. We don’t realize the fo

Apart from God’s law, we couldn’t recognize our neighbor’s sin! Meanwhile, our own sin is camouflaged. It blends into our chosen way of life. To others, however, it’s dressed in fluorescent orange. The law commands us not to covet (verse 7). It condemns cravings which trump God’s authority. They could include things like power, position, prosperity, sports, shopping, video games, etc. “But none of these things are really bad,” you say. True. Wealth, for example, isn’t bad. Bu

Imagine a husband who expects his wife to keep the house spotlessly clean. His demands are merciless. There’s no help. No allowance for sickness or failure. No praise or approval. The marriage is until death do them part. Similarly, God’s law reveals His perfect standards. It provides no means to meet them. Like a mirror, God’s law shows us our dirty face. It can’t clean it. Because we can’t measure up to its demanding standards, we’re under its condemnation. It requires abso

We’re slaves to what controls us. For many that’s things like drugs, alcohol, financial security, food, cell phones, video games, profane language, gambling, gossip, and pornography. Enslaving appetites can be lethal. Paul Harvey described how Eskimos kill wolves. They coat their knife blades with animal blood and let it freeze. They continually repeat the process. Then, they put the knife in the ground blade up. The wolves lick the blood on the knife. Their craving for blood

A boxer was late for everything. His mother said he’d be late for his funeral. He was. He missed the plane which crashed without survivors March 14, 1980. It was carrying the USA boxing team to Poland for a competition. In a spiritual sense, many of us Christians are late for our funeral. “Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death” (Romans 6:3, NIV). Those who were baptized into Christ’s death are identified with it. Tha

Pancreatic cancer’s symptoms don’t appear until the disease is very far along. Those afflicted with it initially feel fine, but they’re headed for premature death. Similarly, Adam’s sin in the garden of Eden brought death to mankind. Why do we die because of Adam’s sin? Paul doesn’t say we die because of our own acts of sin. We die because we’re part of humanity that Adam heads. God’s instructions to Adam were clear: “But you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of goo

Wars are bad. Unwinnable ones are worse. Unbelievers stubbornly hug the chains that bind them in their war against God. They’re losing. They think they’re winning. For example, their “freedom” to engage in sexual promiscuity leads to venereal diseases, AIDS, and unplanned pregnancies. Their lying renders them unable to believe others. Their addictions break their health and families. The casualty list is extensive. Jesus’ death made peace with God possible. There’s no sane re

Singing out of tune in North Carolina was once against the law. People once needed a doctor’s prescription to take a bath in Boston. These laws are funny and obsolete. Some people think the Old Testament laws are too. One thing hasn’t changed—in Old Testament times and today, faith remains the basis for right standing with God. Abraham did things he shouldn’t have. He had nothing to boast about before God (verse 2). No one does. We’ve also done things we shouldn’t have. We’ve

My eighth-grade history teacher asked a student a question. He couldn’t answer it. I raised my hand. I answered it correctly. Then I pointed to my head in braggadocio fashion. A few minutes later the teacher asked me a question. I didn’t know the answer. Then she pointed to her head—imitating my behavior moments earlier. That’s all I remember about her class. I deserved that! Boasting and earning God’s favor through performance are closely related. “Where, then, is boasting?

You don’t naturally furnish your own clothing. Reindeer and polar bears don’t need winter coats. You’re naturally as naked spiritually as you are physically. That’s what the greatest gift addresses. A just judge imposes due penalties for crimes. The penalty for sin is death (Romans 6:23). But grace and mercy are another dimension of God’s doing what’s just and right. God’s justice and grace kissed at the cross. There He judged sin. The Creator, not the criminals, paid the due

George MacLeod said, “The mystery of man is that he is bad when he wants to be good.”1 We’ve experienced the three-letter-word—sin. Paul argued that sin is everyone’s problem by stringing together scriptural beads from Psalms and Isaiah. No one measures up to God’s righteousness (verse 10). We’re as far from His perfection as a round of par golf is from a score of 18. A sheep in summer looks white. But not in winter when the background is new-fallen snow. If we compare oursel

You probably have significant religious advantages like the Jews Paul describes in Romans 2:17–3:8. You were born into a Christian family. You were taken to church from your earliest years. You know more about the Bible than the unchurched. You’ve spent countless hours in Sunday school and worship services. How has all that religious exposure made a difference in your life? The Jews made sure the externals of religion were in place. Meanwhile, their hearts smelled like week-o

Gifts to Prairie Bible Institute from a certain geographical area declined. It happened shortly after Dr. Maxwell, the school’s president, had two cataract operations. It seems a rumor started that Dr. Maxwell had two Cadillacs!1 God’s judgment never misses the mark. God judges judges (verses 1–3). Paul anticipated some in the church would agree with God’s condemning the slime-of-the-earth Gentiles. But Paul added that those who were judging the Gentiles were doing the same t

A five-year-old took a bathroom scale to show and tell. He said, “Standing on this makes my mom mad.” God’s wrath is His great displeasure with and resulting judgment on all who despise Him. There’s no excuse for despising God. His creation declares He’s powerful and worthy of worship. But people naturally put a lid on the truth. They want to live without restraint. When they reject what they know about God, they worship some aspect of creation. That’s idolatry because someth

Those who care most about what others think about them are the most easily embarrassed. They allow others’ reactions to define their self-worth. Increasing maturity helps you laugh at yourself and move away from that kind of unhealthy thinking. My sixth grade music teacher tried to persuade me to sing soprano in the chorus as I had in fifth grade. By sixth grade, I understood that girls sang soprano. I was embarrassed. I refused to participate. I was too concerned about what

For many years, I knew Jesus died for my sins. That knowledge didn’t change my life. The Epistle of Romans explains the gospel’s facts and implications. It reveals what to believe and how to live. It includes both grace and responsibility. In his letter, Paul called himself Jesus Christ’s servant. The punishment scars he bore in His service never diminished that obedience. Jesus was a descendent of David (1 Chronicles 17:11–12). The resurrection proved He was the powerful Mes

Do you believe God can use you? In the early 1970s, Blair Cook sat in a bar in State College, Pennsylvania, most weekend evenings. He was well-educated but had no time for Christianity. He was looking for a good time. That’s all. But he didn’t remain what he was. Neither should you. Become what you’re meant to be. Colossians 4:7–18 highlights people who were doing just that. Each began alienated from God and committed to self-will. They were dead in their sins and without God

How passionate are you about God and His church? Is church life boring? Life is exciting when you look for divine appointments. Prayer prepares you for those appointments. Being devoted to prayer includes being watchful and thankful (verse 2). Daily prayer is hard enough. At times I’ve been too busy to pray. I felt like I needed to do something. I forgot that prayer is doing something. Persevering prayer is difficult. The devil fights it. Your sinful nature resists it. The wo

Christianity that works, works at home. Relationships reveal its strengths and weaknesses. Like oil, God’s ways reduce relational friction when individuals carry out their assigned roles. A wife isn’t a slave. It’s true that Colossians 3:18 tells her to submit to her husband. She puts herself under his leadership. She’s open, listens, and gives herself to meet his needs. She’s receptive to his values and vision. Yet, she’s in no way inferior to him. In a Christian marriage, C

If someone observed you secretly for a week, would they suspect you’re a Christian? More and more, your behavior can match your profession as you continue to put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Putting on Jesus Christ means yielding to Him. In time, you become more like Him. You become more compassionate. You feel more deeply for and reach out to the needy. You become more kind. You do what’s best for others. You become more humble. You think truly of yourself—not less or more. You