Category: Digging in Deeper

Digging in Deeper: Romans 8:28

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“We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

There are some verses in the Bible that just lend themselves to bumper stickers and cheap, Christian-themed wall art from places like Hobby Lobby. The promise they seem to make or the encouragement they seem to offer is so good that even the least cynical person almost can’t help but wonder if it’s too good to be true. Regular skeptics immediately start thinking of all the obvious exceptions and counterexamples to show why it’s not, and therefore why none of the Bible can be trusted. This is one of those verses. Let’s talk about what Paul is saying here, what exactly he means by it, and why it’s such good news.

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Digging in Deeper: Romans 8:26-27

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“In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

One of the most basic and essential spiritual disciplines that followers of Jesus need to be regularly practicing if they want to grow in their faith is prayer. Prayer is something most everybody intuitively understands, and which the vast majority of the population reports doing on at least an occasional basis, but how exactly does it work? Let’s talk about the discipline of prayer, what it really should be, and why it can be such an effective faith-growing tool.

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Digging in Deeper: Romans 8:24-25

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“Now in this hope we were saved, but hope  that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? Now if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Faith is a word that is essentially connected with the message of the Gospel that can be hard for someone who has not yet embraced it to understand. The nature of Gospel faith is often misunderstood—including by Jesus’ own followers. Another Gospel concept that can be similarly challenging to wrap our minds around is the word hope. Gospel hope is often mischaracterized as little more than wishful thinking. Yet that falls woefully short of what it actually is. Let’s talk a bit about hope, why it is so essential to the Gospel, and what it actually means.

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Digging in Deeper: Romans 8:14-17

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“For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, ‘Abba,  Father!’ The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

In his magnum opus, Knowing God, author and theologian, J.I. Packer, argues that adoption is the single most important lens through which we should understand the New Testament. It is the theme that lies at the heart of everything else we find there. Without that idea, none of the rest of it makes the kind of sense it should. And in making this argument, he points most emphatically to this passage. God loves us so much that He wants us to be a part of His family. Let’s explore what Paul introduces to us here and why it is so critically important to understand.

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Digging in Deeper: Romans 12:19

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“Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, ‘Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay,’ says the Lord.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

We live in the day of the dystopian future story. Not all that long ago, historically speaking, this wasn’t the case. There was a time when a popular view on the return of Christ described in Revelation was post-millennialism, which held that the world was just going to keep getting better (because we made it that way) until Jesus returned to reward us for all our good work. Then the 20th century happened. After two world wars and an ensuing half century of chaos mostly released on the world by the ideas of Darwin, Freud, and Marx, we gave up on a hopeful future, and our thinking turned dark. The Last of Us on HBO, is a great example of this. With the second season now behind us, let’s talk about how it was, and why the Gospel is better.

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