Daily Bible Devotionals

“Now to Him who has power to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Messiah Jesus, according to the revelation of the mystery kept silent for long ages but now revealed and made known through the prophetic Scriptures, according to the command of the eternal God to advance the obedience of faith among all nations – to the only wise God, through Messiah Jesus – to Him be the glory forever!  Amen.”   Romans 16:25-27 (HCSB)

What is a “sacred secret”?  It is a secret that belongs to the Lord, whose prerogative it is to withhold or dispense at His will.  

The particular secret Paul is speaking of today is this: God saves all people of any nationality who, by faith, choose to follow Him by receiving the forgiveness offered them through believing in the atoning work of Jesus.  The prophets often spoke of this “secret.” Still, its understanding was not received by most of the Jewish people until Jesus’ resurrection and the Holy Spirit’s filling of believers on the day of Shavuot (Pentecost).  Here is an example from Isaiah:

“All nations will stream to it (Zion), and many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob.  He will teach us about His ways so that we may walk in His paths.”  Isaiah 2:3 (HCSB)

When I was in college, I was required to read the original ‘Wizard of Oz”.  When the professor told us the story was actually a parable of American politics, all the images shifted.  Until then, I believed it was a magical story of a girl and her dog.  However, according to the professor’s lecture, the “Tin Man” represents the oppressed iron worker, and the Scarecrow is the desperate farmer.  The Lion represents William Jennings Bryan (Bryan-lion) and Dorothy is a parody of “Theodore” (Roosevelt)…and so on.  It changed my complete understanding of the story!  I was a little upset that my previous understanding of the story had been revised, but was I justified in my feelings of resentment towards the professor for spoiling my preconceptions?  In actuality, he did me a favor because he clarified the author’s intended message.  

Consider how Israel viewed (and mostly continues to view) the images, predictions, and promises of the prophets.  They saw them as pertaining exclusively to Israel and its restoration.  The “mystery,” now revealed, is that the salvation exclusively provided through Messiah is available for people of all nations!

Notice Paul’s closing statements are absolutes.  1) God commands that the obedience of faith be advanced among all nations.  2) The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the only wise God.  3) The “obedience of faith” comes through Jesus.

Apart from the absolutes of God in His Word, no true foundation for worship exists.

“Now I say that (Messiah) Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written: ‘For this reason I will confess to you among the Gentiles, and sing to Your name.’ And again he says: ‘Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!’  And again: ‘Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles!  Laud Him all you peoples!’ And again, Isaiah says: ‘There shall be a root of Jesse; and He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, in Him the Gentiles shall hope.’”  Romans 15:8-12 (NKJV)

God’s heart has always been for Jews and Gentiles to know and worship Him in unity.  Even in the days of His covenant with Abraham, the Lord’s articulated desire was for the whole world to enter into a saving relationship with Him.

“I will bless those who bless you, I will curse those who treat you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”  Genesis 12:3 (HCSB)

Again, through the Prophet Isaiah, God communicated His heart for the nations.

“No foreigner who has joined himself (converted) to the Lord should say, ‘The Lord has excluded me from His people.”  Isaiah 56:3a (HCSB)

I recall being on a tour with Jewish Believers, leaving Israel, and traveling to the predominantly Muslim country of Jordan.  I always leave Israel with sadness for the millions of Jews who are yet to acknowledge Yeshua (Jesus) as Messiah.  This time was no different.  None of our Israeli tour guides were Believers, and although we shared a common Jewish understanding, there was a massive spiritual disconnect because of our views on Messiah.

I had never been to a Muslim country, so I expected even more of a spiritual disconnect from my Jordanian guides.  Ironically, they were all Jordanian Believers!!  From the moment our guide began leading us, I felt at home.  Was it his attitude, comments, or demeanor?  Frankly, I believe it was the presence of the Holy Spirit.  We connected as followers of Messiah, even though our bus now consisted of Jews and Arabs, in a way that we could not connect with the group of non-believing Jews.

As the Joel Chernoff song goes, the guides and groups were indeed “Jew and Gentile, one in the Spirit, one in Yeshua’s love.”  In our pursuit of the Lord, let us never forget Jesus’ prayer that all believers would be ONE, as He and the Father are One…and that we continue to share the gospel to both Jews and Gentiles, not esteeming one people group over another.  Jesus is the salvation of the world!  (John 3:16)

“So then, we must pursue what promotes peace and what builds up one another.  Do not tear down God’s work because of food.  Everything is clean, but it is wrong for a man to cause stumbling by what he eats.  It is a noble thing not to eat meat, or drink wine, or do anything that makes your brother stumble.  Do you have a conviction?  Keep it to yourself before God.  The man who does not condemn himself by what he approves is blessed.  But whoever doubts stands condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from a conviction, and everything that is not from a conviction is sin.”  Romans 14:19-23 (HCSB)

Shabbat in Israel is a beautiful thing to experience.  From Sundown on Friday until Sundown Saturday, the whole nation pretty much shuts down.  Almost no one is driving vehicles, and most businesses are closed, especially in Jerusalem.

There is a sense that strict observance of Shabbat in Israel is not voluntary.  It seems to be forced upon the population by the Orthodox Jews, who are extremely zealous.  If you disagree, just try and drive through the Orthodox neighborhoods on Shabbat!  You will receive a hailstorm of rocks and bricks intended to force you to comply with their interpretations of God’s Shabbat commands.

That being said, I remember sitting in my Israeli hotel, enjoying a kosher instant coffee, and wishing the United States would shut down for a day every week…. a legislated day of rest.  Growing up in the South, it was against the law to operate a business on Sunday.  The political leaders felt it was good for the community if everyone went to church.  

Pretty soon, people’s demand to buy and sell overrode the Southern lawmakers.  Folks argued that their personal liberties (the right to do business whenever they liked) were being violated by a minority of elected “Jesus freaks.”

Romans 14 is broken down into two sections: The “Law of Liberty” and the “Law of Love.”

The “Law of Liberty” basically states that we are free to choose for ourselves when it comes to days of worship and regulations of what to eat and drink.

The “Law of Love” has a different take.  It says that even though we are free in Messiah, there are times when it is necessary to forsake our personal liberties to encourage and build up the less mature believers in Jesus.  That is, we are called to love people more than our liberties.

We should imitate Jesus: “Who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”  Philippians 2:6-8 (NKJV)

“Love does no wrong to a neighbor.  Love, therefore, is the fulfillment of the law.  Besides this, knowing the time, it is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep, for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.  Night is nearly over, and the daylight is near, so let us discard the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.  Let us walk with decency, as in the daylight: not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual impurity and promiscuity; not in quarreling and jealousy.  But put on (Messiah) the Lord Jesus, and make no plans to satisfy the fleshly desires.”  Romans 13:10-14 (HCSB)

Today’s passage begins with a pretty bold statement about love and the Torah’s (first five books of Moses, i.e., “the law”) requirements.  It echoes Jesus’ message.

“‘Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?’  Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’  This is the first and great commandment.  And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  On these two commandments hang all the law (Torah) and the Prophets.’”  Matthew 22: 36-40 (NKJV)

Remember when the Beatles sang, “All you need is love”?  Many naïve Christians try to weave Jesus and Paul’s statements together with those of John Lennon and Paul McCartney.  They say, “Just love people and don’t get hung up on obeying the Bible.”  While the Beatles and Jesus seem to say the same thing, their statements are very different.

We use the word “love” often in our culture.  We say we love our mothers, and we also love apple pie.  Some people say they love the person they are dating, so they sleep together.  Others remain abstinent because they love the person they are dating.  (They rightly know that God would never approve of pre-marital sex.) So, the real question is: What kind of LOVE fulfills the Torah?

Paul (not McCartney) goes on to define such love as being self-denying and others-serving.  Displays of selfless love are not catalysts for salvation; instead, they should be our response to having already received salvation by God’s grace through our faith in Jesus.  Our sincere devotion to Messiah does not fulfill the Torah.  Instead, because of His overwhelming love for us, while we were yet sinners, He has satisfied the law’s requirements on our behalf.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  John 3:16 (NKJV)

When believers accept the challenge of “loving others as Jesus loved us,” we are fulfilling the Torah, in essence.  Obeying God’s Word is not a means of salvation.  Still, of our appreciation for the salvation we have received from Jesus alone, it is our outward acknowledgment that we understand Jesus fulfilled the law on our behalf.

“For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think.  Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one.  Now as we are many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, in the same way we who are many are one body in Messiah (Christ) and individually members of one another.  According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts:” Romans 12:3-6a (H)CSB

Years ago, I was leading music on a tour of Israel during their Independence Day.  As the lot fell, my wife and I were given a room in one of the most expensive hotels in Israel.  Alongside Israel’s anniversary, there was a global summit of world leaders who were in town to discuss Middle East peace, and many of these leaders were staying in our hotel.  President George Bush was staying at the hotel next door.  (BTW, if you ever want to hear an Arab yell, ask him what he thinks about George Bush!)

When the American President decides to go somewhere, regardless of the country he is visiting, it is a big, BIG deal.  Streets are blocked-off, extra security appears as if by magic, and pretty much everyone is inconvenienced.  At one point, I was detained at length at a rather inconvenient roadblock when suddenly the President’s motorcade drove by, so I waved, and President Bush waved back!  In his thick Israeli accent, the guy standing beside me said, “Who does he think he is?”   That fellow’s question is precisely the point of today’s passage: Who are WE (as individual believers), anyway?  And how do we fit in with the larger community of believers?

Paul speaks of 2 things that God “grants” all believers.  He gives us each a measure of Faith and an allotment of Grace.

Biblically, I am not convinced that God actually gives you Faith like an automatic download.  Instead, I believe God reveals His Way by the power of His Spirit; then He gives us opportunities to act on that “revelation” faithfully.  That whole system, whereby God interacts with His creation in such a way as to see their faithfulness grow, is itself a gift, His Grace towards us.  It is said that faith is a “muscle.”  It grows when we work it out, and it shrinks when we forsake it.  And if you want your faith to grow, start being diligent with small things.  When He faithfully responds to YOUR faith response to His call, you are encouraged, and your faith increases.  

God’s “grace” is not just about our eternal salvation.  Sure, we are saved by grace, through faith alone, but God also calls us to be His hands and feet in the world.  Where God guides, He provides, so He “graces” all believers with the spiritual tools needed to complete His objectives.  Those God-gifted spiritual tools are not for our glory but God’s.

In neither of these scenarios is any boasting appropriate.  All that we have, we owe to the Lord.  Therefore, while some of us may have more high-profile or lucrative jobs, by God’s grace, we are all equal in God’s eyes.  We wouldn’t have anything were it not for the Lord.

“I ask, then, have they stumbled in order to fall?  Absolutely not!  On the contrary, by their stumbling, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel jealous. Now if their stumbling brings riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full number bring!”  Romans 11:11-12 (HCSB)

In today’s passage, Paul suggests a quasi-role reversal between non-Messianic Jews and followers of Jesus.  Paul describes how the Lord allows the integrated (Jew and Gentile) Messianic Community (the Church) to act as a “bride,” a role Israel had previously exclusively held in Scripture.  

Consider the words of the prophet Jeremiah...

“‘Look, the days are coming’ – This is the Lord’s declaration – ‘when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.  This one will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt. – a covenant they broke even though I MARRIED them.’ – The Lord’s declaration.’”  Jeremiah 31:31-32 (emphasis mine) (HCSB)

And now the words of Paul…

“For I am jealous over you with a godly jealousy, because I have promised you in marriage to one husband – to present a pure virgin to Messiah (Christ)”  2 Corinthians 11:2 (HCSB)

I want to stress that I am not suggesting “replacement theology,” which is the teaching that the “Church” has replaced Israel in God’s heart.  A primary goal of Paul’s letter to the Romans was to counteract the “replacement” message as heresy and contra to God’s continued heart and plan for Israel.

Paul puts forth the role reversals between Messianic Gentiles and non-Messianic Jews for two primary reasons:  1) So that the non-believing Jews would become jealous for a saving relationship with God through Jesus by observing God’s love and favor toward the Gentile believers.  This Godly love was previously believed to be exclusively for Jews.  2) To expose how given similar “chosen” status, Gentiles could fall into the same religious pride as the Jews.  In fact, Paul addresses a growing prejudice against the Jews by Gentile believers.

This leads us to two obvious questions: 1) Do you live a life of faith that would make Jewish people jealous for your relationship with God, or anyone else, for that matter?  2) Has spiritual pride caused you to look down on others to the point where you have forgotten the Lord’s grace toward you?  There is no personal boasting for anyone saved by Grace, Jew, or Gentile.

“When the Lord your God drives them (Canaanites) out before you, do not say to yourself, ‘The Lord brought me in to take possession of this land, because of MY righteousness.’  Instead, the Lord will drive out these nations before you because of THEIR wickedness.”   Deuteronomy 9:4 (emphasis mine) (HCSB)

Grab your Bible & experience the Groundworks Ministries Podcast as Steve Wiggins leads us through the full chapter of Romans 10. Click the links below to watch or listen now!

“I speak the truth in (Christ) Messiah – I am not lying; my conscience is testifying to me with the Holy Spirit – that I have intense sorrow and continual anguish in my heart.  For I could almost wish to be cursed and cut off from the Messiah for the benefit of my brothers, my own flesh and blood. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple service, and the promises.  The ancestors are theirs, and from them, by physical descent, came the Messiah, who is God over all, praised forever.  Amen.”  Romans 9:1-5 (HCSB)

As a young believer, when I began focusing on Bible reading and prayer, I found myself fighting off profound loneliness. Have you ever felt that way? On the one hand, I was overjoyed to spend time with God and learn from Him. On the other hand, I drifted further and further from some of my old friends, many of whom were professing believers yet hardly ever spent time with God. My pursuit of the Lord even led to complete estrangement from some individuals within that former circle of friends. That distancing was simply the result of the compounding effects of the World’s influence on them, contrasted with the Spirit’s influence on me. Their Worldly pursuits had muddied their “Living Water,” and my pursuit of the Lord was becoming “Anointing Oil” for me…and we all know oil and water don’t mix. Godly, Bible-pursuant Christian community is necessary to sustain a believer long term. Paul is describing that tension.

In moments of fleshly nostalgia, I almost wished I weren’t a believer for a moment, so I could hang out with those old friends again, unhindered by the tension that my faith evoked within our relationships. Of course, we cannot give in to such fantasies, the passionate cries of the flesh to take day trips to “Egypt,” as it were. We cannot go back. At least, we cannot go back and expect to be comfortable. Concerning today’s passage, I wonder if that loneliness and longing to connect with a people who mainly had rejected him hadn’t crept into Paul’s thinking. I wonder if that’s not the emotion prompting him to bear his soul in such a way to the Church in Rome.

And I identify with Paul here. I travel to Israel regularly to lead music on Christian tours and participate in the ongoing day-to-day ministry efforts of Israeli Messianic congregations and humanitarian relief organizations. Whenever I travel to Israel, I tend to go with the flow and disappear into the religious culture. To do this would mean never sharing the truth of the Messiah or sharing in the persecution of Paul and countless other Jewish believers who have come before me. Doing so would be the most selfish thing imaginable, for the most anti-Semitic thing I could do is withhold Messiah from the Jewish people! To paraphrase Paul, to leave behind Jesus is to leave behind God! (v. 5b)

No, we must take our cues from Paul. We will feel the flesh’s pull, and by the Spirit’s power, we will overcome it, standing on the shoulders of those faithful ones who went before us and heeding the higher call to deny ourselves, take up our crosses and follow.

“And if (Christ) Messiah is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.  But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised (Christ) Messiah from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”  Romans 8:10-11 (HCSB)

This passage is often thought to mean that only when a follower of Jesus dies will they be raised to live in Heaven. While the promise of resurrection with Jesus is valid for all believers, this passage has more immediate implications.

Paul is also saying that there is a war between your flesh and your will. As far as your flesh is concerned, it’s a lost cause. Your flesh is corrupt. Eventually, all flesh will expire, and we will all physically die—ashes to ashes, dust to dust, as it were.

But, spiritually speaking, we were also all “dead” (along with our flesh). That is, we were spiritually dead before we came to know Jesus in a saving way. When we received Jesus, we received His Spirit in fullness (aka the filling of the Holy Spirit). God’s Spirit gives “new life” to our old “dead” (bound for judgment) souls.

Have you ever considered how Adam was created? God breathed life into a handful of dust. Apart from the life that God imparts, we’re just a handful of dirt! The Hebrew word for “Spirit” is Rucah (pr: ROO-akh). The same word (Ruach) translates “wind” or “breath.” The Greek translation for Ruach is “Pneuma” (pr: NOO-ma). Ever heard of Pneumonia (chronic restriction of one’s airway/breath) or a pneumatic (air) tool? So, when God created Adam, He breathed His breath, His Ruach, into him. We are all (believer & non-believer) alive, sustained because God’s Spirit is allowing it. But do not confuse that “sustaining” work of the Spirit with being “filled” with the Holy Spirit. Our “filling” of the Holy Spirit is a one-time occurrence, which happens at the moment we surrender ourselves to Jesus’ Lordship and ask Him to take control of our lives.

Think about it: every time God fills a new believer with His Spirit, He is, in essence, re-enacting creation. Perhaps, that is why the Bible calls believers “an altogether new creation.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) He brings “new life” into our corrupted mortal bodies! When we submit to the Spirits leading, our bodies become vessels of righteousness, whereas they used to be vessels of death.

Martyr Jim Elliott said, “The soul is a vacuum that longs to be filled. It cares not with which it fills itself. It simply longs to be full.” The Spirit living inside a believer does not make flesh incorruptible. But the Spirit living inside an obedient believer enables that believer to control the corrupted flesh to do God’s will. Instead of us being slaves to our flesh, our flesh becomes subject to us, surrendering to the leading of God’s Spirit. If you have committed to following Jesus, He has given you His Spirit, and He dwells inside you. If you heed the Spirit’s guidance, you will experience “newness of life” to the fullest!