I’ve read these verses from Romans chapter eight before:
1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
But today, they hit me in the gut.
As Karen and I wait for phone calls, emails, snail mail,…whatever about our adoption process, tons of thoughts run through our minds. Last week we were talking and the subject of sin and punishment came up. Is/was there something hindering God answering our prayer for kids? We know there isn’t, we know and live 1 John 1:9-10. It was “the accuser” accusing. [OK, I’m not saying we don’t sin. Speaking for myself, I identify with Paul’s self-evaluation in 1 Timothy 1:15 (“…of whom I am the worst.”) Karen’s human, so she sins… ]
In those “accuser” instances, my mind always goes back to this passage in Romans – I say in those instances, because Satan always tries to throw those (and other) thoughts at Christ Followers. None of us is squeaky clean, and guilt can be stifling.
Anyway, today… Me getting hit in the gut…
I’m reading a book titled, “Adopted for Life” by Dr. Russell Moore. It’s about adoption in human terms and also in spiritual terms. This book is for everyone, not just people adopting. Powerful stuff!
In a passage talking about feeling like God’s punishing you, Moore writes:
“Remember, we can’t bypass Jesus… He is the One who bore the curse on our behalf, every bit of it (Gal. 3:13). If you’ve believed in Christ, you are blessed, not cursed, whatever your situation.
…God is not punishing you. If you are in Christ, your punishment was adsorbed in the body of a crucified Jesus. God may be disciplining you, shaping you, and he often uses suffering to do so, but He isn’t punishing you. He views you within the body of Christ, and loves and delights in you. Whatever is happening in your life, nothing can separate you from the love of God in Christ (Rom. 8:31-39.)” [pg. 89-90]
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Pow. Thwack. Kapow.*
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Again, this is nothing new for me – I’ve heard and read this before. …but I needed to hear it again. I have to believe that I’m not the only one needing to hear this.
Thank you God! (take that satan!)
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*From the “you can find anything on the Internet”: I was trying to remember the punch sounds from Batman and stumbled on this site that cataloged all the sounds…by episode. They are now offered by me for your future use and reference! [the fact that they are in Spanish shouldn’t make a difference!] 🙂
This summer, our church went through a program called 
I have one of these on my desk. I’ve had it for a while, although it did get pushed to the back by magazines and papers (I have some piles…don’t judge me). As I was cleaning the desk the other day, I saw it and got to thinking about how, if we are honest with ourselves (and God), we would much rather have something like this in life than depend completely upon God or even come before Him in prayer.
the waa:
We all worship something (sports, music, the list goes on…) – but GOD commands, desires, deserves our genuine worship! Our worship of GOD is soooo much more than Sunday mornings! It must be our entire life – a 24/7-kinda thing.
Good Friday was six weeks ago today – I pray that each day (not just a single Friday each year) would be a profound reminder of what Christ accomplished on that Wonderful Cross (and the following SUNDAY)…a blessed Déjà vu!
I was on a business trip last week and, in addition to the souvenirs I got for Karen (I never come home empty-handed), I came home with severe allergies. I stayed home from work Monday and, as I sat in my chair, clogged up, napping, and watching TV, our dog Annie caught my eye – totally resting, relaxed, content, looking at me. She always sits so that she can tell if Karen or I move, because that may mean one of two things: play time or a COOKIE! As I looked back at her, it dawned on me – she is always happy, tail wagging, ready to please. She can be totally out of breath from play, she can be hobbling with a hurt leg, she can be just about to eat her supper, …she can be just about anything: but she is always happy, tail wagging, ready to please.
DENNARR(dot)COM 