JAMES+—An Illustrated Summary of Life Applications from Every Chapter of the Bible by G. Campbell Morgan

"On every page of the God-breathed writings are many thoughts that stretch out like long, clear arms of light across the darkness, discovering things otherwise hidden and illuminating wider areas than those of the immediate context. They are searchlights. I have selected one in each chapter of Scripture, for at least one central thought in every chapter should arrest the mind and affect the life," wrote G. Campbell Morgan, a skilled, wise, warm-hearted Bible teacher who conducted a classic 3-year study called Life Applications from Every Chapter of the Bible. Here is the fruit of that research—summarized, illustrated, and amplified with useful details—on all 66 books of the Bible.

GENESIS, EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, 

DEUTERONOMY, JOSHUA, JUDGES, RUTH, 

1 SAMUEL, 2 SAMUEL, 1 KINGS,  2 KINGS, 

1 CHRONICLES, 2 CHRONICLES, EZRA, 

NEHEMIAH, ESTHER, JOB, PSALMS, 

PROVERBS, ECCLESIASTES, 

SONG OF SOLOMON,  ISAIAH, JEREMIAH,

 LAMENTATIONS, EZEKIEL, DANIEL, 

HOSEA, JOEL, AMOS, OBADIAH, JONAH, 

MICAH, NAHUM, HABAKKUK, ZEPHANIAH,  

HAGGAI, ZECHARIAH, MALACHI,

 MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE, JOHN, 

ACTS, ROMANS, 1 CORINTHIANS,

2 CORINTHIANS, GALATIANS, EPHESIANS, 

PHILIPPIANS, COLOSSIANS, 1 THESSALONIANS,

2 THESSALONIANS, 1 TIMOTHY,  2 TIMOTHY, TITUS,

PHILEMON, HEBREWS, JAMES, 1 PETER, 2 PETER,

1 JOHN, 2 JOHN, 3 JOHN, JUDE, REVELATIONR,

1 JOHN, 2 JOHN, 3 JOHN, JUDE, REVELATION

James 1:22 "Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only." Sometimes called the Proverbs of the New Testament, this Letter written by James, the half brother of our Lord Jesus Christ, speaks as by one who grew up with Him. James witnessed His practical holiness day in and day out, was personally visited by the resurrected Christ (1 Corinthians 15:7), and was with his mother and brothers in the upper room praying with other faithful disciples as they waited for the promised Holy Spirit (Acts 1:14). James became one of the main leaders of the Jerusalem church. He knew by long experience the harmony between the Lord's teaching and His life. Therefore James emphasizes here and in the next chapter that a faith not expressed by deeds is of no value at all. He had just spoken of "the implanted Word, which is able to save your souls" (James 1:21). That is one of the reasons two classic Christian Confessions define saving faith as "receiving and resting on Christ and His righteousness, the alone instrument of justification; yet is it not alone in the person justified, but is ever accompanied with all other saving graces, and is no dead faith, but worketh by love" (WCF and LBCF 11.2). There is no profit, but rather the reverse, in hearing if there is no doing: as useless as looking in a mirror but not acting on what you see or merely knowing Jesus is Lord, like a demon does, but not submitting willingly to His lordship.

James 2:12 "Speak and act as those who are to be judged under the Law of liberty." James introduces this Law in the previous chapter: "The one who looks into the Perfect Law, the Law of Liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing" (James 1:25). He goes on to say, "If you really fulfill the Royal Law according to the Scripture, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself,' you are doing well" (James 2:8). That great Law from Leviticus 19 Jesus described as the second greatest commandment, the first being, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind." The Law of Liberty defines our relationship to God and man as love-mastered. To speak and act under that impulse by the saving work of God in us through Christ is to be free indeed. James concludes, "Judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment" (James 2:13). If the Law of Liberty is disobeyed, if no mercy is shown, then judgment based on that Law will show no mercy. Love is the most vigilant guard over one's own words and works. If it is obeyed, then is life a life of liberty. If it is disobeyed, we will be in bondage until we show mercy. We are to treat others with the mercy Jesus shows toward us, with love from the inside of us spilling out onto those around us.

James 3:18 "The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace." James has been contrasting the fruit or actions of the unrighteous with the righteous. What he calls wisdom from below is earthly, unspiritual, and demonic, characterized by jealousy, selfish ambition, disorder, and every vile practice. "But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial, and sincere." Righteousness bears fruit after its own kind, which is peace, which begets more of the same. Our Lord said in His Beatitudes, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." Here that blessedness is shown in its effect. The peacemakers are those who live by heavenly wisdom, which is first pure and then peaceable. Those who make lasting peace do not compromise with wrong. They do not seek for peace at the expense of righteousness. Such compromises never secure peace, but make it impossible. However, to stand for righteousness, even though there must be conflict and suffering, is to sow the only kind of fruit that will bring true peace. The ways of God are the ways of goodness. To do right at the cost of ease is to make peace. To seek ease at the cost of righteousness is to drive away peace.

James 4:11-12 "If you judge the Law, you are not a doer of the Law but a judge. There is one one Lawgiver and Judge: He who is able to save and destroy!" James writes this in connection with judging or speaking evil of a brother or sister in Christ. His words are clear, sharp, and incisive in showing the wrong of all such action. As we have seen, the Royal Law of love says we should love our neighbor as ourselves. To speak evil against a brother or to judge his motives is the same as speaking against this Law and condemning it as worthless! In addition, it is impossible for anyone to find a final verdict against his brother or sister. One only is able to do that: the same One who makes the laws for the government of human lives. He alone knows whom He governs, and His laws are the result of that perfect knowledge. Therefore His laws are just, as are His judgments. He only, therefore, can pass sentence of salvation or destruction. Since our judgment is to come from the Lord, then with what care we should live! His judgment is perfectly righteous. If that fact fills the soul with a perpetual sense of awe, it also gives comfort and courage because righteous judgment passes beyond all actions to the underlying motives and aspirations. The apostle Paul, writing later about this matter, explains, "I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God" (1 Corinthians 4:4-5).

James 5:7 "Be patient, therefore, brothers and sisters, until the coming of the Lord." These words follow a stern denunciation of prosperous men who gained their prosperity by wronging their countrymen. Their worst offense? "You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you" (verse 6). The most notorious example of that, of course, is the Lord Jesus Christ, described as "the Holy and Righteous One" by Peter in a powerful sermon James probably heard preached. Thinking of the sufferings of many to whom he is writing—sufferings resulting from the oppression of such men as he just denounced—James appears to remember that Jesus Himself did not resist His persecutors. Therefore, he calls his brothers and sisters in the Faith, which include us, to be patient or longsuffering until our Lord returns. That is the day when all wrongs will be righted. For that day His suffering ones are to wait, and in their waiting, to be longsuffering even towards those who oppress them. That is the attitude of God Himself, whom James likens to a farmer: "See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and late rains. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand" (verses 7-8). Too often we are inclined to become impatient as we wait. To the true child of God, however, the coming of the Lord is always at hand and in mind. The glory of it sheds unceasing light on our way. We walk in that light when we thank God at every morning's dawn and evening's shadows. Our Lord Jesus has not returned yet only because God is still waiting for the precious fruit of the earth, which is the saving of precious souls. Thank God He waited for us! Let us be patient in fellowship with Him.

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EPHESIANS+—An Illustrated Summary of Life Applications from Every Chapter of the Bible by G. Campbell Morgan

"On every page of the God-breathed writings are many thoughts that stretch out like long, clear arms of light across the darkness, discovering things otherwise hidden and illuminating wider areas than those of the immediate context. They are searchlights. I have selected one in each chapter of Scripture, for at least one central thought in every chapter should arrest the mind and affect the life," wrote G. Campbell Morgan, a skilled, wise, warm-hearted Bible teacher who conducted a classic 3-year study called Life Applications from Every Chapter of the Bible. Here is the fruit of that research—summarized, illustrated, and amplified with useful details—on all 66 books of the Bible.

GENESIS, EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, 

DEUTERONOMY, JOSHUA, JUDGES, RUTH, 

1 SAMUEL, 2 SAMUEL, 1 KINGS,  2 KINGS, 

1 CHRONICLES, 2 CHRONICLES, EZRA, 

NEHEMIAH, ESTHER, JOB, PSALMS, 

PROVERBS, ECCLESIASTES, 

SONG OF SOLOMON,  ISAIAH, JEREMIAH,

 LAMENTATIONS, EZEKIEL, DANIEL, 

HOSEA, JOEL, AMOS, OBADIAH, JONAH, 

MICAH, NAHUM, HABAKKUK, ZEPHANIAH,  

HAGGAI, ZECHARIAH, MALACHI,

 MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE, JOHN, 

ACTS, ROMANS, 1 CORINTHIANS,

2 CORINTHIANS, GALATIANS, EPHESIANS, 

PHILIPPIANS, COLOSSIANS, 1 THESSALONIANS,

2 THESSALONIANS, 1 TIMOTHY,  2 TIMOTHY, TITUS,

PHILEMON, HEBREWS, JAMES, 1 PETER, 2 PETER,

1 JOHN, 2 JOHN, 3 JOHN, JUDE, REVELATION

Ephesians 1:11 "According to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will." Paul's letter to the Ephesians presents the most comprehensive biblical teaching on the Church (similar to how his letter to the Colossians does the same regarding the Person of Christ). Paul begins by showing how the Church was the outcome of a purpose and plan of God from "before the foundation of the world." God chose each member to "be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ." When we who love Him reflect on our own weakness and waywardness of will, we stand in awe of this inside information revealed to us. Our God is a God who not only wills, but also "works all things according to the counsel of His will." That word counsel speaks of deliberate planning and arranging how His will is carried out specifically throughout human history. Paul wants God's people to know and be encouraged by these three great realities: 1. "The hope to which He has called you," 2. "The riches of His glorious inheritance for the saints," and 3. "The immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His great might that He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places." The same power that rose Christ from the dead is working now through faithful Christians around the world!

Ephesians 2:4 "But God, being rich in mercy..." That but puts two matters into contrast: the pitiful state of humankind and the mercy of God. This chapter begins with the first: "You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind." Can any conditions more hopeless be imagined? How can we possibly be made "holy and blameless"? What wisdom can plan such a deliverance? The wisdom of God, who by nature is "rich in mercy." Mercy is compassion, and in God it is active, not passive. It is pity, working on behalf of those who are helpless. It is love, doing what love desires to be done. That is the very heart of the Gospel, which Paul soon describes like this: "By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." Over against the appalling facts of our wickedness and weakness we must focus on the wealth of God's mercy, seen especially in the Person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul goes on to say that God's mercy displays "the immeasurable riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." It is an ocean in which all our emptiness is filled without loss to its superabundance.

Ephesians 3:19 "The love of Christ ... the fullness of God." Those great phrases occur in a prayer that flows from Paul's teaching over two chapters on diverse peoples being reconciled "to God in one body through the cross." Paul wants each member of the Body of Christ to know the love of Christ and be filled with the fullness of God. There is a direct connection between the two. When one is filled with the fullness of God, there is no true desire of the soul left unsatisfied, no power of the soul left undeveloped or idle. That is eternal life; it is perfection and satisfaction. How can it be obtained? By knowing the love of Christ. To the finality of such knowledge and experience we have not yet attained, but if we know anything of the love of Christ, we know something of the fullness of God. That is the story of the beginning, the process, and the joyful, unending pinnacle of true Christian experience. Paul's prayer is "to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." Since His love surpasses knowledge, this knowing and filling is an endless delight for us to look forward to as we live out the love of Christ today.

Ephesians 4:30 "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God." Notice what we learn about God the Holy Spirit here: His signature characteristic is holiness, which is no surprise given His title, but He also is characterized by a deep love capable of wounding. Sin in our lives as believers is not only an affront to God's holiness, but also brings Him much sorrow. Paul speaks in this chapter about unity in the Body of Christ and new life in Christ. He says this to every Christian: "Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life ... and put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness." The new self was created when we came to saving faith in Christ, but this putting off and putting on does not come automatically. It involves everyday choices to flex our spiritual muscles by faith in everyday matters such as Paul lists at the end of the chapter: replacing lies with truth, destructive anger with well-timed zeal, stealing with honest labor, corrupt talk with edifying conversation, bitterness and slander with kindness and forgiveness. That is how we move from grieving the Spirit to pleasing the Spirit out of return love for Him and all that He wants to do in promoting true righteousness and holiness in us.

Ephesians 5:18 "Be filled with the Spirit." This command is for Christians; for non-Christians the command from Jesus's own lips is to be "born of the Spirit." What does it mean to be filled with the Spirit? Notice what follows: "singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ." Paul wrote something similar to the Colossian church: "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." Scripture is the best interpreter of other Scripture. Observe that being filled with the Spirit is likened to letting the Word of Christ dwell in you richly. God's Word is the tool God's Holy Spirit uses  to produce increasing holiness in our lives. The filling of the Spirit, therefore, is not something that takes place once. The indwelling Spirit is a spring of living water we want to draw from often. As He is yielded to by our obedience to His Word, He fills all the life, and persistently to such an extent that the rivers overflow, bringing life to those beyond. As He fills He cleanses, energizes, and transforms us, working through us in ways that help and heal others. The filling of the Spirit means the end of the self-centered life and the beginning of life that truly glorifies God and blesses others.

Ephesians 6:17 "Take ... the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God." The life of the Christian in this world is one of conflict. It is not conventional warfare, however, but spiritual warfare, which is Paul's closing theme: "We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the ... cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." As grim as that sounds, we are not at all defenseless. Paul urges the Ephesian church—and all other Christians reading this letter—to "be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might." How? By putting "on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil." By taking up the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, shoes of the Gospel of peace, shield of faith, and helmet of the hope of salvation, we will "be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm." The one offensive weapon is "the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God." Let us put perfect confidence in it and learn to use it with skill. It is the weapon by which we may attack and defeat all the evil forces massed against us, seen and unseen. Judging by what Paul says next, this weapon works especially well with prayer, for he tells us to be "praying at all times in the Spirit, with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the Gospel." May we pray this way for one another today as we faithfully teach the Word of God in our spheres of influence.

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ROMANS+—An Illustrated Summary of Life Applications from Every Chapter of the Bible by G. Campbell Morgan

"On every page of the God-breathed writings are many thoughts that stretch out like long, clear arms of light across the darkness, discovering things otherwise hidden and illuminating wider areas than those of the immediate context. They are searchlights. I have selected one in each chapter of Scripture, for at least one central thought in every chapter should arrest the mind and affect the life," wrote G. Campbell Morgan, a skilled, wise, warm-hearted Bible teacher who conducted a classic 3-year study called Life Applications from Every Chapter of the Bible. Here is the fruit of that research—summarized, illustrated, and amplified with useful details—on all 66 books of the Bible.

GENESIS, EXODUS, LEVITICUS, NUMBERS, 

DEUTERONOMY, JOSHUA, JUDGES, RUTH, 

1 SAMUEL, 2 SAMUEL, 1 KINGS,  2 KINGS, 

1 CHRONICLES, 2 CHRONICLES, EZRA, 

NEHEMIAH, ESTHER, JOB, PSALMS, 

PROVERBS, ECCLESIASTES, 

SONG OF SOLOMON,  ISAIAH, JEREMIAH,

 LAMENTATIONS, EZEKIEL, DANIEL, 

HOSEA, JOEL, AMOS, OBADIAH, JONAH, 

MICAH, NAHUM, HABAKKUK, ZEPHANIAH,  

HAGGAI, ZECHARIAH, MALACHI,

 MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE, JOHN, 

ACTS, ROMANS, 1 CORINTHIANS,

2 CORINTHIANS, GALATIANS, EPHESIANS, 

PHILIPPIANS, COLOSSIANS, 1 THESSALONIANS,

2 THESSALONIANS, 1 TIMOTHY,  2 TIMOTHY, TITUS,

PHILEMON, HEBREWS, JAMES, 1 PETER, 2 PETER,

1 JOHN, 2 JOHN, 3 JOHN, JUDE, REVELATION

Romans 1:15 "As much as is in me." To begin to read this great letter of Paul is to find ourselves in the closing chapters of the Book of Acts. There we found Paul expressing his certainty that he would see Rome, and we followed him through the years of stress that at last brought him there. He wrote from Corinth in Greece toward the close of his third missionary journey, saying, "As much as in in me, I am ready to preach the Gospel to you who are in Rome also." Paul's qualifying phrase "as much as is in me" seems a recognition of both limitation and of resource. The sense of limitation comes from Paul's overwhelming consciousness of the greatness of the Gospel. He knew that no one man could fully explain its depths, but more lay within this devoted man than his natural capacities. Christ was formed within him; he was indwelt by the Spirit. That explains Paul's ability to preach the Gospel in all its fullness as he did in this inspired letter or Book of Romans. The measure in which a man is conscious of limitation is the measure to which he makes possible the operation of those powers that are his in Christ.

Romans 2:4 "God shall judge the secrets of men, according to my Gospel, by Jesus Christ." The phrase "according to my Gospel" is a parenthetical qualification to this statement: "God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ." Here we have a merging of "the kindness and the severity of God" in the Gospel. The Gospel is the good news that God has made righteousness available to sinful men and women through Christ. But the Gospel is also the declaration that all people will be judged by the One through whom that grace has been made available. There we see the finality of the Gospel message: the Savior is to be the Judge. The reverse is just as true: the Judge is the Savior. He whose eternal right it is to sit as Judge has in His Son provided perfect redemption for fallen mankind. By doing so He has not relinquished His right as Judge, but has established it. All men and women must meet Him as Judge, but before they do so He comes to meet them with a righteous and just way of saving them from their sins. If they refuse that salvation, the Gospel declares that by so doing they have not escaped Him as Judge. The Gospel never lowers the standards of divine requirements; it makes them possible of realization. If it is refused, then the Savior as Judge condemns and punishes.

Romans 3:4 "As it is written." That is not the first time we read that phrase in this letter (see Romans 1:17 and 2:24); neither is it the last (see Romans 3:10-18; 4:17; 8:36; 9:13, 33; 10:15; 11:8, 26; 12:19; 14:11; 15:9, 21). Beyond those are many other quotations or allusions to the Hebrew Bible/Torah/Old Testament in the Book of Romans. It reveals the high place of the Holy Scriptures in the thinking of the apostle Paul. The first thing to notice is he never referred to any Old Testament Scripture to deny or correct its teaching. Every reference or allusion to the Sacred Writings is authoritative. All those quotations are from each section of the Hebrew Bible: the Law (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus,  Deuteronomy), the Prophets (1 Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Joel, Habakkuk, Malachi), and the Writings (Psalms, Proverbs). Paul quoted generally from the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible), but sometimes from the Hebrew. He often varied the precise words, but never the essential meaning. A careful study of these facts will help us to a right attitude toward the Old Testament.

Romans 4:18 "Who in hope believed against hope." That is a description of Abraham's mental attitude toward God's miraculous promise that he would become the father of many nations. It also describes the experience of all who live by faith in the Lord God. Hope is the expectation of good things to come with a corresponding activity toward the realization of them. There can be no hope where there are no grounds of expectation. To elderly Abraham, there were no grounds of expectation in his circumstances that he should have an heir, for they denied the possibility. Nevertheless, he hoped. As Paul writes here, Abraham "did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about 100 years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb." Upon what grounds? "The promise of God." Therefore Abraham hoped and he ordered his life accordingly. That is the genius of the life of faith in God, who is utterly reliable. No Word of His can be void of power. Therefore we hope against hope. When there is no ground for expectation in circumstances, we find it in God and what He has promised in His Word.

Romans 5:5 "Hope does not put us to shame because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts." These words lead us a step further in understanding the nature of Christian hope. It triumphs because it knows and believes God, and also because it is not put to shame. That is, it is never overthrown or discredited in any way by the difficult circumstances through which we must pass for it to be realized. On the contrary, Paul explains, we rejoice in those very difficulties because we realize they are instrumental, "knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope." The secret of this victorious hope is that the love of God has been poured into those who have saving faith in Christ. Here the idea is not merely that God loves us, though necessarily that is involved. It is rather that He fills us with His love by His Spirit so that we love what He loves and as He loves. That self-emptying sacrificial love becomes the inspiration of all our thinking and doing. It is not only patient love that endures, but also mighty love that accomplishes. It is the secret of toil that never tires until its object is achieved. Where there is such love filling and mastering one's life, hope is never put to shame in the midst of any suffering, and will be ultimately saved from shame as all the toils are vindicated by the glory of the results.

Romans 6:13 "Present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead." Christianity is a living religion. The way of entrance is death, but it is the way that leads to life. This was so in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. In order to save, He died. The salvation into which He brings repentant men and women through His death is that of life, and that more abundantly. God moves them to death in the form of self-denial, which is the ending of all confidence in self and all endeavor to win spiritual life by effort. When that occurs, life is received as a grace-gift of God. Then dedication begins. This is an important distinction. When the soul yields to Christ, it is not giving anything to God. It has nothing to give. It yields just as it is because it cannot make itself worthy. When this surrender of a sinful and unworthy being is made, God takes the polluted life and pardons, cleanses, and renews it. Now the renewed, cleansed, and pardoned one is called to present him or herself to God as alive from the dead. "Just As I Am," to quote the famous hymn title, I cannot dedicate myself to God, but I can yield myself to the Savior. In Him I am "accepted in the Beloved." Such dedication is implicit in my yielding to Christ. It must be explicit in my resulting life.

Romans 7:14 "The Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh." These words from the apostle Paul reveal at once the supremacy and inadequacy of the Law, helping us to understand the difference between it and grace. The Law is spiritual; "it is holy, righteous, and good," to quote Paul. It is not the result of human thought, for it is divine revelation from God that reveals His will. God's Law can be obeyed in material activities as it is accepted and yielded to in spirit. But that is its limit. It is a revelation, not an enablement. It tells man what to do, but does not help him do it. That would be sufficient for man were he living under the power of his spiritual nature, but he is not. Paul speaks for us all when he bluntly states, "But I am of flesh." He is living under the power of his flesh, which means even though he consents to the truth and beauty of God's Law, he is unable to realize it unaided by God Himself through Christ. That realization is the important first of three functions or uses of God's Law. Grace does not lower the standard of God's Law, but it does exactly what the Law cannot do: enables men and women to live according to that standard, fulfilling the New Covenant promise of writing the Law on the heart.

Romans 8:37 "More than conquerors." To conquer is to subdue, master, and overcome in the sense of defeating an attack. Following the list Paul gives at the end of this chapter, to conquer tribulation would put an end to it, to conquer anguish would replace it with joy, to conquer persecution would turn it into patronage or favor, to conquer famine would provide food, to conquer nakedness would provide clothing, to conquer peril would secure safety, and to conquer the sword would destroy the sword. In all these things, Paul says, "we are more than conquerors." This does not mean that, in the senses referred to, we conquer and more. On the contrary, it may mean we do not conquer at all in those senses, but that we do more: we wrest from defeat values that could never be gained by conquest. Indeed, as declared earlier in this chapter, "We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). Enduring tribulation, we are brought through patience and testing to the hope that is not put to shame. Experiencing anguish, we are drawn into fellowship with the suffering that sanctifies. Bearing persecution, we demonstrate true godliness. Suffering hunger, we demonstrate that man does not live by bread alone. In nakedness we reveal the beauty of spiritual adornment. Living amid perils, we reveal the power of our Lord. Dying by the sword, we demonstrate the weakness of the sword. This is more-than-conquering, and is possible only through "Him who loved us."

Romans 9:16 "It depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy." This does not mean we are not to will or to exert ourselves. Neither does it mean we enter into the blessings of salvation apart from willing and effort. We must will to do, and we must run well, allowing nothing to hinder. This text does clearly mean that no willing on our part, no exertions of our own, can procure for us the salvation we need. It also means that of ourselves, we shall have no will for salvation, and shall make no effort toward it. Everything of human salvation begins in God. His will is to have mercy. Those who enter into salvation shall do so only because of the everlasting mercy of God. There is neither merit nor cause for glorying in our choice or effort. If God had not willed our saving, neither should we. If God did not work within us, we should work nothing out. Even if we have labored much in His service, we shall have to add that it was not us, but the grace of God working in us.

Romans 10:14-15 "How...? How...? How...? How...?" That list of questions follows an important quote from the prophet Joel, cited not only by Paul here, but also by Peter at the birth of the church on Pentecost: "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Paul is emphasizing man's responsibility concerning the salvation provided in Christ Jesus. Salvation comes to a person when he or she calls on the name of the Lord. The How questions reveal the place and nature of the call: the call follows belief, belief follows hearing, hearing follows preaching, and preaching follows sending. Paul traces that movement back to its origin. Let us trace it in the opposite direction to grasp the nature of man's calling on the name of the Lord. God has a message of salvation, and this He sends preachers to proclaim. The preachers proclaim that message. Men and women hear the preacher's message and believe it, but not all are saved by that belief. So far it is merely intellectual, a strong conviction that the message is true. That does not bring individual men and women into salvation. They must now "call upon the name of the Lord." At once we can see that the will of man, displayed in volitional surrender to the message believed, is a necessary part of salvation, by God's design. Everything begins with God, but this crucial responsibility lies with man.

Romans 11:23 "God is able to graft them in again." Paul's great subject in this section is the ultimate salvation of Israel after a lengthy period of unbelief that separated them from the root of spiritual life and health. He saw "some of the branches ... broken off," yet God's purpose through them and for them was not destroyed. The breaking off was very real, resulting from their unbelief, yet if they turned in repentant faith to Christ the Messiah, they would be grafted in again, for "God is able to graft them in again." This text is similar to what Jesus said about Himself as the true vine and true believers as branches abiding in the vine and bearing much fruit through His life in us. Jesus explains that His Father is the vinedresser who removes useless branches that do not bear fruit. That is a solemn truth we must take to heart, but the text here in Romans encourages us to take heart in the grace and power of God to graft back in again branches that have been broken off. But while we recognize that, we must not minimize the dreadful condition of fruitless unbelief. God will never graft in broken branches merely out of pity for them. He will do so only when they repent and return to the true vine, Jesus the Lord of life. Only then will they bear the fruit of good works that they were saved to bring forth.

Romans 12:9 "Let love be without hypocrisy." This twelfth chapter begins the apostolic life applications of the doctrines of salvation. Paul starts with this foundation: "Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind so that you may discern the will of God: that which is good, acceptable, and perfect." The church he describes as the Body of Christ, each part having its own giftedness and usefulness. The first order given to the whole is for love to be without hypocrisy. Love is the most beautiful and enduring fruit of the Christian life. It must be without acting, for that is what hypocrisy really is. Mere words without corresponding deeds or deeds without corresponding heart attitudes are mere show. Also, to violate love by failing to abhor evil, even when the violation is in the guise of tender toleration, is itself evil. Love protects the beloved, so it is untrue to itself when it condones evil in any form. Love must cleave to good or be untrue to its deepest nature. This truth is rooted in God's own nature, for "God is love." We, in turn, are called to be "imitators of God" by walking "in love, as Christ loved us, and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant sacrifice and offering to God."

Romans 13:10 "Love therefore is the fulfillment of the Law." This is a simple statement of a profound truth that corrects many mistakes. Most people are inclined to think of law and love as being antagonistic. Some are confused by the declaration in John's Gospel that "the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." They mentally supply a but between the two statements and assume a radical difference between them, but that word is not there. The distinction is that God's Law tells us what to do, and grace enables us to do it, making Law an expression of love. That is the sense in which love is the fulfilling of Law. Paul illustrates that in this chapter with the Ten Commandments by showing it is impossible to sin against others if we truly love them. Who commits adultery against or murders someone whom we truly love? Every sin, therefore, arises from some cooling or failure of love. Love is the most vigilant and strict guard over all our actions. It is the only motive strong enough to make us true under all circumstances and at all times. Fear may carry us far, but under stress of fierce temptation, it will break down. Love will carry us all the way and leave us still desiring better things than we have ever attained.

Romans 14:5 "Let each man be fully assured in his own mind." This instruction is of great practical value. Its application in Paul's argument is to legitimately disputable matters such as whether one should observe certain days or abstain from certain foods. It is sad and strange how those and similarly unimportant matters have been, and continue to be, reasons for bitterness between fellow Christians. Paul instructs us otherwise by having us focus on our personal duty and our attitude toward others as they focus on theirs. The first is explicit, the second implicit. The personal duty is that a man must be fully assured in his own mind. That means he is to have an opinion. He has no right to unthinkingly adopt the opinions or habits of others. It may be that coming to full assurance on certain matters will demand time and thought, and in the process he may be helped by conferring with others, but at the last he must find his own stand. Going through that process naturally helps him recognize the right and obligation of every other man and woman to do the same. Therefore no one has the right to impose on any other his or her own personal convictions. This is important and reasonable because one person may be helped by observing particular days while another is not; one may find strength in abstinence from types of foods, while another experiences weakness. We each are servants of the Lord who make our choices to please Him, and are to encourage each other to do the same.

Romans 15:16 "The offering up of the Gentiles." This phrase expresses a beautiful idea we are in danger of forgetting: the priestly nature of all ministerial work. Paul was a chosen instrument of God to the Gentiles. We see in the Book of Acts that he was diligent in his calling to preach the Gospel to them and build them up in their faith. Here in Romans he describes that noble labor by God's enabling as an offering to God Himself. In doing his work Paul was exercising the priesthood of worship. What a radiant light that sheds on all Spirit-led evangelistic and pastoral effort! Every person won by the preaching of the Gospel is not only brought into a place of safety and blessing, but is also an offering to God, a gift that gives Him satisfaction, the very offering He is always seeking. Every soul carefully and patiently instructed in the things of Christ, and so made conformable to His likeness, is a soul in whom the Father takes pleasure. We continue working hard not only for the salvation and spiritual maturity of more people, but also to satisfy the heart of God. That is the most powerful motive. There may be times when we are tempted to think of individual men and women as not worthy of our sacrifice, but that temptation will fade when we remember that God is always worthy to receive such sacrifices.

Romans 16:19 "Be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil." This is one of Paul's last expressed wishes in this letter for the believers in Rome, as well as for Christians of all times. Rome, like every great city in human history, was full of wickedness. Evil lures people by its subtlety, its mystery, and its dark depths. The seduction of it is very powerful, for we are all desirous of knowing. Untold multitudes of men and women with many natural abilities have found destruction because, as they say, they desired to see life. What they experienced was not life, but death. Paul wants those of us who love Christ to remain simple in all those things. There are things in the underworld, the very knowledge of which pollutes the soul. It is better not to know. The children of God are permitted to know freely the mysteries of the good, which includes godliness, light, purity, and beauty. In this realm Paul urges us to be wise. By our relation with God in Christ, we Christians are admitted into this wonderful realm. We see life and share it, the more abundant life, the life eternal. In this world of the highest matters the soul is purified, ennobled, and eventually glorified. Here it is better to know. Let us come to full knowledge in these matters, for that is true wisdom. Let it be sought earnestly and persistently.

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