one step: Romans 5.4

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Christ died for the ungodly. What does this mean? It does not simply mean He died for someone without God, but He died for someone against God. The ungodly are those that violate the expectations of humanity and live as enemies to God.* The ungodly are rebels that hate God and rebel against Him.* The ungodly are you and me without Christ.

This description may seem harsh as many of us might look at ourselves before Christ and think, “gosh, I wasn’t that bad,” while others of us might look at ourselves before Christ and think, “oh, I was much worse.” The tragedy and fatality of sin is that it is a sickness that plagues all of humanity to the death. We are born at odds with the holiness of who God is.

It was not unknown in the ancient world for someone to lay down his or her life for a friend, but to do so for an enemy was unthinkable.* A righteous person is someone that we respect, but a good person is one that we love.* Many of us would die for those we love.* Many would die for a good person. However, Christ did not even die for the righteous (few would die for someone they simply respect).*

Christ died for His enemies. Christ died for you and for me. This is unthinkable. How great a love must He have?! How great His love must be to love not just those who are good, but those who are rebellious, evil, and fail to meet God’s standards of humanity?

Interestingly, Paul does not say that Christ showed His love for us in dying on the cross (though of course He did); Paul tells us that God showed His love for us in the death of Christ on the cross.* The love of the Father was demonstrated for you and for me in the great sacrifice of offering His son for us, though we are so undeserving.*

The love of God for us makes a difference in our lives; the love of God demonstrated for us changes our eternity.

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to remember how much He loves you. Perhaps He wants you to dive into new depths of His love. Maybe God wants you to remember how far you were from Him.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a water break… we all get thirsty.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*Kruse, C. G. (2012). Paul’s Letter to the Romans (D. A. Carson, Ed.; p. 233–234). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Apollos.
Osborne, G. R. (2004). Romans (pp. 133–134). InterVarsity Press;
Morris, L. (1988). The Epistle to the Romans (p. 224). W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press.
Moo, D. J. (2000). Romans (p. 172). Zondervan Publishing House.

one step: Romans 5.3

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

These words take hold of my soul: at the right time.

If you read Romans 5:6-11, you will see multiple references to time. The coming of Christ came at the right time. This means that by converse, there must have been a wrong time for Christ to die. Think about that.

There was a time in history that would not be right for Jesus to die. Jesus tried to explain to His mom that His time had not yet come (John 2:4). Certainly, there were times in the life of Jesus where He could have been taken captive, but He chose to evade (John 10:39). Jesus makes the point to His own family that the timing of His death mattered (John 7:6-8).

At the right time.

The best thing for humanity had a right time; the best thing for humanity had a wrong time.

Often in our lives we ask God for right things, but it is the wrong timing. We don’t understand, and we cry out for those things to come today. How long had the people of Israel cried out for their Messiah? How long had creation groaned to see the Son of the Living God step foot onto His creation? A long time, but there was a right time.

At the right time. The right time is coming.

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to wait for His right time. Perhaps God wants you to submit to His timing. Maybe today God wants you to allow hope to explode in your heart because God has a timing… and it’s right.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a water break… we all get thirsty.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*Kruse, C. G. (2012). Paul’s Letter to the Romans (D. A. Carson, Ed.; p. 229-232). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Apollos.
Osborne, G. R. (2004). Romans (pp. 129–132). InterVarsity Press;
Morris, L. (1988). The Epistle to the Romans (p. 220–221). W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press.
Moo, D. J. (2000). Romans (p. 171–172). Zondervan Publishing House.

one step: Romans 5.2

Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

What have you gotten from suffering? What has suffering done for you or produced in your life? I’m not talking about inconveniences like mean cashiers at your formerly-favorite restaurant or your favorite team losing. I’m talking about the kind of suffering that keeps you up all night, tears apart your soul, and wrings your heart dry of all of its tears.

Maybe these times of life have robbed you of joy. Maybe they have produced a brokenness inside of you that keeps you from loving like you used to. Perhaps a season that looked like suffering quieted a song in your heart.

Somehow, Paul asserts in this passage that suffering can go through some kind of process that ends in hope. This does not make sense in the natural.* Suffering at the hand of an enemy is usually intended to destroy.

Paul suggests that suffering produces endurance (independent, unyielding perseverance in the face of aggressive misfortune).* This endurance produces that which remains after testing (like a refining fire).* Those things that are left over inside of us produce hope.

The late Grant R. Osborne points out:

Hope makes it possible to endure, and at the same time the process of enduring and the godly character it produces increases our hope by making us continually reflect on the future realities guaranteed by God. So the four—sufferings, perseverance, character, hope—interrelate and define the Christian approach to life in this world.*

When has hope disappointed you? If you are like me, you have thought that you were putting your hope in God, but really you were putting your hope in what might come from God’s hand in a particular timeframe. The difference is crucial. God’s ways are not our ways, and God’s timeline is not always our timeline. When we put our hope in God and what He has done and the future realities of that which is guaranteed (those things that He has told us about), then our hope will not put us to shame. Putting our hope in Him is putting our hope in His character and His love for us. Putting our hope in what might come from His hand puts God in a very small box of possibility (at least in our minds).

How do we know this to be true? How do we know that our hope in Him will not be put to shame? The proof is in the Holy Spirit, given to us as a conduit of God’s love poured out into our hearts.

Amazing isn’t it? God can use suffering inflicted upon us by an enemy who seeks to destroy and use it for our good and our hope instead of destruction. Amazing!

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to endure. Perhaps God wants you to turn your hopes from what He may do to Him. Maybe today God wants you to reflect upon those things that are guaranteed because He has said them.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a water break… we all get thirsty.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*Kruse, C. G. (2012). Paul’s Letter to the Romans (D. A. Carson, Ed.; p. 229-232). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Apollos.
Osborne, G. R. (2004). Romans (pp. 129–132). InterVarsity Press;
Morris, L. (1988). The Epistle to the Romans (p. 220–221). W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press.
Moo, D. J. (2000). Romans (p. 171–172). Zondervan Publishing House.

one step: Romans 5.1

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

No matter how you choose to define peace, all people desire peace.* Some of our definitions of peace may be more complete than others, but all of us have experiences and longings that shape our idea of the definition of peace and leave us missing the mark.* Knowing what Paul meant by talking about peace is very important to understand what God wanted to communicate.*

The peace that Paul refers to is not just an absence of violence, but a wholeness akin to the understanding of shalom.* The word for peace that Paul uses refers to a general sense of harmonious well-being associated with the blessing and prosperity of God.* This word for peace differs greatly from the peace that the Roman Empire in the time of Paul (the prevailing culture of his time) provided by brutal force and control.* It cannot be found in a self-help book, and will remain illusive to all who pursue it apart from God.*

The peace that Paul refers to differs from the “peace of God” found in Philippians 4:7.* Paul refers to “peace with God.” Peace with God exists as an objective reality for those who believe in Christ Jesus.* It does not depend upon feeling, though it may influence it. The peace of God is a subjective experience that wells up inside of us when we reflect upon the blessings we receive from Jesus.* This feeling consists of a sense of security and serenity.*

How many in our self-help culture chase after this sort of peace? Attempting to find security and serenity of the soul, spiritual practices and exercises and habits are passionately pursued in vain. Why are they pursued in vain? The peace of God only comes once peace with God has been received.* Peace with God impacts every area of a person’s life.* The lack of peace with God is the predicament of every person’s life.*

The gift of peace with God is not to be overlooked. If you are reading this and you believe in Jesus, you have this precious gift! You have peace with God… this impacts today and it impacts eternity.*

Here is the good news: because of Jesus, you have peace with God. This impacts every area of your life. Today, we have a chance to recognize this powerful truth. If there is an area that we are lacking the peace of God, it might be that we have lost sight of peace with God.

Recognizing the gift of peace with God is not intended to be a compassion-less bandaid for all ailments. Recognizing the gift of peace with God is a recognition that we are in good standing with the One who can fill any and every gap in our lives. Reflecting on this knowledge will surely help us stay in the peace of God.

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to take a deep breath and reflect on your peace with God. Perhaps He wants to speak to you today about what that means. Maybe God wants you to enjoy peace with God even in the suffering of your circumstance. Perhaps today God wants you to allow Him to define peace in your life.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a water break… we all get thirsty.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*Kruse, C. G. (2012). Paul’s Letter to the Romans (D. A. Carson, Ed.; p. 225–227). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Apollos.
Osborne, G. R. (2004). Romans (pp. 126–127). InterVarsity Press;
Morris, L. (1988). The Epistle to the Romans (p. 218–219). W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press.
Moo, D. J. (2000). Romans (p. 169–177). Zondervan Publishing House.

one step: Romans 4.2

In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was “counted to him as righteousness.”

Paul, in his use of Abraham to make his point about faith as the mechanism of salvation rather than law, reminds us of the faith of Abraham. I want to highlight a few points of interest:

1. Abraham had hope and in it believed against hope. What does this mean? It means that though Abraham’s and Sarah’s bodies were weakening, their faith strengthened.* It means that when Abraham looked at his circumstances, he allowed the promises of God to be more convincing than his interpretation of the situation before him. It means that the hope normal to humanity went against the hope common to those who put their trust in God.* Our perceptions or experiences of the reality of this world will often go against the promises of God. Abraham did not allow this to stop him.

2. Abraham did not deny the difficulty of his situation.* Too often, as believers, we can feel pressure to “have enough faith.” In an effort to “believe hard enough,” we can find ourselves denying the situation before us in an effort to believe the promises of God. Abraham (like Jesus in Matthew 19:26) did not deny that he was old, as good as dead, and married to a woman whose womb was dead.* He acknowledged these things, and initially, the idea of it gave him a laugh (Genesis 17:17).

3. Abraham laughed. This moment in the story of Abraham may seem to contradict Paul’s claim that Abraham “did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body.” Furthermore, we know that Abraham brought Ishmael into this world as a manipulation of the promise. What cannot be denied, however, is the long-term belief of Abraham in the promise of God that spanned years of waiting.* Abraham, though weak in moments, and very human, did not let go of the promise of God.

What does this mean for us? Faith in Jesus can become a work by which we attempt to earn salvation. We try to “believe enough” by never doubting. Sadly, we often do doubt… but that’s not the sad part. What’s sad is that we doubt, pretend like we aren’t, deny reality or our own thoughts and feelings, and we rob ourselves and God of honest relationship with us. Abraham was honest with God about his feelings toward the promise, and his faith wasn’t perfect, but God was Abraham’s hope against hope. God saw the faith of Abraham in the long journey.

These reflections on faith by D. J. Moo are helpful:

Faith… it’s not something to do, it’s a willingness to receive as faith is a response to something that God says.*

Faith… it has no power in itself but because of the one in whom we place our faith.*

Faith… it’s based upon God’s Word, not on the evidence of our senses.*

You’re not perfect.

Keep going.

Believe God’s promises.

Today, take a step.

Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to remember his promises and reignite your hope. Perhaps God wants you to survey your surroundings, take them in, bring them to Him, and hold onto faith in what He’s said. Maybe God wants you to remember that you are human and He is God.

Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.

Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus. Take a water break… we all get thirsty.

Feel free to comment at the bottom of this page! We would love to hear from you!

*Kruse, C. G. (2012). Paul’s Letter to the Romans (D. A. Carson, Ed.; p. 217–219). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Apollos.
Osborne, G. R. (2004). Romans (pp. 118–122). InterVarsity Press; Moo, D. J. (2000). Romans (pp. 95).
Morris, L. (1988). The Epistle to the Romans (p. 210–214). W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press.
Moo, D. J. (2000). Romans (p. 160–164). Zondervan Publishing House.