Week 1 | Monday | Romans 5

Romans 5

The precursor to "so then, shall we sin to increase grace?"; I've not really devoted attention to Romans 5 before. It's classic Paul, in that I find it almost riddle-like, but unfolded into amazing revelation when I spent some time trying to interpret each sentence. I think I got there, but like so much of the new testament I think will probably only yield more goodness the more I think about it/live life/humble myself into looking at it fresh again.

Points of interest:
- v2 - we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God (the present glory isn't enough??!! - No - there's even more to come!)

- v3-4: suffering builds through to hope: leading to a stunning piece of text-
- v5 "and hope does not disappoint us..."
6 words to profoundly describe the human condition, and that in particular that I find myself in. You have to convince me to hope? How far I've come. I know there's more to this, but right here is a stunning insight into who and what I've somehow become. Too hardened by half.

No, Paul here is saying this hope we might dare to have is well-placed, God won't let me down. Even in that, the taint of human condition on the pure nature, or notion of hope is displayed: such that now we have good hope...and tragically, bad/misplaced/hopeless hope.
And we all know that: there are things I 'hope' in that I know are foolish: and yet, is it HOPE?

Could it be what I call hope is almost uncertain, but highly desired faith?
And the other things I 'hope' for (like a Richmond finals series) is actually the less-personally-desired 'wish'?

And that 'hope' in anything other than God is foolish? But I know God is good (and that doesn't mean He provides Ferraris), so it's a given, right? So then 'hope' is not really about "I desire this to happen and perhaps it won't", but something that instead begins to admit the undeservedness for what we hope?

And in this the rest of Romans 5 unfolded (and now that I've explored hope again some more, even more!)

Sin entered the world through one man, we ALL sinned, and so grace is required: Hope entered the world through grace, and through one man (JC) - but NOBODY didn't-sin, so effectively nobody Graced, and then hope becomes this utterly, utterly undeserved thing.

and finally, as though to Make It Very Obvious for us, "The law was added so that the trespass might increase" - not 'Moses gave us the law to MAKE us sin more' but instead 'no matter how well you live, it only becomes clearer that your salvation is out of your own reach'.

I identified last week that I needed busting down again, that I'd become too dry, too task-list in my faith; that the pure simplicity of my faith had been overgrown with process.

Do I go back to an immaturity in my faith? No, and I hope not as well. I rather like that I KNOW what does me harm better now, and that equally I KNOW I can overcome that, but I think perhaps I've been ignoring the God-given ability in me to be amazed at what God did for me through Jesus.

I decided a few months ago to let myself be seen crying in films/messages/worship if I felt the need: I think that was the spirit preparing me for today, or warning me of the things I was shutting down, or boarding up in my life. I need to unharden my heart.

Amazingly, Kelv had a new song on Sunday: "You made the way, you'll make the way"
I love it when God comes at me from like eight different directions at once.