Coffee With The Lord

This “coffee with the Lord” comment is for anyone who struggles with persistent, recurring sin in their life…  A number of years ago I read this passage when I was struggling with a recurring sin in my life and it gave me great encouragement and led to victory.  I believe it will be a blessing to you… I urge you to appropriate what it talks about and live out the reality of your baptism!

“Well then, shall we keep on sinning so that God can keep on showing us more and more kindness and forgiveness?  Of course not! Should we keep on sinning when we don’t have to? For sin’s power over us was broken when we became Christians and were baptized to become a part of Jesus Christ; through His death the power of your sinful nature was shattered.  Your old sin-loving nature was buried with Him by baptism when He died; and when God the Father, with glorious power, brought Him back to life again, you were given His wonderful new life to enjoy!

“You have become a part of Him, and so you died with Him, so to speak, when He died; and now you share His new life and shall rise as He did. Your old evil desires were nailed to the cross with Him; that part of you that loves to sin was crushed and fatally wounded, so that your sin-loving body is no longer under sin’s control, no longer needs to be a slave to sin; for when you are deadened to sin you are freed from all its allure and its power over you.  And since your old sin-loving nature “died” with Christ, we know that you will share His new life.  Christ rose from the dead and will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him.  He died once for all to end sin’s power, but now He lives forever in unbroken fellowship with God.  So look upon your old sin nature as dead and unresponsive to sin, and instead be alive to God, alert to Him, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

“Do not let sin control your puny body any longer; do not give in to its sinful desires. Do not let any part of your bodies become tools of wickedness, to be used for sinning; but give yourselves completely to God-every part of you – for you are back from death and you want to be tools in the hands of God, to be used for His good purposes.  Sin need never again be your master … you are free under God’s favor and mercy!”

Romans 6. 1-14 from the “old” Living Bible paraphrase – the TLB

Praise the Lord!!!

Ever make a purchase or decide on a course of action and discover just how wonderful that purchase was or how wise the decision was that you had made? 

This morning in my Bible reading during “coffee with the Lord” I had that feeling as I read Romans 5.1-11 (you really ought to read it yourself)!  The passage addresses the benefits and blessings that come to those who are “justified by faith” (i.e. those who are “made right with God by putting their trust in Christ to forgive them and bring God’s approval upon their life regardless of their sinful past). 

Now, I’ve done that … I acknowledged my sin to God, asked His forgiveness, and put my trust in Christ to save me, restore me, transform me and make me “right with God”!  Best decision I ever made!!  And this morning as I read Romans 5.1-11 I was “blown away by what I got in the deal!” 

Let me enumerate for you what the Bible says I got in the deal (and keep in mind this is not an exhaustive list!)…

1. Peace with God (remembering that once I was alienated/estranged from Him through my sin)!
2. Access into His grace (His favor, His blessing, His bounty, and provision)!
3. The hope of one day experiencing His glorious presence in Heaven!
4. The ability to “glory” in whatever I suffer (because I know that even suffering will produce good things in my life).
5. The daily experience and awareness of God’s incredible love through the work of the Holy Spirit in my life.
6. Rescued – delivered – “saved” from “the wrath of God”
7. Reconciled to God (i.e. a “friend” of God) – though the death of Jesus Christ and “saved” through His life (i.e. His resurrection)

The passage concludes by saying… “Not only this, but we also BOAST in God through our Lord Jesus Christ!”  Now I’m boasting!  Putting my trust in Christ to save me and make me right with God was a GOOD decision!!  “What-a-deal!!”  In another place the Bible says if you’re going to boast you ought to “boast in the Lord!” (1 Corinthians 1.31) Well that’s what I am doing!!

During my time of “coffee with the Lord” today I felt prompted to rejoice and “revel” in the words of an old hymn with a recurring refrain… “What a wonderful Savior!”  I really believe the Lord was setting me up for my Bible reading in Romans today…  Check it out…

“Christ has for sin atonement made,
What a wonderful Savior!
We are redeemed! the price is paid!
What a wonderful Savior!

Refrain:
“What a wonderful Savior is Jesus, my Jesus!
What a wonderful Savior is Jesus, my Lord!

“I praise Him for the cleansing blood,
What a wonderful Savior!
That reconciled my soul to God;
What a wonderful Savior! (Refrain)

“He cleansed my heart from all its sin,
What a wonderful Savior!
And now He reigns and rules therein;
What a wonderful Savior! (Refrain)

“He gives me overcoming pow’r,
What a wonderful Savior!
And triumph in each trying hour;
What a wonderful Savior! (Refrain)

“To Him I’ve given all my heart,
What a wonderful Savior!
The world shall never share a part;
What a wonderful Savior!” (Refrain)

• E. A. Hoffman, 1891

The theme of my Bible reading today?  How to “get right with God” (i.e. how a person can be “justified”, acquitted, declared righteous before God!)  Read the following declaration by Paul, the great apostle, and do what I did this morning – “revel” in his inspired words – and see if you don’t find yourself saying (and if you know the words and melody… singing) “What a wonderful Savior!”

 “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known…This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.  For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified (i.e. made right with God) freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Him as a sacrifice of atonement, to be received by faith… Where, then, is boasting?  It is excluded!  For we maintain that a person is justified (i.e. made right with God) by faith apart from the works of the law (i.e. simply keeping a list of religious rules and ceremonies).  (Romans 3:21-31)

My response to these wonderful words… Thank you Heavenly Father, for sending your Son, Jesus!  Thank you Jesus for offering yourself on the cross for this sinner!  Thank you, Holy Spirit for revealing this wonderful plan of salvation to Paul, the apostle!  Bottom line? WHAT A WONDERFUL SAVIOR!!