Contemplative Bible Reading

Romans 4:6-8 (New Living Translation)

6 David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for it:

7 “Oh, what joy for those
whose disobedience is forgiven,
whose sins are put out of sight.
8 Yes, what joy for those
whose record the Lord has cleared of sin.”

God clears our record of sin. This is so simple; at the same time it is beyond my understanding. Sin is abhorrent to God. Yet he wipes all my sins. My record is perfectly clean. How can He do that? Why would he do that for me?

Oh, and there is this other little item that I must consider: God wipes clean the sins of that fellow sitting over there across the room. Maybe God would cleanse me, but that guy? Doesn’t God understand what that guy does?

So, am I supposed to treat that guy like his sins are cleansed. Can’t I hold him in a little lower position than myself? Can’t I act like God cleansed most of his sins, but left a few behind so that I am better than that guy sitting over there across the room?

God, thank you for cleansing my sins. Help me to be overjoyed. And help me to treat everyone else like you have treated me.

Romans 4:4-5 (New Living Translation)

4 When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. 5 But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners.

There is a big difference between a gift and a contract. It is unfortunate that most of us confuse the two. We give “gifts,” but then state conditions of how the gift is to be used and such.

• “I’m paying your college tuition, BUT I expect you to…”
• “Here is a new camera, that you can use to…”
• “Here is some money that you can spend on…”

I think the confusion we have with gifts and contracts leads to confusion when we read parts of the Bible like that shown above. We are counted as righteous by God as a G I F T, not as a contract.

God, help me to understand and apply this daily.

Romans 2:1-4 (New Living Translation)

4 Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

This is one of those verses that hits me like a baseball bat (yes, I have been hit in the head with a baseball bat).

Let’s consider this verse in light of the sentences that precede it.

1 You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things. 2 And we know that God, in his justice, will punish anyone who does such things. 3 Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God’s judgment when you do the same things?

This is about my bad (need to use a stronger, more negative adjective here) habit of seeing the faults of others while ignoring my own.

Back to verse 4, Don’t I see how wonderful God is to forgive little old pathetic me? If I realized how wonderful and giant a step that is by God, I would act like it. I would forgive others of the relatively small things they do to and about me.

Don’t I see? God, please help me in my unbelief.

1 Corinthians 14:3 (New Living Translation)

But one who prophesies strengthens others, encourages them, and comforts them.

Old Testament prophesying meant predicting the future. God told the prophets what was to happen, the prophets told the people, and it happened sometime in the future.

There is much discussion and disagreement about what “prophesying” means in the New Testament. This verse provides my simple-minded answer:

When a person says something that strengthens, encourages, and comforts others, that is prophesying.

Sorry, it doesn’t seem like much. It sure doesn’t seem as miraculous as predicting the future with certainty. Then again, it isn’t often that I am strengthened, encouraged, and comforted by what someone says. That is pretty darn miraculous.

1 Peter 4:4 (New Living Translation)

Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do.

Why don’t you…

Why aren’t you excited about…

Why won’t you…

What’s wrong with you?

People say these things to Christians. Old friends from high school or earlier wonder about Christians. Christians act differently. They don’t make sense.

At least we are supposed to be different and people are supposed to wonder about us. Christ really doesn’t fit in this world. Christ really does surprise people.

1 Peter 3:8-10 (New Living Translation)

8 Finally, all of you should be of one mind. Sympathize with each other. Love each other as brothers and sisters. Be tenderhearted, and keep a humble attitude. 9 Don’t repay evil for evil. Don’t retaliate with insults when people insult you. Instead, pay them back with a blessing. That is what God has called you to do, and he will grant you his blessing.

Peter is writing to Christians. This is the way Christians should live. This is not the way most people in this world live.

This is a different way.

Do:

• sympathize
• love
• bless

Be:

• tenderhearted
• humble

Don’t:

• pay back evil
• retaliate
• insult

Most people would say that such a life is naive. You are waiting for someone to crush you. Perhaps, but this is a different way.

Ephesians 1:2-4 (New Living Translation)

2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

I have read this many times. I understand it. Troubles bring trials, and when I endure the trials I am stronger for it. I am better for it because my endurance develops and matures.

Trouble is, I don’t seem to be so joyous when in trouble. Later, perhaps. During, no.

One of my failings is that I have a remembering problem. When I am in trouble, I can’t seem to remember. I can’t seem to remind myself, “Okay, this is trouble, but come one, it isn’t that much trouble. You will see your way through this with the Lord and your endurance will grow.” Instead, I think all sorts of nonconstructive things that I will not mention at this time.

God, help me to remember. Help me in my unbelief.

John 12:3-5 (New Living Translation)

3 Then Mary took a twelve-ounce jar of expensive perfume made from essence of nard, and she anointed Jesus’ feet with it, wiping his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance.

4 But Judas Iscariot, the disciple who would soon betray him, said, 5 “That perfume was worth a year’s wages. It should have been sold and the money given to the poor.”

Sometimes Christians do extravagant things. See, e.g., some church buildings erected in the last ten or one thousand years. The money could (should) have been spent on the poor.

No matter what we do with a penny, we could have given it to the poor, and that would have been a good thing to do.

Is Christianity a constant depriving me and giving to someone else? Is Christianity 100% sacrifice on my part? Take care if we answer “no” to these and other ways of stating the same question.

There are times and places and occasions for Christian extravagant celebration. Jesus told us that and practiced that. Now all we have to do…is judge properly which occasions are which. Please God, grant me wisdom.

Galatians 4:8-10 (New Living Translation)

8 Before you Gentiles knew God, you were slaves to so-called gods that do not even exist. 9 So now that you know God (or should I say, now that God knows you), why do you want to go back again and become slaves once more to the weak and useless spiritual principles of this world? 10 You are trying to earn favor with God by observing certain days or months or seasons or years.

Paul tells the Galatian Christians,

Before your were Christians, you followed the cultural norms (today these are binge drinking, binge sex, and weekends that are un-remembered due to drugs) and you suffered immense physical and emotional pain because of it. Now you live in Christ where you don’t have to do these things. When peers pressure you to fall back into the culture, you shrug it off because you have a different life in Christ.

Are you going to fall back into the pain and anguish of the culture?

We face the same today. We have a life in Christ where we are honest with one another. We trust our spouses, and they trust us. We aren’t looking over our shoulder at every little creak in the floor. We don’t double check our fellow Christians to see if they are cheating us. We don’t live in that world any longer.

Or do we?

Romans 8:29 (New Living Translation)

For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

God chose His people in advance to be like His Son. (I will not delve into the predestination discussion here.)

Was Jesus the Son a happy person? Did Jesus the Son live a happy life? What about success? Did Jesus the Son enjoy much of that?

Jesus the Son was Holy. I wouldn’t ascribe happiness and all that other stuff to Jesus. Sometimes we expect things from God that God doesn’t promise. Perhaps that is wishful thinking by us (me). Perhaps that is arrogance by me. I want a god who conforms to my image of a god and provides all the good things that a god provides.

Silly me. Please God, help me in my unbelief.