All Entries Tagged With: "shame"

Romans 7:15

Welcome to Online Bible Studies

Today’s Bible verse is
Romans 7:15 (NIV)
15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.

Let’s read the verse in context:
Romans 7:14-25 (NIV)
14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do–this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God–through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

Today’s Quiet Time with God

I think we can all relate to the Apostle Paul in today’s verse. We want to do the next right thing, but we don’t always succeed. One of the things I am always taken by is that Paul writes these verses as a mature Christian. He had easily been walking with the Lord for 25 years at the point when this letter is written. He still struggles. I am glad he was courageous enough to admit it. I am glad that the Bible doesn’t edit out the weaknesses of the people of faith. All of us have struggles, but thanks be to God, Jesus has come that I might be free and have a life free from guilt and shame. Does that mean I can just continue to sin without remorse or repentance? NO! IT means that the grace of God encourages me to keep on moving forward. It means that His Spirit empowers me to overcome one day at a time. It means that even when I fall short, I can ask for forgiveness and get my focus on Jesus, and start living again, doing the next right thing. Life isn’t fair, do the next right thing, love God with all your mind, soul, heart and strength, you will be blessed as you do!

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As you end your quiet time don’t forget to check out what’s happening in the world. Click here to go to the Christian World News stories page. This will help you to direct your prayers more effectively.

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Internet Pastor Online is an interesting site where you can find answers to questions about the Bible and some advice for Christian living.

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Church Growth Consulting is a site for Pastors and Ministry Leaders about ways to advance the Kingdom of God and help to grow the Church.

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If you would like to learn how to create a blog of your own then this would be a good site for you.

Romans 6:23

Welcome to Online Bible Studies

Today’s Bible verse is
Romans 6:23 (NIV)
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Let’s read the verse in context:
(We will read all of Chapter 6 to get context today)
Romans 6:1-23
1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin– 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. 8 Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. 11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. 14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. Slaves to Righteousness 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16 Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey–whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. 19 I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Today’s Quiet Time with God

The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord! What an awesome gift. Our sin had earned for us a death sentence, but Jesus gave His life for ours on the cross so that we can have life. This is the most amazing gift of all time. In the process of making a way for us to have eternal life He also set us free from our slavery to sin. Sometimes we need to stop and reflect on what Jesus did for us on the Cross. His willingness to go to the cross on our behalf not only gave us a forever life with God, it also gives us life now. A life free from guilt and shame. A life of purpose. A life of adventure. Jesus, thank you for the cross, for the blood that sets us free! Spend some time today thinking about what the cross means to you. You will be blessed as you do.

Check out Christian World News

As you end your quiet time don’t forget to check out what’s happening in the world. Click here to go to the Christian World News stories page. This will help you to direct your prayers more effectively.

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Come back tomorrow for another edition of Online Bible Studies. You should also sign up for either the Free RSS subscription or if you aren’t familiar with RSS, sign up for the free email subscription. That way whenever a new Bible Study is posted you will be notified. You can sign up at the top right of the page.

Check out the Christian Book Club

The Christian Book Club is a great site where you can get involved in an online Christian Book Club. A new book and discussion are started the 1st of every month. Come and join us for this month’s book. Click here to go to the Christian Book Club site.

Check out Internet Pastor Online

Internet Pastor Online is an interesting site where you can find answers to questions about the Bible and some advice for Christian living.

Check out Church Growth Consulting

Church Growth Consulting is a site for Pastors and Ministry Leaders about ways to advance the Kingdom of God and help to grow the Church.

Check out My Newbie Blog

If you would like to learn how to create a blog of your own then this would be a good site for you.

1 Corinthians 15:22

Welcome to Online Bible Studies

Today’s Bible verse is
1 Corinthians 15:22 (NIV)
22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.

Let’s read the verse in context:
1 Corinthians 15:20-28 (NIV)
20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For he “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. 28 When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.

Today’s Quiet Time with God

This section of 1 Corinthians 15 is one of my favorite parts of scripture. At church tonight we were discussing how everything got messed up. God created everything good, but at the fall it all went bad. We now live in a fallen world on a broken planet, with a very real enemy. As believers, we know that things aren’t right, we groan with the entire creation for the return of Jesus. When He comes again, He is going to make everything right. Sin and death entered the world at the fall through the first man, Adam. Through the second man, Jesus, sin and death are dealt with. Jesus dealt with sin at His first coming on the cross. Jesus will deal with death when He come back. Then He hands everything back to the Father who is all in all. The implication is that finally, everything will be back to the way it started. Perfect relationship between us and God. No more fear or shame or pain. These are the promises for those who believe. Love on Jesus today, you will be blessed as you do!

Check out Christian World News

As you end your quiet time don’t forget to check out what’s happening in the world. Click here to go to the Christian World News stories page. This will help you to direct your prayers more effectively.

Get a Free Subscription to God’s Daytimer

Come back tomorrow for another edition of Online Bible Studies. You should also sign up for either the Free RSS subscription or if you aren’t familiar with RSS, sign up for the free email subscription. That way whenever a new Bible Study is posted you will be notified. You can sign up at the top right of the page.

Check out the Christian Book Club

The Christian Book Club is a great site where you can get involved in an online Christian Book Club. A new book and discussion are started the 1st of every month. Come and join us for this month’s book. Click here to go to the Christian Book Club site.

Check out Internet Pastor Online

Internet Pastor Online is an interesting site where you can find answers to questions about the Bible and some advice for Christian living.

Check out Church Growth Consulting

Church Growth Consulting is a site for Pastors and Ministry Leaders about ways to advance the Kingdom of God and help to grow the Church.

Check out My Newbie Blog

If you would like to learn how to create a blog of your own then this would be a good site for you.