1 Chronicles 19:1-21:30, Romans 2:25-3:8, Psalms 11:1-7, Proverbs 19:10-12
Today is the 15th day of July welcome to the Daily Audio Bible I’m Brian it is great to be here with you today and every day, but especially today because today is today, and this is the only thing happening. So, it’s great to be here with you today as we take the next step forward. That next step will lead us back into the book of first Chronicles and we’re reading from the New Living Translation this week. Today first Chronicles chapter 19, 20, and 21.
Commentary:
Okay. So, in the book of Romans today Paul is essentially laying out some of the arguments that have been leveled toward the gospel that he is preaching and then speaking to those arguments because some of the things that Paul is saying, some of the things that we sort of take for granted were revolutionary things to be said at the time that Paul is saying them. Like the idea that you can be justified through faith, you just believe and then you are changed and transformed is a new way of understanding. And the idea that obeying the law isn’t actually your accumulated righteousness before God, rather that the law is there, and it shows you because it’s there it shows you when you fail and you are forgiven by grace as opposed to adhering to the law. This is new stuff which made people ask obvious questions. Then like, what’s the point of trying to live up to the law? If we’re forgiven by grace, then basically the worst that we are the more God is glorified. And, so, those are some of the arguments. Like for example Paul says, “some might say our sinfulness serves a good purpose for it helps people see how righteous God is. Isn’t it unfair then for Him to punish us?” In other words, do we not exalt God’s righteousness, even more when it’s contrasted with our own unrighteousness? Paul says, “of course not. If God were not entirely fair, how would He be qualified to judge the world? And then Paul goes on, “someone might still argue, how can God condemn me as a sinner is my dishonesty highlights His truthfulness and brings Him even more glory?” Right? So, the contrast between us and God. The worst we are, the more we make God look good is fundamentally what’s being said here. We’re quoting from the letter to the Romans. “The more we sin the better it is.” Paul says, “those who say those things deserve to be condemned.” So, what we’re looking at here is the ends justifies the means. I can do whatever I want with whoever I want, however I want and there is grace for that. And the more I fail the more glorious God looks because it’s very clear that He is high above us all. And, so, we basically have this scenario where our sin becomes worship to the Lord. It’s a strange thing that their thinking through there. And Paul is saying, that's…those are not good thoughts to have, that’s not true, this is ridiculous. It is not so. And we can read this in the letter go, “dah, like it’s not so. Everybody knows that.” But it’s really interesting to take a step back. Having this kind of material brought up in our lives to consider and then take a step back and look at the things that we do do to justify what we do. And we realize they’re trying to rationalize the ability to do whatever they want to do and then we realize we do the same kinds of things all the time. And there is plenty, plenty to unpack in the book of Romans as we’re just getting going here. So, Paul’s take on this and his understanding of the purpose of the law and his Jewish lens that he’s looking through as he writes this will be fleshed out before us in the days ahead as we take steps forward through the letter to the Romans. But this leaves us as we head toward the weekend with some things to consider, because it’s really interesting how humans, once a line is drawn that we’re not supposed to cross, we try to figure out how we can get around that or we figure out how we can get right to the line. We’re not looking at the line and going, man, that line, if I cross that line I am putting myself in danger. I will be walking a pathway that leads to destruction. Instead, we see how cozy with the wind that we can get. Like, we’re trying to figure out just how hard we can lean on grace. When the truth is, believe me, we are leaning on it plenty already. But willful sin in order to just experience grace and have an idea that God might find glory in that because we are revealing what a failure, we are which reveals what kind of perfection He is…well…according to Paul, this is not how it works. And, so, let’s consider the ways that we tiptoe along those paths that aren’t going to work.
Prayer:
Father, we invite You into that. Holy Spirit, come. We all have stories out of justifying ourselves for just about anything that we want to do regardless of whether it’s healthy or not and that is not right, and we need Your forgiveness, but we need Your leadership. Lead us into all truth, that we might obey in the name of Jesus we ask. Amen.
Announcements:
dailyaudiobible.com is home base it is the website. Most…most web addresses that in .com lead you to a website and dailyaudiobible.com leads you to the Daily Audio Bible website, which is the home of the Global Campfire. And, so, certainly check in and stay connected with what is going on. You can use the Daily Audio Bible app to do the same thing and that can be downloaded from whatever app store works with your phone or tablet. So, check that out.
Check out the different sections like the Community section. There are links there to the different social media channels that we participate in as the Daily Audio Bible and it’s a good idea to kind of…whatever…whatever social media platform you might be on, you can follow Daily Audio Bible and get important announcements and they can show up in your feed, etc. etc. So, check that out. We have channels for Daily Audio Bible women. We have DAB friends as well as just the Daily Audio Bible channels. And, so, there are number of ways to get connected there. And, so, check it out. The Community section is also where the Prayer Wall lives. And that is an invaluable resource for us as a community, taking the journey through the Bible in a year. Because a lot happens in a year and we have our ups and we have our downs and coming around the Global Campfire should teach us that we’re not alone and we don’t have to be alone and we can reach out and people are there, brothers and sisters are there to pray for us. And that really is lived out at the Prayer Wall, which can be found in the Community section.
If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, if what we’re doing here every day around the Global Campfire taking the next step forward together brings life and light and hope and good news into your life experience than thank you for your partnership. There is a link on the homepage at dailyaudiobible.com. If you’re using the app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner, or the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.
And, as always, if you have a prayer request or encouragement, you can hit the Hotline button in the app or you can dial 877-942-4253.
And that’s it for today. I’m Brian I love you not be waiting for you here tomorrow.
Community Prayer and Praise:
Hello DAB community this is One Penny Saved from southwest Missouri, and I just felt compelled to pray for all things who are struggling with mental illness and addiction. And I just hear all the calls and you guys, I am old but when I started struggling with mental illness it wasn’t cool. You know, it was not talked about, and heaven forbid I get on medication. My family would have just thought that was horrible. And, so, I struggled, and I started out at 15 with an eating disorder and was just consumed with fear. And I prayed, I bargained, I pleaded with God to heal me, and I wanted my instant healing. Don’t we all want that? But what would our testimony be that we were healed instantly? So yeah, I did have to struggle, and the word of God is what transformed me. And I didn’t even notice when I was healed. It just…it just happened. A transformation happened just like a…a cocoon and a butterfly. It just happened. So, you guys I love you and just hang in there and stay in the word because the word is what will heal us, and it doesn’t take hard work. It just takes staying in it. It’s a miracle. That’s what God does. The enemy comes to steal kill and destroy but God’s word will totally heal you.
Hi Daily Audio Bible this is Mary from North Carolina I was just calling to ask for prayer. I’ve experienced several health issues throughout my life and especially in last year including dealing with MS and now I’ve got heart issues that I’m going through several tests and treatment for, and I just feel burnt out and spiritually in a dry place. So, I’d appreciate if everyone would pray that God’s will be done and all of this and that I get a refreshing by His Spirit and that depression doesn’t overtake me. I really appreciate everybody. Thank you Hardin family and I pray for everyone that that calls in. Everybody have a blessed day. It is July the 12th. Thank you. Everybody be blessed. Bye-bye.
Hello Daily Audio Bible family this is Justin again from Virginia calling in. I’m calling in, you know, after last week because it’s been a rough few days. When I called last, I was so filled with anxiety and stress it made me sick and I’d been essentially laying in bed for five days. Supposed to go back today and I still will but I only got 2 ½ hours of sleep. I woke up in the middle of the night and felt like I was under attack from stress and anxiety. I wake up and…thoughts would just hit me, and it was almost like I was left in panic, and I just could not sleep. It was so difficult. I got like 2 hours and 45 minutes. So, I need prayer because I feel I’m on empty and I don’t know how I’m supposed to get through the next few days even. I don’t know how I’m supposed to get to work and get better. I don't…I don’t know how. I pray God will make a way and I haven’t heard from him. So, please keep me in your prayers. And I just wanna pray for everyone including myself. Dear God, we’re struggling with anxiety and we’re tired and we’re stressed and we need Your help because we’re empty and we don’t know how to do it without You. So, please God help us. Please.
Hi daily audio Bible family this is Renzo from Florida and I just want to ask for a prayer request. Lately I just been really struggling with what I want to do when I grow up. I know that I gave up what I wanted to do as being I wanted to be a basketball player and I gave that up to seek after God because God told me to do Christian rap and there’s sometimes where I just feel like I want to quit I want to give up, I just…I wanna stop…stop doing Christian rap, but even stop spreading the gospel. There’s sometimes where I have no motivation to do it and I feel down. But I just ask for…just if you guys could keep me in your prayers as I pursue what God wants me to do in my life whether it be street preaching, Christian rap, I don’t know, whatever God wants me to do even if it’s simple, even if it’s working a 9 t 5 five. I have no idea. But I want to do what God calls me to do. But I really appreciate everybody and I thank you guys for everything. God bless you. I’ll always be praying for you guys even if I don’t call in sometimes. God bless you guys. Love you guys. Jesus loves you too. Bye.
Hello DAB family my name is Louis I’m a long-time listener from the beautiful mountain Rockies of Banff Alberta. I…family I’m asking if you could pray for a friend here. Her name is Libby and she’s battling stage four cancer. And I found…finally summed up the courage through this Spirit to talk to her about Jesus and she is receptive and I have this deep conviction that she is a child of God and…and trust that her name is written in this book of life so that she may know His hope Lord. So, please pray with me. Father, I’m asking You good Father to lead Libby to Jesus, draw her to Jesus Father, that she may…she may know the hope…the hope of a renewed body, the hope of seeing her daughter again and the hope above spending eternity with You Lord. Thank You, Father in Jesus’ mighty name we pray. Amen. So, yes family if you could please keep her in your prayers. Again, her name is Libby. And we are in Alberta Canada. And love you guys very much. I don’t call often at all but been listening for over a decade. So, shout out to all of you long timers. God bless.