Author Archives: gonelikeashadowatevening

Bible, Eternal Life, Eternity, Faith, Hope, Promises, Scripture

HOPE AGAINST HOPE

ROMANS 4:18

“In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, ‘SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.’”

Have you ever held on to hope for something or someone even though everything in your mind told you to give up? I have. In fact, right now my wife and I are doing that about a family member. There’s been a separation now of almost two and a half years. All efforts to reconcile have been rebuffed or simply ignored. But…we still hold out hope that our God will move hearts to forgive and come back together.

Abraham exhibited that kind of hope when he believed God’s promises to him. Matthew Poole explains the phrase “hope against hope” well. “Abraham, when he had no natural or rational grounds of hope, either in respect of himself or Sarah his wife, did yet believe and hope he should have a son; and so be a root or stock, from whence many nations should spring: and this faith and hope of his was grounded upon the power and faithfulness of God.”

APPLICATION

What do you hope in? In whom do you place your hope? The Greek word for “hope” is elpis which means an expectation or a confidence in what is certain. There is no guess work with our hope as believers. We’ve got a sure thing in Jesus. Nothing nor anyone can take away that hope we have in Him. That should give us all confidence.

Paul says later in Romans 5:2, “through whom we also have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we celebrate in hope of the glory of God.” The hope of the glory of God! Woohoo! God’s glory is certain. We can be sure of one day experiencing His glory in its fullness. We are told that we too will be glorified. I believe His light will glorify us instantly the moment we see Him face-to-face.

In 1 Thessalonians 4:13, Paul comforts the Thessalonian believers with these words. “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as indeed the rest of mankind do, who have no hope.” That’s a happy and sad verse – happy for us but sad for the unbeliever. They have no hope. Thanks be to God that He has given us the supreme hope, the supreme confidence. He loves us with an everlasting love. Give Him praise today.

Lord, You have promised us eternal life with You through Your Son Jesus. Our hope is in that, and it is certain!

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Death, Eternal Life, Life, Salvation, Scripture

LIFE TO THE DEAD

ROMANS 4:17

“(as it is written: ‘I HAVE MADE YOU A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS’) in the presence of Him whom he believed, that is, God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being things that do not exist.”

Some people have a super green thumb. What do I mean by that? They can take a plant that looks completely dead and can bring it back to life again. They feed it and water it and nurture it back to life. Those are plants that I toss in the garbage can, but to the eye of the trained green thumb, they see life where there is no life. They don’t give up on it.

Today’s verse has a phrase that we need to look at. It’s towards the end of the verse. It says, “who gives life to the dead.” What in the world was Paul referring to? We will see more about this in verse 4:19, but to put it bluntly, there was no way Abraham and Sarah were going to have a child at their age. You may know someone who got pregnant in their 40’s or even 50’s. Pretty amazing, isn’t it? But nothing is too difficult for God.

APPLICATION

And we were dead before Christ. Ephesians 2:1 and 5 tell us that pretty clearly, “1 And you were dead in your offenses and sins,…5 even when we were dead in our wrongdoings, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),” God took us off of death row when we gave our lives to Christ. We were doomed, damned to an eternal hell (and yes, it is real).

We are told in John 14:6 that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. It goes on to say that no one will get to heaven unless they believe in Him and follow His commands. Death to life! It’s hard for our finite minds to comprehend. How can He do that? Because He created us in the first place. He knows every single molecule of our bodies. He can refire us into brand new creatures in Christ.

In John 5:24 Christ says, “‘Truly, truly, I say to you, the one who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.’” From the very mouth of God the Son. We have to hear. We have to believe, and we have to follow. Where are you right now? Are you still dead to Christ? Turn to Him today and gain new life in Him.

Father, I am so thankful for my new life in Jesus. Praise Your name.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Eternal Life, Eternity, Faith, Guarantee, Promises, Scripture

I’M SURE

ROMANS 4:16

“For this reason it is by faith, in order that it may be in accordance with grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the descendants, not only to those who are of the Law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all,”

I have bought a lot of stuff in my lifetime. Many of those products came with guarantees. Some were for one year while others came with a lifetime guarantee. I like that. I have a pair of sunglasses that are protected for life. If they get scratched or broken, I simply send a picture to the company, and they send me a new pair. I am guaranteed that in writing.

Today’s verse gives us a guarantee also. If we trust in faith we are guaranteed the promise of salvation. The word “guaranteed” is the Greek word bebaios which is only used nine times in the New Testament. It can be translated as “firm, steadfast, sure.” It has the word picture of walking on solid ground. We know Who that firm foundation is, don’t we?

APPLICATION

For context I want to give you Hebrews 2:1-3a but look at verse 2 particularly regarding the words of the angels. “1 For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away from it. 2 For if the word spoken through angels proved unalterable, and every violation and act of disobedience received a just punishment, 3 how will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” The word “unalterable” is bebaios.

In the first part of Hebrews 6:19, we have a phrase that should “light your fire” and lead you to praise the Lord. It says, “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and reliable…” It is reliable. There’s our word again. But I especially like that it says it is “an anchor of the soul.”

God’s guarantee of your salvation will never expire. It’s not one of those limited one year warranties. It’s not even a lifetime guarantee. It’s an eternal guarantee. I challenge you to find one better. Once you are His you are His forever. There is a no return policy attached. He won’t give you back to destruction. He has you firmly in the hollow of His hand. So, rest in Him. He’s got you.

O God, I am so thankful that my faith is guaranteed in grace.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Danger, Protection, Scripture, Sin, Transgressions

GUARDRAILS

ROMANS 4:15

“for the Law brings about wrath, but where there is no law, there also is no violation.”

I live in Tennessee and often drive on roads that have guardrails that protect cars from steering into a gulley or drop off. Those guardrails are meant to protect, but you can still go over them if you are driving recklessly or at a high rate of speed. The best guardrails can’t protect you from your own stupidity. Pay attention to them.

Paul points out in today’s verse that the law played the role much like a guardrail. The word translated as “violation” is “parábasis (from pará, ‘contrary’ and bainō, ‘go) – properly, an ‘overstepping’; a deliberate going over ‘the line.’ parábasis  (‘a stepping over the line’) in the NT refers to the willful disregard (breaking) of God’s law which defies His drawn-lines (boundaries); an arrogant ‘over-stepping.’” (HELPS Word-studies)

APPLICATION

That’s the same picture as going over the guardrail. Listen, God gave the law to guide men towards Him, knowing they would buck against it. What happens when you tell a two-year-old not to touch something? He touches it, right? The guardrails of the law pointed us towards God, but since it was given to Moses men have rebelled against it.

Now, you can go over the guardrails accidentally. You may get knocked over by someone else. That’s where my analogy ends. (By the way, no analogy is perfect) But with the law, men have deliberately chosen to jump the rail. They have chosen the pathway of sin. Instead of staying on the road prepared by the Lord, they decide to take the route most traveled by other sinners, one in which there are major potholes and pitfalls.

1 Timothy 6:9 warns us of one particular problem men face. “But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap, and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge people into ruin and destruction.” The guardrail of reliance on God for our provision instead of chasing wealth is there for a reason. God knows what lies on the other side – ruin and destruction. He is protecting us against such transgressions.

The next time you see a guardrail on the highway, think about this verse and thank God for His guardrails He has given us to walk in. Thank Him for Jesus.

O Father, keep me inside the guardrails and away from danger.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Empty, Power, Powerless, Righteousness, Scripture, Useless

EMPTIED

ROMANS 4:14

“For if those who are of the Law are heirs, then faith is made void and the promise is nullified;”

As I read this verse today, a picture came into my mind of a car. I just got back yesterday from a day of driving to and from another city. It was about a two hour drive each way. Did you know that the speed of my truck had nothing to do with how hard I pressed the gas pedal? That’s right. How fast I went was determined by the fuel that was in the tank. If my truck did not have any fuel, I could press that pedal through the floorboard and it would not go anywhere. But when the source of the power is present, the engine fires, the transmission kicks in and the tires turn. Fuel is the key, not the pedal.

That is a very rough analogy for today’s verse. Our justification goes nowhere without faith in Jesus. All the works we accomplish (pressing the pedal) will get us nowhere. But when the power source (faith in Jesus) is present, we have the righteousness of God upon us. We reach our destination (heaven) because of the source that is in us.

APPLICATION

“Paul warns that reliance on Torah observance would kekenotai (“render empty”) both faith and promise. The term stresses how human works cannot coexist as instrumental causes of justification; introducing law-keeping would drain the gospel of its power and make God’s covenantal word ineffective. This verse undergirds the Reformation emphasis on sola fide, demonstrating that grace and law-merit are mutually exclusive avenues to inheritance.” (Topical Lexicon) Pretty clear explanation of the word “void” in today’s verse.

This word for “void” is found in four other locations in the New Testament (all by Paul). In 1 Corinthians 1:17 we read, “For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not with cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made of no effect.” There’s the word again, this time translated as “no effect.”

My favorite use of the word, however, is found in Philippians 2:7. Look at the verse in context in verses 5-7. “5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, as He already existed in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself by taking the form of a bond-servant and being born in the likeness of men.”  He “emptied” Himself. He gave up His glory to become man for us. Wow! What can you empty yourself of today?

More of You and less of me, dear Lord. Help me empty myself of my own power and allow Your power to flow through me.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Eternal Life, Eternity, Promises, Salvation, Scripture, Testimony

PROMISES

ROMANS 4:13

“For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.”

We should never make promises we cannot keep. A promise is a vow to carry through on something. Have you broken a promise to someone? I have. I didn’t plan to break that promise when I made it. I had all the right intentions when I made it. But life can throw us curve balls sometimes, can’t it? I have been very careful since then to only make promises that I can keep.

God made some promises to Abraham. Paul alludes to one in today’s verse. Albert Barnes adds this to his commentary on this verse. “Those promises were that God would make of him a great nation (Genesis 12:2); that in him all the families of the earth should be blessed (Genesis 12:3); that his posterity should be as the stars for multitude (Genesis 15:5); and that he should be a father of many nations (Genesis 17:5). As this latter promise is one to which the apostle particularly refers (see Romans 4:17), it is probable that he had this in his eye.” God made and kept His promises to Abraham.

APPLICATION

When Jesus appeared to the disciples after the Resurrection, He said this in Luke 24:49, “‘And behold, I am sending the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.’” What was that promise? The Holy Spirit! He promised us a Comforter, and we received that at our salvation.

In Galatians 3:14 Paul writes, “in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham would come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” Don’t you know Paul knew the power of this promise? He received it when he was saved. He had been a very religious man before, according to the law, but he had never experienced the power of the promise of the Holy Spirit until he met Jesus face to face.

There’s another promise God has made to us which John spells out clearly in 1 John 2:25. “This is the promise which He Himself made to us: eternal life.” Not only do we receive the Holy Spirit to guide us down here on earth, but we also have been given a promise of eternity with our Lord. Wow! Try to top that one. Can’t be done! Thank You, Lord! Give Him praise today.

Father God, You are so faithful to keep every promise You ever made to us.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Circumcision, Following, Privileges, Righteousness, Scripture

FOLLOW HIS STEPS

ROMANS 4:12

“and the father of circumcision to those who not only are of the circumcision, but who also follow in the steps of the faith of our father Abraham which he had while uncircumcised.”

“Membership has its privileges.” You may have heard that expression made popular by American Express back in the late 1980’s. I have an American Express card. One of the privileges of that card is that I can earn SkyMiles with Delta every time I use it. I also get other privileges each year just for having it. But I have to keep my account active to enjoy those privileges. My privileges depend on me doing something.

That is not the case with our membership in God’s family. Paul has been laying out the case for that for a while now in Romans. Today’s verse is kind of part two of a thought which began in verse 11. Not only is Abraham the father of the uncircumcised believers, but he is also the father of the believing Jews. The believing Jews’ allegiance to Abraham is not wrapped up in their physical circumcision. It is directly linked to Abraham’s circumcised heart.

APPLICATION

Matthew Poole explains verses 11 and 12 so well. I thought I would include his words in their entirety. “The former verse (verse 11) tells you he was the father of the believing Gentiles, for the covenant was made with him, for all his believing seed, when he was uncircumcised, which shows, that righteousness is and may be imputed to them also without any outward circumcision: and then he is the father of the believing Jews; especially of as many of them as unto circumcision do add the imitation of his faith; who, besides circumcision, which they derived from him, do also transcribe his divine copy, and follow his example of faith and obedience; who leave their sins, as he did his country; who believe all God’s promises, and adhere to him against all temptations to the contrary.”

The childhood bible song, “Father Abraham,” just popped in my head. Remember that? It is a fun song to sing with little children as it gets them up and moving and it’s kind of silly. “Father Abraham had seven sons, seven sons had Father Abraham. And I am one of them and so are you, so let’s just praise the Lord, right arm…” You would then proceed to sing that over and over while adding body parts and motions.

My point? The point of that song is about praising the Lord! It still is today. Yes, Abraham is my spiritual ancestral father of faith. The Bible tells me that, but my hope does not lie in Abraham or anything he did. My hopes lies in Jesus, the author and finisher of my faith. His righteousness is given to me, even though I have done nothing to deserve it. Aren’t you grateful today for the faith of our fathers? But aren’t you more grateful for your faith in Jesus?  Bear that faith well today.

O Lord, I praise You just as the song says. Even though the world around me is in chaos, I will praise Your name.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Faith, Righteousness, Scripture, Sealed

THE SIGN OF RIGHTEOUSNESS

ROMANS 4:11

“and he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had while uncircumcised, so that he might be the father of all who believe without being circumcised, that righteousness might be credited to them,”

Seals, not the slippery kind that swim (lol), are used all over the world to make documents official. Some are raised seals like the old notary stamps. Others are just an ink stamp from the officiating party. I have official seals in my passport from all over the world. It’s kind of fun to go back and look at the seals I have received. Last year I had to get a new passport because my “seals runneth over.” I was out of pages. I got a bigger one this time.

Paul isn’t talking about a notary or a passport. He is referring to the seal we all receive when we place our faith in the Lord. Abraham’s seal of circumcision upon his flesh was a visible sign of a spiritual seal of faith. Paul has already told us that Abraham received the righteousness of God BEFORE he was physically circumcised. This made him “the father of all who believe without being circumcised.” This, of course, would infuriate the Jews since they put such pride in their physical circumcision.

APPLICATION

In John 3:33 we read the words of John the Baptist during his last testimony. “‘He who has received His testimony has set his seal to this, that God is true.’” John knew that Jesus was the reason for this seal upon our lives. He stamped us with His seal of righteousness upon our act of faith in His saving grace. I can’t wait to have long conversation with John in heaven one day.

That seal, of course, is the Holy Spirit given to us by Jesus upon our salvation. Paul wrote to the Ephesians and told them this in Ephesians 1:13. “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of the promise,” I don’t know about you but those are shouting words. God did the sealing, not me, not a preacher. And what God seals, we cannot unseal. Hallelujah!

The next time you open a jar and hear it pop or remove a paraffin wax seal from a jar of homemade jelly, remember God’s seal upon your soul. He has sealed you with a promise. He has sealed you and imputed to you His righteousness. Walk like that. Don’t doubt what you have. You are preserved forever.

O Father, I praise You for the seal upon my heart today.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Children, Circumcision, Grace, Grandchildren, Justification, Justified, Scripture, Works

NOT BY WORKS

ROMANS 4:10

“How then was it credited? While he was circumcised, or uncircumcised? Not while circumcised, but while uncircumcised;”

I love my children and grandchildren – period. Nothing they have done has caused that love. They are loved because they are my family. There is nothing they can ever do that will change that love. Once they were birthed into my family they were forever loved. Can you relate? I cannot imagine my life without them. Even if disagreements occur, even if separation occurs, I will never stop loving them.

Paul states it clearly in today’s verse that nothing Abraham did resulted in his justification. He states the facts of the case from Genesis. This is presented so succinctly in the following: “…hence it clearly appears that circumcision could not be the cause of his justification, since it followed it; and if Abraham when uncircumcised was a justified person, as it is certain he was, why may not uncircumcised Gentiles be justified also? and especially when it is observed, that the covenant made with Abraham when uncircumcised, included the Gentiles;” (Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible)

APPLICATION

God made a promise to Abraham in Genesis 15 to multiply his seed and give him a land. Fourteen years later God cut covenant with him through circumcision. Fourteen years! If God had required circumcision in order to be justified, He would have told Abraham to do it immediately upon the promise He made. Why did God do it the way He did it? Why wait fourteen years and then required circumcision? I think (and this is just my opinion) that God wanted to separate justification by faith from any works. He still does today.

Think about it. When you come to faith, you don’t have to do a bunch of stuff to get saved. John 1:12 says, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name,…” Receive and believe – that’s it. Now, once you are saved, God expects obedience. He does expect us to follow through on baptism as a sign of our salvation. He does expect us to give generously to invest in His kingdom’s work. He does expect us to serve Him by serving others.

But all those things I just mentioned are post-salvation, not pre-salvation. Just like Abraham was saved (justified) before circumcision, we are saved before any acts or works of faith. I pray you are not trying to achieve your salvation. You will never be able to do that. Receive and believe. Then God will give you Holy Spirit Who will guide you into righteous living. Amen!

Lord God, I am so thankful that I did not have to do something to be called Your child. I came in simple faith, believing in Your Son, Jesus Christ.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Faith, Lifestyles, Repetition, Scripture, Skills, Testimony

REPETITION

ROMANS 4:9

“Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also? For we say, ‘FAITH WAS CREDITED TO ABRAHAM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.’”

In our ministry to men, Every Man A Warrior uses a set of books to teach men how to walk with God, succeed in life and multiply spiritually. This is done through repetitive skills we build into the men. We know that repetition helps drive home a point so that men make it a daily part of their life. One of those skills is doing a daily Quiet Time and journaling their thoughts and insights from the passage.

Paul is a master of repetition. In this chapter, he is continually circling back around to his main point to make sure the readers get it. He wants to cover this truth from all angles so there is no doubt what he is teaching them. Today’s verse is no exception. Once again, Paul brings up the matter of circumcision. Verse 9 and 10 are tied into the same thought. Paul gets his readers thinking once again how Abraham was counted as righteous in God’s eyes. How does his circumcision play a part in this?

APPLICATION

Paul’s heart for the Gentiles is bleeding through every thought. He asks that question – “Is this blessing then on the circumcised, or on the uncircumcised also?” That really is what he has been discussing for the past verses going back to chapter 2. Are Jews the only ones considered righteous because they keep the law or is this righteousness made available to all men through faith in Jesus?

You and I have the benefit of over two thousand years of history and insight from dozens of theologians who have discussed this issue of faith. You and I may have all the right “Sunday School” answers to this. Of course, it comes through faith! Right? Then why do so many people think they have to perform and do something for God to receive this? Because we are a works mentality culture.

Free stuff is often seen as cheap or not worth much. People who have great intelligence cannot wrap their heads around the simplicity of the Gospel. But it really is that simple and it really is free. What is preventing the masses from storming the doors of the church? I believe it is Christians’ lifestyles that do not match up to what God expects from His children. Don’t let your lifestyle keep someone from pursuing this blessing. I believe it was Bonhoeffer who said we should live our lives as Christians so that it causes the unbeliever to question their unbelief. Do that today.

Father God, keep me from being a barrier for others to see Jesus. Let me lead them by my example in how to trust You.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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