Bethany Bullet - August 9, 2011

Romans chapter 7 is perhaps one of the most important portions of Scripture. In the words of Martin Franzmann, “These words keep Christianity Christian in the fullest sense of the word. Authentic discipleship is rooted in Jesus words, I am vine you are branches and apart from me you can do nothing. Romans 7 drowns the delusion that the disciples of Jesus can become autonomous with a righteousness he can call his own; and at the same time it pulls under the notion that the Christian life can be static. The Christian life is of necessity a life to be lived on the forgiveness of God. We live that life by holding on to Christ who laid hold of us.”

So while the old Adam/Eve may rise to the surface daily, we with daily contrition and repentance shall seek to drown him/her over and over again. That in the strength of the Spirit we might daily rise up as the new man and new woman God has called us and created us to be in Christ.

The only way to the victorious confidence - we will explore in Romans 8 for the next several weeks is the unshrinking self-appraisal of who we are and who we’ve become in Christ, “for it is over the waters of our ruined humanity that the Spirit of God broods and works. “

[Quotes from Romans, a commentary by Martin Franzmann]

-Pastor Kevin Kritzer