• Facebook
  • Twitter

Dreaming Beneath the Spires

Anita Mathias's Blog on Faith and Art

  • Home
  • My Books
  • Essays
  • Contact
  • About Me

The Righteous will Live by Faith. The Book of Romans

By Anita Mathias

And now, deep breath, I tackle Romans.

The Gospels give you a ground level view of Jesus. There have been quiet seasons in my life, 2003-4, and this year, when the first thing I have done in the mornings is read a short Gospel passage.
And it is as if Jesus strolls into my room, full of energy, full of love, interacting, healing, blessing, teaching.
The Epistles give you a meta perspective, a grand-stand view of the action. You see Jesus from a distance, and see the loving friend in his cosmic role, “He was before all things, and in him all things hang together” as Paul writes in Colossians.
Romans is Paul’s theological masterpiece, but also a graveyard of preachers. Many have attempted sermon series and books on it; many have not finished them.
As a non-professional, I am bravely tackling Romans for the good of my soul in what has been called exegetical blogging. 
The Righteous will Live by Faith, Romans 1 1-17
Paul reveals a new way for the righteous to live–by faith.
What does it mean to live by faith?
Some thoughts:
How do we face our worries? Do we take them to God?
How do we deal with our hopes and ambitions for our future? Do we prayerfully take them to God?
How do we deal with our hopes and ambitions for our children’s future? Do we prayerfully take them to God?
How do we deal with these things?
Fears.
Hopes.
Dreams
Ambitions
Plans
Do we discuss them with God, ask him for his wisdom and perspective on them, follow his directives, and leave the outcome in his hands?

 I am aware that I am just scratching the surface. What else does it mean to live by faith?

Romans 1

 1 Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus,
called to be an apostle
and set apart for the gospel of God—
Gospel, euangelion in Greek, means good news. It includes not just a call to initial saving faith, but Paul’s entire message about Jesus Christ, and how Christ’s saving activity transforms all of life and all of history.
Servant, Doulos, or bondservant.

2 the gospel he promised beforehand
 through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures
3 regarding his Son,
NIV The central figure of the gospel is Jesus, in and through whom the history and promises of the Old Testament are fulfilled.

 who as to his earthly life was a descendant of David,
4 and who through the Spirit of holiness
 was appointed the Son of God in power
 by his resurrection from the dead:
Jesus Christ our Lord.
NIV The resurrection was the authentication of Jesus’s divine nature, the climax of his earthly ministry, and the focal point of the apostolic proclamation.
5 Through him we received grace and apostleship
to call all the Gentiles to the obedience
 that comes from faith
 for his name’s sake.
 6 And you also are among those Gentiles
 who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.
 7 To all in Rome
who are loved by God and called to be his holy people:
   Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Grace, God’s unmerited favour. Peace, echoes the OT concept of shalom, where a person’s life with God and with everything else is in ordered harmony, both physically and spiritual, and “all is well.”

Grace and Peace is the initial greeting used by both Peter and Paul in their letters. It combines the traditional Greek and Hebrew greeting, but links them with the only true source of “grace,” (God’s unmerited favour, esp. that which comes to sinful humanity through the work of Christ on the cross) and “peace” (the total well-being and security that only God can provide. The greeting is echoes in the conclusion of Peter and Paul’s letters so that they stand framed in what amounts to an apostolic benediction on those to whom they are addressed. 
See blog on the greeting Grace and Peace.

ESV Notes–

This is the longest introduction of any of Paul’s letters.  Paul goes into more detail here because he had never been to Rome, and he wanted to summarize the Gospel for the Roman readers. 

Interestingly, many of the themes mentioned here also conclude the letter in the final doxology, Romans 16 25-27.
8 First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world. 
A pattern of prayer. First of all, thank God for the person.

God, whom I serve in my spirit in preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness how constantly I remember you 10 in my prayers at all times; and I pray that now at last by God’s will the way may be opened for me to come to you.
Pre-evangelistic work. Pray for the person.

 11 I long to see you so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to make you strong— 12 that is, that you and I may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. 
As the spirit transforms him, Paul becomes honestly loving and caring.


13 I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I planned many times to come to you (but have been prevented from doing so until now) in order that I might have a harvest among you, just as I have had among the other Gentiles.
 14 I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 That is why I am so eager to preach the gospel also to you who are in Rome.
An obligation laid upon him by Jesus.
 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.
The Gospel saves everyone who believes, saves them from the power of sin, and reconciles them to God.
Because of their lack of size, fame or honour in the Roman corridors of power and influence, Christians might be tempted to be ashamed. But Paul says it is nothing to be ashamed of, because it is a message that comes with the power of God.
 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
Through the Gospel, we are grafted into Jesus by faith. When the Father sees Jesus, he sees us, and vice-versa.
We only have this righteousness imputed to us by  our faith in Christ.

And Paul reveals a new way for the righteous to live–by faith.

What does it mean to live by faith?
Some thoughts.
How do we face our worries? Do we take them to God? 
How do we deal with our hopes and ambitions for our future? Do we prayerfully take them to God.

How do we deal with our hopes and ambitions for our children’s future? Do we prayerfully take them to God?
How do we do these things?
Fears.
Hopes.
Dreams
Ambitions
Plans


Do we discuss them with God, ask him for his wisdom and perspective on them, follow his directives, and leave the outcome in his hands?


What else does it mean to live by faith?

Share on site of your choice … Wikio

More from my site

  • The AnnunciationThe Annunciation
  • The Forgiveness of Sins–Blog Through the Bible ProjectThe Forgiveness of Sins–Blog Through the Bible Project
  • Depression and exerciseDepression and exercise
  • Spring and the EnglishSpring and the English
  • Sometimes God is most merciful when we are least deserving!!Sometimes God is most merciful when we are least deserving!!
Share this...
Share on Facebook
Facebook
Tweet about this on Twitter
Twitter

Filed Under: random

« Previous Post
Next Post »

Sign Up and Get a Free eBook!

Sign up to be emailed my blog posts (one a week) and get the ebook of "Holy Ground," my account of working with Mother Teresa.

Join 643 Other Readers

Follow me on Twitter

Follow @anitamathias1

Anita Mathias: About Me

Anita Mathias

Read my blog on Facebook

My Books

Wandering Between Two Worlds: Essays on Faith and Art

Wandering Between Two Worlds - Amazon.com
Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Francesco, Artist of Florence: The Man Who Gave Too Much

Francesco, Artist of Florence - Amazom.com
Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

The Story of Dirk Willems

The Story of Dirk Willems - Amazon.com
Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk
Premier Digital Awards 2015 - Finalist - Blogger of the year
Runner Up Christian Media Awards 2014 - Tweeter of the year

Recent Posts

  •  On Not Wasting a Desert Experience
  • A Mind of Life and Peace in the Middle of a Global Pandemic
  • On Yoga and Following Jesus
  • Silver and Gold Linings in the Storm Clouds of Coronavirus
  • Trust: A Message of Christmas
  • Life- Changing Journaling: A Gratitude Journal, and Habit-Tracker, with Food and Exercise Logs, Time Sheets, a Bullet Journal, Goal Sheets and a Planner
  • On Loving That Which Love You Back
  • “An Autobiography in Five Chapters” and Avoiding Habitual Holes  
  • Shining Faith in Action: Dirk Willems on the Ice
  • The Story of Dirk Willems: The Man who Died to Save His Enemy

Categories

What I’m Reading

Apropos of Nothing
Woody Allen

Apropos of Nothing  - Amazon.com
Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Amazing Faith: The Authorized Biography of Bill Bright
Michael Richardson

Amazing Faith -- Bill Bright -- Amazon.com
Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Wanderlust
Rebecca Solnit

Solnit --  Amazon.com
Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Acedia & me: A Marriage, Monks, and a Writer\'s Life
Kathleen Norris

KATHLEEN NORRIS --  Amazon.com
Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Opened Ground: Poems, 1966-96
Seamus Heaney

Opened Ground: Poems, 1966-96 Amazon.com
Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Archive by month

INSTAGRAM

anita.mathias

Writer, Blogger, Reader, Mum. Christian. Instaing Oxford, travel, gardens and healthy meals. Oxford English alum. Writing memoir. Lives in Oxford, UK

Images from walks around Oxford. #beauty #oxford # Images from walks around Oxford. #beauty #oxford #walking #tranquility #naturephotography #nature
So we had a lovely holiday in the Southwest. And h So we had a lovely holiday in the Southwest. And here we are at one of the world’s most famous and easily recognisable sites.
#stonehenge #travel #england #prehistoric England #family #druids
And I’ve blogged https://anitamathias.com/2020/09/13/on-not-wasting-a-desert-experience/
So, after Paul the Apostle's lightning bolt encounter with the Risen Christ on the road to Damascus, he went into the desert, he tells us...
And there, he received revelation, visions, and had divine encounters. The same Judean desert, where Jesus fasted for forty days before starting his active ministry. Where Moses encountered God. Where David turned from a shepherd to a leader and a King, and more, a man after God’s own heart.  Where Elijah in the throes of a nervous breakdown hears God in a gentle whisper. 
England, where I live, like most of the world is going through a desert experience of continuing partial lockdowns. Covid-19 spreads through human contact and social life, and so we must refrain from those great pleasures. We are invited to the desert, a harsh place where pruning can occur, and spiritual fruitfulness.
A plague like this has not been known for a hundred years... John Piper, after his cancer diagnosis, exhorted people, “Don’t Waste Your Cancer”—since this was the experience God permitted you to have, and He can bring gold from it. Pandemics and plagues are permitted (though not willed or desired) by a Sovereign God, and he can bring life-change out of them. 
Let us not waste this unwanted, unchosen pandemic, this opportunity for silence, solitude and reflection. Let’s not squander on endless Zoom calls—or on the internet, which, if not used wisely, will only raise anxiety levels. Let’s instead accept the invitation to increased silence and reflection
Let's use the extra free time that many of us have long coveted and which has now been given us by Covid-19 restrictions to seek the face of God. To seek revelation. To pray. 
And to work on those projects of our hearts which have been smothered by noise, busyness, and the tumult of people and parties. To nurture the fragile dreams still alive in our hearts. The long-deferred duty or vocation
So, we are about eight weeks into lockdown, and I So, we are about eight weeks into lockdown, and I have totally sunk into the rhythm of it, and have got quiet, very quiet, the quietest spell of time I have had as an adult.
I like it. I will find going back to the sometimes frenetic merry-go-round of my old life rather hard. Well, I doubt I will go back to it. I will prune some activities, and generally live more intentionally and mindfully.
I have started blocking internet of my phone and laptop for longer periods of time, and that has brought a lot of internal quiet and peace.
Some of the things I have enjoyed during lockdown have been my daily long walks, and gardening. Well, and reading and working on a longer piece of work.
Here are some images from my walks.
And if you missed it, a blog about maintaining peace in the middle of the storm of a global pandemic
https://anitamathias.com/2020/05/04/a-mind-of-life-and-peace/  #walking #contemplating #beauty #oxford #pandemic
A few walks in Oxford in the time of quarantine. A few walks in Oxford in the time of quarantine.  We can maintain a mind of life and peace during this period of lockdown by being mindful of our minds, and regulating them through meditation; being mindful of our bodies and keeping them happy by exercise and yoga; and being mindful of our emotions in this uncertain time, and trusting God who remains in charge. A new blog on maintaining a mind of life and peace during lockdown https://anitamathias.com/2020/05/04/a-mind-of-life-and-peace/
In the days when one could still travel, i.e. Janu In the days when one could still travel, i.e. January 2020, which seems like another life, all four of us spent 10 days in Malta. I unplugged, and logged off social media, so here are some belated iphone photos of a day in Valetta.
Today, of course, there’s a lockdown, and the country’s leader is in intensive care.
When the world is too much with us, and the news stresses us, moving one’s body, as in yoga or walking, calms the mind. I am doing some Yoga with Adriene, and again seeing the similarities between the practice of Yoga and the practice of following Christ.
https://anitamathias.com/2020/04/06/on-yoga-and-following-jesus/
#valleta #valletamalta #travel #travelgram #uncagedbird
Images from some recent walks in Oxford. I am copi Images from some recent walks in Oxford.
I am coping with lockdown by really, really enjoying my daily 4 mile walk. By savouring the peace of wild things. By trusting that God will bring good out of this. With a bit of yoga, and weights. And by working a fair amount in my garden. And reading.
How are you doing?
#oxford #oxfordinlockdown #lockdown #walk #lockdownwalks #peace #beauty #happiness #joy #thepeaceofwildthings
Images of walks in Oxford in this time of social d Images of walks in Oxford in this time of social distancing. The first two are my own garden.  And I’ve https://anitamathias.com/2020/03/28/silver-and-gold-linings-in-the-storm-clouds-of-coronavirus/ #corona #socialdistancing #silverlinings #silence #solitude #peace
Trust: A Message of Christmas He came to earth in Trust: A Message of Christmas  He came to earth in a  splash of energy
And gentleness and humility.
That homeless baby in the barn
Would be the lynchpin on which history would ever after turn
Who would have thought it?
But perhaps those attuned to God’s way of surprises would not be surprised.
He was already at the centre of all things, connecting all things. * * *
Augustus Caesar issued a decree which brought him to Bethlehem,
The oppressions of colonialism and conquest brought the Messiah exactly where he was meant to be, the place prophesied eight hundred years before his birth by the Prophet Micah.
And he was already redeeming all things. The shame of unwed motherhood; the powerlessness of poverty.
He was born among animals in a barn, animals enjoying the sweetness of life, animals he created, animals precious to him.
For he created all things, and in him all things hold together
Including stars in the sky, of which a new one heralded his birth
Drawing astronomers to him.
And drawing him to the attention of an angry King
As angelic song drew shepherds to him.
An Emperor, a King, scholars, shepherds, angels, animals, stars, an unwed mother
All things in heaven and earth connected
By a homeless baby
The still point on which the world still turns. The powerful centre. The only true power.
The One who makes connections. * * *
And there is no end to the wisdom, the crystal glints of the Message that birth brings.
To me, today, it says, “Fear not, trust me, I will make a way.” The baby lay gentle in the barn
And God arranges for new stars, angelic song, wise visitors with needed finances for his sustenance in the swiftly-coming exile, shepherds to underline the anointing and reassure his parents. “Trust me in your dilemmas,” the baby still says, “I will make a way. I will show it to you.” Happy Christmas everyone.  https://anitamathias.com/2019/12/24/trust-a-message-of-christmas/ #christmas #gemalderieberlin #trust #godwillmakeaway
Look, I’ve designed a journal. It’s an omnibus Look, I’ve designed a journal. It’s an omnibus Gratitude journal, habit tracker, food and exercise journal, bullet journal, with time sheets, goal sheets and a Planner. Everything you’d like to track.  Here’s a post about it with ISBNs https://anitamathias.com/2019/12/23/life-changing-journalling/. Check it out. I hope you and your kids like it!
Load More… Follow on Instagram

© 2021 Dreaming Beneath the Spires · All Rights Reserved. · Cookie Policy · Privacy Policy

»
«