From Joel McWaters

Romans 11
How often times do you look at the modern world and think "Am I really in that much of a minority? Are there so few?" I get very frustrated sometimes at the individuals in our country that want freedom in all aspects of life, for all people... except when it comes to me having my faith. It's not enough for them to not believe, but they also want to make it wrong for me to believe what I believe. And yet, it isn't as bad as what Elijah had to endure. How much has changed in the 2500+ years since Elijah? How often to we hear of someone "worshipping in their own way?" I think of Esther. She was the queen chosen by the king, to the kings pleasure, and yet she took her life into her hands approaching the King when he had not asked for her.

From Wes Seymour

i have such mixed feelings and opinions on the topic of god "hardening" people and their hearts, and what that really means. question 3 asks if god hardens righteous people. my first thought has always been that this has something to do with god manipulating the mind or choice a person has, but does that mean god has taken away the individuals free will at that point? at first i really didnt like the idea of that perspective, but maybe he has. maybe he actually did descend a spirit upon pharoah or the Israelites during the example with elijah. a spirit that didnt allow them to see, or hear, or feel god. maybe at that point god no longer gave them a choice, he had just had enough. there are examples of him striking people dead for only one lie. why couldnt he just make the decision that this person no longer gets a choice, im done with them.

does god harden righteous people? this chapter (11) gives an example where he reserved a group of 7000 that must have been pretty righteous to be chosen, but he hardened king saul a few times i think. and he was a righteous man. for a while anyway.

From Wes Seymour

vs 26 and 27 are interesting. sometimes i find myself praying without words ... because i just don't have the words in my mind to use. but i feel like god knows what is on my mind or heart. these two verses are just really neat to me.

From Mark Kercheville

Hi, Romans class. As you read and study this week on Ch. 7, ask yourself the question, "Is Paul in vss. 14-25 speaking of the man before he is in Christ and how he struggles to keep the law perfectly, or is he speaking about the Christian who does have the justification by faith and still struggles with sin?" Maybe any who would like could blog about this with one another during the week while I'm gone to Outdoor Ed. Have a great week in the Lord, everyone. :)

Mark

From Wes Seymour

is living in sin, or being a slave to sin, a "state of mind" ?? or is it by the works we do? or a compilation of both?

does that end when we make the conscious decision to be baptized? ... and after that, when we sin through-out our christian lives are we living in christ with just a few blips in the road here and there? ... and if we decide to turn our backs to Christ again and go back to living in sin is it as simple as that? ... just as simple as repentance to go back to living with Christ?

From Wes Seymour

this is a much heavier book than i expected. i think i could end up taking this class twice and still not grasp all of it.

in chapter 5 vs 3-5 paul talks about how we should rejoice in our suffering because suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character, and character, hope. and hope does not disappoint us because god has poured out his love into our hearts by the holy spirit.

what an incredible relationship paul had with god. i know god allowed paul to suffer so much for his name, to the point where mark had mentioned last week he may have even been stoned to death at one point and god still said "im not done with you yet pal, get back up"...not to mention the prison time and running from those who were constantly trying to kill him. paul had suffered so much in gods name. paul was a living testimony of himself as the type of perseverance that suffering could create. and the amazing character that was the outcome.

i think it was a perfect understanding between a master and his servant. how amazing would it be to suffer so much in the name of god, not only knowing that there is reward awaiting you in heaven, but also on earth as god continued to pour his holy spirit into paul by allowing him to spread the word everywhere he went.

From Amy Quinliven

Tonight while reading I could not stop reading over 6:15. Particularly "...much more did the grace of God AND the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many."

WOW! It poured grace out even more to realize that the trinity is being presented here (at least that's what I got from it). Not only by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ...but also by the grace of God (who of course is also Jesus Christ; however, there are two here based on the "and").

Mark, can you correct me or add to this if I'm not right in saying this? I also have a question regarding a Christian who falls. Does grace still abound should a Christian who falls into great sin repent again? I think that's what discourages Christians while reading Romans because they feel as though they're not given this grace. At least that's what I've come across with discussions. Maybe you can help me out with this one.

Thanks!