Living, Active, Knowing and Growing

When was can you last remember taking the time to really get all out of a verse of scripture that you could?  To meditate over it, to ponder, as a friend of mine quoted to me from a book by Father Ronald Rolheiser, as “to patiently hold the mystery inside of one’s soul, complete with all the unresolved tension it brings,” or to trace the original meanings of each of the words in order to gain a stronger appreciation of the writer’s original intent.  I had that opportunity today as a familiar verse from Romans 8:2 ran like a never ending loop in my head between 5:00 and 7:00 AM this morning!  My personal combination of translations of this verse reads: “For the standards of the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the adverse convictions and sentences as defined by the standards of the law of sin and death.” 

After I arose from bed and fortified myself with a hot mug of Hazelnut Crème coffee, I went directly to my study and opened up my Bible to the verse that I had already been reviewing for the last few hours.  As a matter of course in the continued study of its meanings, I went to the previous verse to add more understandings to my research.  This scripture which comes as a result of the freedom that Christ has given us that is discussed in the former chapter, tells us why Romans 8:2 works.  It states “So those who are believers in Christ Jesus can no longer be condemned.”  (Romans 8:1 God’s Word ©)  A closer look at this comment reveals that the little word “in” is the key to understanding the Apostle Paul’s point to us.

In his commentary, John Gill basically says that this word denotes a living, active, knowing and growing relationship between Jesus and the believer that is similar to the rights and privileges innate within the marriage relationship between a husband and wife.  It is not a stagnate relationship.  It is one that is constantly fresh, moving toward a higher goal, interacting and just plain getting better!

Over the weekend my wife and I were invited to her folks for dinner to celebrate my birthday.  Soon after we arrived we went into their living room and my wife sat down in a chair near her father whom we hadn’t seen for awhile.  After speaking to her for a few moments, my father in law looked at her and jokingly (but yet serious in his understanding) said that “You don’t have any idea who I am do you?”  At that point it was my turn to laugh a little, for to me the recognition was very evident.  Let’s face it, after almost 42 years of being in an especially close relationship with my wife, I know her pretty well.  You could say that I have had a living, active, knowing and growing relationship with her. 

There may not have been the verbal recognition or even the knowing that one could see in her eyes, but all the other signs were flashing like a neon light!  The tiny crinkles at the corners of her eyes, that familiar little crooked smile, the tilt of her head and the way that she leaned in toward him all vividly demonstrated her familiarity with him.  I have to give him a lot of credit also, as he really put out a dedicated effort to connect with her throughout the night.  First by sitting with her and looking at old family photos, by joking with her at the dining table, and by listening to whatever comments, be they understandable or not, that she made.  His diligence paid off when my wife arose from the table after dinner and went over and sat in his lap.  And believe me… my wife would never do that with anyone except for me or her Dad!

That is exactly the living, active, knowing and growing type of relationship with Jesus that we should have that will assure us of never feeling condemned due to the accusations of the devil through others or as spoken into our own minds.  In John 8:44 Jesus called the devil the father of lies, and in that role he will try his best to deceive us into thinking thoughts that cause us to not fully partake of the rights and privileges that we have as active believers.  Remember, we have been set free from the adverse convictions and sentences that we used to be subject to under the old law of sin and death.  Jesus has set you and me free, and the more we participate in a living, active, knowing and growing relationship with Him, the more we can walk in the rights, privileges and freedoms that He has provided for us to enjoy.  … You know, with this understanding I realize that I don’t miss those extra hours of sleep that I gave up this morning by spending time with Him!  It makes it all worth the added effort!  Stay tuned and keep asking yourself… “What am I expecting today?”