Affirmed and secured
Every day we're reading or listening to part of the Bible together and sharing thoughts with you. Today it’s Owen Lynch:
What did I like about today’s passage?
Overall, I like the theme of hope that runs through these three chapters. Paul’s internal battle with sin in chapter 7 reaches it’s peak with the phrase - “What a wretched man am I?” He then writes what for me is the standout chapter of Romans - chapter 8. As an undergraduate student I attempted to memorise this chapter, because for me it encapsulated the hope of the gospel of Jesus - that we are treated as fully adopted children, totally loved and given the same status as Jesus in God’s family. It’s an exhilarating description of life as God intended for every single person whom He created.
What did it show me about Father God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit?
It reminds me that God affirms and secures me emotionally and mentally. It’s not always helpful to describe God as Mother and Father, because no parent is perfect (at least I know I’m not a perfect parent!) And it’s not always helpful to project our experiences of parental figures on to God. But whatever our experience of our parents, we all need that support and affirmation of significant people in our lives.
I love Paul’s use of the word ‘Abba Father’ - it’s an intensely personal word that describes God as the very best loving parent you could imagine. Paul is convinced that nothing can separate all human beings “from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (8:38-39). In a letter (Romans) that uses English words like wrath and judgement, perhaps we need to re-examine the Hebrew words that lie behind these English translations, in order to better understand the love of God.
What am I going to do differently as a result?
I am going to embed my status as a child of God into my guiding principles that I am writing as part of my Faithwalking journey and I am going to remind myself everyday that I am a child of God.
Who am I going to share this with?
I will share this with my Faithwalking community.