Romans 2<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This morning as I read this passage in Romans 2 the picture of God\u2019s circle of safety was coming to mind once again. In this passage, God isn\u2019t making a distinction between believers and unbelievers based on faith, but based on how they live. Now, obviously their faith, and the source from which they live, is a significant factor. But I just thought it\u2019s interesting that Paul is basically saying, \u201cIf you stay inside the circle of safety by listening to what I have said and obeying it, you will experience honor and peace.\u201d (Rom 2:7, 10) But if you choose to live outside the circle, and you live for yourself, doing what you want instead of what God wants, you will experience tribulation and distress! (Rom 2:8-9)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He goes on to say, \u201cIt\u2019s not those who just hear my words who are righteous before God, but those who do them.\u201d (Rom 2:13) I think I have been so afraid of \u201clegalism\u201d at times, that I have avoided the clear teaching of God\u2019s word that God does call us to obedience. It\u2019s not obedience for salvation, nor is it obedience to maintain, or make God happy with me. It\u2019s obedience because I know that\u2019s the best place to live! Choosing to live inside the circle of safety is the only place I will experience the peace of God that passes all understanding! (Phil 4:7) <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s interesting that Paul makes a big deal about the fact that the outward appearance is not what God is after. Whether Jew or Gentile, what makes a person righteous is not outward circumcision, but inward obedience. \u201cA Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart.\u201d (Rom 2:29) <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The place of greatest rest\u2026 the most peaceful place on earth, is in God\u2019s circle of safety. I can be there, even when the circumstances are out of my control. Because it\u2019s a heart following after him. This reminds me of what Ian Thomas said in chapter 20 of \u201cThe Indwelling Life of Christ,\u201d \u201c When it comes to the point of obedience to God\u2019s clear instructions, the Life of Jesus Christ within you makes human circumstances irrelevant; for to share His Life now as He once shared His Father\u2019s Life on earth is to know, as Jesus did, that Someone else is taking care of the consequences. What I am urging is simply that you become delightfully detached from the pressure of circumstance, so that it ceases to be the criterion in the decisions you make. You will not need to know what He plans to do with you \u2026 you simply need to know Him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bible Reading Romans 2 Devotional Thoughts: This morning as I read this passage in Romans 2 the picture of God\u2019s circle of safety was coming to mind once again. In this passage, God isn\u2019t making a distinction between believers and unbelievers based on faith, but based on how they live. Now, obviously their faith, and the source […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":172,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[130596],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1208","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-declarations-of-truth","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/david-watters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1208","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/david-watters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/david-watters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/david-watters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/172"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/david-watters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1208"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/david-watters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1208\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/david-watters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1208"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/david-watters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1208"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/david-watters\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1208"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}