Saturday, July 23, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Romans 5:20-21 in Various Translations (Grace)
"Now we find that the Law keeps slipping into the picture to point the vast extent of sin. Yet, though sin is shown to be wide and deep, thank God his grace is wider and deeper still! The whole outlook changes - sin used to be the master of men and in the end handed them over to death; now grace is the ruling factor, with righteousness as its purpose and its end the bringing of men to the eternal Life of God through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Phillips)
"All that passing laws against sin did was produce more lawbreakers. But sin didn't, and doesn't, have a chance in competition with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace. When it's sin versus grace, grace wins hands down. All sin can do is threaten us with death, and that's the end of it. Grace, because God is putting everything together again through the Messiah, invites us into life - a life that goes on and on and on, world without end." (The Message)
"Law slipped in to aggravate the trespass; sin increased, but grace surpassed it far, so that, while sin reigned the reign of death, grace might also reign with a righteousness that ends in life eternal through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Moffatt)
"When the law came into the picture, sin grew and grew; but where sin has spread, grace is there to cut it down and defeat it. No matter how much sin crept in, there was always more grace. In the same way that sin has reigned in the sphere of death, now grace reigns through God's restorative justice, eclipsing death and leading to eternal life through Jesus, the Liberating King, our Lord." (The Voice)
"But law came in, in order that the offense might abound; but where sin abounded grace has overabounded, in order that, even as sin has reigned in [the power of] death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Darby)
"The law came along to multiply the trespass. But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness, resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
"The law came to make sin worse. But when sin grew worse, God's grace increased. Sin once used death to rule us, but God gave people more of his grace so that grace could rule by making people right with him. And this brings life forever through Jesus Christ our Lord." (New Century Version)
"Now the law came in as a side issue, in order that the trespass could increase, but where sin increased, grace was present in greater abundance, so that just as sin reigned in death, so also grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Lexham English Bible)
"And the Torah came into the picture so that the offense would proliferate; but where sin proliferated, grace proliferated even more. All this happened so that just as sin ruled by means of death, so also grace might rule through causing people to be considered righteous, so that they might have eternal life, through Yeshua the Messiah, our Lord." (Complete Jewish Bible)
"Now Scripture came on the scene to heighten the Fall; but wherever sin flowed, grace overflowed, in order that, as sin was king in the death realm, so might grace, through restoration to favor, be king in the spiritual life realm provided by Jesus Christ our Lord." (Cotton Patch)
I want to add that the word for grace used in these passages is defined in the Strong's as "the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life," as well as "acceptable, benefit, favor, gift, grace (-ious), joy liberality, pleasure, thank (-s, -worthy)." It is unmerited favor, yes, but also so much more. Our good friend and mentor Les defines grace as "the divine ability to do that which you could not, or would not, do before." Wow! What a word.
- Jesse
"All that passing laws against sin did was produce more lawbreakers. But sin didn't, and doesn't, have a chance in competition with the aggressive forgiveness we call grace. When it's sin versus grace, grace wins hands down. All sin can do is threaten us with death, and that's the end of it. Grace, because God is putting everything together again through the Messiah, invites us into life - a life that goes on and on and on, world without end." (The Message)
"Law slipped in to aggravate the trespass; sin increased, but grace surpassed it far, so that, while sin reigned the reign of death, grace might also reign with a righteousness that ends in life eternal through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Moffatt)
"When the law came into the picture, sin grew and grew; but where sin has spread, grace is there to cut it down and defeat it. No matter how much sin crept in, there was always more grace. In the same way that sin has reigned in the sphere of death, now grace reigns through God's restorative justice, eclipsing death and leading to eternal life through Jesus, the Liberating King, our Lord." (The Voice)
"But law came in, in order that the offense might abound; but where sin abounded grace has overabounded, in order that, even as sin has reigned in [the power of] death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Darby)
"The law came along to multiply the trespass. But where sin multiplied, grace multiplied even more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness, resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Holman Christian Standard Bible)
"The law came to make sin worse. But when sin grew worse, God's grace increased. Sin once used death to rule us, but God gave people more of his grace so that grace could rule by making people right with him. And this brings life forever through Jesus Christ our Lord." (New Century Version)
"Now the law came in as a side issue, in order that the trespass could increase, but where sin increased, grace was present in greater abundance, so that just as sin reigned in death, so also grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Lexham English Bible)
"And the Torah came into the picture so that the offense would proliferate; but where sin proliferated, grace proliferated even more. All this happened so that just as sin ruled by means of death, so also grace might rule through causing people to be considered righteous, so that they might have eternal life, through Yeshua the Messiah, our Lord." (Complete Jewish Bible)
"Now Scripture came on the scene to heighten the Fall; but wherever sin flowed, grace overflowed, in order that, as sin was king in the death realm, so might grace, through restoration to favor, be king in the spiritual life realm provided by Jesus Christ our Lord." (Cotton Patch)
I want to add that the word for grace used in these passages is defined in the Strong's as "the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life," as well as "acceptable, benefit, favor, gift, grace (-ious), joy liberality, pleasure, thank (-s, -worthy)." It is unmerited favor, yes, but also so much more. Our good friend and mentor Les defines grace as "the divine ability to do that which you could not, or would not, do before." Wow! What a word.
- Jesse
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Joy Part II
I wanted to clarify that in talking about living a lifestyle of joy, I don't mean to imply that trials and tribulations won't come; they will. Tragedy will come. But we have access to joy in the midst of adverse circumstances. The Lord has opened the door for us to drink continuously from the wells of salvation (Isaiah 12:3). He has granted us the ability to count it all joy when we fall into various trials (James 1:2). And, once again, joy is an emotion. I believe as we tap into the river of joy flowing from His side we will literally experience joy. We will experience "a feeling of great pleasure and happiness." Because in His presence there is fullness of joy, and at his right hand are pleasures forever more (Psalm 16:11).
The Beatitudes in the Common English Bible look like this: "Happy are people who are hopeless, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Happy are people who grieve, because they will be made glad," etc. And in the Good News translation it says: "Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor; the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them! Happy are those who mourn; God will comfort them!"
Psalm 144: 15 says "... Happy are the people whose God is the Lord." And in The Message Psalm 16:9-10 says: "I'm happy from the inside out, and from the outside in, I'm firmly formed. You cancelled my ticket to hell - that's not my destination!" Wow! Isn't that good?
Here's another goodie from The Message: "When the righteous see God in action they'll laugh, they'll sing, they'll laugh and sing for joy. Sing hymns to God; all heaven, sing out; clear the way for the coming of Cloud-Rider. Enjoy God, cheer when you see him!" (Psalm 68:3-4) Dang. I can't even begin to describe how good this passage is. We are actually told to "enjoy God!" Wow! We are told to "cheer when we see him!" To laugh, to sing! Sounds like joy, doesn't it?
I'm not even scratching the surface of joy/happy verses, but I wanted to give you a taste. Yes, we will experience trials and tribulations, but our experience of joy will be greater. Yes, we will grieve, but in the midst of mourning, God will make us happy! He will make us glad! There's so much more to add to this topic. So many goodies in the Good Book! And, please, feel free to comment. Add your voice. Share some insights. Selah
- Jesse
The Beatitudes in the Common English Bible look like this: "Happy are people who are hopeless, because the kingdom of heaven is theirs. Happy are people who grieve, because they will be made glad," etc. And in the Good News translation it says: "Happy are those who know they are spiritually poor; the Kingdom of heaven belongs to them! Happy are those who mourn; God will comfort them!"
Psalm 144: 15 says "... Happy are the people whose God is the Lord." And in The Message Psalm 16:9-10 says: "I'm happy from the inside out, and from the outside in, I'm firmly formed. You cancelled my ticket to hell - that's not my destination!" Wow! Isn't that good?
Here's another goodie from The Message: "When the righteous see God in action they'll laugh, they'll sing, they'll laugh and sing for joy. Sing hymns to God; all heaven, sing out; clear the way for the coming of Cloud-Rider. Enjoy God, cheer when you see him!" (Psalm 68:3-4) Dang. I can't even begin to describe how good this passage is. We are actually told to "enjoy God!" Wow! We are told to "cheer when we see him!" To laugh, to sing! Sounds like joy, doesn't it?
I'm not even scratching the surface of joy/happy verses, but I wanted to give you a taste. Yes, we will experience trials and tribulations, but our experience of joy will be greater. Yes, we will grieve, but in the midst of mourning, God will make us happy! He will make us glad! There's so much more to add to this topic. So many goodies in the Good Book! And, please, feel free to comment. Add your voice. Share some insights. Selah
- Jesse
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Joy
Joy is an emotion, not a state of mind. Joy is "a feeling of great pleasure and happiness," as the dictionary on my Mac puts it. That means you feel it. You don't think it. You don't carry it around as a mindset. If you have joy, then you will be joyful. That sounds like a no-brainer but, really, how many of us actually believe it? So often people say that they have the joy of the Lord but they don't actually feel joyful. Because "joy isn't the same as happiness." "Joy is something you have to cling to, even if you're depressed."
No. I disagree. You can't say rightly that you have the joy of the Lord if you walk around bummed out all the time. That's just not truthful. If you have the joy, it will look like joy. It will feel like joy. Did you notice how the definition of joy includes the word "happiness?" So yes, joy and happiness are intertwined. In fact, it seems to me that joy is even more extreme than happiness. Happy is defined as "feeling or showing pleasure or contentment." Joy is, once again, "a feeling of great pleasure and happiness." So it's happiness and then some.
Union with Christ should produce "a feeling of great pleasure and happiness." Christians should be the happiest people in the world. Instead, we go around with frowns on our faces, bemoaning the state of our lives, the state of the world. Well, no more for me. I'm ready to give myself over to the joy of the Lord. I'm ready to live a life of joy, to live a life of great pleasure and happiness. I feel it welling up inside of me, a transformation that happens from the inside out.
That's where joy is born: inside of us. And then it springs out into the world. It's what draws people and changes people. To be happy, to be joyful, in the midst of adverse circumstances, in the presence of a world full of conflict and pain. That's what Christ died for: to restore us to joyful union with Him! So go ahead. You have permission to feel joyful. Not only permission. It's what the Gospel is all about. The Glad Message of the Happy God! Amen.
- Jesse
No. I disagree. You can't say rightly that you have the joy of the Lord if you walk around bummed out all the time. That's just not truthful. If you have the joy, it will look like joy. It will feel like joy. Did you notice how the definition of joy includes the word "happiness?" So yes, joy and happiness are intertwined. In fact, it seems to me that joy is even more extreme than happiness. Happy is defined as "feeling or showing pleasure or contentment." Joy is, once again, "a feeling of great pleasure and happiness." So it's happiness and then some.
Union with Christ should produce "a feeling of great pleasure and happiness." Christians should be the happiest people in the world. Instead, we go around with frowns on our faces, bemoaning the state of our lives, the state of the world. Well, no more for me. I'm ready to give myself over to the joy of the Lord. I'm ready to live a life of joy, to live a life of great pleasure and happiness. I feel it welling up inside of me, a transformation that happens from the inside out.
That's where joy is born: inside of us. And then it springs out into the world. It's what draws people and changes people. To be happy, to be joyful, in the midst of adverse circumstances, in the presence of a world full of conflict and pain. That's what Christ died for: to restore us to joyful union with Him! So go ahead. You have permission to feel joyful. Not only permission. It's what the Gospel is all about. The Glad Message of the Happy God! Amen.
- Jesse
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)