March 27, 2020

Scripture Reading: Romans 8:6-11

To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law—indeed it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.

I may not remember the name of the book my book club is currently reading, although I can tell you its entire plot, but sometimes when I read scripture like the one above, a hymn I learned 60 or so years ago will pop into my head. Today it was I know not why God’s Wondrous Grace which is no longer in our hymnal but carries Paul’s powerful message just the same:

I know not why God’s wondrous grace
  To me He hath made known,
Nor why, unworthy, Christ in love
  Redeemed me for His own.

 But “I know Whom I have believed
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
  Unto Him against that day*.”

We modern progressives are a little uncomfortable about a judgment day as perhaps was the author of this hymn since he refers to it as that day. I do not know why this song was dropped from hymnals. Perhaps its just fell from the top hits list and publishers can only put so many hymns in one book. Perhaps it stems from our theological concentration on what we do in the now rather than racking up brownie points for the hereafter. I tend to fall in that last category.

Yet, we talk about the resurrection thrusting God’s kingdom into actualization and that we have chosen to be partners in its building. I perceive pleasing God as a constant in our work toward that Kingdom. The Greek word translated “please” is Areskó** and it means to satisfy or make good on something. How important is someone keeping their commitments to you rather than getting caught up in the distractions of the world?  Do you think God feels the same?

Prayer: Lord we thank you for your wonderous grace and ask you to forgive us when we fall short of our commitments to you. Help us to understand there is nothing in the world that is greater than your wondrous grace. Amen

*First verse and chorus of I know not why God’s wondrous grace by Daniel Webster Whittle. See at https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/333

**https://biblehub.com/greek/700.htm

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.