Keri Folmar's Blog, page 2
August 17, 2020
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August 5, 2020
Fruit
Have you ever picked up an entertainment magazine in the checkout line or watched an interview with someone who is rich and famous? Broken marriages, repeated rehab, estranged children, living without reference to God. No desire for him. No delight in him. Sin and self reign. With all the designer clothes, magnificent homes and extravagant vacations, there is still no lasting joy. It seems that the more of the world a person has, the more miserable he or she seems to be. One famous actor said, “I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer.”
This is because no matter how much money you have or how well known you are there is no remedy for shame apart from Christ. A life lived without reference to God is a life of ever-increasing shame and bears the fruit of death. Death of relationships, death of satisfaction, death of joy, and ultimately eternal death away from the Lord. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). The unrepentant sinner earns death as a deserved wage.
“[B]ut the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (6:23). The one who has been set free from sin and has become a slave of God through trusting in the work of Christ bears fruit that “leads to sanctification” (6:22). Living for the glory of God makes us more like Jesus, the Son. We are united to him and become like him as the grace of God trains us to renounce worldly passions and live godly lives (Titus 2:12). This is where true satisfaction and joy is found and its end is eternal life (Romans 6:22).
The law of Moses isn’t what enables us to fight sin. Yes, it surely shows us our sin. It shows us God’s holiness and righteousness and goodness, and it shows us how far short we fall. But the law can’t bridge the chasm between us and God. Only Christ can. Grace is how we fight sin—knowing that this holy, righteous, good God loves us and sent his Son to pay the wages of our sin. He died in our place, gave us a new nature and sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within us. Our unity with Christ enables us to follow the law of Christ and fight sin (Romans 8:4, 13). We died with him and will be raised with him. This is what changes our hearts.
All of chapter 6 of Romans is an argument for extravagant grace being the change agent in the Christian’s heart. Good fruit can’t be stapled onto a tree. It will eventually shrivel and rot, showing the tree to be dead. Good fruit must grow from living roots planted down into good soil. The soil feeds the sap of the tree, which flows through the branches. Blossoms break forth and slowly turn to fruit, which becomes ripe and luscious. Grace—God’s undeserved love for sinners in Christ—feeds the soil of our souls. God pours love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit and that love produces ripe fruit that leads to sanctification and eternal life. Christopher Ash has written, “Don’t rely even 1 per cent on the law to change you: cry daily for the gracious work of the indwelling Spirit of God.” The fruit we earn is sour and rotten but the free gift of God wells up into eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This eternal life begins now. It’s not just life continuing after death but a full life of ever-increasing joy in God, seeing his glories more clearly and knowing him better on this earth and then in the new heavens and earth forevermore. And it is a gift—a super-abundance of grace that is much more than all of our sin. Riches and fame are nothing compared to God’s grace in Jesus.
Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt!
Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured,
There where the blood of the Lamb was spilled.
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,
Grace that is greater than all our sin.
Do you want to earn your wages or receive the free gift? Marvelous, matchless, infinite grace! Let the abundant love of God in Christ motivate your fight against sin; indeed, let it motivate your whole life. In Christ, God’s greatest gift, believers have been set free!
Bible study questions for Romans 6:20-23 are here. You can find the beginning of the Romans 6 Bible study here.
Order Keri’s book The Good Portion: Scripture. See her Delighting in the Word Bible Studies.
August 4, 2020
Livestream – Women of the Word
Please enjoy this recording of our livestream that took place on August 4, 2020.
August 3, 2020
Last Installment! Summer in Romans 6
Observation questions are in plain type. Interpretation questions are in italics. Application questions are in bold. (For a further explanation of how to do this Bible study, see here.)
Pray for insight into the Scriptures and give God praise for “the free gift of God…eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Read Romans 6:1 – 7:6.
Romans 6:20-23
1. When Paul’s readers were slaves of sin, how were they free?
2. What does it mean to be “free in regard to righteousness”?
3. What does Paul then ask his readers?
4. What things are they now ashamed of?
5. What would some of the fruit of those things have been? (See Romans 1:18 – 2:11.)
6. What is the end of those things?
7. But now, what has happened?
8. What does the fruit of slavery to God lead to, and what is its end?
9. What kind of fruit comes from being a slave of God?
10. What does “sanctification” mean and how does it come from the fruit of being slaves to God?
11. How does Paul sum up this section; and, indeed, the whole of chapter 6?
12. Why would Paul use the word “wages” here, and how does that word contrast with “free gift” in the second clause of the verse?
13. The “free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus.” How has Paul shown what it means to be “in Christ Jesus” in previous verses of chapter 6?
14. Think back through Romans 1 – 6. Why is 6:23 a fitting verse to reach a climax here in Romans?
15. Have you been united to Christ in his death and resurrection? If so, explain. If not, write out questions you have about union with Christ.
16. If you are a Christian, think back on your non-Christian days. What kind of fruit did your sin produce that you are now ashamed of? If you had stayed in that condition how would that rotten fruit have grown? What would have been the result? If you are not a Christian, what fruit do you see your sin producing?
17. If you are now “in Christ Jesus,” what fruit do you see in your life? How have your desires changed? What goodness is in your life that wouldn’t be there if you were still in unbelief? (Take a moment to give thanks for God’s work in your life.)
18. Considering the sin you’ve been praying about this summer, the wages of that sin is death; but, praise God, his free gift is eternal life in Christ Jesus! We have seen the super-abundance of that free gift of grace is much more than all of our sin. Any fight against sin is founded upon being united to Christ and thereby being set free by his grace but Paul also gives commands for fighting this fight. Going back through chapter 6, find the imperatives (commands) Paul gives for fighting sin and walking “in newness of life.” Underline or write out the imperatives and then write how you can apply them directly to the sin.
19. Do you remember the questions Paul posed at the beginning (vss. 1-2) and middle (vs. 15) of chapter 6? What is the danger of separating the indicatives of the Christian life from the imperatives of Christ’s accomplishments?
Keep the indicatives and the imperatives in mind as you continue to fight your sin, and give God praise that Jesus has paid the wages for our sin and given us the free gift of God, “eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”! You may want to continue your fight against sin by studying Romans 7 & 8 on your own for the rest of the summer.
*Previous questions for Romans 6 begin here. The last devotional will be posted, Lord willing, Wednesday.
Order Keri’s book The Good Portion: Scripture. See her Delighting in the Word Bible Studies. Find the other Good Portion Books.
July 30, 2020
Delight in God’s Word Together
Are you ready for a new year of ministry to women? Whether by Zoom or in person, your church is likely starting Bible studies again this fall. How can you spur on your women to delight in God’s word together? How can you encourage women you are discipling to love reading their Bibles and pass that love on to others?
Keri Folmar, Rebecca Stark, Natalie Brand and Jenny Manley, the authors of The Good Portion Series, collectively have over 50 years of experience in ministry to women. Join us for a Livestream on Tuesday where we’ll answer your questions about one-to-one Bible reading, group Bible studies and other women’s ministry in the local church.
If you have questions you’d like to hear answered, post them in the comments on The Good Portion Books Facebook page.
July 29, 2020
Fit for Heaven
My dear friend Naomi Njoroge, from Kenya, wrote this on her 50th birthday:
More than half of these 50 years were spent on a slippery road, on a hell-bound race which came naturally to me, just like the rest of mankind. For we are all by nature destined as fuel for hellfire (Eph. 2).
But God being rich in mercy halted this race. He yanked me from this slippery road and put my feet upon a rock. Yes, He did!
And if this is all the Father did, that would have been good—undeserved and glorious. But our Father does things very well. He not only stripped me of my hellish nature, which the Bible calls flesh, and in so doing made me unfit for hell. He also clothed me with his righteousness, making me fit for heaven. Yes, He did!
I am now on a heaven bound race. Yes, I am! And I know heaven will receive me, and hell will not—and it cannot. And this is not of my own doing. The blood of Jesus pleads for me.
If I see my 51st, I know my righteousness will not exceed that of the thief on the cross, but my labors may. That is my prayer.
What a way to spend a birthday! Contemplating being halted on the highway to hell and transferred to the road to heaven.
Naomi knows she was a slave to sin, but the free gift of grace—the blood of Jesus—set her free.
I too have experienced this freedom. Sin was my master. I obeyed its passions. My sin gave birth to more sin. I was callous to it—didn’t recognize it for the evil it was. I had a debased mind and was filled with unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, and malice. My sin lead to more sin and lawlessness. But God lifted me from the slimy pit and put my feet firmly on the Rock. I remember the stink of death but its smell clings to me no more.
What joy to have been set free by grace! No longer a slave to sin—no longer crushed by the law but under grace. This is heart-swelling, toe-tingling, tear-evoking “dance in the kitchen” joy!
But Paul asks: Are we to use this freedom in order to sin still more? If I am not bound by the law, shall I break it? Does grace give me a license to sin?
The people of Israel were dramatically rescued by God. The blood of a spotless lamb painted over their doorposts saved them from destruction. The former slaves of Egypt were set free! But after a time of traveling through the desert, the people longed for the cucumbers back in Egypt. They forgot their harsh taskmasters because they were tired of the provisions of the Lord.
What am I tempted to go back to? What do I think would make life more comfortable? What do I want more than God? Food, alcohol, reputation, accomplishment, ease, different circumstances or different relationships? We are slaves of what we love—what we long for. Slavery to sin leads to death, but obedience to God leads to righteousness and life.
Thanks be to God that he has given me a new heart that wants to obey. I fall short daily, but I am committed to gospel truth that has set me free from slavery to sin. I love the Lord Jesus. His shed blood pleads my righteousness before God. My Savior “gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession” (Titus 2:14). There is purpose in redemption. We are a people set apart for God himself. No more will I present my members to impurity and lawlessness. I don’t want to sin. I am committed to the standard of teaching—sound doctrine—reading and applying the Scriptures to get God’s word down deep in my heart. This teaching is not just a new philosophy we believe. It’s a new heart disposition on which we base our lives. I will present my heart, mind, soul and strength to righteousness so that I may be sanctified, made more like Christ, ready for the final day.
Notice again here in verses 15-19 the indicative first, and the imperative based on the indicative. You were set free from sin and have become obedient from the heart, “so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.”
As Christians, we no longer obey the law like a contract we dare not break. We’ve been set free. Grace now has dominion in our lives. The love of Christ rules our hearts. This law of love is actually more demanding than the Mosaic law but with it comes a new nature. The Spirit is at work within our hearts to cause us to want to obey.
Sister, don’t go back to Egypt. There is nothing back there but multiplying sin, pain and death. You’re on a heaven bound race—free, obedient from the heart. Yes, you are! March in the opposite direction. You have been redeemed for your God. Use your mind, heart, soul and strength for righteousness and live for his glory. Yes, you can! You are fit for heaven and heaven will receive you. Yes, it will!
Bible study questions for Romans 6:15-19 are here. Lord willing, next Monday the last set of questions on Romans 6 will be posted followed by another devotional on Wednesday.
Order Keri’s book The Good Portion: Scripture. See her Delighting in the Word Bible Studies.
July 27, 2020
Summer in Romans 6 Part IV
Observation questions are in plain type. Interpretation questions are in italics. Application questions are in bold. (For a further explanation of how to do this Bible study, see here.)
Pray for a deeper understanding of what it means to no longer be a slave to sin but to instead be “obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching.”
Read Romans 6.
Romans 6:15-19
1. Paul asks “What then?” connecting his next question to the previous verse. What question does he then ask?
2. Why might Christians’ status as “not under law but under grace” cause them to think they are free to sin?
3. What is Paul’s answer to his question?
4. Paul explains his answer further with another question. If one gives herself to anyone as an obedient slave, she is a slave to the one she obeys. What are the two choices Paul presents, and where does each one lead?
5. What does Paul thank God for?
6. What is the standard of teaching to which the members of the church in Rome were committed? See Acts 2:42; 2 Timothy 1:13 and Titus 1:9, 2:1.
7. How does your life show you are committed to this standard?
8. How do churches today show their commitment to this standard?
9. The people in the church at Rome were once slaves to sin but now have been “set free from sin” and “have become slaves of righteousness.” Does this mean they no longer sin? Explain your answer. What does it mean to be a “slave of righteousness”?
10. What is the significance of being “obedient from the heart”? See Romans 2:28-29.
11. How is Paul speaking, and why?
12. They once presented their members as slaves to impurity and lawlessness. What did this lead to, and how does Paul now want them to use their members?
13. Where does this slavery to righteousness lead?
14. Why do you think Paul needs to explain to his readers that he’s speaking in human terms because of their natural limitations?
15. How does sin lead to more lawlessness, and how does righteousness lead to sanctification? (What does sanctification mean?)
16. Notice the progression when we present our members. If we present them as slaves to impurity and lawlessness, it leads to more lawlessness. If we present them as slaves to righteousness, it leads to sanctification. Have you seen this to be true? Give a real-life example of sin leading to more lawlessness and an example of righteousness leading to sanctification:
17. Think about the sin you are fighting. Do you find this principle of progression true when you give in to that sin? Do you find that your sanctification progresses when you refuse to give in to it and instead present your members as slaves to righteousness? Explain:
18. Considering this sin, what helps you be “obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed”?
*Previous questions for Romans 6 can be found here and here. New questions will be posted each Monday, Lord willing. Look for devotionals on Wednesdays.
Order Keri’s book The Good Portion: Scripture. See her Delighting in the Word Bible Studies. Find the other Good Portion Books.
July 22, 2020
Freedom
Frederick Douglass, the great abolitionist orator, spoke from experience. He had been born a slave. His first taste of freedom was after he refused to be beaten by an ultra-cruel “slave-breaker.” He writes of this incident in Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave:
“The gratification afforded by the triumph was a full compensation for whatever else might follow, even death itself… It was a glorious resurrection, from the tomb of slavery, to the heaven of freedom. My long-crushed spirit rose, cowardice departed, bold defiance took its place…” (p. 69).
It was several years before Douglass actually escaped to freedom but this taste caused him to persevere and never submit to a beating again. He rose from slavery to battle against it and strategize with Abraham Lincoln on the Emancipation Proclamation and the Thirteen Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, abolishing slavery.
In Romans, we see that every person is born into slavery to sin, driven by their taskmaster to use their bodies, hearts and minds as weapons for unrighteousness. Sin is a monstrous ruler—a cruel slave master. It seeks to reign in and over us. It makes us obey its passions. It wants to dominate our lives. Its thirst for blood will never be satiated. And there is no law that can set its captives free.
But grace is greater than sin. The free gift of grace in Christ Jesus is offered in abundance. Much more than the power of sin, grace abounds. Grace reigns through Christ’s righteousness, leading to an eternal life of freedom from sin. The Christian is no longer enslaved to an inhuman, inhumane master, for she has died to sin and been brought from death to life in Christ. Grace is greater than all our sin!
The Christian is engaged in an epic battle between good and evil, but she has switched sides in that battle. Evil is no longer her king. Jesus is. The second imperative of Romans 6, which is firmly rooted in Christ’s resurrection and reign, is to not allow sin to reign. We must not “present [our] members to sin” as weapons for unrighteousness. We must affirmatively present not just our members to God but our whole selves for we “have been brought from death to life” (v. 13). We fight for him—in him—body and soul. Sin’s dominion is crushed not by the rock of the law but by the living flesh of grace.
Our daily, even moment by moment, question to answer is this: Do I want to be used by sin for its unrighteous purposes, or do I want to fight the good fight to be used by God for righteousness? We should ask: How shall I use my mind today? What will I do with my hands and feet? On what will I set my heart?
Just as Frederick Douglass’ victory over his slave master gave him the perseverance to escape and engage in the battle against the evil of slavery, Christ’s victory gives us perseverance to continually present ourselves to God.
Glorious resurrection! Up from the tomb of slavery to sin to the heaven of freedom to be righteous for Christ. We can use our minds, bodies and hearts to serve the Lord.
Rise, crushed spirit! Depart, cowardice! I defy the ugly passions of sin. I present my mind for thanksgiving when things aren’t going my way. I present my tongue for kindness in the face of interruptions. I present my heart for love in the face of disrespect or disobedience. No, sin will not have dominion over me. God has claimed me wholly for himself.
Bible study questions for Romans 6:12-14 are here. Lord willing, new questions will be posted every Monday followed by devotionals on Wednesdays.
Order Keri’s book The Good Portion: Scripture. See her Delighting in the Word Bible Studies.
July 20, 2020
Summer in Romans 6 Part III
Observation questions are in plain type. Interpretation questions are in italics. Application questions are in bold. (For a further explanation of how to do this Bible study, see here.)
Pray to present yourself to God and not obey the passions of sin.
Read Romans 6.
Romans 6:12-14
1. Notice the “therefore” in verse 12. If we are “dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus” (verse 11), what must we do about sin?
2. What does sin try to do?
3. Read Romans 1:28-32. The people of Romans 1 (those in Adam) have “debased minds.” They are “filled” and “full of” sin. They are characterized by their sin. Why do you think Paul writes about sin here in Romans 6:12, not as a characterization of the believer, but an entity to fight? What’s the difference between the believer and unbeliever?
4. What does Paul mean by sin having passions, and how does sin work to reign, making us obey those passions?
5. Think about the sin you struggle with. How does it try to make you obey its passions?
6. What are we not to do so that sin will not reign?
7. What two things are we to do?
8. How are we described in verse 13?
9. How does this description correspond with the previous verses in chapter 6?
10. What does it mean to present our members to sin for unrighteousness? What does it mean to present our members to God for righteousness?
11. The term “instruments” could also be translated “weapons.” What picture is Paul trying to draw for us in these verses?
12. Considering the sin you are praying about, how have you in the past presented your members to it as an instrument for unrighteousness; and, in the future, how can you present your members to God for righteousness?
13. Notice Paul does not write “Do not present yourself to sin.” The one who is truly in Christ belongs to him and cannot present her self to sin. What does it mean for you to present yourself to God as one who has been brought from death to life? How does this help you fight sin, using your members as weapons for righteousness?
14. What can we be confident of in our battle against sin?
15. Why can’t sin have dominion over us?
16. Look back at 5:17, 20-21. How do these verses correspond with 6:14? What does it mean to be under grace?
17. Notice the certainty of verse 14. It does not begin with a conditional clause. It begins with a “For” not an “If.” We should fight against sin because we are under grace and sin will have no dominion over us. The battle must be fought but the war is over. When you consider your battle with sin, what hope does the certainty of God’s grace give you?
*Previous questions for Romans 6 can be found here and here. New questions will be posted each Monday, Lord willing. Look for devotionals on Wednesdays.
Order Keri’s book The Good Portion: Scripture. See her Delighting in the Word Bible Studies.
