Without Excuse

Reading:  Romans 1:16-23
    
    Paul is eager to preach about Jesus because he is convinced of the power of the message to change lives and destinies.  “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek”(Rom 1:16).  People of all nations and spiritual backgrounds need saving.  Jesus has died to achieve it and Paul proclaims this good news to produce faith in his hearers (Rom 1:17).

    But why do people need saving?  “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth”(Rom 1:18).  People have done evil, triggering God’s righteous judgment on them.  Human rebellion (Paul especially has the Gentiles in mind here, as we will see) begins with ignoring God’s revelation of himself.  “For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.  So they are without excuse”(Rom 1:20).  Though they understand God’s power and eternal nature, they refuse to honor or thank him and instead turn to evil thoughts.  “Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things”(Rom 1:22-23).  Drunk on their own thinking, they substitute God’s creation for God, giving glory to idols depicting animals and humans.  While they retain a desire to worship something greater than themselves, they dishonor the true God by ignoring him and worshiping their own creation in his place.

    Paul remarks that the Gentiles who descend into sin are “without excuse.”  He implies that they know enough about God (“his invisible attributes…have been clearly perceived”) to choose better; if they did not know, they would have some excuse.  Their knowledge makes their sin even more heinous:  “although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him”(Rom 1:21).  There is a warning here for us:  when God gives us knowledge, he expects us to do what we know.  He expects us to honor him and give thanks to him.  Refusing to do so dishonors him and starts us on an unspeakably destructive path.

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One Thing to Think About:  Given what I know about God, what does he expect of me?

One Thing to Pray For:  Humble, God-honoring thinking
 

Eager to Preach the Gospel

Reading:  Romans 1:1-15
    
    Paul begins his letter to the church at Rome by focusing on their common allegiance to Jesus.  He is the subject of the promises of the prophets (Rom 1:2), the heir of David (Rom 1:3), and his resurrection emphatically identifies him as the Son of God (Rom 1:4).  Paul himself has been blessed by Jesus:  “through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all nations, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ”(Rom 1:5-6).  Paul has not only received grace to forgive his sins, but also apostleship to help others find that forgiveness.  Even though Paul has not met the Romans in the flesh, his goal as an apostle is to produce “the obedience of faith” in them as well.

    He is encouraged that their “faith is proclaimed in all the world”(Rom 1:8) and wants to come see them “that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you”(Rom 1:11).  He explains that he has long been intending to travel to them “in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles”(Rom 1:13).  What explains Paul’s passion here?  “I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish.  So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome”(Rom 1:14-15).  While Paul certainly feels obligation to preach to all people, his eagerness springs from knowing the great power of the gospel to change lives (Rom 1:16-17).

    We may not be apostles, but we can share Paul’s eagerness to preach the gospel.  We know what Jesus has done in our lives and we know what he can do for others.  The deeper our conviction, the more eager we become to talk about him—even without being prompted.  We feel compassion for those around us who have wrecked their lives or been harmed by others; we know that Jesus can help them.  We are confident in what God can do even for people we do not yet know.  We become “eager to preach the gospel.”

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One Thing to Think About:  Am I eager or reluctant to tell others about Jesus?

One Thing to Pray For:  Eagerness to tell others what I have found in Jesus
 

Examine Yourselves

Reading:  2 Corinthians 13:5-14
    
    The Corinthians, agitated by some who deny Paul’s apostolic authority, have been examining his credentials (2 Cor 13:3).  Paul turns the tables:  “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith.  Test yourselves.  Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”(2 Cor 13:5).  Rather than focusing on Paul, they should take an introspective look at themselves.  Is Jesus alive in them?  Are they following Jesus’ words?  Now, assuming that they would affirm that they are, Paul makes his point:  “I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test.  But we pray to God that you may not do wrong—not that we may appear to have met the test, but that you may do what is right, though we may seem to have failed”(2 Cor 13:6-7).  If Jesus is alive in the Corinthians, then Paul and his apostolic companions (who preached the gospel to them) must be in the faith too!  How could they have effectively taught the Corinthians about Jesus if they are not in the faith?  

    In closing the letter, Paul reaffirms that he loves them and is willing to lower himself to bless them.  “For we are glad when we are weak and you are strong.  Your restoration is what we pray for”(2 Cor 13:9).  Paul wants them to follow Jesus more closely, correcting the errors in judgment and relationships that this letter has addressed.  This is his prayer.  He closes his letter with a greeting that reaffirms that despite their differences, everyone involved is still a follower of Jesus:  “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all”(2 Cor 13:14).

    The Corinthian problem persists in our time.  We tend to spend a lot of time examining and correcting others, often bypassing self-examination.  There is value in scrutinizing our own relationships with God—individually and as a congregation.  Is Jesus Christ in me?  Am I following his word?  Before I criticize others, have I examined myself?

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One Thing to Think About:  In what ways do I try to avoid self-examination?

One Thing to Pray For:  The honesty to apply the truth to myself first 
 

Christ’s church Hamilton, AL

The Passing Of Fiona’s Mother

One of the difficult challenges that we must face in life is the loss of our parents. Over the last month, my wife Fiona has been grieving the loss of her mother, Patti Murphy. Patti had been battling with a disease called lewy body dementia (LBD) for about 15 years. LBD is closely related to Parkinson’s disease.

Patti was an encouragement to everyone who met her and she will be remembered by many for her generous hospitality. She faithfully supported her husband, Kieran Murphy, as he preached in Maine, Ireland, Russia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Vermont, Pennsylvania, and many other places.

We are thankful that her battle is over and she is at peace with the Lord. Please keep Kieran in your prayers as he adjusts to the new challenges of being a widower.

“For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.”
(1 Thess. 4:14)

The Good News Of A Son

We have recently received news that Fiona is pregnant with our first son. I can still hardly

June 2024

believe the news! We are overjoyed! For years, everyone we meet sees all of our daughters and asks if we have any boys. Then they ask if we’re going to keep having kids until we have a boy....as if that’s the only reason we have so many girls. The truth is that when Fiona and I married we made a commitment to receive as many children as the Lord blessed us with. We did this in faith believing that children truly are a blessing from the Lord.

“Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.” (Psalm 127:3-5)

And we always committed to be content and thankful if we had all girls. As we’ve gotten older, I will admit that I had just about given up on the possibility of having a son. And I was at peace with that. I had even stopped praying for a son. I always told Fiona that the Lord knew our desires, but He also knows what is best for us in a way that is beyond our comprehension. But now, in a surprising twist, we are waiting in hope for the arrival of our son. We ask that you pray for the health of Fiona and the baby.

~ Joe Hamm ~

Encouraging Questions 1 “What’s the difference between an elder and a pastor?”
This was Patrick’s question and I’m thankful that we’ve created an environment in which visitors feel comfortable asking such questions. Our study was in Titus and Patrick has always worshipped in the Baptist church.

“And what does the Bible say about deacons?”

Patrick explained that a local church only appoints deacons for three years, but his church appoints them for life. This question also led us to a good discussion about what the Scriptures teach.

“What does ‘the husband of one wife’ mean and should an elder resign if she dies?”
This was another very good and insightful question asked by an older lady who is a member of our congregation. This gave us an opportunity to discuss the various ways congregations have interpreted and applied this elder qualification.

Our Brethren Are Family

We never cease to be thankful for our family in Christ. They have been like our fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, and grandparents. One such

example is Ronald and Marqueta Prince. They 2 are like parents to us and grandparents to our children. They remember our birthdays and share produce from their gardens. And we share our produce with them. This past week, the girls had the opportunity to pick plums (see below). So we’ve been eating lots of fresh plums. We also made plum sauce and plum juice. It took us a

few days to figure out why everyone was going to the bathroom so much. And then we realized...“Ah, it must be the plums!”

Prayer Requests

Please continue to pray for us as we care for my grandfather. My mother is also recovering from a recent fall and concussion. Pray that Fiona and I will remain strong in our faith and be a godly influence to our children, the church, and the community in which we serve. In all things, may God be glorified.

Joe Hamm

151 Chestnut Circle Hamilton, AL 35570 256-398-0225

~ Joe Hamm ~

All for Your Upbuilding

Reading:  2 Corinthians 12:19-13:4
    
    Paul reflects on this long section of arguing with his opponents in Corinth:  “Have you been thinking all along that we have been defending ourselves to you?  It is in the sight of God that we have been speaking in Christ, and all for your upbuilding, beloved”(2 Cor 12:19).  He insists that this is not personal, but about his obligation before God to care for Jesus’ people.  Then, amidst this highly charged situation, Paul shockingly lets down his guard and reveals his heart and fears.  “For I fear that perhaps when I come I may find you not as I wish, and that you may find me not as you wish” and “I fear that when I come again my God may humble me before you, and I may have to mourn over many of those who sinned earlier and have not repented”(2 Cor 12:20, 21).   Paul reveals his fear that his return to Corinth will also be a “painful visit”(2 Cor 2:1) because there will be sin to rebuke and hard hearts to confront.  Their deep spiritual relationship may be tested by even more sharp words and actions.

    The Corinthians seem to have confused Paul’s unimpressive physical appearance for an unwillingness to deal with problems.  “I warned those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come again I will not spare them—since you seek proof that Christ is speaking in me.  He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you.  For he was crucified in weakness, but lives by the power of God.  For we are also weak in him, but in dealing with you we will live with him by the power of God”(2 Cor 13:2-4).  The Corinthians keep seeking proof of Paul’s apostolic commission, yet Paul insists that the proof will be in his strong response to their sin.  Just as in Jesus’ crucifixion, seeming weakness is not the last word.

    Many modern scholars view passages like these as typical organizational power dynamics.  Paul is fighting to bend the churches to his will.  Yet Paul protests that his defense is not personal, but “all for your upbuilding.”  Paul is continually concerned with the growth and stability of God’s people, so his every word is calculated to bring them closer to God (rather than himself).  What about us? 

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One Thing to Think About:  How much do I think about the “upbuilding” of my brothers and sisters?

One Thing to Pray For:  The courage to deal with sin—in my own life and others’