Eureka!
Steve Mizel
Hey friends,
Oh man.
I’m super stoked about the sermon this weekend. Not because I think it’s going to be super entertaining or impressive or whatever.
I’m excited because I’ve seen some new things. I’ve been digging in the soil of this book for decades (Romans is an incredibly rich field to go treasure hunting in!). It isn’t uncommon to find a new facet of a gem I already knew was there – a new way of looking at a truth that opens up more of its beauty and power. Occasionally, I find a new gem that I just hadn’t seen before. That is always surprising and exciting.
But on the rarest of occasions I find a vein of gold that runs through the heart of the book that I’ve never seen before – a theme that Paul carefully develops over the course of the whole letter.
Romans 6:12-14 has opened up to me a critical connection of ideas – a vein of gold – that I just hadn’t seen before. I’ve seen bits and pieces of it previously – but I’ve missed the powerful connection this paragraph has with the arguments of chapter 3-5 (specifically, our boast in our hope of the glory of God!).
Now, if this all sounds dull and boring, let me assure it’s not. Sunday we’ll be talking theology – but we’ll be focusing on how this theology plays out in praxeology (how what we believe plays out in how we live). I hope it will be encouraging. I expect it will be challenging. Above all, I hope it is liberating!
I’d love your prayer as I try to capture my thoughts in clear and succinct ways so that I can communicate clearly and effectively. And I’d love it as well if you spent some time looking at these chapters, asking the Lord to show you some of the gold on your own. You’ll walk away richer in the experience of grace for it.
Remember that the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two edged sword (Hebrews 4:12) –
Because He is risen.
He is risen, indeed!
Grace,
Steve