Daily Bread Pastor Mike Anderson

Romans 14 - NIV Weak and the Strong 14 Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. 2 One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. 3 The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them. 4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand. In chapter 14 Paul turns to giving counsel on some practical matters and issues going on in the Roman church. When Paul uses the terms " weak" and " strong ", he is referring to where they are at spiritually. Specifically he is talking about issues that were controversial due to the Jewish backgrounds of many of the believers in the church.  Because the meat in Paul's culture was often offered up to idols, many ...

Romans 13 - NIV Enduring Word Commentary Submission to Governing Authorities 13 Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. 4 For the one in authority is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God’s servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also as a matter of conscience. Paul transitions from chapter 12, where he talked ...

Romans 12 - NIV Enduring Word Commentary A Living Sacrifice 12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans chapter 12 is one of my favorite chapters in the bible. Romans 12:1-2 is  my life verse. It came at time in my life, where I was a Christian but not living my life totally for Christ. It gave me a paradigm for how to live the Jesus-shaped life based on the mercy He had shown me.   In chapter 12, Paul transitions from teaching on the future of Israel to how we should live our Christian lives. He begins with " therefore " showing that this is the natural progression from everything he has taught in Romans thus far in chapters 1-11.  Note...

Romans 11 - NIV Enduring Word Commentary The Remnant of Israel 11 I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don’t you know what Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel: 3 “Lord, they have killed your prophets and torn down your altars; I am the only one left, and they are trying to kill me”? 4 And what was God’s answer to him? “I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal.” 5 So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace. 6 And if by grace, then it cannot be based on works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace. Paul once again addresses the plight of Israel. The question Paul asks is, "Did God reject Israel? " And he gives an emphatic "NO!" for an answer. Then, Paul brings up this idea of a remnant of Israel that will be saved. Ther...

Romans 10 - NIV Enduring Word Commentary 10 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. 3 Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. 4 Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. Paul still has a passionate desire for his fellow Israelites to be saved. They are religious but they missed the boat when they tried to be saved by their own righteous acts. They did not know the righteousness of God, but instead " sought to establish their own ". Part of our human nature is we would rather take matters into our own hands then surrender to God. We think we know better than God. Of course, we reason God would want me to figure out how to be saved. Unfortunately by trying to establish t...

Romans 9 - NIV Enduring Word Commentary Though we know Paul is called the apostle to the Gentiles, in chapter 9 we see his love for the people of Israel. Paul was from the tribe of Benjamin, and a Pharisee of Pharisees, but when he met Jesus he realized it was not about being a religious Jews. He realized one could only be justified by faith in Jesus.  Paul’s Anguish Over Israel 9 I speak the truth in Christ—I am not lying, my conscience confirms it through the Holy Spirit— 2 I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my people, those of my own race, 4 the people of Israel. Theirs is the adoption to sonship; theirs the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. 5 Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of the Messiah, who is God over all, forever praised! Amen . Paul is so passionate about his fellow Jews tha...

Romans 8 - NIV Enduring Word Commentary   Life Through the Spirit 8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. Paul now talks about the difference between living in the Spirit and living according to our sinful nature. Importantly says, " There is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus! ". Many people live with a feeling of condemnation, as they think about their standing before God. A spirit of condemnation often comes from the devil. The Holy Spirit brings conviction of our sin, but th...

Romans 7 - NIV Enduring Word Commentary Released From the Law, Bound to Christ 7 Do you not know, brothers and sisters—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law has authority over someone only as long as that person lives? 2 For example, by law a married woman is bound to her husband as long as he is alive, but if her husband dies, she is released from the law that binds her to him. 3 So then, if she has sexual relations with another man while her husband is still alive, she is called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she is released from that law and is not an adulteress if she marries another man. Paul uses an example from everyday life to show how we have been released from the requirements of the Law. If someone is married and they were to commit adultery, they would be clearly be breaking the Law. (I.e. the Fifth Commandment) But if a woman's husband died, she would be free to marry without the guilt of breaking the Law. The Law no longer is in force becau...

Enduring Word Commentary   Romans 6 - NIV 6 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. Having talked about how we are justified by faith and have been given the righteousness from Christ, Paul talks about how we fight our sinful nature, which still exists. First, all of he rebuts the argument that just because we are forgiven, that we can keep on sinning. He says, " By no means! '", which means he is being emphatic. His reasoning is that once we have died to sin, how can we live in it anymore. He uses the analogy from baptism that we have buried our sinful nature and just as Jesus w...

Romans 5 Enduring Word Commentary Peace and Hope 5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. Having explained how we are justified by faith in chapter 4, Paul now gives us the benefits of being justified with God. First of all, we have peace with God. This cannot be overstated. Many people live in fear of God or wracked by guilt. By being justified by faith, we have been reconciled to God and enjoy a loving relationship, free of guilt or shame.  Paul says we should, " Stand in this grace "....

Romans 4 - NIV Enduring Word Commentary Abraham Justified by Faith 4 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? 2 If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. 3 What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” This is a very important chapter where Paul shows that the concept of being justified by faith. This doctrine is found in the Old Testament multiples times beginning with Abraham, the recipient of the first covenant from God. Paul quotes from Genesis 15:6 and Genesis 15:22 ,  where it says that because of faith, Abraham was given God's righteousness. Meaning he could not earn righteousness, it only came by faith alone.  4 Now to the one who works, wages are not credited as a gift but as an obligation. 5 However, to the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteo...