Paul talks a lot about sin in this passage. We don’t like to talk about sin because it smacks of judgment, and we don’t like to be judged. But all this talk about sin has been leading up to this very point.
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It is not weakness but strength that allows me to put my struggles in God’s hands.
This passage made me think of two book titles. You’re Not the Boss of Me: Brat-proofing Your Four- to Twelve-Year-Old Child and Just Tell Me What to Say. Both are by the childhood development and behavior expert, Betsy Brown Braun. I haven’t read either book, but their titles intrigue me. Especially after reading this verse from the Letter to the Romans.
This is our Youth Choir singing inside the Illinois Memorial at the Vicksburg Battlefield. The song is a traditional Spiritual that celebrates faith during hard times — Over my head, I hear music in the air.
I really like Advent calendars, especially those that have treats like chocolate behind every little door. This may seem like a weird time to talk about Advent, but that’s what came to mind when I read this verse. It speaks of both the present and the future. Something which is happening now but is also a promise of something in the future.
This passage, especially verse 7, “For whoever has died is freed from sin” always makes me think about the story of a man who watched his wife preparing a roast for the oven.