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Romans 4:7 – Thrown-away and Covered

Posted on November 5, 2017 by Will

Sorry this e-mail is late. I just noticed that it didn't get sent out last week.

Will

"Blessed are those whose lawless acts have been forgiven, and whose sins have been covered;

Truth to Learn

God has separated our sins us from and has covered them with the blood of Christ.

Behind the Words

The word translated, “lawless acts” is the Greek word, anomia, which is made up of a, meaning “not” and a form of nomos, which means “law.” So literally, it means “not legal.” By interpretation, then, it means “those things which are not legal” or “those things which are in violation of the Law.”

“Have been forgiven” is from the Greek word aphiēmi. This is made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and hiēmi, meaning “to send.” Hence, this literally means “to send away.” The verb is expressed here in the aorist tense and passive voice. The aorist tense indicates action that was performed at a point in time in the past and the passive voice indicates action done to the subject (lawless acts). So Paul is saying that the lawless deeds were sent away at some point in the past.

“Sins” is from hamartia, which is from the verb hamartanō, meaning “to miss the mark.” Hamartia, therefore, describes a situation where we have not met God’s expectation of us.

The word translated “have been covered” is epikaluptō, which is made up of epi, meaning “upon” or “over” and kaluptō, meaning “to cover.” This is also expressed as an aorist passive, indicating that the sins were covered over at some point in the past.

Meaning Explained

Remember that Paul is quoting King David here, from Psalms 32:1. David is describing a condition of blessedness, when God demonstrates His favor toward us. This blessedness is the result of God forgiving, or “sending away,” our illegal actions, which is also what it says in Psalms 103:12:

As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

God actually separates us from our sins (our acts of lawlessness) when they are forgiven. Otherwise, He would not be able to fellowship with us because sin cannot remain in His presence. Therefore, when God forgives our sins, he sends them away (as far from us as the east is from the west!)

This verse also says blessed is the man whose sins are covered over by God. In the previous chapter of Romans we learned that Christ is our mercy seat. The mercy seat was a covering of the Ark of the Covenant on which the blood of the sacrifice was sprinkled, covering sins so God can “pass them by.”

Hence, in this verse David is saying that the man whose acts of lawlessness and sins are sent away and covered over possesses the fullness of God’s favor. And, as we have just learned, this blessedness does not come because we earned it in any way. We are blessed because God has chosen to bless us.

Application

My Christian brother or sister, do you realize just how blessed you are? You and I can have fellowship with our Holy God because He has removed our sins from us and covered them with the blood of Christ. Why not take a few minutes to get on your knees and thank Him for everything He has done for you!

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 2:1 – His Promised Resurrection

Posted on August 14, 2015 by Will

And you He made alive, being dead in trespasses and sins,

Truth to Learn

Through faith, God’s awesome power will be displayed in resurrecting us to eternal life in perfect bodies.

Behind the Words

The words “He made alive” are not in the Greek text. They were inserted in the translation in order to make the sense of these verses more clear. These words are drawn from verse five where the apostle finishes this thought.

“Being” is from the Greek verb eimi, which is the verb of existence (to be). In some translations, it is written as “who were,” but it is expressed here as a present participle. Thus, it should be translated “being.”

“Dead” is translated from nekros, which is derived from nekus, meaning “a corpse.” So, nekros refers to someone who is corpse-like; that is, “dead.”

The word “trespasses” is translated from the Greek noun paraptōma. This is made up of para, meaning “beside” and a form of piptō, meaning “to fall” or “to land on.” Therefore, we see that paraptōma means “to fall by the wayside.” Metaphorically, it refers to “an unintentional error.”

“Sins” is from the Greek noun hamartia. This is made up of the privative a, meaning “not” and a form of the verb meiromai, which means “to get an allotment or a share.” Thus, hamartia means “to not get a share of the prize,” that is, “to miss the mark.” Sin is missing the goal which God has set for our lives. That goal, or mark, is complete righteousness.

Meaning Explained

Even though the words “He made alive” are not in the original text, this is precisely the idea that Paul is focusing on in the following verses. Paul has spent most of the latter half of the first chapter of this letter focusing on God’s displayed power in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He now shows how that power will also be displayed in our lives.

There are two kinds of life (and death) spoken of in the New Testament, physical and spiritual. Physical life is what all humans experience from the moment of conception until we breathe our last breath, our heart stops pumping, and our brain ceases to function. The bodies we have in this physical life are frail and fragile. Spiritual life, on the other hand, is a condition in which God has promised that after we die physically, He will resurrect us with a perfect physical body. That perfect body will be neither fragile nor frail. The reason we are dead is outlined by Paul in the book of Romans:

for all sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23)

For the wages of sin is death … (Romans 6:23a)

One of the confusing issues in the New Testament is that the writers speak of the future as if it were now. This is because God is not bound by time and to Him the future is now. Since we have all sinned, we are all marked for physical death. Thus, in God’s record book, we are already dead. Through faith, however, we become credited with righteousness and in God’s record book we are already made alive, resurrected by His power.

Application

If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you will be resurrected by God’s power and you will live forever in His glorious presence.

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 1:7 – Far, Far Away

Posted on July 22, 2015 by Will

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

Truth to Learn

Our sin penalty is paid and our sins are sent-far, far away.

Behind the Words

The word “redemption” is from apolutrōsis. This compound word is made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and a form of the verb lutroō, meaning “to pay a ransom.” Apolutrōsis refers to the act of releasing captives from their captivity because of the payment of a ransom that has been paid for them.

“Forgiveness” is from aphesis, made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and hiēmi, meaning “to send.” Thus, aphesis refers to the sending away of sins from the sinner.

The word translated “sins” is paraptōma. This word is made up of para, meaning “to the side” and a form of piptō, meaning “to fall.” Therefore, paraptōma literally refers to “a falling by the wayside.” Some claim that this is an accidental sin as opposed to a deliberate sin (which they claim would be represented by the Greek word parabainō), but the consistent uses of these two words do not support such a claim. Paraptōma is always used to indicate deliberate acts of sin.

Meaning Explained

To begin with, in today’s verse we have to ask ourselves the question, “Who is being referred to by ‘Him’?” The answer is that it refers to “the Beloved One” from the previous verse; in other words, it refers to Jesus Christ.

As we pointed out in the previous verse, this opening passage of Ephesians portrays God the Father shining the spotlight on His grace. In the current verse Paul is explaining to us one of the characteristics of this grace. Because of the grace of God, we have redemption through the blood of Jesus Christ. Without God’s grace, we are captives of sin and, as Paul teaches in the book of Romans, we are in bondage to sin. We cannot free ourselves and we must obey our master (sin). However, by the grace of God, the blood of Christ (His death on the cross) is paid as the ransom to release us from the bondage of sin.

And, through the grace of God, our sins are forgiven. But what does it mean to have forgiveness? As we saw in “Behind the Words,” the Greek word is aphesis. Therefore, God does not simply “excuse” our sins, He sends them far away from us. Here’s how the psalmist expressed it:

He has not done to us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy over those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. (Psalms 103:10-12)

Also, the writer of Hebrews, in discussing the blood of Christ, says what God does with our sins because of His sacrifice:

"their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more." (Hebrews 10:17)

Because of the blood of Christ and as a result of God’s grace, our sins have been completely removed from us. Not simply forgiven, but completely cast away and forgotten by God. And remember, this applies to ALL of our sins, past, present, and future.

Application

What a precious truth! Through God’s amazing grace He has chosen us, He has adopted us as His children, and He has cast our sins away from us and He no longer even remembers them. As a result, He sees us as sinless and righteous as His own Son, Jesus Christ!

In God's service, for His glory,

James 5:16 – Energetic, Healing Prayer

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Will

Therefore, confess the faults to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. An effectual petition of a righteous man has great force.

Truth to Learn

In the body of Christ we all need to support each other with prayer.

Behind the Words

“Confess” is translated from exomologeō, which is a double compound word made up of ex, meaning “out” or “out of,” homou, meaning “together with” or “all the same” (as in homogenized), and legō, meaning “to say.” Homologeō means “to agree with,” being translated as “confess” in 1 John 1:9. With the “ex” added, it means “to confess out” or “to admit.” It is expressed here in the imperative mood, commanding us to admit our faults to one another.

The word translated “faults” is different depending on which translation you are reading from. Some translations have the Greek word hamartia, which means “sins,” whereas others have the Greek word paraptoma, which means “trespasses” or “offenses” (literally side-slips). Either way, when you take this in context with the preceding verses, it is clear that James is still talking about the person who is sick, which he indicates in this verse with the phrase, “that you may be healed.”

“Effectual petition” is translated from deēsis energoumenē Deēsis refers to a prayer or a petition regarding a particular need for oneself or someone else, and energoumenē refers to something that is effective or that is working.

The words “great force” are from the Greek words polu ischuei. Polu means “many” or “much” and ischuei refers to “strength, ability, or power.”

Meaning Explained

What we can deduce from this and the preceding two verses is that unconfessed sin can be the cause of sickness, and even death. The apostle Paul refers to this in I Corinthians 11:30 where he is talking about those who partake of communion with unconfessed sins:

For this reason many are weak and sickly among you, and many die.

This passage in James is one from which Roman Catholics base their doctrine of “auricular confession,” or verbal confession made to a priest who supposedly can then absolve (forgive) you of your sin. Notice a few things, however:

The confession talked about in the current verse is not made by just any person, but by a sick person.
This confession is to be made to an elder, not a priest (see verse 14).
Mutual confession is commanded here. If this pertained to auricular confession, then the priest would be as bound to confess to the people as the people are to the priest.
There is no mention here of “absolution,” only healing.

The last half of this verse talks about the “effectual petition …” The word rendered “effectual” is a form of energeō, which could also be rendered as “energetic,” as it refers to that which has power or energy. We have all uttered prayers that aren’t really from our heart, such as, “Now I lay me down to sleep…” What James is talking about are those prayers that we labor over, that are filled with intensity and emotion, like someone having a heart-to-heart discussion with his or her Father. James says that this type of prayer has great force.

Application

The body of Christ (the church) is made up of many members. And, just as the various parts of a body support and nurture the whole, we are to support and nurture each other. Admitting our faults to one another and praying for each other is essential for the health of the Church. Who are you praying for today?

In God's service, for His glory,

Ephesians 1:7 – Far, Far Away

Posted on August 1, 2011 by Will

Ephesians 1:7 – Far, Far Away

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace

Truth to Learn

Our sin penalty is paid and our sins are thrown-away.

Behind the Words

“Forgiveness” is from aphesis, made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and hiēmi, meaning “to send.” Thus, aphesis refers to the sending away of sins from the sinner.

Meaning Explained

To begin with, in today’s verse we have to ask ourselves the question, “Who is being referred to by ‘Him’?” The answer is that it refers to “the Beloved” from the previous verse; in other words, it refers to Jesus Christ.

And, through the grace of God our sins are forgiven. But what does it mean to have forgiveness? As we saw in “Behind the Words,” the Greek word is aphesis; that is, God does not simply “excuse” our sins, He sends them far away from us. Here’s how the psalmist expressed it:

He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor punished us according to our iniquities. For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. (Psalms 103:10-12)

Also, the writer of Hebrews, in discussing the blood of Christ, says what God does with our sins because of His sacrifice:

“their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” (Hebrews 10:17)

Application

What a precious truth! Through God’s amazing grace He has chosen us, He has adopted us as His children, and He has cast our sins away from us so that He no longer even remembers them. As a result, He sees us as righteous as Christ!

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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Romans 4:7 – Thrown-away and Covered

Posted on December 14, 2009 by admin

Romans 4:7

“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered;

Truth to Learn

God has separated our sins us from and has covered them with the blood of Christ.

Behind the Words

The word translated, “lawless deeds” is the Greek word, anomia, which is made up of a, meaning “not” and a form of nomos, which means “law.” So literally, it means “not legal.” By interpretation, then, it means “those things which are not legal” or “those things which are in violation of the Law.”

“Forgiven” is from the Greek word aphiēmi. This is made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and hiēmi, meaning “to send.” Hence, this literally means “to send away.” The verb is expressed here in the aorist tense and passive voice. The aorist tense indicates action that was performed at a point in time in the past and the passive voice indicates action done to the subject (lawless deeds). So Paul is saying that the lawless deeds were sent away at some point in the past.

“Sins” is from hamartia, which is from the verb hamartanō, meaning “to miss the mark.” Hamartia, therefore, describes a situation where we have not met God’s expectation of us.

The word translated “covered” is epikaluptō, which is made up of epi, meaning “upon” or “over” and kaluptō, meaning “to cover.” This is also expressed as an aorist passive, indicating that the sins were covered over at some point in the past.

Meaning Explained

As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

Application

In God’s service, for His glory,

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1 Peter 4:8 – Demonstrate Fervent Love

Posted on February 16, 2009 by admin

1 Peter 4:8

And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”

Truth to Learn

Love means forgetting your own pain in order to help a brother or sister grow in grace.

Behind the Words

The expression “above all things” is translated from the Greek words pro pantōn. The word pro means “before.” It can refer to place, time, or importance. In this case, it refers to importance. The word pantōn means “all things.” Hence, Peter is literally saying “before all things,” that is, having more importance than all other things.

“Love” is translated from agapē, which in fact does mean “love.” But it is only one of several Greek words that are translated that way. The best way to describe this type of love is that it is the kind of love which is more concerned about the well being of the loved one than of self.

The word “fervent” is from the Greek word ektenēs, which literally means “stretched out.” As used here it means “continual or intense.”

The word translated “cover” is kaluptō, which means “to hide or cover.” The opposite of this is the Greek word apokaluptō, meaning “to uncover” or “to reveal” from which we get our English word apocalypse.

Meaning Explained

Since we know that our time is short, as stated in the previous verse, we need to be serious and dedicate ourselves to prayer. But, Peter tells us in this verse, of greater importance than even these things, we need to have fervent love for one another. Since Peter is writing this letter to Christians (1Peter 1:1, 2), it means that we are to love our fellow Christians with a self-sacrificing love, being more concerned for their well-being than our own. But it’s not just love, it’s “fervent love” that we are to have for one another.

Why are we commanded to have fervent love for each other? Peter says it’s because love covers (or hides) a multitude of sins. This is not to say that we are to ignore the sins of a brother or sister. It means that we are to love each other this way so that we will be gracious and forgiving of each other’s faults. We need to be more concerned about the well-being of our Christian brothers and sisters than our own selfish motives and feelings. If a brother of sister is living in sin, we have a responsibility to approach him or her in a loving (agapē) manner with his or her ultimate good in mind. It also means that when a brother or sister sins against us, we need to be more concerned for their spiritual well-being than our own bruised selfish pride. Again, it doesn’t mean that we ignore the offense; rather, it means that we approach the offender in a loving (agapē) way to let him or her know that they injured us, having already forgiven them and freed them of any blame.

Keep in mind that love is an action verb, not just a feeling. In light of what Peter just told us in the previous verse (“the end is near” and “be watchful in prayer”), we should consistently demonstrate fervent love to our Christian brothers and sisters.

Application

When we approach a Christian brother or sister who is living in sin or who has offended us, we need to do it while standing in their shoes. We need to confront them lovingly the way we would want someone to treat us if the tables were turned.

In God’s service, for His glory,

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