God Running is a place for anyone who wants to love Jesus more deeply, follow Jesus more closely, and love people the way Jesus wants us to.
Romans 8:1-18
There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.
You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.
So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
Suffering In This Life
The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. (v. 17)
I find it so interesting that Paul makes this provisional statement in verse 17: We’re heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him. [emphasis mine]
That verse, and the next one, remind me of a conversation I had a week ago. I asked a forty-something family member what his belief was about the existence of God and about Jesus and about going to church. I was curious because I happen to know this family member had a particularly difficult childhood, and yet, somehow, he’s a leader among our extended family. He’s always helping other family members. He even provided one of our family with a place to live for free. On top of that, his career is one of service to the community. I mean, this guy is just generally a salt-of-the-earth human being. And all this after a miserable childhood.
In answer, he shared with me a video of a man telling this story:
In a mother’s womb with two babies, one turns to the other and says, “Do you believe in life after delivery?”
The other replies, “Why of course. There has to be something after delivery. Maybe we’re here to prepare ourselves for what will be later.”
“Nonsense,” said the first. There’s no life after delivery. What kind of life would that be?”
“I don’t know,” said the second. “But there’ll be more light than here. Maybe we’ll walk with our legs and eat with our mouths. Maybe we’ll have other senses we can’t understand now.”
The first goes: “That’s ridiculous. Walking is impossible, and eating with our mouths, that’s absurd. The umbilical cord is what scientifically supplies nutrition and all that we need but it’s far too short. Life after delivery is to be logically excluded.”
The second says, “What if it’s just different than it is here? Maybe we don’t need that physical cord anymore?”
The first goes: “Okay, if there were life after delivery, then tell me, why has no one ever come back from there? Delivery is the end of life. And in the after-delivery there’s nothing but darkness and silence and oblivion–it takes us nowhere.”
The second says, “But certainly we’ll meet mother, and she’ll take care of us.”
The first goes: “Mother? You actually believe in mother? If mother exists, where is she now?”
The second goes: “She’s all around us. We are of her. It is in her that we live. Without her this world would not and could not exist.”
The first says, “I don’t see her. It’s only logical that she’s not here.”
To which the second replies: “Sometimes, when you’re in silence and you really listen, you can perceive her presence. You can hear her loving voice calling down from above.”
If you’re interested, you can watch that video here: Life After Delivery: story of two babies.
A little later in the conversation, I asked him point blank: But what do you do with suffering? Especially after the life you endured during your childhood.
I thought his answer was so profound. He said, “If eternity is real, than this life is a blink–no–it’s less than a blink.”
That answer fits perfectly with what Paul said in today’s passage:
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (v. 18)
“Lord, we know that not one of us will make it through this life without suffering. Have mercy on us and give us strength to suffer well in Your sight, the way Jesus suffered well in Your sight. Help us Lord.
“In Jesus name we ask this of You.
“Amen.”
Notes:
Image of Jesus suffering on the cross via ImagineGolf on iStock
Available on Amazon, Google Play Books, and Audible!
Love Like Jesus: How Jesus Loved People (and how you can love like Jesus)
In this heartfelt, Scripture-rich journey, Kurt Bennett invites you to study not just the words of Jesus, but His actions—His love, His mercy, His boundaries, and even His naps.
Honest. Practical. Deeply human.
Love Like Jesus begins with the story of how after a life of regular church attendance and Bible study, Bennett was challenged by a pastor to study Jesus. That led to an obsessive seven year deep dive. After pouring over Jesus’ every interaction with another human being, he realized he was doing a much better job of studying Jesus’ words than he was following Jesus’ words and example. The honest and fearless revelations of Bennett’s own moral failures affirm he wrote this book for himself as much as for others. Love Like Jesus examines a variety of stories, examples, and research, including:
- Specific examples of how Jesus communicated God’s love to others.
- How Jesus demonstrated all five of Gary Chapman’s love languages (and how you can too).
- The story of how Billy Graham extended Christ’s extraordinary love and grace toward a man who misrepresented Jesus to millions.
- How to respond to critics the way Jesus did.
- How to love unlovable people the way Jesus did.
- How to survive a life of loving like Jesus (or how not to become a Christian doormat).
- How Jesus didn’t love everyone the same (and why you shouldn’t either).
- How Jesus guarded his heart by taking care of himself–he even napped–and why you should do the same.
- How Jesus loved his betrayer Judas, even to the very end.
With genuine unfiltered honesty, Love Like Jesus, shows you how to live a life according to God’s definition of success: A life of loving God well, and loving the people around you well too.
A life of loving like Jesus.
(Kindle, hardcover, and paperback now available on Amazon, the ebook is now available on Google Play Books, and the audiobook is available on Audible.)
Now you can take Love Like Jesus with you wherever life happens.
We recently released the audiobook version, beautifully narrated by Jonathan St. John. And it’s available on the following platforms:
It’s also available on Amazon, Hoopla, Audiobooksnow, Chirp, Libro, Overdrive, and virtually everywhere audiobooks are offered.
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Evening Sir
Hope you you’re doing well? Can’t seem to get through to your email address.
I saw one of your emails and just wanted to thank you for your occasional email every now and then.
They really have helped me over the years.
Really do hope you’re doing well.. I pray that you will be blessed with Gods presence and love every day of your life.
You really are one of Gods precious gems.
Regards
Nico
Great to hear from you Nico! I appreciate you reaching out. You just made my week!