The Sabbath is one of two central elements that distinguished Israel from the rest of the nations when God called them out of the idolatrous world and made them a chosen nation. (The other is circumcision.) And as we read in Colossians 2:13-16, the law was taken out of the way in Christ - including the Sabbath day.  And while some Christians have shifted that concept of Sabbath from Saturday to Sunday - and some have argued that Saturday is the day of worship for Christians even without the law - the Bible never teaches the idea of Sunday as a "Christian sabbath" either by command or inference, or even by drawing a comparison between the shadow of the Sabbath and the substance of regular worship under Christ.

So does that mean that the Sabbath has nothing to teach us today?  What we find in the Sabbath command are a number of principles that can help us understand how we ought to worship God today, how we ought to view our day of worship as opposed to our weekly routine, and what the concept of "rest" ought to mean to us today.

Romans 8 includes some of the most encouraging words in all of the gospel, as Paul writes assurances to those who are in Christ that they can trust that the sacrifices they make in this life in the name of Jesus will result in an eternal reward, "the redemption of our bodies" in the final resurrection.

But the passage is also very challenging, because Paul defines what it means to be "in Christ" as being someone who is led by the Spirit and not the flesh. And his point isn't so much about someone who does righteous things as opposed to unrighteous things, but rather someone whose life is focused on things of the spirit as opposed to things of this world. 

In other words, he tells Christians that if they want to be part of this final resurrection, they need to be Spirit-led, Spirit-influenced, Spirit-focused - as opposed to spending their time and efforts taking care of the concerns of this life. And that's where our discipleship becomes challenging. Am I truly devoted to producing the fruits of the Spirit? Or am I so concerned with my own earthly life and priorities that I'm beginning to produce what Paul calls the works of the flesh?

Paul's thoughts in Romans 8 echo Jesus' teachings in Matthew 6 in the Sermon on the Mount: We can't be divided in our attentions, loyalties, or priorities. We either pursue God or we pursue the things of this life! And Paul makes the very clear statement: "For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace."

The story of Samson stands out as one of the most well known accounts in the Old Testament, and is the most prominent story in the book of Judges. But Samson is also one of the most difficult Bible figures to understand, because on the one hand, we see a man blessed by God from birth and dedicated to a holy purpose, who then goes on to live a seemingly ungodly life, primarily focused on his own desires and priorities as opposed to following God's law. But at the same time, we see Samson mentioned in Hebrews 11 among some of the great men of faith in the Old Testament.

But when we read Samson's story in the context of the book of Judges, it becomes clear that Samson is a reflection of Israel's leadership during that period, and even of Israel itself. In a book whose theme could be stated by Judges 5:1-2: "When the leaders lead in Israel, when the people volunteer, blessed be the Lord," we see example after example of how the leaders did not lead, and the people did not follow. And Samson reflects all of this throughout his life.

And yet he still accomplishes God's plan, as God uses Samson's weaknesses to take vengeance on the Philistines for their oppression of Israel. And we see in Samson a reflection of Israel as a nation - his blessing, his rebellion, his punishment, and ultimately his redemption. And in doing so, we also see hints of a greater, more perfect ruler, who would eventually redeem Israel fully from its true enemy, sin.

It is relatively easy for skeptics today to dismiss the idea of Jesus' resurrection without much consideration. After all, it violates all laws of nature, and we're thousands of years removed from the people who claim it happened, so there will always be an element of faith involved in accepting the gospel accounts. 

However, the people in Jesus' day did not have that luxury: the citizens of Jerusalem had to deal with the fact that the tomb where Jesus was buried was empty, the sealed stone rolled away, and no one seemed to have an adequate explanation for how it could have happened. Except for Peter and the rest of Jesus' apostles, along with a host of other eye witnesses who claimed to have seen Jesus dead, buried, and risen from the grave. 

We continue studying through the book of Romans in chapter 7, which contains some of the most difficult passages in the New Testament. But the key to understanding Paul's argument is to resist the temptation to take verses individually out of context, and to look at them as a part of Paul's larger argument - How are both Jew and Gentile now justified through the grace of God, apart from the law of Moses and the covenant under which Israel was originally called.

In chapter 7, having explained that we are free from the law and from sin in Christ through baptism into his death, Paul answers the response from his Jewish readers, which is to question the purpose of the law. "Is the law sin?" If the law of Moses cannot save, and if it served to highlight sin rather than to remove it, then did God give the Jews a law that forced them to sin against God?

Paul's argument in this passage shows that we have only ourselves to blame, when we allow sinful influences in our lives to pull us away from what we know to be right. And because we are human and imperfect, we cannot expect to justify ourselves by perfectly keeping the law. In trying to do so, we enslave ourselves to sin - the condition from which we are freed in Christ.

Paul has been writing in the book of Ephesians about the greatness of God's calling, and explaining to the Gentile church how important their role was collectively in showing the world the wisdom of God, by uniting into one body people from all different races and cultures, putting all of those differences aside to become one people in Christ.

And in doing so, he impresses on them the importance of a changed character - putting away their old lives and the corruption of sin and embracing righteousness. And in this context he tells the Ephesians:

"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil."

The Bible emphasizes the idea of wisdom throughout, but it's important to understand the wisdom Paul is referencing. Not the worldly wisdom that comes with experience and age, but the wisdom that is taught by God through the word. We are described as wise when we listen and obey God's word. And in the context of Christians worshiping and working together, Paul emphasizes the role each of us have in maintaining the unity of the body and the spiritual health of its members.

And he calls them to "make the best use of the time" - meaning that our service to each other has to have a sense of urgency. It has to be a priority in our lives, because as he says, "the days are evil." Satan's influences continue to attack God's people every day, and Paul's point seems to be that it is imperative that we take every opportunity to fight back and help each other to remain strong in the faith. And it reminds us that disciples of Christ cannot be isolated. Christianity is not a "solo sport." It carries with it obligations to the other members of the body, as Paul described in chapter 4.

The book of Numbers continues the story of Israel's journey out of Egyptian bondage to the promised land of Canaan. But it's sometimes challenging to read because aside from a historical account, it's also a book of law, and a book detailing the taking of a census. But through all of these elements, we see continued patterns and foreshadowing that teaches us about God's relationship to Israel, and even our own salvation in Christ.

Ultimately, we see a story of a people who fell short of keeping God's law, struggled with idolatry, and rebelled against God's authority. And yet God was still willing to lead them into the land of Canaan, if they had simply believed that God would honor the promise He made to their fathers, and that God had the power to overcome the people already living in the land.

We gain an understanding of the concept of God's predestination - not as individual salvation, but the fulfillment of God's plan and the answering of God's promises, through whatever means He chooses. And we see the requirement of faith to enter into God's rest, along with the failure of the law of Moses to bring people into that grace.

In Ephesians 3, Paul continues to discuss the nature of our calling in Christ, and he makes the point on multiple occasions that the purpose for our calling is to glorify God. We are created  to walk in good works, "to the praise of his glory." And when he talks about the church's role in this, he describes it as showing the wisdom of god to the "rulers and authorities in heavenly places."

Typically when we think about the church and its role in glorifying God, we talk about our role in preaching the gospel, and that's certainly a true point. But here, Paul indicates that the fulfillment of "the mystery of the gospel" - that two distinct and antagonistic groups of people would be united into one body in Jesus Christ - is displayed by the church to the heavenly hosts. In other words, when men and women from diverse cultures, backgrounds, and races come together, putting all their differences aside to be one in Christ, we confirm the greatness and glory of God's eternal purpose not just to the world around us, but to heavenly hosts and spiritual beings of which we may be completely unaware.

In doing so, Paul reminds the Ephesians of the greatness of what they are accomplishing, and us as well. Living a life of devotion to God as part of the Lord's church is a calling that ought to inspire us, so that we "will not lose heart" (v. 13). In Christ, there is no "ordinary life," there is only a life that fulfills eternal purpose and has value and glory beyond anything we can imagine. 

The theme of the book of Exodus could be summed up in the question Pharaoh asks Moses in the 5th chapter: "Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice?" 

Exodus in many ways is an introduction to God and an answer to that very question, as God re-introduces himself to the children of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  He is shown not merely to be "El-Shaddai" - the God who provides, but YHWY - the God who is, the great "I Am." God shows himself to be eternal, above all the so-called gods of Egypt, and fully able of fulfilling the promise He made to their fathers.

Through the course of the 10 plagues in Egypt, the deliverance through the Red Sea, and the journey from there to Sinai and the giving of the law, God teaches Israel what they need to know in order to live by His covenant, and be His chosen people.

While Romans 6 isn't specifically written to teach that baptism is necessary in order to become a Christian, the application is clearly made, as Paul discusses how being baptized into Christ is the means by which we are united with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection.

When we look at the concept of being baptized "into" Christ, we can use Paul's comparison to Israel in 1 Corinthians 10 to understand more about the significance of this phrase. When we are baptized into someone/something, we submit to it, we become associated with, we enter into a relationship with it. And as Israel was "baptized into Moses" by following him through the Red Sea into Canaan, we are baptized into Christ for the purpose of creating an even closer fellowship with Jesus.

Through baptism, we are associated not only with Jesus, but with his law, and his body - the church. We can't be united in those things unless we have all submitted to God's will and obeyed His commandment. Baptism cannot be seen as an optional choice - it is what binds us together with Christ and with his disciples.