So often we lose heart in our sufferings and begin to think that nobody cares about us… especially God. After all, if he cared, wouldn’t he put an end to my misery? There are theological things to think about in response to this, but there are also relational matters to ponder. Paul takes a moment in these two short verses to unpack what is truly one of the most remarkable facts in our Christian life. There is always Someone praying for us.

There is a sense where every Christian ought to be living with such a profound confidence in the future that their current joys far outweigh any of their current sufferings. There is a reason men imprisoned for their faith sing hymns of praise in their shackles. In fact, what we so easily lose sight of, the nature around us never forgets. A Day is coming when all things will be made right and the entire cosmos will see the Lord has His people.

When God commands Lot and his family to flee the city of Sodom before its destruction, all of them fail to fully obey him. Instead of obeying immediately, some laugh, some linger, and some look back. Their failures here seem a lot like ways we can fail to obey God today. That could be when we disobey his command to repent and believe in Jesus Christ; it could be when we disobey his command to work out that salvation so we can be like Jesus Christ.

Few things help us grow in our trust in Jesus like knowing that our lives “under the sun” will be full of wars within and without until the day we go to glory. These oppositions and failures and setbacks will plague us to a certain degree, until the day of our inheritance. Far from reaching some supposed state of Christian perfection in this life, we seek to live as faithfully, deliberately and sinlessly as possible until the sure perfection of eternity. We are free now, but only in part. Final freedom comes the Day God becomes ours in sight.

There are few things greater in the Christian’s life than having the Spirit of God dwell in them. There are few things in the Christian life we forget more than this. Knowing that God is ALWAYS with you ought to shape and change how you live. But, we have to get the category clear first. That is what Paul does in Romans 8:1-11. He is making sure you see that if you are in Christ, His Spirit is in you. And that changes everything.

We all sin. That much is true. But after you sin, what should you do? But that question is important, and Psalm 51 answers it by giving you a process to follow after God convicts you of sin. Psalm 51 is like an instruction manual for dealing with your sin. Anyone who is serious about pleasing God will use it.

In this section of Habakkuk’s oracle, God narrates the prophesied destruction of Babylon, the evil empire that would crush rebellious Judah. Through this description of Babylon’s self-destructive actions and God’s just judgment, we receive timeless lessons on how we ought to live today. As we get ready for a new year, this text vividly showcases the folly of pursuing, placing our hope in, and worshipping idols, and the goodness of trusting in God, our Creator, instead.

This section of Paul’s description of the Christian life highlights an all too common experience - we fail to do the godly things we truly wish to do. And this conundrum baffles Christians time and again. It exists because we live in a spiritual war and the only way to effectually win any battles is by the Holy Spirit. By His grace and power, we can live victoriously over sin.

Perfectionism in the Christian life will drive you to despair. Licence in the Christian life suggests your faith is fake. What are we to make of all the commands to obedience? Is it okay to sin? What is “the flesh?” Is it related to our physical flesh, our bodies? Are we doomed to failure until glory? Is there any point to trying to not sin?