We are studying the book of Romans in our MiniBible College class on Monday nights (come on out!...7 pm upstairs at the Chapel). As we work through the early chapters we see signs of the battle...the battle for life, for faith, for salvation. Man seems bent on rebellion and turning away from God and God seems bent on getting man's attention and restorining the broken relationship. This morning, as I read through chapter 2, I was struck with the personal nature of religion. We often think of religion on a large scale, in terms of groups and nations and churches and sects. Chapter 2 reminded me that it all boils down to each individual heart. When we realize that the battle centers over one life at a time we also realize that the victory centers on one life at a time. I picture the large ships I saw in the Navy. Generally they made small course changes as they traced across the ocean, but occasionally they would come "hard about" and reverse direction. This would cause a large wake to be created behind the ships and the strain of rudders and hull pivoting hard produced groans as if the ship were reluctant to make so great a change. This is something like the kind of change that follows the heart that chooses to reverse course and turn from self-rule to God-reign. As Paul writes at the end of the chapter (from verse 29) "circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God."
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