Weekly Reflection and Scripture Tags

By Annaika Dastine | Founder, Who Is This Jesus? Ministry

"First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world."

As I reflected on Romans 1:8, two lessons immediately stood out to me.

Gratitude…

Paul did not praise the Roman believers for their wealth, influence, or accomplishments. Instead, he thanked God through Jesus Christ, acknowledging that every good thing in them was the result of God's grace.

What a reminder for us.

How often do we

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world.

Weekly Reflection Romans 1:8 NIV

By Annaika Dastine | Founder, Who Is This Jesus? Ministry

"And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ."

Your identity matters

Have you ever wondered if you truly have a place in God's Kingdom?

Romans 1:6 answers that question with beautiful hope. Paul reminds the Gentile believers that they, too, were called to belong to Jesus Christ. They were not forgotten, excluded, or second-class citizens in God's family.

My friend, that same invitation is extended to us today.

And you also are among those Gentiles who are called to belong to Jesus Christ.

Weekly Reflection Romans 1:6 NIV

By Annaika Dastine | Founder, Who Is This Jesus? Ministry

"Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God."

Identity Before Ministry

When you hear the word ministry, what comes to mind? Do you immediately think of a church, an organization, or a formal position?

My friend, if you have renounced the enemy and made Jesus Christ the Lord of your life, then your life has become a ministry that exists to glorify God.

As we journey through the book of Romans over the coming

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God.

Weekly Reflection Romans 1:1 NIV

By Annaika Dastine | Founder, Who Is This Jesus? Ministry

"We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.  I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.  As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.  For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[a] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want

We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.  I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.  As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.  For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.[a] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.

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By Annaika Dastine | Founder, Who Is This Jesus? Ministry

"You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Pause for a moment. Let that sink in.

Powerless.
Ungodly.
Sinners.

That is where His love met us.

Not when we had it together.
Not when we were righteous.
Not when we were

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Weekly Reflection Romans 5:6-8 NIV

"What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?"

How do you view sin? More importantly, do you understand how God views sin?

I will be honest, there was a time when I professed to be a Christian and a disciple of Jesus Christ, yet I was still drowning in sin. Much of it was hidden. It did not always show on the outside, but it lived within me: unforgiveness, impatience, people-pleasing, and the lies that followed, sins only I knew

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

Weekly Reflection Romans 6:1–2 NIV

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

The Mind: The Battlefield of Truth

Let’s pause on the word renew.
To renew means to make new again, to restore to a fresh state, to regenerate or revive.
In Greek, the word anakainōsis (ἀνακαίνωσις) means a complete change for the better, a renovation of the heart and life.

Have you ever asked yourself why the Apostle Paul urges followers of Jesus to renew their minds?

If you know Paul’s life before he became an

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Weekly Reflection Romans 12:2 NIV

“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear…”

If You Are Free, Why Are You Still Living in Bondage?

My friend, what does freedom truly mean?

Is it good health? A stable job? Financial comfort, status, a high position, or a sense of control? Many people equate freedom with these things. You may even be like the church in Laodicea, described in Revelation 3:14–22, where they believed their material wealth and comfort reflected spiritual success. They didn’t feel the need to give God their full hearts, just

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear…

Weekly Reflection Romans 8:15 ESV

"What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life."

Are you dead? Dead to the flesh and alive in Christ through the Holy Spirit?

Too often, people misuse verses like

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

Weekly Reflection Romans 6:1-4 NIV

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

How Does Transformation in Christ Look?

Transformation in Christ begins when we are willing to reject the world’s version of truth and trust God's truth. It requires surrendering our understanding and accepting God’s Word as the foundation for thinking, living, and loving.

What Does It Mean to Be Renewed?

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Weekly Reflection Romans 12:2 NIV