Jesus At 2am - A Humorous, Intelligent Look At The Bible, Church History & The Life Of Faith

Having revolutionized Hebrew theology, Paul now turns his attention to practice - how we are to live as the people of God for whom future salvation is breaking into the present, people who possess the Holy Spirit in our individual and collective center. And Paul's answer begins with nothing less than the very transformations of our minds. In this episode, guest preacher Joe Haley takes us through the passage that begins Paul's new section on Christian living in the real world. The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Romans 12:1-8 (NRSV) Want more content from Jesus at 2AM?? Learn how to become a patron! Want to connect? You can send e-mail here. Or find Jesus at 2AM on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

At last we arrive at the ultimate question: Who is saved? We know by now that the answer is "the elect" (those whom God chooses to save). But who are the elect? Does God simply pick some for salvation (and either actively or passively choose others for damnation)? Does God turn the question back on us and let us determine for ourselves? Or is there a way in which God saves...everyone? In this episode we examine the conclusion to Paul's explanation of the salvation of the world and who is included. The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Romans 11:25-36 (NRSV) Want more content from Jesus at 2AM?? Learn how to become a patron! Want to connect? You can send e-mail here. Or find Jesus at 2AM on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The last piece in the puzzle of the salvation of the world is answering the question of who constitutes "the saved." For most of biblical history, the assumed answer was: Israel. But now, on the other side of the resurrection, a strange thing is happening: Gentiles are coming to faith (Paul's surest sign of salvation) en masse, while most of Israel is not. What are we to make of it all? In this episode Paul continues his explanation of God's saving intent with the analogy of an olive tree... The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Romans 11:13-24 (NRSV) Want more content from Jesus at 2AM?? Learn how to become a patron! Want to connect? You can send e-mail here. Or find Jesus at 2AM on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

So, has God rejected his covenant people (thereby calling his faithfulness into question)??? Today we begin to see that the answer is no. And to explain what is happening with Israel's seeming rejecting of Jesus, Paul turns to the Hebrew scripture's theme of a "saved remnant." There is, says Paul, a subset of Israel set apart for faith. And through that remnant God is working out the salvation of us all. It is a brilliant piece of biblical interpretation and sensitivity to God that will inspire you. The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Romans 11:1-12 (NRSV) Want more content from Jesus at 2AM?? Learn how to become a patron! Want to connect? You can send e-mail here. Or find Jesus at 2AM on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

For those of us who’ve spent years in Christianity, the connection between the promises of God to Israel, the visions of the prophets, the ministry of Jesus and the mission of the church may seem (somewhat) clear. But that is only because Paul has made them clear! In this episode we look at an example of biblical interpretation par excellence, as Paul weave together strands of the scriptures never connected before, but once seen, reveal God's coherent plan for the salvation of the world.  The biblical passages referenced in this sermon are:  Romans 10:14-21 (NRSV) Isaiah 52 (NRSV) Isaiah 53 (NRSV) Psalm 19 (NRSV) Deuteronomy 32 (NRSV) Isaiah 65 (NRSV) Want more content from Jesus at 2AM?? Learn how to become a patron! Want to connect? You can send e-mail here. Or find Jesus at 2AM on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

As Paul continues his discussion of salvation by election, it seems there has come a tremendous reversal: Gentiles (non-Jews) are coming to faith (the sign of election) in Christ, while most of ethnic Israel (heirs of the covenant promise of salvation) is not. What explains this turn of events? What mistake (if any) is Israel making? And does it all boil down to the classical Protestant debate between "faith" and "works"? Or is there still more to understand about the breath of God's redemptive purposes?  The biblical passages referenced in this sermon are:  Romans 9:30-10:13 (NRSV) Deuteronomy 30:1-14 (NRSV) Ezekiel 36:24-28 (NRSV) Want more content from Jesus at 2AM?? Learn how to become a patron! Want to connect? You can send e-mail here. Or find Jesus at 2AM on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Paul now turns to the seeming contradiction between justice and election. If one is saved only by God's sovereign choice, where is the justice in divine condemnation? It is a debate as old as theology and pivotal in the development of Western Christianity. While reminding humans of the need for humility before the divine will, Paul develops the analogy of a potter and his clay: Does clay have a claim to justice before a potter? The short answer is no, but perhaps there is a story behind the story...   The biblical passages referenced in this sermon are:  Romans 9:19-29 (NRSV) Job 38:1-7 (NRSV) Jeremiah 18:1-11 (NRSV) Isaiah 45:9-13 (NRSV) Want more content from Jesus at 2AM?? Learn how to become a patron! Want to connect? You can send e-mail here. Or find Jesus at 2AM on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

From soaring heights of hope, Paul plunges dramatically to near despair as he now turns his attention to Israel and her collective lack of faith. After all, if, as Paul has argued, faith is the ultimate sign of the presence of the Holy Spirit at one's center, and the Spirit the sign and seal of our inclusion in the community of God's salvation, what is to be made of Israel's rejection of Jesus? Can it mean that Israel has been cut off from the covenant? And if so what does is say about their election???   The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Romans 9:1-18 (NRSV) Want more content from Jesus at 2AM?? Learn how to become a patron! Want to connect? You can send e-mail here. Or find Jesus at 2AM on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

If you are looking for hope, you have come to the right place! In this episode we arrive at Paul's unequivocal declaration that there is nothing, truly nothing, that can separate God's people from his love. Nothing in life, nothing in death, nothing of any earthly ruler or spiritual power...nothing. Indeed so sovereign the God of love, that he can make all things work together for our ultimate good. Amen! It has been deep intellectual work to get here, but now we see the payoff: utter confidence in grace! The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Romans 8:28-39 (NRSV) Want more content from Jesus at 2AM?? Learn how to become a patron! Want to connect? You can send e-mail here. Or find Jesus at 2AM on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

In this part 2 (of 2) on Rom. 8:12-27, we look at the future dimension of salvation - what will occur at the end of the age as a result of the cross. And in so doing, we discover that the future is breaking into the present. While the vestiges of the old age (the reign of sin) endure, the future age of salvation has also begun. And thus the Christian life is lived in an overlap of two ages (which both explains the inner tension of the life of faith, and the need for both endurance and discernment!). The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Romans 8:12-27 (NRSV) Want more content from Jesus at 2AM?? Learn how to become a patron! Want to connect? You can send e-mail here. Or find Jesus at 2AM on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

This sermon is part 1 of 2 on Rom. 8:12-27, a critical passage in the letter, as Paul makes a transition from his discussion of how God has been active across history (including the cross) to accomplish our rescue, to how we are to live in the present age of the church. In particular, Paul discusses our new manner of life with the Holy Spirit at our center (where our Adam-ness once ruled). We know that we are to put sin to death. But how? And are there unhealthy manners of ridding sin from our lives? (Yes!) The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Romans 8:12-27 (NRSV) Want more content from Jesus at 2AM?? Learn how to become a patron! Want to connect? You can send e-mail here. Or find Jesus at 2AM on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

What is the way out of humanity's captivity to sin? And what assurance do we have that we, personally, are included in God's project of salvation? In this episode, we take up these two critical questions as Paul explains the manner in which we have truly died to sin, and been raised, already, with Christ to new life. It is Paul's first major discussion of the Holy Spirit in Romans and a dimension of our salvation to which we often pay too little attention. But when we do, the result is a new lease on life! The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Romans 8:1-11 (NRSV) To see the link to Kirk's notebook sketch, click here. Want more Jesus at 2AM?? Learn how to become a patron! Want to connect? You can send e-mail here. Or find Jesus at 2AM on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

We humans place too much confidence in willpower, particularly where the spiritual life is concerned. We imagine that what stands between us and true shalom is a greater internal effort. If only we could try harder, be more devout...we could make grand strides towards righteousness. In this episode we look at Paul's critical insight that volition is no antidote to sin (as our inability to Torah obey Torah proves!). Indeed, Torah's ultimate role was to bring sin starkly into the open where it can be healed - by grace alone! The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Romans 7:13-25 (NRSV) Want more Jesus at 2AM?? Learn how to become a patron! Want to connect? You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

So often we imagine that the road to holiness is marked out by the Law; that God's moral command is the key to reducing sin and increasing love in our lives. And thus our tendency to return to piety and legalism as strategies for intimacy with God. But, as Paul has already argued, the Law is powerless to accomplish this purpose! In this episode we examine Paul's exhortation for Christians to regard themselves as dead to sin, and why such regard is the only way to holiness. The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Romans 7:1-12 (NRSV) Want more Jesus at 2AM?? Learn how to become a patron! Want to connect? You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

We humans have an incredible longing to return to Egypt. That is to say, to return to the land of our captivity, even after we have been set free. As harmful as it may have been, it was home...for a long time. And learning to manage freedom is harder than it looks. It was true for historical Israel, and it is true for us. Through Christ, we have been set free from our bondage to sin. And yet we have a strong propensity to return. In this episode Paul explains what such returns look like and how to stop them.  The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Romans 6:12-23 (NRSV) Want more Jesus at 2AM?? Learn how to become a patron! Want to connect? You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

I'm so grateful for all the success that Jesus at 2AM has had, and at last I am ready to do more! For years, you've been asking for additional resources - everything from video, to community forums, to individual spiritual direction. And after much work to discern the best way to make it happen, today I get to announce my new partnership with Patreon! You can hear all the details of what lies ahead in this special episode of the podcast. And when you're finished, would you take a moment to check out my new Patreon page and consider becoming a patron?

Here we come to a question that every Christian has, at some point, asked: If we have been saved by grace, forgiven in a manner that can never be revoked, why not continue in sin??? I mean, if sin is where all the fun is, can't I have the good times free of the consequences? It's a tempting proposition. And Paul's response may not be what we expected... The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Romans 6:1-11 (NRSV) Want to connect? You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

How did sin enter the world? And how is grace sin's antidote? In this episode we arrive at Paul's great declaration of ultimate hope: "where sin abounded, grace abounded all the more." And we see how Adam's sin - while affecting all creation - is overcome by Jesus's faithfulness. In short, here is where we see most clearly that love is the name of the game. The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Romans 5:12-21 (NRSV) Want to connect? You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

What is the source of our hope? Not hope in the sense of optimism, but hope as in the certainty of the salvation of the world. Rome offered a version of hope, one that empires continue to promise to this day. But it is a hope that can never be fulfilled, because it is rooted in the false belief that power brings security. In this episode we examine Paul's vision of hope - one rooted in the goodness of God - against the backdrop of the Roman Empire and discover how we can even hope amidst suffering. The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Romans 5:1-11 (NRSV) The images referenced are here: Ara Pacis Roman Justice (statue) Coin (front) Coin (back) Herodian Temple Pyramids of Giza Want to connect? You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

That salvation comes to us by grace alone is extraordinarily difficult to comprehend. One way or another, we humans find a work we think we can perform to turn God's rescue into something we can control. It's a dynamic Paul understands all too well. And to snap us out of it, he returns to his example of Abraham - saved simply by the sovereign will of God. And what results from election is faith - a faith that transforms Abraham and can transform us. This episode is intellectually thick but worth the effort.   The biblical passage referenced in this sermon is:  Romans 4:9-25 (NRSV) Want to connect? You can send e-mail here. Or find me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.