ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

 TUSITE SEPITEMA 2, 2025

GOSPEL PARADOX

KO E TU’UNGA NGALI FEHANGAHANGAI ‘O E KOOSIPELI

ROMANS 8:1

"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

LOMA 8:1

KO ia, ‘i he tu‘u ko eni, ‘oku ‘ikai ha momo‘i fakahalaia ‘o e kakai ‘oku ‘ia Kalaisi Sīsū. 

‘Oku ke loto mamahi ‘i he tu’unga ‘oku ‘i ai ho’o mo’ui? Mahalo pe ‘oku ke ongo’i, ‘oku fu’u tuai ho’o a’u ki he mo’ui haohaoa. Mahalo pe ‘oku hange ho’o mo’ui ko e lao fīsiki ‘a Niutoni: ko e fo’i ikuna kotoa pe, kuopau ke fetaulaki ia mo ha fo’i ulungia ke hoa’aki pea ke fakafepaki’i.

‘Oku ‘ikai ko koe pe ‘oku ke ongo’i pehee. Na’a mo e ‘aposetolo fakatalutalu ko Paula, na’a ne mamahi lahi ‘i he tau faka-laumalie mo e angahala: "‘Oiauē! si‘i toki mala‘ia kita! ko hai tū te ne hamusi au mei he sino ‘oku mei ai ‘a e mate ni? (Loma 7:24). ‘I he’etau lau ‘a e mafatukituki ‘o e mamahi ‘a Paula, ‘oku taau ke tau fakatokanga’i, mahalo pe ‘oku fu’u ma’ama’a ‘etau vakai ki he angahala. ‘Oku ‘ikai foki ko e anga maheni ‘o e ako Tohitapu, ke tau fai ha fu’u tengihia ‘o ‘etau angahala, kae mahalo na ‘oku totonu ke tau a’u ki he tu’unga ko ia.

Ka neongo ‘a e tu’unga fakamamahi na’a ne a’u ki ai, na’e mahino pe kia Paula, ko e angahala, neongo pe ‘e tau ki fe? ‘E ‘ikai pea ‘e he ‘ikai ‘aupito te ne aofangatuku ha me’a! ‘I he veesi hokoo pe, ‘oku ha mai ‘a e ‘amanaki ko eni: "Fakafeta‘i ki he ‘Otua, ‘a ia kuo ne fai ‘ia Sīsū Kalaisi ko hotau ‘Eiki!” (Loma 7:25). Pea ‘i he hili pe ‘a hono toe fakamatala’i mai ‘i he setesi hokoo ‘a e palopalema, ‘oku ‘ave kitautolu ‘e Loma 8 ki he tumutumu ‘o e Folofola, ‘a e ia ko e ‘ulu’i veesi ia ‘o e ‘aho ni.

Ko e ha e ‘uhinga ‘oku tali’aki ai ‘e Paula ‘ene ngaahi tōnounou ‘aki ‘ene pehee, “Fakafeta’i ki he ‘Otua”? Koe’uhi, he ‘oku ‘ikai ha momo‘i fakahalaia ‘o e kakai ‘oku ‘ia Kalaisi Sīsū”. ‘Oku ‘ikai ha fakahalaia he ‘aho ni, pea ‘oku ‘ikai ha fakahalaia ‘o ta’engata! ‘Oku tau ma’u heni ‘a e tu’unga ngali fehangahangai kae fakaofo fekau’aki mo e koosipeli: Ko au ko e vaivai, tonounou lahi mo halaia; ka ‘i he taimi tatau, ‘ia Kalaisi,  ‘Oku ou hao, malu mo ‘ofa’i. ‘Oku anga fe fe ‘a e hoko ha me’a pehe ni? Ko e tali, kuopau ke tau foki ki he fo’i “KO IA” fakakoloa ‘i he Tohi Loma: “KO ia, ‘i he fakatonuhia‘i ‘akitautolu ‘e he tui”, ‘oku tau melino ai mo e ‘Otua ‘i ho tau ‘Eiki ko Sisu Kalaisi” (UESI - Loma 5:1). ‘Oku ‘ikai ke tau tuha mo ha kelesi pehee fau. Na’e mei tonu ange ke tuku ai pe kitautolu ‘e he ‘Otua ke tau melemo ‘i he kinoha’a ‘o ‘etau kovi. Ka, na’a ne ‘alo’ofa mai ‘ia Sisu, ‘o ‘omi ‘a e melino mo e ‘amanaki lelei. ‘Oku fakatonuhia’i kitautolu; kuo to’o ‘e Sisu ‘etau halaia, pea ko ia ‘i hotau tu’unga lolotonga, ‘i he ‘afio hifo ‘a e Tamai kiate kitautolu, ‘Oku ‘afio mai pe hono fofonga kia Sisu mo ‘Ene haohaoa!

Ko koe mo au, ko e angahala - ‘io, ‘oku ‘ikai ha toe loi ‘a e tu’unga ko ia, pea te ta kei pehee ai pe. Ka, ‘i he taimi tatau, ‘oku ta tofanga ‘i ha fu’u ‘ofa fungani, pea kuo ‘osi fai hota fakamolemole’i, pea he’ikai ke toe fakahala’ia’i kitaua. Kae ‘oua na’a ngalo pe te ke lolomi ho’o ongo’i mamahi ‘i ho ngaahi tonounou mo e fehalaaki. Tuku ke nau hanga ‘o tekelele koe kia Sisu, ‘i he hounga’ia mo e fiemalie. Ko e lahi ange ‘etau ‘ilo’i ‘etau angahala, ko e fakaofo ange ia ‘o ‘etau a’usia ‘a e fo’i mo’oni ko eni; ‘OKU ‘IKAI, PEA ‘E ‘IKAI ‘AUPITO, ha momo‘i FAKAHALAIA ‘i Langi kiate kinautolu ‘oku ‘IA KALAISI! 

Lau e Tohitapu ‘i he Ta’u ‘e taha: Saame 137-139; 2 Kolinito 11:16-33

Are you ever disappointed with yourself? Maybe it seems that your journey toward holiness is painstakingly slow. Perhaps it seems that an approximation of Newton's third law somehow applies to your Christian life: for every victory, there is an equal and opposite failure.

You are not alone. Even the great apostle Paul expressed serious disappointment in his ongoing battle with sin: "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" (Romans 7:24). Reading of the depth of Paul's frustration, it is worth considering that perhaps we aren't actually disappointed enough. After all, it's probably not typical Bible-study behavior in your church to cry out in lament over your own wickedness!

Yet even in his state of despair Paul knew that sin, however serious, would not - could not - have the final say. In the very next verse, hope breaks in: "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:25). Then, after the next sentence restates the problem, we ascend to one of the highest peaks in all of Scripture: Romans 8, which begins with the glorious promise of today's header verse.

Why does Paul respond to his failures by saying, "Thanks be to God"? It is because "there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." No condemnation, now or forever! Here we have one of the gospel's most wondrous paradoxes: I am weak, failing, and guilty; but at the same time, in Christ, I am safe, secure, and loved. How can this be? To answer, we can look back to another great "therefore" in the book of Romans: "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1). We don't deserve such grace. God could rightfully let us drown in our wretchedness. Instead, through Jesus, He grants us peace and gives us hope. We are justified; Jesus has taken our condemnation so that now, when His Father looks at us, He sees Jesus and all His perfection.

You and I are sinful - yes, dreadfully so, and we remain so. But we are also supremely loved, completely forgiven, and never in any danger of condemnation. Do not suppress or ignore your disappointment at your ongoing flaws and failings. Let it drive you back to Jesus, in gratitude and relief. The more aware we are of our sin, the more wonderful we will realize the truth that there is not, and never will be, any ounce of divine condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.