“Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ…to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.” Rom 16:25a, 27
Yes, Lord, we have finished our study of Romans and worship You…You, the One able to establish us in the astounding good news!
You have shown us who You are. You have explained to us who we are. You have shown us our rebellion and helped us to understand it. You have shown us that it was in our nature to be Your enemy.
You have sent the Jewish Messiah, Jesus our Lord and Savior, to atone for the sins of Jews, and amazingly to atone for the sins of Gentiles.
You have wove a wise and mysterious, just and loving way for us, to stand in righteousness and peace, “not guilty” before You.
All Your wisdom in reconciling your enemies to Yourself, was motivated by love…yes passionate love….not only toward the masses but toward each of us individually.
You, in wisdom, have changed Your relationship with us from being our Judge to being our “Abba, Father”. You have done this through the Holy Spirit You have placed inside us.
You, in the depth of Your wisdom and unsearchable ways, foreknew us, gave us a pre-determined destiny to be like Jesus, called us, justified us, and glorified us.
Our only boast is in You. Our only debt is to love You, and love our neighbor…even our enemies.
You have shown us and instructed us how to live.
From Gentiles far from the land of Israel…
To You the only wise God be glory…forever and ever…through the One we love and love dearly….through Jesus, the Messiah, Amen!
With this, our study of Romans is concluded!
Friday, April 30, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Romans 16:1-24 Personal Greetings
“Greet one another with an holy kiss. All the churches of Christ send greetings.” Rom 16:16
Romans 16 names 37 believers by name…Phoebe, a deaconess, is commended to the Romans and is likely the one who carried Paul’s letter to Rome. Paul sends greetings to 28 men and women who reside in Rome. Eight believers with Paul also sent their greetings. These were real people… brothers and sisters in Christ. They had names and had families and dealt with life like the rest of us. Some were tent makers (Priscilla and Aquila), 13 were slaves and freedmen, one was a mother, several were relatives of Paul, and one was noted as the director of public works. The 37 were both Jews and Gentiles. Some were noted for their hard work in serving Christ, one was mentioned as the first convert in Asia, two had been in prison with Paul, some risked their lives for Paul and some were mentioned by name only.
If I were writing a mighty epistle, who would be in my greeting list. If the letter was to believers in Guatemala, I would greet David and Kathy who gave up a hefty salary, a fully vested retirement and the good life in the United States to go and serve the poor. If the letter was to believers in Phoenix, I would greet Ruffino, who was delivered from a life of alcoholism through a miracle and is a strong follower of Christ. If the letter was to the believers in Albuquerque, I would greet among many, Brad who through great financial difficulties has faithfully served the Lord by leading a group of men on Wednesday mornings. If I were writing to believers in Montana, I would heartily greet my brother Dave who has faithfully served our dear Lord and Savior for years by emailing out his verse of the day (VOTD). If I were writing the church in Canada, I would greet Lawrence, the pastor of a small church who has faithfully encouraged me in my “Faith” and “Romans” emailing adventure.
Take a moment and greet a dear one in Christ with an email or a phone call and let them know they are more than a name, they are deeply special to you.
Romans 16 names 37 believers by name…Phoebe, a deaconess, is commended to the Romans and is likely the one who carried Paul’s letter to Rome. Paul sends greetings to 28 men and women who reside in Rome. Eight believers with Paul also sent their greetings. These were real people… brothers and sisters in Christ. They had names and had families and dealt with life like the rest of us. Some were tent makers (Priscilla and Aquila), 13 were slaves and freedmen, one was a mother, several were relatives of Paul, and one was noted as the director of public works. The 37 were both Jews and Gentiles. Some were noted for their hard work in serving Christ, one was mentioned as the first convert in Asia, two had been in prison with Paul, some risked their lives for Paul and some were mentioned by name only.
If I were writing a mighty epistle, who would be in my greeting list. If the letter was to believers in Guatemala, I would greet David and Kathy who gave up a hefty salary, a fully vested retirement and the good life in the United States to go and serve the poor. If the letter was to believers in Phoenix, I would greet Ruffino, who was delivered from a life of alcoholism through a miracle and is a strong follower of Christ. If the letter was to the believers in Albuquerque, I would greet among many, Brad who through great financial difficulties has faithfully served the Lord by leading a group of men on Wednesday mornings. If I were writing to believers in Montana, I would heartily greet my brother Dave who has faithfully served our dear Lord and Savior for years by emailing out his verse of the day (VOTD). If I were writing the church in Canada, I would greet Lawrence, the pastor of a small church who has faithfully encouraged me in my “Faith” and “Romans” emailing adventure.
Take a moment and greet a dear one in Christ with an email or a phone call and let them know they are more than a name, they are deeply special to you.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Romans 15:14-33 Paul's Ministry to the Gentiles
“…because of the grace God gave me to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.” Rom 15:15b-16
Nice clothes, well-groomed, funny and articulate, animated, entertaining…I’m describing my observation of television ministers of the gospel. I wonder at times what motivates many of them, both Pentecostal and conservative….are they pure in heart and motives? I’m not trying to be judgmental…I’m trying to expand the box that I tend to put God in…but these are honest questions that I wrestle with. Would Paul have been a big hit on TV? In the last half of Romans 15 Paul describes his ministry to Gentiles. He describes his motivation and he describes the Roman believers place in his ministry. Let me expound.
Paul viewed his ministry to the Gentiles as a “priestly duty…so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.” V.15b-16 Paul saw himself as a priest. A Jewish priest had the function of offering sacrifices pleasing to God. Paul viewed the Gentiles as the sacrifice he offered. Sacrifices can be of varying quality. The prophet Malachi rebuked the Jewish priests for sacrificing blind, crippled and diseased animals. He said they would not even offer such decrepit sacrifices to their governor. How would that honor a governor? Mal 1:7-8 Paul wanted the sacrifices he offered to be of the highest quality and bring the greatest honor and pleasure to God.
High quality sacrifices that bring the optimum glory and pleasure to God are:
1. Full of goodness v.14
2. Complete in knowledge v.14
3. Competent to instruct others v.14
4. Willing to give money to the ministry v.23-28
5. Willing to join with those struggling to spread the gospel by praying for them v.30-32
What were the tools of Paul’s ministry? His tools went beyond intellectual appeal, though the book of Romans is intellectually appealing. It went beyond persuasive words to the power of signs and miracles and the power of the Holy Spirit. V.19 I don’t know of anywhere in Scriptures that says these tools are now obsolete.
Ponder and consider…are you a high quality sacrifice? Are you performing a priestly duty that brings honor and praise to God? Don’t get on a guilt trip…there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. Comprehend with great joy the gospel and share it with others!
Nice clothes, well-groomed, funny and articulate, animated, entertaining…I’m describing my observation of television ministers of the gospel. I wonder at times what motivates many of them, both Pentecostal and conservative….are they pure in heart and motives? I’m not trying to be judgmental…I’m trying to expand the box that I tend to put God in…but these are honest questions that I wrestle with. Would Paul have been a big hit on TV? In the last half of Romans 15 Paul describes his ministry to Gentiles. He describes his motivation and he describes the Roman believers place in his ministry. Let me expound.
Paul viewed his ministry to the Gentiles as a “priestly duty…so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.” V.15b-16 Paul saw himself as a priest. A Jewish priest had the function of offering sacrifices pleasing to God. Paul viewed the Gentiles as the sacrifice he offered. Sacrifices can be of varying quality. The prophet Malachi rebuked the Jewish priests for sacrificing blind, crippled and diseased animals. He said they would not even offer such decrepit sacrifices to their governor. How would that honor a governor? Mal 1:7-8 Paul wanted the sacrifices he offered to be of the highest quality and bring the greatest honor and pleasure to God.
High quality sacrifices that bring the optimum glory and pleasure to God are:
1. Full of goodness v.14
2. Complete in knowledge v.14
3. Competent to instruct others v.14
4. Willing to give money to the ministry v.23-28
5. Willing to join with those struggling to spread the gospel by praying for them v.30-32
What were the tools of Paul’s ministry? His tools went beyond intellectual appeal, though the book of Romans is intellectually appealing. It went beyond persuasive words to the power of signs and miracles and the power of the Holy Spirit. V.19 I don’t know of anywhere in Scriptures that says these tools are now obsolete.
Ponder and consider…are you a high quality sacrifice? Are you performing a priestly duty that brings honor and praise to God? Don’t get on a guilt trip…there is no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. Comprehend with great joy the gospel and share it with others!
Romans 15:1-13 More Instructions for Peaceful Coexistence in the Church
“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 15:5-6
Have you ever been in a church that split? It is no fun and they’ve been part of church history for the past 2,000 years. Most splits these days are in congregations composed entirely of Gentiles. When Paul wrote Romans, Jewish and Gentile believers met together to worship the Lord Jesus Christ. The very dynamic of having Jews and Gentiles together under the same roof worshipping the Jewish Messiah was conducive to problems. That is why the lengthiest behavioral instructions in Romans are concerning just getting along with each other in the church.
What are Paul’s final instructions? He tells the “strong”, those whose faith allows for great freedom in disputable matters, to bear with the failings of the weak (v.1). In the context of Romans 14, the failings of the weak were in their judging of the Gentiles regarding food they ate and the Gentile’s treatment of all days being the same. It’s not easy but we should bear with those who judge us because their faith does not allow them the same freedom we enjoy.
For all the believers Paul instructs that we should not just please ourselves but we should please our neighbor. This requires you to think and act like Jesus who’s mind was “others focused”. If you are going to bear with the failings of the weak and focus on pleasing others over the course of your lifetime, you are going to need two very important things…endurance and encouragement. These two things come from the Scriptures (v.4), and from God (v.5). If you need one or the other or both, spend time in the Scriptures and ask God and He will give them to you.
Finally, Paul instructs the believers to “Accept one another…just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” (v.7) Paul presents acceptance of one another as a pre-requisite to bringing praise to God. Paul quotes numerous verses from the Old Testament showing how it was prophesied in the Old Testament that God would accept the Gentiles. The Jews could not get around it; they had to accept the Gentiles because God had accepted them. As far as that goes, anyone who is a follower of Christ who Jesus died for, is to be accepted because God saw fit to accept that person.
With these thoughts, Paul ends his instructions for living a righteous life. The remainder of the book of Romans is not instruction oriented but is regarding Paul’s ministry, commendations and greetings.
Have you ever been in a church that split? It is no fun and they’ve been part of church history for the past 2,000 years. Most splits these days are in congregations composed entirely of Gentiles. When Paul wrote Romans, Jewish and Gentile believers met together to worship the Lord Jesus Christ. The very dynamic of having Jews and Gentiles together under the same roof worshipping the Jewish Messiah was conducive to problems. That is why the lengthiest behavioral instructions in Romans are concerning just getting along with each other in the church.
What are Paul’s final instructions? He tells the “strong”, those whose faith allows for great freedom in disputable matters, to bear with the failings of the weak (v.1). In the context of Romans 14, the failings of the weak were in their judging of the Gentiles regarding food they ate and the Gentile’s treatment of all days being the same. It’s not easy but we should bear with those who judge us because their faith does not allow them the same freedom we enjoy.
For all the believers Paul instructs that we should not just please ourselves but we should please our neighbor. This requires you to think and act like Jesus who’s mind was “others focused”. If you are going to bear with the failings of the weak and focus on pleasing others over the course of your lifetime, you are going to need two very important things…endurance and encouragement. These two things come from the Scriptures (v.4), and from God (v.5). If you need one or the other or both, spend time in the Scriptures and ask God and He will give them to you.
Finally, Paul instructs the believers to “Accept one another…just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” (v.7) Paul presents acceptance of one another as a pre-requisite to bringing praise to God. Paul quotes numerous verses from the Old Testament showing how it was prophesied in the Old Testament that God would accept the Gentiles. The Jews could not get around it; they had to accept the Gentiles because God had accepted them. As far as that goes, anyone who is a follower of Christ who Jesus died for, is to be accepted because God saw fit to accept that person.
With these thoughts, Paul ends his instructions for living a righteous life. The remainder of the book of Romans is not instruction oriented but is regarding Paul’s ministry, commendations and greetings.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Romans 14 - Instructions for Peaceful Coexistence in the Church
“One man’s faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him.” Rom 14:2-3
Among the challenges of the early church in which believing Jews and Gentiles met together to worship, was regarding meals and days. Imagine how a Jewish believer would react in meeting with a group of Gentile believers enjoying a meal of pork. How would a Jewish believer feel if the Gentile believers with which he fellowshipped were working on their houses on the Sabbath? How would a Gentile believer view Jewish believers who were “needlessly” following all these restrictive rules?
The believers (i.e. Gentiles) who enjoyed freedom in their meals and how they treated various days were instructed not to look down on those who do not enjoy the same freedom. V.3 They were instructed to understand that those who did not enjoy the same freedom had a motive in their heart to honor the Lord. V.6 They should limit their freedom in the presence of those who had a conscience about a disputable matter, always acting in love. V.13-15 When you boil it all down, the kingdom of God is not about eating and drinking, it is about right living, peace between believers and joy in the Holy Spirit. V. 17 Anyone serving God in this way will please Him. V.17
The believers (i.e. Jews) who lived with dietary restrictions and considered some days as more sacred than others, were instructed not to judge those who enjoyed greater freedom. V.3-14 Judgment belongs to God and each believer is accountable to Him. V.10-12 A person will not be responsible on judgment day of giving account to God for the way another Christian lived.
Times have changed and many of the issues in this passage exist today between Gentile believers. The same principles apply. Whether its having a glass of wine or smoking a cigar, “whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God.” V.22 Love is the guiding principle!
Among the challenges of the early church in which believing Jews and Gentiles met together to worship, was regarding meals and days. Imagine how a Jewish believer would react in meeting with a group of Gentile believers enjoying a meal of pork. How would a Jewish believer feel if the Gentile believers with which he fellowshipped were working on their houses on the Sabbath? How would a Gentile believer view Jewish believers who were “needlessly” following all these restrictive rules?
The believers (i.e. Gentiles) who enjoyed freedom in their meals and how they treated various days were instructed not to look down on those who do not enjoy the same freedom. V.3 They were instructed to understand that those who did not enjoy the same freedom had a motive in their heart to honor the Lord. V.6 They should limit their freedom in the presence of those who had a conscience about a disputable matter, always acting in love. V.13-15 When you boil it all down, the kingdom of God is not about eating and drinking, it is about right living, peace between believers and joy in the Holy Spirit. V. 17 Anyone serving God in this way will please Him. V.17
The believers (i.e. Jews) who lived with dietary restrictions and considered some days as more sacred than others, were instructed not to judge those who enjoyed greater freedom. V.3-14 Judgment belongs to God and each believer is accountable to Him. V.10-12 A person will not be responsible on judgment day of giving account to God for the way another Christian lived.
Times have changed and many of the issues in this passage exist today between Gentile believers. The same principles apply. Whether its having a glass of wine or smoking a cigar, “whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God.” V.22 Love is the guiding principle!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Romans 13:8-14 Instructions to Love
“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellow man has fulfilled the law.” Rom 13:8
Have you ever been genuinely, profoundly loved by someone other than a wife or a family member…loved with a nonsexual love? I have and it changed my life. It changed me to the point that I make a very conscious effort to love others, hoping they will experience what I experienced when I was loved…hoping they will experience the transforming power of love that I have experienced. Paul continues his instructions on Christian living in Romans 13:8-14 by focusing on love.
Here’s what we learn about love in this passage:
1. Christians are to view loving others as a debt you owe them. Debt can numb you if it exceeds your capacity to pay. God has given us the capacity to pay this debt through the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
2. All the commands in the Scripture are not just an exercise in manipulation on God’s part. They are in essence instructions on how to love. “The commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” V.9
3. Love is not just “doing”, it is also “not doing”. Romans 12 emphasizes the “doing” aspect of love and in this passage in Romans 13 the emphasis is on the “not doing” aspect of loving. Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not covet, do not participate in orgies and drunkenness, do not participate in sexual immorality and indulgence in sensual pleasures, and do not participate in dissension and jealousy.
We’re running out of time…either the Lord is coming very soon or your life on earth will end…give yourself to loving others.
There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread.
~ Mother Teresa
Have you ever been genuinely, profoundly loved by someone other than a wife or a family member…loved with a nonsexual love? I have and it changed my life. It changed me to the point that I make a very conscious effort to love others, hoping they will experience what I experienced when I was loved…hoping they will experience the transforming power of love that I have experienced. Paul continues his instructions on Christian living in Romans 13:8-14 by focusing on love.
Here’s what we learn about love in this passage:
1. Christians are to view loving others as a debt you owe them. Debt can numb you if it exceeds your capacity to pay. God has given us the capacity to pay this debt through the Holy Spirit who lives in us.
2. All the commands in the Scripture are not just an exercise in manipulation on God’s part. They are in essence instructions on how to love. “The commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” V.9
3. Love is not just “doing”, it is also “not doing”. Romans 12 emphasizes the “doing” aspect of love and in this passage in Romans 13 the emphasis is on the “not doing” aspect of loving. Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not covet, do not participate in orgies and drunkenness, do not participate in sexual immorality and indulgence in sensual pleasures, and do not participate in dissension and jealousy.
We’re running out of time…either the Lord is coming very soon or your life on earth will end…give yourself to loving others.
There is more hunger for love and appreciation in this world than for bread.
~ Mother Teresa
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Romans 13:1-7 Instructions for Christians Concerning Government
“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.” Rom 13:1
Imagine that you were in a country where the government made it mandatory to worship the leaders of that country. Not to worship the leader was considered a punishable crime. That was the setting in which Paul wrote Romans 13 in which he instructs believers to submit to governing authorities.
How does Romans 13 flow from Romans 12? Romans 12 is full of short, to the point instructions for Christian behavior. Paul; however, elaborates on loving your enemies. That’s a difficult and unnatural instruction which is worth expounding on. (12:17-21) To suggest that a Christian should submit to pagan governing authorities was another instruction requiring obvious elaboration. Thus, the explanation and instructions in 13:1-7 are given.
First of all believers are instructed to submit to governing authorities. The reason for submitting to government authorities is that God has established the authorities. The irony of this instruction is that Paul wrote this with Nero as the emperor. Under his reign Paul was beheaded and Peter crucified upside down. He is the one who burned Christians in his garden like torches in the night.
Second, authorities are instituted by God to ensure that people did not live in fear of their government when doing right and to ensure that if you did wrong you lived in fear of the punishment the government would wield in dealing with your wrong.
Third, we must submit to governing authorities for conscience sake since they are established by God. We do not want to find ourselves living contrary to authority God has placed over us.
Fourth, Paul instructs Christians to give everyone what you owe them. “If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.”
What do we do when government asks us to do something contrary to our faith? Using the words of Peter and the apostles as they stood before religious authorities of their day "We must obey God rather than men!”
Imagine that you were in a country where the government made it mandatory to worship the leaders of that country. Not to worship the leader was considered a punishable crime. That was the setting in which Paul wrote Romans 13 in which he instructs believers to submit to governing authorities.
How does Romans 13 flow from Romans 12? Romans 12 is full of short, to the point instructions for Christian behavior. Paul; however, elaborates on loving your enemies. That’s a difficult and unnatural instruction which is worth expounding on. (12:17-21) To suggest that a Christian should submit to pagan governing authorities was another instruction requiring obvious elaboration. Thus, the explanation and instructions in 13:1-7 are given.
First of all believers are instructed to submit to governing authorities. The reason for submitting to government authorities is that God has established the authorities. The irony of this instruction is that Paul wrote this with Nero as the emperor. Under his reign Paul was beheaded and Peter crucified upside down. He is the one who burned Christians in his garden like torches in the night.
Second, authorities are instituted by God to ensure that people did not live in fear of their government when doing right and to ensure that if you did wrong you lived in fear of the punishment the government would wield in dealing with your wrong.
Third, we must submit to governing authorities for conscience sake since they are established by God. We do not want to find ourselves living contrary to authority God has placed over us.
Fourth, Paul instructs Christians to give everyone what you owe them. “If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.”
What do we do when government asks us to do something contrary to our faith? Using the words of Peter and the apostles as they stood before religious authorities of their day "We must obey God rather than men!”
Romans 12 Instructions for Christian Living
“Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices…do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:1-2
If Romans was divided into 2 chapters rather than 16 chapters, the second chapter would begin in Romans 12. The first 11 chapters are filled with truth and doctrine about who God is and who we are. It tells us how we can go from relating to God as Judge to relating to God as “Abba, Father”. The first 11 chapters often take a lot of work to understand.
The last 5 chapters are very practical and instruct us in how to live. We get a good understanding of what the Christian life should look like from these chapters. We tend to pass over the first 11 chapters and focus on the last 5 chapters because of the relative ease with which they are understood. However, the last 5 chapters are meant to be understood in the context of the first 11 chapters. That is why the first statement in the second chapter of our 2 chapter book of Romans begins with “therefore”. Paul is saying, as a logical conclusion to chapters 1 to 11, where we get a large picture of God’s mercy, then you should do the following:
1. Offer your pride and joy…yes, your very body as a living sacrifice to God. V.1
2. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world. V.2
3. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind with the truths in the first 11 chapters of Romans. V.2
4. In the context of the church, do not have an inflated view of yourself. The church is like a human body comprised of diverse features. You are only one of those features and you need the rest of the body and they need you. V.3-8
5. Love others with a love that is: authentic, pure, devoted, brotherly, humble, God-ward as well as man-ward, expectant, enduring, faithful, giving, welcoming, unstoppable, sensitive, harmonious, selfless, impartial, merciful, righteous, peaceful, trusting, supernatural, and powerful. V.9-21
With the truths of the first 11 chapters driving you, programming your brain, opening your eyes, working in you - follow these instructions for living. Let the Holy Spirit help you do this. People will begin to think that you are related to Jesus because you will look more and more like the one they read about in the Bible.
If Romans was divided into 2 chapters rather than 16 chapters, the second chapter would begin in Romans 12. The first 11 chapters are filled with truth and doctrine about who God is and who we are. It tells us how we can go from relating to God as Judge to relating to God as “Abba, Father”. The first 11 chapters often take a lot of work to understand.
The last 5 chapters are very practical and instruct us in how to live. We get a good understanding of what the Christian life should look like from these chapters. We tend to pass over the first 11 chapters and focus on the last 5 chapters because of the relative ease with which they are understood. However, the last 5 chapters are meant to be understood in the context of the first 11 chapters. That is why the first statement in the second chapter of our 2 chapter book of Romans begins with “therefore”. Paul is saying, as a logical conclusion to chapters 1 to 11, where we get a large picture of God’s mercy, then you should do the following:
1. Offer your pride and joy…yes, your very body as a living sacrifice to God. V.1
2. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world. V.2
3. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind with the truths in the first 11 chapters of Romans. V.2
4. In the context of the church, do not have an inflated view of yourself. The church is like a human body comprised of diverse features. You are only one of those features and you need the rest of the body and they need you. V.3-8
5. Love others with a love that is: authentic, pure, devoted, brotherly, humble, God-ward as well as man-ward, expectant, enduring, faithful, giving, welcoming, unstoppable, sensitive, harmonious, selfless, impartial, merciful, righteous, peaceful, trusting, supernatural, and powerful. V.9-21
With the truths of the first 11 chapters driving you, programming your brain, opening your eyes, working in you - follow these instructions for living. Let the Holy Spirit help you do this. People will begin to think that you are related to Jesus because you will look more and more like the one they read about in the Bible.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Romans Tangent #4 The Gospel and Legalism
“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.” Rom 14:17-18
Someone once explained to me that there were three aspects of the gospel (i.e. the astounding good news about Jesus). The three aspects are history, meaning and affects. The history is primarily contained in the 4 gospels where it talks about Jesus walking about on this earth and doing good. The history includes the life, death, burial, resurrection, present risen life and coming glory of Jesus. The meaning of the gospel includes atonement, justification and sanctification. In other words the meaning of the gospel is about applying meaning to the history. The application of meaning to history could be considered doctrine or truth. Finally, the gospel is about how the history and meaning of the gospel affects us.
The first 11 chapters of Romans are largely about the history and meaning of the gospel. Chapters 12 through 16 are primarily about behavior or the gospels affect on us. Truth in Romans and much of Paul’s other writings is always presented before discussing behavior and the affects of the gospel on us. The first 11 chapters are challenging at times to understand. The last 5 chapters seem straight-forward and easy to understand. Thus we tend to go straight to the last 5 chapters without spending much time in the first 11 chapters. This concerns me. The emphasis on the affects of the gospel without an emphasis on the history and meaning of the gospel can lead one down a road that will eventually give you problems.
An unbalanced emphasis on behavior is the foundation for legalism. Legalism is the conscious or unconscious notion that my standing with God is based on my behavior. It is a behavior based relationship with God. At some point, a person who takes his relationship with God very seriously will find that he simply can’t perform at the level the Bible teaches. It becomes a drudgery – a crushing load on one’s back. It will eventually cause one of two things. It will cause one to become dishonest in their self analysis of their behavior or it will cause one to throw up their arms in despair.
A balanced emphasis on the history, meaning and affects of the gospel leads to a grace based relationship with God. This is the path to “…righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,…” Therefore, hang in there and work hard to understand the truths in the first 11 chapters of Romans.
Someone once explained to me that there were three aspects of the gospel (i.e. the astounding good news about Jesus). The three aspects are history, meaning and affects. The history is primarily contained in the 4 gospels where it talks about Jesus walking about on this earth and doing good. The history includes the life, death, burial, resurrection, present risen life and coming glory of Jesus. The meaning of the gospel includes atonement, justification and sanctification. In other words the meaning of the gospel is about applying meaning to the history. The application of meaning to history could be considered doctrine or truth. Finally, the gospel is about how the history and meaning of the gospel affects us.
The first 11 chapters of Romans are largely about the history and meaning of the gospel. Chapters 12 through 16 are primarily about behavior or the gospels affect on us. Truth in Romans and much of Paul’s other writings is always presented before discussing behavior and the affects of the gospel on us. The first 11 chapters are challenging at times to understand. The last 5 chapters seem straight-forward and easy to understand. Thus we tend to go straight to the last 5 chapters without spending much time in the first 11 chapters. This concerns me. The emphasis on the affects of the gospel without an emphasis on the history and meaning of the gospel can lead one down a road that will eventually give you problems.
An unbalanced emphasis on behavior is the foundation for legalism. Legalism is the conscious or unconscious notion that my standing with God is based on my behavior. It is a behavior based relationship with God. At some point, a person who takes his relationship with God very seriously will find that he simply can’t perform at the level the Bible teaches. It becomes a drudgery – a crushing load on one’s back. It will eventually cause one of two things. It will cause one to become dishonest in their self analysis of their behavior or it will cause one to throw up their arms in despair.
A balanced emphasis on the history, meaning and affects of the gospel leads to a grace based relationship with God. This is the path to “…righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,…” Therefore, hang in there and work hard to understand the truths in the first 11 chapters of Romans.
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Romans 11:33-36 Doxology
“Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!” Rom 11:33
“Who would’ve thought?” I’ve asked this question many times over the course of my life when caught off guard by an unexpected development, when surprised by ingenious technology, when dumbfounded by the size of the universe or taken-back by some mystery of God revealed in the Scriptures.
Who would’ve thought that the long-awaited Jewish Messiah would be rejected by the Jews and embraced in large numbers by Gentiles? Who would have thought that this was orchestrated by God? Who would have thought that the entire human race could be infected with an anti-God bias to the point that every person on the planet could be considered enemies of God? Who would have thought that God would passionately love His enemies and provide a just and loving way to redeem us and transform us? Who would have thought that we could live in relationship with God, imperfect yet under no condemnation? Who would have thought that God would establish a predetermined destiny for His people to become Christ-like in their character? Who would have thought that God would foreknow, predestine, call, justify and glorify His people before the human race existed? Who would have thought that a day will come when the Jews will embrace Messiah Jesus in massive numbers? Who would have thought His plans included me? How can this be?!!!
33Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and[i] knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
34"Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?"[j]
35"Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay him?"[k]
36For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.
Are you grasping the truths of Romans up to this point? One of the ways to measure your comprehension is by asking the question “Am I moved as Paul was, to worship God… to acknowledge His greatness…to embrace His mysteries in awe and humility?” Take a moment and turn Paul’s praise into your own heartfelt worship!
“Who would’ve thought?” I’ve asked this question many times over the course of my life when caught off guard by an unexpected development, when surprised by ingenious technology, when dumbfounded by the size of the universe or taken-back by some mystery of God revealed in the Scriptures.
Who would’ve thought that the long-awaited Jewish Messiah would be rejected by the Jews and embraced in large numbers by Gentiles? Who would have thought that this was orchestrated by God? Who would have thought that the entire human race could be infected with an anti-God bias to the point that every person on the planet could be considered enemies of God? Who would have thought that God would passionately love His enemies and provide a just and loving way to redeem us and transform us? Who would have thought that we could live in relationship with God, imperfect yet under no condemnation? Who would have thought that God would establish a predetermined destiny for His people to become Christ-like in their character? Who would have thought that God would foreknow, predestine, call, justify and glorify His people before the human race existed? Who would have thought that a day will come when the Jews will embrace Messiah Jesus in massive numbers? Who would have thought His plans included me? How can this be?!!!
33Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and[i] knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
34"Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?"[j]
35"Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay him?"[k]
36For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be the glory forever! Amen.
Are you grasping the truths of Romans up to this point? One of the ways to measure your comprehension is by asking the question “Am I moved as Paul was, to worship God… to acknowledge His greatness…to embrace His mysteries in awe and humility?” Take a moment and turn Paul’s praise into your own heartfelt worship!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Romans 11:1-32 God's Future Plans for the Jews
“I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved…” Rom 11:25-26a
Years ago when we lived in Arizona, we had a “fruit cocktail” tree in our backyard. It produced lemons, oranges and grapefruit all from the same tree thanks to the ancient science of grafting. Paul used an illustration of a “cultivated olive tree” in which natural limbs were broken off and wild olive tree branches were grafted in. So what is all this business about trees and grafting of branches?
The olive tree represents the people of God. The root of the olive tree is not clearly defined. The NIV Study Bible Notes, for verses 16 through 18, state in several places that the root represents the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob). I don’t claim the expertise of the writer of the notes, but I wonder if the root is the God of the Jews. The root is called holy and the branches are identified as holy because of the root. The branches cannot survive without the nourishing sap of the root.
Some of the natural branches of the cultivated olive tree were broken off. This illustrates God’s present rejection of the Jews because of their unbelief. The breaking off of the natural branches is partial; some of the branches remain intact meaning that even at the present time God has maintained a remnant of Jews who are numbered among His people. Even Paul is proof of a natural branch intact. V.1
In place of the broken off branches, the branches of a wild olive tree are grafted into the cultivated olive tree. The branches of the wild olive tree represent the believing Gentiles who are numbered among His people. The Gentiles should ever be mindful that they are not naturally fit to the tree. They should never grow arrogant toward the Jews, though the Jews, in general, are in a present state of rejection. At the time of Paul’s writing, the Jews were even considered enemies of the gospel v.28. The Gentiles could just as easily fall into unbelief and lose their place in the tree. Gentile believers should “Consider…the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.” V.22
Paul instructs Gentile believers not to be ignorant about something…so pay attention. Once the full number of Gentiles chosen of God have been grafted into the tree, the Jews will return to God in mass and the world will be blessed beyond all comprehension. V.12, 25-27 This prediction is certain. A bright future is coming! Only the living God could orchestrate such a thing!
Years ago when we lived in Arizona, we had a “fruit cocktail” tree in our backyard. It produced lemons, oranges and grapefruit all from the same tree thanks to the ancient science of grafting. Paul used an illustration of a “cultivated olive tree” in which natural limbs were broken off and wild olive tree branches were grafted in. So what is all this business about trees and grafting of branches?
The olive tree represents the people of God. The root of the olive tree is not clearly defined. The NIV Study Bible Notes, for verses 16 through 18, state in several places that the root represents the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob). I don’t claim the expertise of the writer of the notes, but I wonder if the root is the God of the Jews. The root is called holy and the branches are identified as holy because of the root. The branches cannot survive without the nourishing sap of the root.
Some of the natural branches of the cultivated olive tree were broken off. This illustrates God’s present rejection of the Jews because of their unbelief. The breaking off of the natural branches is partial; some of the branches remain intact meaning that even at the present time God has maintained a remnant of Jews who are numbered among His people. Even Paul is proof of a natural branch intact. V.1
In place of the broken off branches, the branches of a wild olive tree are grafted into the cultivated olive tree. The branches of the wild olive tree represent the believing Gentiles who are numbered among His people. The Gentiles should ever be mindful that they are not naturally fit to the tree. They should never grow arrogant toward the Jews, though the Jews, in general, are in a present state of rejection. At the time of Paul’s writing, the Jews were even considered enemies of the gospel v.28. The Gentiles could just as easily fall into unbelief and lose their place in the tree. Gentile believers should “Consider…the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off.” V.22
Paul instructs Gentile believers not to be ignorant about something…so pay attention. Once the full number of Gentiles chosen of God have been grafted into the tree, the Jews will return to God in mass and the world will be blessed beyond all comprehension. V.12, 25-27 This prediction is certain. A bright future is coming! Only the living God could orchestrate such a thing!
Friday, April 2, 2010
Romans 9:30-10:21 People's Choice
“…Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have obtained it, a righteousness that is by faith; but Israel, who pursued a law of righteousness, has not attained it. …Because they pursued it not by faith but as if it were by works. They stumbled over the “stumbling stone”.” Rom 9:30-32
In Romans 9 Paul discusses how any person, Jew or Gentile, has a right standing with God. It is the result of God’s purposeful and independent choice. Independent in the sense that it is not based on the actions or desires of the person being chosen. This is part of Paul’s explanation of why Gentiles in large numbers were embracing a Jewish Messiah and why most of the Jews were rejecting Him.
In Romans 10 Paul continues the same discussion but rather than emphasizing the divine perspective of God’s choice, he emphasizes the human perspective of choice in terms of “faith” in contrast to “works”. The nice thing in this chapter is that Paul presents a thorough narrative of how to be justified by faith. The sad thing in this chapter is that Paul shows that the Jews rejected this message of justification by faith and chose to try to establish a righteousness of their own. And perceiving the murmurings of the Jewish skeptics to his narrative, Paul goes to the Old Testament once again to reinforce his point.
So how does one become justified by faith? First of all a person must plan on using 2 parts of their body…their mouth and their heart. With your mouth you must confess that “Jesus is Lord” and with your heart you must believe “that God raised him from the dead. It is “with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” (10:9-10)
What does it mean to confess that “Jesus is Lord”? Here I’ll borrow from the notes of the NIV Study Bible for 10:9. “Jesus is Lord. The earliest Christian confession of faith probably used at baptisms. In view of the fact that “Lord” (Greek kyrios) is used over 6,000 times in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the OT) to translate the name of Israel’s God (Yahweh), it is clear that Paul, when using this word of Jesus, is ascribing deity to him.”
Have you been justified (i.e. made right with God)? I encourage you to confess with your mouth “Jesus is Lord”. One of the ideas for using your mouth is so that someone else can hear you. Make this confession in the presence of another person. Believe in your heart God raised Jesus from the dead. There is plenty of evidence supporting this historical event. Do this and know that you will be saved!
In Romans 9 Paul discusses how any person, Jew or Gentile, has a right standing with God. It is the result of God’s purposeful and independent choice. Independent in the sense that it is not based on the actions or desires of the person being chosen. This is part of Paul’s explanation of why Gentiles in large numbers were embracing a Jewish Messiah and why most of the Jews were rejecting Him.
In Romans 10 Paul continues the same discussion but rather than emphasizing the divine perspective of God’s choice, he emphasizes the human perspective of choice in terms of “faith” in contrast to “works”. The nice thing in this chapter is that Paul presents a thorough narrative of how to be justified by faith. The sad thing in this chapter is that Paul shows that the Jews rejected this message of justification by faith and chose to try to establish a righteousness of their own. And perceiving the murmurings of the Jewish skeptics to his narrative, Paul goes to the Old Testament once again to reinforce his point.
So how does one become justified by faith? First of all a person must plan on using 2 parts of their body…their mouth and their heart. With your mouth you must confess that “Jesus is Lord” and with your heart you must believe “that God raised him from the dead. It is “with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” (10:9-10)
What does it mean to confess that “Jesus is Lord”? Here I’ll borrow from the notes of the NIV Study Bible for 10:9. “Jesus is Lord. The earliest Christian confession of faith probably used at baptisms. In view of the fact that “Lord” (Greek kyrios) is used over 6,000 times in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the OT) to translate the name of Israel’s God (Yahweh), it is clear that Paul, when using this word of Jesus, is ascribing deity to him.”
Have you been justified (i.e. made right with God)? I encourage you to confess with your mouth “Jesus is Lord”. One of the ideas for using your mouth is so that someone else can hear you. Make this confession in the presence of another person. Believe in your heart God raised Jesus from the dead. There is plenty of evidence supporting this historical event. Do this and know that you will be saved!
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