“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.
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This is a very critical blog Randy. The continuous teaching of ideas and precepts, as though education was the hope of the believer, has raised a North American church that is continuously wondering at it's standing with God. Caught up with whether it is holy enough today, or today, or today by examining itself in its preceptual mirror, it misses the foundation of the Gospel you have been sharing in Chapters 1-11, and the necessary presence, filling and anointing of the Holy Spirit. Paul said to the Corinthians and others that this Good News, and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit was his source and power (1Cor1, Eph1, etc). That is where the 'renewing of our mind' begins... a new way of seeing and knowing and relating.
ReplyDeleteJust a thought.