Romans 14:19-23

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19 Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense. 21 It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. 22 Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. 23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin. ~ Romans 14:19-23

Today, we close out our study of Romans 14 where we discover more instruction regarding the growth of our faith or our hearts ability to interact with the God of the Bible. This chapter is set in the context of Romans 12-16 which is all predicated upon the first command in Romans 12:1 which reads: "I urge you therefore, brothers and sisters in the Lord, by the mercies of God, that you present your whole lives a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service."

In v.19-20 of today's passage we read, "19 Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. 20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense."

In today’s passage, we are given a microcosm of life. Most in this world have been distracted from what life is really about. We think life is about that which makes us happy, but this is too myopic. In these verses, the Apostle shouts that peace among believers in Christ is one of the most important things in this life. Peace is not just the absence of a storm, but rest in the middle of the storm. The Scriptures remind us that "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." This reminder serves to convince us that the more troubled things are in our lives, the more present God makes Himself among us. And, it is in these moments that the God of peace delivers the peace of God to the wearied soul best.

It is the Spirit of God who produces peace in any group of believers, and it is so special we must not flaunt our freedoms in such a way as to upset the full expression of God among us. The strong brother mentioned in context, should enjoy his liberties in Christ, however he mustn't if it interferes with the wholesome peace that God desires to bring to a given group of believers. God's peace is one of those things when we experience it, it tunes our souls to real reality. When the harmony is threatened in any group of believers, God expects the strong among us to bear that burden and to not insist on their personal rights. And, when the stronger brother insists on his rights at the expense of the weaker brother, he threatens the work of God among the group and through that group.

In v.21 of today's passage we read, "It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak."

It is not wrong for the strong brother, who understands that he has been made acceptable before the God of the Bible solely through the finished work of Christ on the cross, to enjoy the liberty that Christ earned for him. All things are to be considered sacred, even the things of the world that sin has distorted, but it is not good for the strong believer in the faith to do anything by which his weaker brother is caused to momentarily "stumble" in his faith. The actions of the strong brother is meant to be a means by which the weaker brother is helped to get to the place where he becomes strong. In this case the prevailing peace of God is more important than the strong brother's freedom in Christ.

In v.22-23 of today's passage we read, "22 Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves. 23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin."

In addition to accentuating the peace of God among believers in this passage, the Apostle accentuates our faith in the God of the Bible. The Apostle admonishes us to let God and His Word be the basis for our faith, and nothing else. We must be sure that what we are doing is not couched in selfishness because pride has always been the vein through which the enemy subverts the purposes of God among us. We must be defined by God and not ourselves. 

When we get to this place of security and maturity in the grace and mercy of God through Christ, the watching world begins to take note as to whether we are substantive or not. When we embrace the posture of the servant, it is obvious that our faith has founding a resting place that is real and worth investing in. It is truly the peace of God in the soul of a man that enables him to give up his rights in order to win others to Christ. True freedom in Christ continues to lead us away from the self life to the life of servanthood. 

The result to all of this is to help the weak understand the reason for our freedom. They will see the essence of the issue here which will always be our faith in the risen Lord Jesus Christ. Faith means believing as true what God has said. We must not only base our freedoms in the Word of God, we must base our faith in it as well. When we get to this point of being defined by Him, then we will experience true freedom. Most believe that freedom is the ability to do what we want when we want. This is not true. True freedom is to the ability to choose to operate according to how we were made to operate by the God of the Bible.

As a result, those observing will begin to see the heart of the gospel which is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. This type of life is not contrived as it is among the religious. These three gifts are the basis for our freedom in all areas of life. We are not free if we have simply won a theological fight with another believer. That is not freedom or victory of any real kind. Real freedom is the right to give up our rights, for the good of others. This is the posture of the servant of Christ. 

Sadly, according to v.23 the one who doubts God and is weak in his faith in the God of the Bible is stunted because he thinks he would be condemned if he eats certain foods or drinks certain drinks or he does not observe the Sabbath. He lacks strong faith and stabilizing peace. The ultimate goal of God in his life is peace between the strong and the weak because it provides a group of believers a profound testimony to this lost and dying  world. 

Thomas Merton said it well when he penned these words: "Peace demands the most heroic labor and the most difficult sacrifice. It demands greater heroism than war. It demands greater fidelity to the truth and a much more perfect purity of conscience."

Romans 14:14-18

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14 I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. 15 Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died. 16 Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. ~ Romans 14:14-18

Today, we return to our study of Romans 14 where we are shown how the servant of the Lord operates with someone with whom he disagrees. The issue in this chapter is between the weak and the strong brother. Since the weak brother has a sensitive conscience with regard to certain non-essential issues like whether to eat meat that has been sacrificed to gods and the strong has a clear conscience regarding eating said meat, the strong brother should yield his rights so that the weak brother may grow in God's grace. 

God gave the dietary laws to Israel in the Law of Moses for sanctification reasons, so that we might have a better quality of life while on this earth. Not to be confused with our justification which is based solely on the work of Christ on the cross, our sanctification includes the wise choices we make in order to garner us a better quality of life. However, the law of love trumps these dietary laws. So in this case, the stronger brother, the one who has a clear conscience to eat the meat and to drink alcohol,  he makes the choice of the servant to give up his right to do so, in order to not cause the weaker brother to stumble in his walk with the Lord.

In v.14 of today's passage we read, "I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean."

The Apostle Paul begins with the fact that he got these teachings directly from the Lord Jesus Himself. And, as a result he had been convinced that the strong brother has the right to eat certain meats and to choose to worship corporately with other believers on the day of his choosing. His point has been that sin does not reside in things like food or the day we choose to worship God in a corporate manner. 

In v.15 of today's passage we read, "Yet if your brother is grieved because of your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy with your food the one for whom Christ died."

The goal for all of us is that we make choices based on our love for the Lord and His people. The word "destroy" means to ruin.  When we cause a believer to stumble, it has the potential to shipwreck the faith of the weaker brother. Often the Greek word used here translated "destroy" is translated very frequently in the Scripture with the word "perish." It can mean eternal damnation. In fact, it is used in John 3:16 which reads, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish."  And, of course, according to 2 Peter 3:9, "God is not willing that any should perish."

When this word "perish" is used to describe believers, it is used to describe some kind of spiritual loss in their life but not the loss of their salvation. It could mean that they have fallen out of fellowship with other believers or it could mean the loss of their joy or their effectiveness in ministry as we see in 2 John 8 which reads, "Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward."  

So, when we cause our brother to stumble, we could cause him to lose some spiritual blessing. When we do this, we have not acted out of love for the weaker brother as a servant of the Lord. We are most like the Lord Jesus when we help the weaker brother.  So, Paul calls us to build each other up by not causing each other to stumble and to suffer some spiritual loss.

In v.16-17 of today's passage we read, "16 Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; 17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."

The words "spoken of as evil" means that when we deliberately cause a weaker brother to stumble we cause the gospel to be harmed. When we do this, the unbelievers around us are given a poor example of the nature of Christianity. The kingdom of God produces righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Notice that the Holy Spirit produces this type of life. These three: righteousness, peace, and joy are gifts of God, are enjoyed by a group of believers who are in fellowship one with another. And, we do not produce this kind of life among us, this type of life is delivered by the Holy Spirit as we honor God's culture by being defined by Him and His word.

In v.18 of today's passage we read, "For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men."

At the end of the day, eating certain meats is not the issue. Since Christ loved the weak brother enough to die for him, we ought to love him enough to be cautious about how we exercise our liberty in front of him. If it is our desire to be used of the Lord for the advancement of His kingdom in this world, we will do this. As servants of the Lord our concern must not be our right to eat or drink, our concern should be about the advancement of God's righteousness, peace and joy in the lives of those around us.

The word "approved" means to be approved after close examination. Whether we like it or not, our lives are under the close scrutiny of the world. And what they need to see is our love for one another. So, you see, we don't want to cause a brother to stumble in any way, so as to impact unbelievers wrongly and to forfeit our witness. This just undermines what God wants to do among us.

Romans 14:10-13

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10 But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 11 For it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” 12 So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. 13 Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way. ~ Romans 14:10-13

Today, we return to our study of Romans 14 which is part of the greater context of Romans 12-16 where the Apostle Paul is showing us what the servant of the Lord looks like in the context with those with whom he disagrees. Again, the thrust of today's passage is what a servant does not do to another brother with whom he disagrees on a gray and unimportant issue in the grand scheme of things. When we take the road of the servant, we aid God's overall kingdom in this world. And, when we do not, we go the way of the enemy; we judge others.

In v.10 of today's passage we read, "But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ."

The first part of this verse is for the "weak brother" and the second is for the "strong brother." The word "judge" reveals the "weak brother" has written off the "strong brother" as an unspiritual meat-eating-compromiser, while the use of the words "show contempt" reveals the "strong brother" looked down upon the "weak brother" as an uptight legalistic. 

The real issue here is that both of these are shirking the mentality and the lifestyle of servanthood which is the posture that enables us to grow in our sanctification and usefulness to God best. In addition, we must remember that these imperatives are given in reference to the gray areas of the Christian life, the non-essentials of the faith. This is what the enemy does, knowing he can't take our salvation from us, he tries to get us to make the lesser things seem like the most important things. And, in so doing, he lessens our impact for the kingdom of God here on earth.

The words "judgment seat" refer to the "bema seat of Christ" which is spoken of in 2 Corinthians 5:10 which reads, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what we have done whether good or bad."

This verse is only applicable to Christians. The Apostle Paul used the word "bema" here to direct our attention to that day when there will be a special judgment that God will hold for believers only. This illustration comes from the raised platform where the judges of athletic events would sit. After the end of the sporting event, the victors would ascend up the steps of the "bema" to receive their prizes from the judges. Unlike our modern day Olympic games, participants in those athletic events did not receive gold, silver or bronze medals. What they received were special circular wreaths woven from leaves, and they wore these on top of their heads. The Bible refers to these wreaths as "crowns" and in that day these crowns were greatly coveted.

The judgment seat of Christ does not determine whether a person goes to heaven or hell. The bema seat will be the place where God will deliver His judgement upon the actions of the believer during the time he was a believer on earth. These actions are referred to in the New Testament as the good works of the believer which aided God's work in the lives of others, especially non-believers. When the believer in Christ does not operate from the posture of the servant, we are in grave danger of contributing to the purposes of the kingdom of darkness. The opposite is true, as well; when we operate out of the servant's mentality, we will contribute to the kingdom of God while on this earth. At the "bema" the believer will receive God's rewards for the good works that proceeded out of his life while on earth.

According to Luke 19:16-27, during the millennial reign of Christ after the Tribulation, the most faithful believers will govern with the Lord Jesus over multiple cities. Not every believer in Christ will have the same opportunities; the opportunities will have been determined by our good works while on earth as believers. Our previous faithfulness is the key principle here. When the faithful servant operates accordingly while here on this earth, the Lord Jesus will give him responsibilities in His millennial kingdom, and not all believers will reign like the most faithful. 

In v.11 of today's passage we read, "For it is written: 'As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.'"

Here, the Apostle Paul quotes Isaiah 45:23 which he also quotes in Philippians 2. The point in both of those passages is obvious, no human has the right to judge another. Only the Lord Jesus has that right because He is God. And, as the Apostle Paul reminds us here, all mankind will give an account to Him one day. This means every one of us will one day soon bow our knee before God, the Lord Jesus Christ. Then, we will discover that it is a bad thing to try to arrest from God a responsibility that only God has. In fact, to stand in judgement of another is a blasphemous thing before God.

In v.12 of today's passage we read, "So then each of us shall give account of himself to God."

There is coming a day when all man will give an account to the Lord Jesus Christ. We will all come before Him and our works are going to be examined by Him and then we'll receive the reward, if any, for our good choices to resist sin and to do good. The word "account" is a math term meaning "financial records." God keeps a record of everything we do. 

In Hebrews 4:13 we read, "And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." 

In v.13 of today's passage we read, "Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way."

We are presented with a clear choice here. We can either build up or tear down. We can either judge or serve. Especially in the grey areas between religious restriction and freedom in Christ, it is more important to walk in love than to walk in freedom. Yes we’re free to disregard the Jewish dietary rules and holy days; but not if walking in that freedom causes others to stumble. In this case the stronger brother is held responsible to yield his rights as the servant of the Lord. 

In Luke 4:5-7 we read, "The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to him, ‘I will give you all their authority and splendor; it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. If you worship me, it will all be yours.'"

The response of the Lord Jesus to the devil that day was quite instructive; He said, "It is written: 'Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.'"

As the Lord Jesus illustrated here, the servant of the Lord sees way beyond this world to the world that is to come. We evaluate eternity from the vantage point of time to our peril. This is why we even think of our heavenly rewards as the gold that will be pavement there. When we gain the view of eternity, we lose sight of the self life. And, when we lose sight of the self life, we embrace the life of a servant.

Romans 14:5-9

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5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. ~ Romans 14:5-9

Today, we return to Romans 14 where the Apostle Paul is giving us a portrait of a servant of the Lord. Today's passage is directed toward the stronger and the weaker Christian, and it addresses the subject of judgment. Each and every one of us has our own unique backgrounds. Some of us come from a background of absolutely no church at all, while others come from a background of far too much church with far too many traditions. And, these traditions, if they are not grounded in the Scriptures, are some of the hardest strongholds for any believer in Christ. In fact, these traditions oftentimes create unmerited friction and division among believers in Christ. This is the issue that the Apostle Paul addresses here in Romans 14.

In v.5-6 of today's passage we read, "5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks."

There are two issues being addressed in these verses: the day to worship God and the way to worship God. For the Gentiles that were in the church at Rome at that time, they had no problem with valuing one day over another or eating meat that had been sacrificed in a temple of a false god. For them, the Sabbath had long been a day that they treated just like any other day of the week. They did not grow up being taught the dietary laws of the Law of Moses; for them it was just meat. But for the Christian with the Jewish heritage, the Sabbath was the most holy day of the week and eating the meat was a little bit too close to idol worship. And so, a huge argument arose between the two sides due to their different traditions and backgrounds. They had begun to judge one another. 

The key to the Christian life is our heart motivation. The key to understanding all of this is the fact that the Apostle Paul uses the prepositions "to" and "for" in these verses. In v.6 he writes,  "to the Lord." And in v.8 he writes, "for the Lord." You see, it all comes back to what is informing our motives. If our motives are anything other than love, even for ourselves, we are not living out of the freedom that Christ earned for us on His cross. 

Henri Nouwen said it well when he said, "Forgiveness is the name of love practiced among people who love poorly. The hard truth is that all people love poorly. We need to forgive and be forgiven every day, every hour increasingly. That is the great work of love among the fellowship of the weak that is the human family."

The Apostle Paul here addresses an attitude that would obscure the real meaning of Christianity. The real meaning of Christianity doesn't matter what day we worship on, but that we worship the God of the Bible. And whichever day we choose to worship together corporately, we must make up our own minds about it, and to not judge other people who view this differently than we.

In v.7-8 of today's passage we read, "7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s."

As believers in Christ, we are in the family of God with people who are a lot like us and we are in the family with people who are a lot different than us. The ultimate issue is that of love. The Apostle Paul writes in Galatians 5:1, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." 

Most live in accordance with the BIG LIE which is a formula that we unknowingly operate out of and it says: "My value equals my performance plus what others (including God) thinks of my performance."

I find it interesting that every religion known to man is based upon good works, except the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ! Hinduism tells us that if we renounce the world and relate ourselves to the "spirit of the universe" we will find peace. Buddhism sets before us eight principles by which if we walk according to them we will find ourselves on the way to salvation. Judaism says we must keep the Law of Moses absolutely and then we will be saved. Islam says we must pray five times a day and give alms and fast on the month of Ramadan and obey the commands of Allah. In all of these religions, we hopefully arrive acceptable before God after we have performed enough good works. But, there is no way of truly knowing if we have ever done enough to merit God's favor.

In v.9 of today's passage we read, "For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living."

The Lord Jesus alone has the right to judge us in these areas and He has the ability to do so because He has demonstrated His Lordship by conquering sin and death on our behalf. He  deliberately humbled Himself and gave Himself up to death, and so, He alone has won the right to judge anyone. When we judge another, we are trying to take His place as judge. 

The good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ reminds us that He performed on the behalf of all who place their faith in Him! The Bible is very clear that if we believe in His sacrifice, that He bridged the gap that our sinfulness created between us and God, we will be saved. The Lord Jesus Christ alone has done what no man can do for himself and thus He has set us free from the penalty and power of our sinfulness. I close with a word from my favorite author, Brennan Manning: "Define yourself radically as one beloved by God. This is your true self. Every other identity is illusion."

Romans 14:1-4

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"1 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. 2 For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. 3 Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. 4 Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand." ~ Romans 14:1-4

Today, we transition into Romans 14 where the Apostle Paul is painting for us a picture of the servant of the Lord. As mentioned before, the final section of the book of Romans (Romans 12-16) is on service, and, it is predicated on the first command given in Romans 12:1, Present your bodies as a living sacrifice.

In v.1-2 of today's passage we read, "1 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. 2 For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables."

There are two groups of believers in this passage: the strong and the weak. The strong are those who have been accosted by the grace of God. The strong believer understands that the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus on the cross fully compensated the perfection of God and he understands he has God's full acceptance through the Lord Jesus alone. As a result, he understands servanthood the best because he is the one who bows his will to the Lord most willingly. On the other hand, Paul identifies the weak Christian as the one who struggles to understand the grace of God. This one is often gripped by fear in such a way that he finds himself afraid of deviating from obeying certain rules that are in the word of God. The weak brother wrestles with the flesh most. In fact, he is most acutely bound by the dietary restrictions of the law of Moses. 

The word "receive" literally means to embrace this one with whom there is disagreement as a brother in the family of God. The strong must remember that he did not make himself or the weaker brother a part of the family; the Lord did. Therefore, we are to accept one another because we are brothers and sisters in the Lord. And, we are not to accept anyone with the idea of immediately trying to straighten them out in the areas in which we disagree. The Apostle Paul wants us to understand that we are to accept one another, especially when we have disagreements over the gray areas of the Christian faith.

Now, with regard to everything that God has created, the Christian is free to eat all foods. But freedom practiced irresponsibly runs the risk of being used negatively in the eyes of non-believing observers, especially if it wounds others. The gospel itself suffers if believers hurt each other.  At times, the freedom that we have to eat and drink certain foods and drinks, must be sacrificed for the sake of the gospel. When we embrace being the servants of the Lord, we will yield our rights for the benefit of the other in these matters. If one believer feels that it is okay to drink an alcoholic beverage or to eat meat, yet that freedom is causing his brother in the Lord to have problems with it, the stronger believer, in this case, will choose not to drink a beer or two or to eat meat while in the presence of the weaker brother. 

In v.3 of today's passage we read, "Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him."

The weak brother believes he should abstain from certain things that are forbidden in the Law of Moses. For example, the strong brother has a clear conscience that it would be okay for him to drink a beer or two or eat meat. Where as the weaker brother thinks it is just the worst thing any believer to do, that is to drink any alcohol or to eat meat. The admonition is that the stronger brother must not do anything to trip up the weaker brother or to reject the brother who is weak but to be patient as God changes the weaker brother. 

The words "despise him"  here is really a word that means "to push him out" or "to exclude him." There will be times when the stronger brother denies himself for the sake of the weak who do not drink alcohol or eat meats. The weak avoid meat and alcohol, and the strong are free to eat and drink anything. But the responsibility to maintain the fellowship between the two lies with the stronger brother. 

In v.4 of today's passage we read, "Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand."

The believer is not to be a judge for he is to be the servant of all.  It is not wrong for any brother to lovingly help his brother in the Lord remove a harmful speck from his eye. It is wrong for him to self-righteously point out a speck in his brother’s eye when he ignores, as no big deal, the ridiculous log protruding from his own eye. Those who have been gripped by the grace of God are not known to be judgmental.

Although the weak brother struggles being defined by God's grace, he is not like those false teachers who teacher that obedience to the Law of Moses is a must to be acceptable to God. The weak believer is still "under construction" or he is being sanctified by the Lord. The grace of God is yet to grip him in such a way that he has embraced the way of the servant of the Lord. He is on his way to standing, and, he will stand because it is the Lord's responsibility to grow him in His grace. 

The word translated "stand" in this verse means that he will be straightened out if he is doing wrong in any area. If it is really wrong, God will straighten him out and it is not up to the stronger brother to do it. The stronger believer must be patient with the weaker brother for God is well able to transform men into servants because He is a God of grace and patience. 

The same grace that made the strong believer understand his freedom in Christ is the very same grace that matures the weak in the faith. And, very often, God uses the servant heart of those who are strong in the faith, as they yield their rights in the Lord in order to help the weak come along in the faith. This is the point in this passage: The servant is used of the Lord to help those who have yet to grow in their peripheral vision of God's grace.

Romans 13:11-14

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11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts. ~ Romans 13:11-14

Today, we return to our study of Romans 13 where we are being shown how the servant of the Lord carries himself daily, especially in light of the fact that we all will spend eternity either in hell or in heaven. And, since what we do with the Lord Jesus and His gospel will determine where we spend eternity, we must be focused on sharing the gospel with the lost at every chance we get.

In v.11 of today's passage we read, "And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed."

The Apostle Paul bases everything in today's passage on the words, "knowing the time." This means we currently live on the edge of eternity. And, since everyone's eternity is at stake, we will be motivated to love our neighbor. When we walk with the Lord, we will always recognize opportunities that are there with the people that are around us, especially if they are not yet saved. If I am watching something on tv or YouTube, I like making it a habit of praying for those whom I am availed to at that moment. It doesn't take a whole lot of effort to develop the habit of talking to God on the behalf of these we see on our tvs. I pray that the Lord draw them to Himself like He did for me. This, in fact, is the the most important thing we can do for them.

The Apostle tells us "to awake out of sleep" which is an admonition to be alert to the most important issues of life. And, the most important issue is where we will spend eternity. We must operate from the standpoint of the fact that the night is all around us; people have been separated from God and are in the clutches of the evil one. In addition, the day that will usher in eternity is close and if people die without trusting Christ as their savior, they will spend eternity in hell. 

The word "sleep" describes those moments when we are in a state of inactivity with a loss of consciousness and a decrease in responsiveness to what is really happening around us. We must be preoccupied with sharing the gospel with folks because we are obviously much closer to the end of time as we know it.

In v.12 of today's passage we read, "The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light."

The thrust of this verse is our recognition of that which is of eternal value as opposed to that which is worthless. The Apostle instructs us to do two things, in order to take the time to love the unlovely. First, "cast off the works of darkness," and, second, "put on the armor of light." This means in order for us to be effective in this galactic battle, we must be invested in our God-given armor of light. Essentially, our armor of light is the Lord Jesus Christ, and as long as we seek Him daily, we will be equipped to do battle on the behalf of the lost.

In v.13 of today's passage we read, "Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy."

This list of sins are passions that violate and abuse God's purpose and intention for us in this dark world. God's salvation instructs us to advance God's kingdom in this world. These sins invite destruction into our lives and they desensitize us to the importance of sharing the gospel with the lost. We should live in such a way that we accentuate the importance of living with eternities values in view.

The day represents the righteous kingdom of our God. Whether we understand it or not, we are engaged in a cosmic battle that has eternal ramifications. We are to live as the spiritual soldiers of God that we are. 

In v.14 of today's passage we read, "But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts."

When we put on the Lord Jesus Christ, we activate our capacity to be servants and to love others, especially the lost. The Lord Jesus Christ put His hand on an unclean leper to heal him, even though the leper was highly contagious. When we put on the Lord Jesus Christ, we appropriate His power to help the helpless. Christ is His title and it refers to His work. Christ came to deliver us, to set us free. And when we put on Christ, we have an amazing power to free others from what they are going through.

Notice that Paul uses the full name of Christ, "the Lord Jesus Christ." I think he does this deliberately, because "Lord" stands for his power to rule, his authority, his power to change and alter events, and control history. When we put on the Lord Jesus Christ, we are putting on a power to operate and change events and affect people that we don't have without Him. His presence and power shows up in the lives of His submitted servants in exponential ways, enabling us to enter into the realm of eternity as we share the gospel with the lost.

The believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is clothed both positionally and practically. This means He has equipped us with His word and His Spirit to do battle. We are to be defined by God and not by sin. We were all created with two basic, yet profound needs. All of our desires and subsequent choices come back to these two basic needs, which are: 1) to be loved, and 2) to love. I present to you that the second is MORE necessary than the first. The first is essential, because we can not give what we do not have. Having said that, at the end of life we will realize that this life was truly about how we chose to love others.

Romans 13:8-10

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8 Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not bear false witness,” “You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. ~ Romans 13:8-10

Today, we return to our study of Romans 13 which is a part of the overall final section in Romans. While Romans 1-3 is about the sinful condition of man, and Romans 4-5 is about salvation, and Romans 6-8 is about sanctification, and Romans 9-11 is about the sovereignty of God, Romans 12-16 is about service or being a servant.

In v.8 of today's passage we read, "Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law."

The Apostle Paul used the word "love" five times in these verses. When we feed the flesh, we limit love. When we feed the Spirit, we allow love to run wildly our midst. The love that the Apostle wrote about here is agape or unconditional love. Used 320 times in the New Testament, agape is the type of love that is selfless and self-sacrificing. And, when we love like this, we are getting to the essence for which God gave us the commandments in the first place; that love might abound among us. 

When Paul says "owe no man anything," he is not forbidding us from taking out a loan to purchase something. To "owe no man anything," is a bridge from v.6-7 where the Apostle had addressed the paying of our taxes, which we owe the government. Paying our taxes is a debt. The Apostle Paul bridges from there to the point about love by simply saying, "owe no man anything but love."  In other words, pay all our debts, and the one debt we will always pay and never really have paid is the debt of love. 

We have all owed money to people, and when we are around them, the first thing that comes into our minds is the money we owe them. And, we find it difficult to turn off that thought. In fact, we wonder to ourselves, "Is he thinking of the money I owe him?" This is the way we ought to be about love. We should remember that we have an obligation to love everyone. Such is the nature of the heart that has been impacted by the mercy and grace of God. Mercy reminds us that we are not getting what we deserve and grace reminds us that we are getting what we do not deserve.

In v.9 of today's passage we read, "For the commandments, 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 'You shall not covet,' and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'"

In this one verse, the Apostle Paul isolates the seventh, the sixth, the eighth, the ninth and the tenth commandments, in that order. Perhaps, he mentions the seventh first because there was a particular problem with the seventh in the church at Rome. You will note that the Ten Commandments consist of two divisions: the first four have to do with our relationship to God, and the second, commands 5-10, have to do with our interactions with other people. The only commandment of the ones related to our dealings with people that is left out here is the fifth command, "Honor your father and mother."  The point that Paul is making is: if we live by the law of love, we will fulfill the law of Moses. 

In v.10 of today's passage we read, "Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law."

In the Old Testament there were Ten Commandments, and then, the Lord Jesus comes along and turns them from negatives into positives when He reduced them from ten to two commandments. Instead of a bunch of "thou shalt nots," He said, "Love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength and love your neighbor as yourself." And, when we are busy loving someone, there will be no danger of us longing for their spouse, murdering them, stealing from them, bearing false witness about them or coveting what they have. 

It’s important not to confuse the order of these two great commands. People often get this backward and live as though the law is the fulfillment of love. The trouble is that when the law is the fulfillment, we may try to learn what love is by examining the law. Christians start assuming that the rules they follow are inherently loving in every context.

The Pharisees made this mistake when they assumed that it was the law that made them righteous. In Matthew 12:1-8, they question Jesus about his disciples picking and eating grain on the Sabbath, which is unlawful. Jesus points out that David and his men broke the law by eating the consecrated bread, and even the priests break the law on the Sabbath to perform their duties. The law, in and of itself, doesn’t make a person holy, nor does breaking the law necessarily make one unholy. When we place love as the fulfillment, we can use it as a measure of the law. Paul says that loving others fulfills the law, that all commands are summed up in loving our neighbors as ourselves, and that love is the fulfillment of the law because it doesn’t harm others. 

Romans 13:6-7

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6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. ~ Romans 13:6-7

Today, we return to our study of Romans. In Romans 12-16 the Apostle gives us a portrait of what it looks like to be the servant of the Lord. In Romans 13 he gives us a series of imperatives which guide us in how to relate to other humans. In today's passage, the Apostle continues to give us instruction with reference to the human authority in our lives.

In v.6 of today's passage we read, "For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing."

Yet again, God refers to the government as His servants. Whereas the Greek word that he used for these "servants" in v.4 is "deacons," here in v.6, he uses the Greek word for our English word "priests." The reason Paul uses a different word here is due to the fact that the government not only provides for our defense and security, but it also helps us in our infrastructural needs, like water, sewage, and the building of our roads. Paul is saying, since the government provides these things, we should pay taxes to those who go between us and our societal infrastructural needs. 

In v.7 of today's passage we read, "Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor."

In Mark 12:17 the Lord Jesus said, "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God, the things that are God's." Now, that's a crucial distinction. The Lord Jesus had been asked the question about the payment of taxes and in response He asked for a coin. So, as He said, "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God’s," He then pointed to the coin which had Caesar's image on it. Then He said, "Render unto God the things that are God’s." Understood with that statement is the fact that upon man is the image of God. So, just as we have the responsibility to pay taxes to Caesar, we have the responsibility to obey God.

The word "render" here means to give back something that you owe. It means to pay back that which we owe due to the services rendered to us. As much as we hate taxes, and as much as any tax system can be corrupt and unfair, and as much as we believe there are far better things our money could go toward, God still commands us to pay our taxes. And, if we do not pay our taxes, we will be guilty of disobeying God. And, when we deliberately ignore God on a certain subject, we deliberately allow destruction of some form into our lives. The one who sows to the flesh ends up with corruption which is literally illustrated in Galatians 5 as the decomposition of a putrid corpse.

The more we feed the flesh, the stronger the flesh becomes and the more profound its damage. When we disobey God or we choose not to be defined by Him, we allow the introduction of various forms of death into our lives. In addition to this, according to Hebrews 2-5, we invite the dulling of our hearts toward God. And, this is not good because rarely do we take a giant step away from God. No, we take a series of small steps away from Him when we allow the flesh to have a field day in our souls. And, this could get to the point where our hearts have been numbed to God.

Of course, the answer to all of this is that we obey God. In so doing, we ward off the flesh and the destruction that it brings to our existence. The Bible describes our obedience to God in Galatians 5 as "Feeding the Spirit" who has made our spirit alive to God. "Feeding the Spirit" or "Walking in the Spirit" renders the result of us experiencing the fruit of the Spirit which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These fruits describe the life of the Lord Jesus. And, when we feed the Spirit we invite the intimacy with God that we all long for, we just have a hard time seeing it for what it is. And, the more we experience this intimacy with God, the more we will not only recognize it for what it is but the more we will want it. This is eternal life!

Romans 13:1-5

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1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. 5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. ~ Romans 13:1-5

Today, we continue our study of what a servant looks like in our day to day lives. Today, we transition into Romans 13 which describes how a living sacrifice responds to the authority structure in our lives. The authority structure in our lives is so crucial because how we respond to authority reveals our relationship with God. In addition, how we respond to human authority reveals the infrastructure of our souls.

God tells us in the fifth command to "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you."

This is the first of the horizontal commands. The first four have to do with our relationship with God while the last six have to do with our relationship with humans. And, how we deal with our parents authority will be reflected in how we relate with and to others. This means that all the horizontal relationships are mainly impacted by how we learn to honor our parents.

Christian living is not divisible, it is not detachable from any part of our lives. Our relationship with God impacts every aspect of our lives. No part of our lives is unaffected by our devotion to the Lord Jesus. And one of the crucial life areas where Christianity is lived out is in relation to those in authority over us. 

In v.1 of today's passage we read, "Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God."

Today's passage begins with: "Let every soul be subject to governing authorities." The Apostle Paul begins with this because there is no authority except from God. This means that those in governing authority over us have been place there by God, even the tyrants. By the way, Caesar Nero was the very Nero who eventually took Paul's head off with an axe. God says to us to obey them because they were appointed by Him; He works through them even though they do not know Him. Of course, God doesn't cause them to do evil, just as He doesn't cause us todo evil.

It was shortly after the flood, in Genesis 9,  when God established human government. After the flood, God gave the mandate that whoever sheds man's blood, by him, blood must be shed. So, God issued capital punishment for murderers. Not for killers but for those who murder.

In v.2-4 of today's passage we read, "2 Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. 4 For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil."

The word "resist" is a military term meaning "to arrange yourself to take action against."  When we resist the government, we bring judgment on ourselves. This means that we will suffer the consequences of stepping out of line. We live in a culture that does not respect authority, and we are suffering from this lack of respect. Like Israel's culture in the book of Judges, our culture is fast spiraling into anarchy. This is the result of the lack of respect, and this lack of respect is ultimately for God.  

We do not ever have to fear if we do the right things because the authorities are only supposed to uphold the law. But if we do what is wrong, we should fear. The word translated "terror" here comes from the Greek word from which we get our word phobia. There should be a certain healthy fear if we're doing what is wrong. We should fear because God works through the authority structure in our lives, even when that authority is harsh. 

Note that Paul refers to the human authority in v.4 as God's ministers or servants. God's design for government is to promote justice by rewarding good behavior and punishing evil behavior. And, if we are wise, we will respect the authority. And when we respect the said authority we will grow in the influence of God in our lives.

In v.5 of today's passage we read, "Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake."

At the end of the day, we should do the right things because God tells us to do the right things. And, He tells us to do the right things because so that by doing the right things our conscience is clear. Our conscience is that little place inside of us where God speaks to us of what is right and wrong. It is in that inherent sense of what honors God, that we should find our strongest motivation to submit and obey human government as if it were unto Him. God tells us to do what is right, so that through our ordered lives, He provides His best for us and we provide for others an example of how a society works properly.

Romans 12:19-21

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19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 Therefore, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. ~ Romans 12:19-21

We return today to our study of Romans 12 which is full of imperatives that aid the believer in Christ at being the servant of God. Servanthood is not what this world cherishes. In fact, it is not desired by the default mode of our flesh. Servanthood is the product of God inculcating His culture in us and it comes with a price. However, once our eyes have been opened to the reality of God's kingdom, servanthood becomes a beautiful proposition that advances His kingdom, not only in our lives but also through our lives.

In v.19 of today's passage we read, "Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord."

This verse begins with a precious reminder, a reminder that we are loved by God. It is only when we are defined by God and Him alone that we are given to His kingdom, His rule in our lives. When we are defined by His love what is valuable to Him becomes valuable to us. And, the longer we live in this world that is going to hell in a hand basket, the more we are convinced that God's ways are much better than anything this world has to offer us. 

The Apostle Paul gives two reasons why we should not exact evil on those who purposely inflict some form of pain upon us. The first is: We are to "give place to wrath." God knows when we have been insulted or hurt or treated badly. And, we can trust Him to fight our battles. I think of the day that God led Gideon to pair down his 32,000 man army to 300. This was a daunting task for Gideon and it is also daunting for us. It is daunting because it is contrary to this world's culture which continues its best to define us. 

The second reason why we should not exact evil on those who intentionally hurt us is that God alone claims the right to avenge because He alone can work it out in a redemptive manner. God's goal is always redemption. Even in Romans 1:24,26,28 where His wrath is defined as "He gave them over," His wrath has always had as its goal the redemption of those who were still rebellious. Perhaps we interfere with His plan to even save those who harm us when we invite the purposes of the evil one into the senecio when we fight back in the flesh. 

In v.20-21 of today's passage we read, "20 Therefore, 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.' 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

When we resist the flesh and treat those who harm us with love, the truth found in Proverbs 25:21-22 will happen. The "heaping burning coals on his head" does not mean that we get even with them. No, this refers to the ancient way of lighting fires. They didn't have matches in those days, so if they wanted to light a fire in their homes, they could borrow some coals from one of our neighbors. The sharing of his coals became a picture of the generous neighbor who responded generously to his neighbor who had treated him so badly. The best way to overcome an enemy is to make him our friend.

Three times in v.14,17 and 21, the Apostle has stressed the fact that we are not to return evil for evil. The main way we express God's love to the unsaved in this world is by not reacting in vengeance to their ill-treatment of us. We either are overcome by evil or we are overcome by God. We cannot let evil alone for if we do, we will be overcome by it. We must fight according to God's battle plan, and, His plan is to pray, invite His love and resist evil. 

Despite all of the pressures upon Gideon to trust himself, he obeyed God by pairing his army down to so little even though it seemed outwardly foolish. Gideon's humility before God helped him and God's victory came because Gideon bowed his will to God, even when it did not make human sense. Though the opposing army was vast, perhaps as high as 135,000 or more, in Gideon God found a man who was willing to trust Him enough to obey him. That kind of faith is a rare and precious find. Will you be a Gideon today? Will you be defined by God's culture? Will you resist the flesh and choose to love those who deliberately hurt you? The battle rages!

Romans 12:17-18

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17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. ~ Romans 12:17-18

Today, we return to our study of Romans 12-16 where the Apostle Paul shows us what a servant looks like. This whole final section in the book of Romans is all predicated on the command in Romans 12:1, "By the mercies of God, present your bodies a living sacrifice." Being a sacrifice to the Lord is the same as being the servant of the Lord.

Servanthood which is the opposite of the self life is God's goal in our lives. Deciding to be a servant does not come natural for any of us, in fact, it is the byproduct of the workings of God's grace and mercy in our lives. This is why it takes so long for us to see the value of being a servant. While most believe this life is about what we get, the life the Lord Jesus died to give us is about what we give.

In v.17 of today's passage we read, "Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men."

When somebody does something evil to us, unless we are walking tightly with the Lord, we will react to evil with evil. This is our default mode or our natural reaction. In order to avoid this, we must daily submit ourselves to the Lord as His servants so that we do not go the way of the self. We must prepare and position ourselves to do good when evil comes. This is a deliberate process, otherwise we fail at being the servants of God in this dark and lonely world. 

Looking to exact revenge on someone is one of the biggest expressions of insecurities known to man. It takes a bigger than big man to treat those who mean us harm with kindness. And, the inevitable result of trying to get even with people is that we escalate the conflict. When we feed the flesh this is inevitable and inescapable.

This does not mean that we should seek to please everyone, rather it means that we should live righteously according to God's principles in plain view of everyone. We should be fair and honest in all of our dealings with others. We should be above reproach in the sight of our peers. This incredible result is the byproduct of knowing God and His culture for ourselves. The more we understand God's grace toward us, the more likely we are to also extend grace to others when they wrong us. This happens supernaturally as the result of submitting ourselves to God as living sacrifices and by renewing our minds by the Word of God. When we do this His presence is known to others through our yielded lives.

In v.18 of today's passage we read, "If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men."

The Golden Rule says, "Do unto others what you would want them to do to you." This principle came from the Lord Jesus as recorded in Matthew 7:12. In fact, the Lord Jesus reminds us that this relational principle in life is much of what God gave us through the Old Testament Law and Prophets.

The general rule in life is: "Hurt people, hurt people." We must be careful not to assume another person's motives. They might be in crisis and need some grace.There are some people in this world when we try to make peace with them, we discover it is just not possible. When we have tried everything there is to do, and they will not respond, we can't a whole lot about that. The reality is that it takes two to make peace. But, if it’s possible, as much as we can, we are to never let the conflict come from us. We are to always make peace and resist conflict.

Understanding the principle found in Romans 8:28 that God uses all things together for our good is key in all of this. The Old Testament Patriarch, Joseph understood this principle very well, and, look at where it got him. When his brothers wanted him dead, Joseph continued to be defined by God which meant that he responded to the hate in his brothers with love. Interestingly, Joseph's brothers tried to get rid of Joseph because they were being defined by the self. And, as a result, they wanted to get rid of Joseph. But, in doing so, they fulfilled Joseph's dreams. Amazingly, in the end, the Lord allowed the ill-treatment of Joseph to equip Joseph to bring God's blessing to many in Egypt and throughout the world. It takes the ability to recognize that God is sovereign and that He uses all things for our good. We never know how involved God is involved even in the most difficult days of our lives.

Romans 12:14-16

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14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. ~ Romans 12:14-16

Today, we continue our study of the last section in the book of Romans, Romans 12-16. In this section the Apostle Paul is giving us a glimpse of what it looks like to be a servant. Whereas in Romans 12:3-13, Paul’s instructions are on how believers in Christ should relate to each other. In Romans 12:14-13:7, his commands concern how believers should relate to unbelievers. The life of the servant is the goal of the believer in Christ. 

One might think that today's passage is the grouping of disconnected verses, but that is a mistake. For, you see, these verses lift up the concept of coming to the end of the self life. These attitudes that the Apostle accentuates in this last section of Romans reflect the disposition of the servant. Selflessness is the thread that ties all these verses together.

In v.14 of today's passage we read, "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse."

Taking the route of the Lord is always hard on and contrary to the flesh or the sinful desires that are yet within us, even though we have been forgiven. The servant of the Lord blesses those who persecute or curse him. The word "bless" is the Greek word from which we get our English word eulogy, which are the good words spoken in remembrance of a person who has died.

The Roman culture and environment made it quite difficult for the believer in Christ during the first century. The word "persecute" comes from the Greek word which means: "to pursue" or "to chase away." Over time it came to mean "to harass" or "to treat in an evil manner." In the New Testament it is used of "inflicting suffering on people who hold beliefs that were different. Hence the need to bless those who render persecution. 

When we walk with the Lord, we must not be surprised by persecution from the world. Our fallen default mode always leads us to try to control that which we do not understand. But, when we come to know the God who longs to shed abroad His love in our hearts, we are positioned to realize the reality of this command in a given moment in our lives. As believers in Christ, we are equipped to do the impossible; to love our enemies. We can only bless our persecutors when we are more concerned about their eternal welfare than we are about our suffering. This is the depth that the culture of God brings to the soul of those humble enough to be defined by God.

In v.15 of today’s passage we read, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.”

Once we have entered into a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus, we are positioned to go from one spectrum to another, from rejoicing to weeping. The main thought accentuated here is that we have the heart of the Lord. This is the characteristic of the one who has come to know the Lord for himself and who walks with Him daily. When the disposition of those we find ourselves with enables us to adjust from one end of the spectrum to the other, we demonstrate the we are being defined by the One who went through hell to make us citizens of heaven.

In v.16 of today’s passage we read, “Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.”

This verse means think about everybody equally. It is a command to not be a respecter of persons. It means to have a heart for everyone just like the Lord Jesus when He came to this earth. With the Lord and His culture, there is no place for aristocracy among His people. God expects us to be at home with the lowly as well as the with the elite.

The word “humble” means “to get down on the ground with the lowly.” It doesn’t mean we ignore those who are high, it means we don’t pursue them only. It means we long to see everyone right with their Creator. This is what the Lord Jesus did with the woman caught in the act of adultery. When the religious leaders brought her to the Lord while He was teaching in the Temple, they threw her at the feet of the Lord. It was then that the Lord Jesus "stooped." He stooped in order to communicate this was why He came, to lift up the condemned.

In addition, we cannot be wise in our own understanding of life for when we do, we fail to be defined by the God of the Bible. We must be careful not to think that everything begins and ends with us. It was Solomon who wrote, “Lean not on your own understanding, but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.”

Romans 12:11-13

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11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. ~ Romans 12:11-13

Today, we return to our study of Romans 12 which is a part of the broader subject matter that the Apostle Paul is presenting in this section which is what a servant looks like in Romans 12-16. Today's passage accentuates certain qualities that must be present in our lives in order for us to be effective servants for God. 

In v.11 of today's passage we read, "Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord." 

Spiritual fervor is evidence of faith that is alive and it is discovered along the pathway of the servant. This kind of passion is the product of our daily encounter with the God of grace for it is grace that arrests us to the point of our greatest desire. The commitment of an arrested servant of the Lord is contagious, lifting the faith of other believers by simply being defined by what the Lord says. Like a match stick ignites a fuse of dynamite, so someone’s spiritual spark can enflame an entire community for Christ. Spiritual fervor burns brightly in our service to God! 

When we were first entered into a personal relationship with God through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, we began to learn about  this newfound faith at a rapid pace. But, there came the time when our excitement in the Lord waned. This waning of our passion for God is a dangerous pathway to consider. We must do all we can to avoid it. One of the most noticeable marks of a Christian walking in the Spirit is that he retains joy, no matter what is happening in his life. We are the best servants when we remember that the foundation of Christianity is God’s faithfulness, not ours.

The Apostles point in this verse is: "Do not be lazy in zeal." The point is: "Don't lose your zeal while hurrying." The issue here is losing sight of the grace of God. Two times in the New Testament, in Galatians 6:9, and in 2 Thessalonians 3:13 we are commanded to, "Be not weary in well-doing." Same idea as is here in this verse. There has to be intensity in our Christian lives  because the opportunities are alluding us. In Ephesians 5, the Apostle puts it this way, "We are to redeem the time, to buy it up because the days are evil." And, as the Apostle Paul demonstrated way back in Romans 3:21-8:39, it is the grace of God that which produces the greatest desire within us to be God's servants. We must keep His grace in view.

In v.12 of today's passage we read, "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." 

The way to rejoice in hope is explained by the two others things mentioned here. We can rejoice in hope because we are patient in affliction, and we are patient in affliction because we have been faithful in prayer. This process is what makes us patient. So, whether we are encountering trials or things seem to be going peacefully, we must make it our practice to run to God daily.  

In order for a fire to remain lit, we must have oxygen and fuel. In the same way, in order for our spiritual lives to remain lit, we need the breath of the Spirit upon our lives and the honed practice of being faithful in prayer. When we are faithful in prayer, we will be able to be patient in affliction. We won't quit in the middle of the battle because we have learned to quietly wait for God to accomplish what He has promised. This, of course, makes us rejoice in hope because we discover that God has a thousand and one different ways of working things out, ways that we could never even imagine. 

In v.13 of today's passage we read, "Share with the Lord's people who are in need. Practice hospitality." 

When the love of God has come to define us, we will have a heart that is large and we will have hands that are open. The word "share," is the verb form of the noun "fellowship." Share is the verb form of koinonia, and it means "sharing with in order to meet the needs of the family." 

To "practice hospitality" is to have our homes open in order to manifest the impact that God's love has made upon us. Hospitality literally means "brotherly love guest" or "loving the strangers." When our hope is fixed on the Lord and we are enduring affliction in prayer, we will have a heart for the stranger. As Mike Yaconelli once said, "Christianity is home for people who are out of step, unfashionable, unconventional and counter-cultural." This is the way of the Lord Jesus.

Romans 12:9-10

Click here for the Romans 12:9-10 PODCAST

9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. ~ Romans 12:9-10

Today, we return to our study of the practical portion of the book of Romans. Everything in the last section of Romans, Romans 12-16, is predicated upon the first command in Romans 12:1, "Present your bodies a living sacrifice."

In v.9 of today's passage we read, "Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good."

The starting point of the Christian experience is love. The Lord Jesus, in John 13, said to His disciples, "You are to love one another and, by this, shall all men know that you are My disciples.” Love is the supreme reality, while sin is the supreme unreality. And, when we have come to the end of the self life, we come to the beginning of real love. God is love, and, one expression of God's love is His grace. Grace is love that seeks us out when we have nothing to give in return. Grace is being loved when we are unlovable.

The word "sincere" literally means "without hypocrisy" or "without wax." This concept came from a practice of the early Roman merchants who set their clay jars out for sale. If a crack appeared in one of the clay pots, the merchant would fill it with wax the same color as the jar, so a buyer would not be aware that it was cracked. Insightful buyers learned to hold these jars out in the sun, and if the jar was cracked, the wax would melt and the crack would be revealed. The honest merchants would test their wares this way and mark them "sincere" or "without wax." 

Once experienced for ourselves, God's sincere and authentic love enables the believer in Christ to hate what is evil and cling to what is good. This is a restatement of what the Apostle wrote in Romans 12:2, "Do not be conformed to the world but be transformed by the word." Only when the believer in Christ has experienced God's love for himself is he positioned to love like this. It was J.I. Packer who once said, "There is tremendous relief in knowing that God’s love for me is utterly realistic—based at every point on prior knowledge of the worst of me—so that no discovery now can disillusion God the way I am so often disillusioned about myself." 

The evil the Apostle Paul writes about here is anything that is defined differently than the definition that God has given us. The "good" is the definition that God has given. We are to hate the sin but love the sinner. When the world sees a church made up of people who are not afraid of blemishes, they will be naturally drawn to it. Our blemishes only point to the unblemished character of the Lord Jesus.

When many look at the Church they see impostors. They see people who have not experienced the brokenness needed to come into a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. As a result, they conclude that the Lord Jesus is an impostor. But when they see followers of Jesus who are real, they see a Jesus who is real. Christianity is not us becoming stronger, it is us becoming more aware of our weakness and incompetence. Of course, this positions us to really get to know the lover of our souls. And, as we get to know His love, it radically changes how we view ourselves and others. It changes how we operate within community.

In v.10 of today's passage we read, "Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves."

The word "devoted" is a contraction of two Greek words one which means brotherly love and the other, family love. This word literally means to display deep affection, and concern, particularly to a family member. Paul is telling us to love even if the only thing we have in common is the DNA of our Heavenly Father. He is saying, "Love like you're part of the same family." 

Then he says, "Honor one another above yourselves." Honor is an important concept in the scriptures; We are told to honor our father and mother. Honor means to estimate with value, and show appreciation. The command, therefore, is that we would show genuine appreciation and admiration for others. And, again, we are told to put self in the rear view mirror as we honor others more than ourselves. The point is that we would regard one another as valuable, that we would see the worth of one another and never consider another as valueless. The way to get here is to find our own value in the cross of the Lord Jesus. There is no greater love than to lay down your life for your friends.