Romans 16:20-27 (NIV)
20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.
21 Timothy, my fellow worker, sends his greetings to you, as do Lucius, Jason and Sosipater, my relatives.
22 I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord.
23 Gaius, whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings. Erastus, who is the city's director of public works, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings.
24
25 Now to him who is able to establish you by my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery hidden for long ages past,
26 but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings by the command of the eternal God, so that all nations might believe and obey him--
27 to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.
You hardly ever think of a peaceful being that is able to crush its opponent, and yet that is the God we serve. Satan is the enemy and it is God that does the crushing and not us. Paul then sends out his closing by asking that the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. A man by the name of Tertius is the one who was copying the letter down for Paul. Paul sends out more greetings from fellow workers. Notice one is the city's public works director. Now for the benediction. The benediction goes back to the purpose of the book of Romans and that is to explain what the Gospel of God is in Jesus Christ. Pray this prayer over you and over our church. It is about being established by the God who wants to reach all the nations. A few hundred years later Rome became the center for Christianity. God can establish His Word and you in it.
I hope you were able to reread chapters 1, 5, 6 and 8 of Romans. I did and it was quite the treat. I hope none of us will get over the power of the Gospel of our God in Christ Jesus.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Romans 16:17-19 (NIV)
Romans 16:17-19 (NIV)
17 I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. 19 Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.
Matters of faith matter. People have been killed over matters of faith. People are being killed over matters of faith. People risk their lives over matters of faith. We have a saying that you are not to turn a mole hill into a mountain. I have another one. We are not to turn a mountain into a mole hill. We must know what the important matters of faith are for the believer in Christ. We must know what the mountains are for our faith. Paul is telling this church in Rome to stay clear of those who are teaching what is contrary to what they have been taught. You may ask what are the crucial matters of faith? First and foremost it has to do with who Jesus Christ is and what His work is on the cross. It has to do with our view of Scripture as the authoritative Word of God. It has to do with salvation and how one gains a place in heaven or goes to hell. It has to do with a believer's walk in Christ as one that is suppose to be transformed by His Spirit. These are mountains worth dying on. I am not saying there are not more crucial doctrines. However, I do believe that once you figure out Jesus is the second person of the Trinity and has come to us as God-man to purchase for us salvation everything else will come together. Paul does not have kind words for those who teach what is false. Paul sees them as self-serving and not serving Christ. Paul ends on a positive note as to where he thinks they are in their walk with Christ. He sees the church in Rome as an obedient people and Paul is full of joy over them. What does Paul want for this Church that ministers in Rome? He wants it to be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil. May we take that on as a goal in our own lives. We need to be really good at being good and really bad at being bad.
You may ask what are we going to do for the next five weeks since we are finishing up with the book of Romans? We are going to review. For this week please read chapters one, five and six and of course, the chapter on the Spirit, chapter eight.
17 I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them. 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people. 19 Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.
Matters of faith matter. People have been killed over matters of faith. People are being killed over matters of faith. People risk their lives over matters of faith. We have a saying that you are not to turn a mole hill into a mountain. I have another one. We are not to turn a mountain into a mole hill. We must know what the important matters of faith are for the believer in Christ. We must know what the mountains are for our faith. Paul is telling this church in Rome to stay clear of those who are teaching what is contrary to what they have been taught. You may ask what are the crucial matters of faith? First and foremost it has to do with who Jesus Christ is and what His work is on the cross. It has to do with our view of Scripture as the authoritative Word of God. It has to do with salvation and how one gains a place in heaven or goes to hell. It has to do with a believer's walk in Christ as one that is suppose to be transformed by His Spirit. These are mountains worth dying on. I am not saying there are not more crucial doctrines. However, I do believe that once you figure out Jesus is the second person of the Trinity and has come to us as God-man to purchase for us salvation everything else will come together. Paul does not have kind words for those who teach what is false. Paul sees them as self-serving and not serving Christ. Paul ends on a positive note as to where he thinks they are in their walk with Christ. He sees the church in Rome as an obedient people and Paul is full of joy over them. What does Paul want for this Church that ministers in Rome? He wants it to be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil. May we take that on as a goal in our own lives. We need to be really good at being good and really bad at being bad.
You may ask what are we going to do for the next five weeks since we are finishing up with the book of Romans? We are going to review. For this week please read chapters one, five and six and of course, the chapter on the Spirit, chapter eight.
Friday, August 20, 2010
Romans 15:30-33 (NIV)
Romans 15:30-33 (NIV)
30 I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.
31 Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there,
32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed.
33 The God of peace be with you all. Amen.
Paul is nearing the end of his letter to the believers in Rome. He is need of help. It is as if Paul had a bounty on his head for most of his life after coming to faith in Christ. He is asking for prayers that he would escape the unbelievers in Judea. Sometimes Paul wanted prayer to reach the unbelievers and sometimes he wanted prayer to escape the unbelievers. Paul used God-given discernment for those types of situations. Paul is not cavalier at all about this prayer for him. He urges them to join in his struggle by praying for him. He also wanted to be effective in his service to the saints in Jerusalem. He wanted protection and he wanted effectiveness in ministry. The result of this answer to prayer is that he would be able to come to Rome with joy and be refreshed together. Would you pray for me that I may come each weekend with joy and that we as a church be refreshed together. Please pray for each other the same prayer. Try to do this right now. Thank you. May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
If man is man and God is God, to live without prayer is not merely an awful thing; it is an infinitely foolish thing.
Phillips Brooks (1835–1893)
30 I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me.
31 Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there,
32 so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed.
33 The God of peace be with you all. Amen.
Paul is nearing the end of his letter to the believers in Rome. He is need of help. It is as if Paul had a bounty on his head for most of his life after coming to faith in Christ. He is asking for prayers that he would escape the unbelievers in Judea. Sometimes Paul wanted prayer to reach the unbelievers and sometimes he wanted prayer to escape the unbelievers. Paul used God-given discernment for those types of situations. Paul is not cavalier at all about this prayer for him. He urges them to join in his struggle by praying for him. He also wanted to be effective in his service to the saints in Jerusalem. He wanted protection and he wanted effectiveness in ministry. The result of this answer to prayer is that he would be able to come to Rome with joy and be refreshed together. Would you pray for me that I may come each weekend with joy and that we as a church be refreshed together. Please pray for each other the same prayer. Try to do this right now. Thank you. May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.
If man is man and God is God, to live without prayer is not merely an awful thing; it is an infinitely foolish thing.
Phillips Brooks (1835–1893)
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Romans 15:23-29 (NIV)
Romans 15:23-29 (NIV)
23 But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to see you,
24 I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to visit you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while.
25 Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the saints there.
26 For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.
27 They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings.
28 So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this fruit, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way.
29 I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ.
Paul is letting them know of his upcoming visit. Before he visits with the church in Rome he must first drop off the offering taken by the churches in Macedonia and Achaia to the saints in Jerusalem. This is the same offering that Paul is talking about in II Corinthians 8:1-8. Paul talked about this offering by these churches to the Corinthians and is talking about it to the church in Rome. Notice his unique slant that they owed it to the saints in Jerusalem. The Jews, through whom God brought blessing, are owed some material blessing from the Gentiles that are now being blessed spiritually. First Paul lets the church in Rome know that these churches that took up the offering were pleased to do so, but in any case they owed it to them anyway. This is why we must read the Bible. This principle is in the Scriptures more than once. If you have been blessed spiritually by someone then you owe them some material blessing. I do not know the extent of the material blessing that is to be given, but I do know that something is owed. I would of never thought that of that concept in a million years, yet there it is right in the Word of God. This principle also helps up see the connection between the material world and the unseen world. There will always be a material world and there will always be a connection between the two worlds. Paul ends this chapter by letting the Roman believers know that when he comes he will come in the full measure of the blessings of Christ. Wow! That is how I want to come to each service at Crosspoint. Paul said that he wanted to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:8). Perhaps, today, you could pray and ask your Father in heaven to help you to come in the full measure of Christ's blessings. If you get a chance to share with someone then share the unsearchable riches of Christ Jesus.
The greatest blessing we ever get from God is to know that we are destitute spiritually.
Oswald Chambers (1874–1917)
23 But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to see you,
24 I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to visit you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while.
25 Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the saints there.
26 For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem.
27 They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in the Jews' spiritual blessings, they owe it to the Jews to share with them their material blessings.
28 So after I have completed this task and have made sure that they have received this fruit, I will go to Spain and visit you on the way.
29 I know that when I come to you, I will come in the full measure of the blessing of Christ.
Paul is letting them know of his upcoming visit. Before he visits with the church in Rome he must first drop off the offering taken by the churches in Macedonia and Achaia to the saints in Jerusalem. This is the same offering that Paul is talking about in II Corinthians 8:1-8. Paul talked about this offering by these churches to the Corinthians and is talking about it to the church in Rome. Notice his unique slant that they owed it to the saints in Jerusalem. The Jews, through whom God brought blessing, are owed some material blessing from the Gentiles that are now being blessed spiritually. First Paul lets the church in Rome know that these churches that took up the offering were pleased to do so, but in any case they owed it to them anyway. This is why we must read the Bible. This principle is in the Scriptures more than once. If you have been blessed spiritually by someone then you owe them some material blessing. I do not know the extent of the material blessing that is to be given, but I do know that something is owed. I would of never thought that of that concept in a million years, yet there it is right in the Word of God. This principle also helps up see the connection between the material world and the unseen world. There will always be a material world and there will always be a connection between the two worlds. Paul ends this chapter by letting the Roman believers know that when he comes he will come in the full measure of the blessings of Christ. Wow! That is how I want to come to each service at Crosspoint. Paul said that he wanted to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ Jesus (Ephesians 3:8). Perhaps, today, you could pray and ask your Father in heaven to help you to come in the full measure of Christ's blessings. If you get a chance to share with someone then share the unsearchable riches of Christ Jesus.
The greatest blessing we ever get from God is to know that we are destitute spiritually.
Oswald Chambers (1874–1917)
Monday, August 16, 2010
Romans 15:14-16 (NIV)
Romans 15:14-16 (NIV)
14 I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.
15 I have written you quite boldly on some points, as if to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me
16 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.
Paul is beginning to bring his letter to a close. Paul acknowledges that he has written a strong letter. He even says, "I have written you quite boldly on some points..." which, in my opinion, is an understatement (read chapter one again). Paul is wanting them to know that he believes in them, but like anyone else they need to be reminded of God's truth. Paul believes in them so much he says, "...that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another." I think that it would be a good prayer for us that we be full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another. Even with that as our prayer we will still need to be reminded of God's truth. Paul sees his whole ministry as a gift from God. Paul was a teacher of the law to the Jews, but God made him a missionary to the Gentiles. Listen to how Paul describes himself, "...a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles...". I believe first and foremost we must see ourselves as ministers of Christ Jesus. You cannot imagine how important it is to have the right mindset about who you are. You are a minister of Christ Jesus the Lord. When everything else goes wrong you are to always come back to this identity. A high priority for our church is to help people to see themselves as God sees them. We do not represent ourselves, our church, or our country--we represent Jesus Christ! Paul's goal as Christ's minister was to present Gentiles to God as an acceptable offering. In a way we are a product of Paul's ministry. Pray for yourself and for Crosspoint that those who attend would see themselves as ministers of Christ.
Our greatest need today is not more Christianity but more true Christians. The world can argue against Christianity as an institution, but there is no convincing argument against a person who, through the Spirit of God, has been made Christlike.
Billy Graham (1918– )
14 I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.
15 I have written you quite boldly on some points, as if to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me
16 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.
Paul is beginning to bring his letter to a close. Paul acknowledges that he has written a strong letter. He even says, "I have written you quite boldly on some points..." which, in my opinion, is an understatement (read chapter one again). Paul is wanting them to know that he believes in them, but like anyone else they need to be reminded of God's truth. Paul believes in them so much he says, "...that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another." I think that it would be a good prayer for us that we be full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another. Even with that as our prayer we will still need to be reminded of God's truth. Paul sees his whole ministry as a gift from God. Paul was a teacher of the law to the Jews, but God made him a missionary to the Gentiles. Listen to how Paul describes himself, "...a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles...". I believe first and foremost we must see ourselves as ministers of Christ Jesus. You cannot imagine how important it is to have the right mindset about who you are. You are a minister of Christ Jesus the Lord. When everything else goes wrong you are to always come back to this identity. A high priority for our church is to help people to see themselves as God sees them. We do not represent ourselves, our church, or our country--we represent Jesus Christ! Paul's goal as Christ's minister was to present Gentiles to God as an acceptable offering. In a way we are a product of Paul's ministry. Pray for yourself and for Crosspoint that those who attend would see themselves as ministers of Christ.
Our greatest need today is not more Christianity but more true Christians. The world can argue against Christianity as an institution, but there is no convincing argument against a person who, through the Spirit of God, has been made Christlike.
Billy Graham (1918– )
Friday, August 13, 2010
Romans 15:8-13 (NIV)
Romans 15:8-13 (NIV)
8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs
9 so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name."
10 Again, it says, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people."
11 And again, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples."
12 And again, Isaiah says, "The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him."
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
God reached this world by sending His Son to serve the Jews with His eye on the truth. God cannot be a liar. God has to stand by His promises. All the promises that the Lord made to Israel were fulfilled in the person of Christ. However part of those promises were also to the Gentiles and that included the promise that Christ came unto His own and His own did not receive Him. The Gentiles were cut off from the promises of God and yet sprinkled throughout the O.T. were these signs that God was not finished with the Gentiles. Paul quotes three verses from the O.T. to let us see the whole truth. At the end of verse 12 we find these words, "...the Gentiles will hope in him." Paul now turns this phrase to pray that the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace. Who better to fill us with joy and peace than the God of hope. My prayer for you is that you will be filled with His joy and peace. His joy that abounds even in the midst of hard times and His peace that does pass all understanding. What else comes with this delicious prayer? With this peace and joy, we may also overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. The key is to understanding hope, joy and peace is that these are powered by the Holy Spirit. We cannot muster up hope, peace and joy on our own, all the time, whatever the circumstances may be. Pray for yourself that you would live out your life in the power of His Holy Spirit. Pray that you would experience real peace, joy and hope.
In the kingdom of hope there is no winter.
Russian Proverb
8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs
9 so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name."
10 Again, it says, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people."
11 And again, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples."
12 And again, Isaiah says, "The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him."
13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
God reached this world by sending His Son to serve the Jews with His eye on the truth. God cannot be a liar. God has to stand by His promises. All the promises that the Lord made to Israel were fulfilled in the person of Christ. However part of those promises were also to the Gentiles and that included the promise that Christ came unto His own and His own did not receive Him. The Gentiles were cut off from the promises of God and yet sprinkled throughout the O.T. were these signs that God was not finished with the Gentiles. Paul quotes three verses from the O.T. to let us see the whole truth. At the end of verse 12 we find these words, "...the Gentiles will hope in him." Paul now turns this phrase to pray that the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace. Who better to fill us with joy and peace than the God of hope. My prayer for you is that you will be filled with His joy and peace. His joy that abounds even in the midst of hard times and His peace that does pass all understanding. What else comes with this delicious prayer? With this peace and joy, we may also overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. The key is to understanding hope, joy and peace is that these are powered by the Holy Spirit. We cannot muster up hope, peace and joy on our own, all the time, whatever the circumstances may be. Pray for yourself that you would live out your life in the power of His Holy Spirit. Pray that you would experience real peace, joy and hope.
In the kingdom of hope there is no winter.
Russian Proverb
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Romans 15:4-12 (NIV)
Romans 15:4-12 (NIV)
4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus,
6 so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs
9 so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name."
10 Again, it says, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people."
11 And again, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples."
12 And again, Isaiah says, "The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him."
For a moment focus on just verse four. Paul is talking about a controversy over religious holidays and more so what a believer can eat. It is as if Paul knew the people reading these words would need a little encouragement and he sticks these words in about the Word of God. Sometimes, I have wondered, why do we have the Old Testament? It is written here that everything in the O.T. is there to teach us. The result of that teaching is through the endurance and the encouragement of God's Word we can have hope. I believe that the great cloud of witnesses in Hebrews 12:1 are those who have gone before us. The O.T. is full of stories of people who endured many trials for the sake of their faith in Yahweh. We are part of that story of faith in God. The Lord wants us to be encouraged as you see this in Paul's prayer in verse five. Paul prayed for the Roman believers, "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus...". Paul prays for the these believers that this same God who gives endurance and encouragement may now give a spirit of unity in the church at Rome. Our hope is in the Lord to live a life of love, faith and peace. The result of this unity that Paul prays for is that with one heart and mouth they may glorify the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is not unity for unity's sake. It is a witness to those around us that we know and can glorify the Lord together. In verse seven we have one of the references to "one another" in God's Word. There are at least 32 different "one another" references found in Scripture. Here we are told to accept one another just as Christ has accepted us. You can tell there are Jewish believers in this church because now Paul goes into how the Gentiles have been brought in on the promise. There are many reasons not to accept people, but there is a grand reason to accept people and that is on the basis of people's faith in Christ. At the center of our unity stands not a truth but a person who is called Jesus Christ. It is Christ who can bring unity to the church. Of course the big question then is, "Who is Jesus?"
4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus,
6 so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
7 Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.
8 For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God's truth, to confirm the promises made to the patriarchs
9 so that the Gentiles may glorify God for his mercy, as it is written: "Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing hymns to your name."
10 Again, it says, "Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people."
11 And again, "Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and sing praises to him, all you peoples."
12 And again, Isaiah says, "The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him."
For a moment focus on just verse four. Paul is talking about a controversy over religious holidays and more so what a believer can eat. It is as if Paul knew the people reading these words would need a little encouragement and he sticks these words in about the Word of God. Sometimes, I have wondered, why do we have the Old Testament? It is written here that everything in the O.T. is there to teach us. The result of that teaching is through the endurance and the encouragement of God's Word we can have hope. I believe that the great cloud of witnesses in Hebrews 12:1 are those who have gone before us. The O.T. is full of stories of people who endured many trials for the sake of their faith in Yahweh. We are part of that story of faith in God. The Lord wants us to be encouraged as you see this in Paul's prayer in verse five. Paul prayed for the Roman believers, "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus...". Paul prays for the these believers that this same God who gives endurance and encouragement may now give a spirit of unity in the church at Rome. Our hope is in the Lord to live a life of love, faith and peace. The result of this unity that Paul prays for is that with one heart and mouth they may glorify the God of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is not unity for unity's sake. It is a witness to those around us that we know and can glorify the Lord together. In verse seven we have one of the references to "one another" in God's Word. There are at least 32 different "one another" references found in Scripture. Here we are told to accept one another just as Christ has accepted us. You can tell there are Jewish believers in this church because now Paul goes into how the Gentiles have been brought in on the promise. There are many reasons not to accept people, but there is a grand reason to accept people and that is on the basis of people's faith in Christ. At the center of our unity stands not a truth but a person who is called Jesus Christ. It is Christ who can bring unity to the church. Of course the big question then is, "Who is Jesus?"
Monday, August 9, 2010
Romans 15:1-6 (NIV)
Romans 15:1-6 (NIV)
1 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.
2 Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.
3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me."
4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus,
6 so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul classifies himself as one of the strong in faith. The people who are weak could be those who are new to their faith in Christ. People who are new to their faith usually have zeal, but lack knowledge. Those who are strong are not to endure the new believer, but encourage them. Can a person who has known the Lord for a good period of time still be weak? Some of the people I have talked with in the past are people who were well schooled in their faith and did not want others around them to have different values than them. These people would not, however, be destroyed if you did something different in front of them that they saw as sin. They may judge you and talk about you, but never would they be destroyed. The discernment that is needed in these circumstances is, who is the weaker brother and who is the stronger? Love must control the circumstances and therefore truth must be spoken in love. At the heart of Paul's concern is the unity of the church. A team that is rowing in the same direction is a powerful force of nature. Paul knew if the church would fight amongst themselves then there would be no hope of giving the Gospel to the world. We must seek unity, but not at all costs. I have seen churches become weak because they never help develop the faith of believers. There are times for awkward conversations. There are times for everyone to examine their hearts as to why they do this or that. Are we motivated by love or by selfishness? I find verse three so convicting as Christ did not please himself! Over the next few days think of ways to please those around you.
1 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.
2 Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.
3 For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me."
4 For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.
5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus,
6 so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul classifies himself as one of the strong in faith. The people who are weak could be those who are new to their faith in Christ. People who are new to their faith usually have zeal, but lack knowledge. Those who are strong are not to endure the new believer, but encourage them. Can a person who has known the Lord for a good period of time still be weak? Some of the people I have talked with in the past are people who were well schooled in their faith and did not want others around them to have different values than them. These people would not, however, be destroyed if you did something different in front of them that they saw as sin. They may judge you and talk about you, but never would they be destroyed. The discernment that is needed in these circumstances is, who is the weaker brother and who is the stronger? Love must control the circumstances and therefore truth must be spoken in love. At the heart of Paul's concern is the unity of the church. A team that is rowing in the same direction is a powerful force of nature. Paul knew if the church would fight amongst themselves then there would be no hope of giving the Gospel to the world. We must seek unity, but not at all costs. I have seen churches become weak because they never help develop the faith of believers. There are times for awkward conversations. There are times for everyone to examine their hearts as to why they do this or that. Are we motivated by love or by selfishness? I find verse three so convicting as Christ did not please himself! Over the next few days think of ways to please those around you.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Romans 14:19-23 (NIV)
Romans 14:19-23 (NIV)
19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.
21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.
22 So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves.
23 But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.
What have you done lately to keep the peace? In verse 19 Paul calls us to a life of peace and mutual edification. It sounds so easy and yet is so hard. It is hard sometimes to keep the peace in the home, let alone with hundreds of people. I like how Paul says, "Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to...". We can only make the effort and leave the results with God. I must do what I can and then leave it. I think we will read too much into these verses if we do not keep our eyes on Christ. We are not called to be door mats. Truth in love must be spoken and lived out. Verse 21 is, again, on the theme of causing your brother to fall. What does this mean to cause a brother to fall? I would say that it means for you to cause someone to go against their conscience. What you do in front of them causes them to do that thing and it is not what they believe to be good for them. Verses 22 and 23 get into the whole issue of conscience. When you read chapter one of Romans you see that there are people who have no conscience and now we are talking about people who seem to have a very sensitive conscience. The point is that we all have a conscience and we are to listen to it and we are to listen to God. A fun question to raise is one of conscience changing. Can a person change their conscience? If you discover that God approves a certain behavior that you once thought was wrong, then can you at least not be offended if someone does that in front of you? Can you eventually enjoy meat? Have a great day and do what you can to create peace.
First keep the peace within yourself, then you can also bring peace to others.
Thomas à Kempis (c. 1380–1471)
19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.
21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.
22 So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves.
23 But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.
What have you done lately to keep the peace? In verse 19 Paul calls us to a life of peace and mutual edification. It sounds so easy and yet is so hard. It is hard sometimes to keep the peace in the home, let alone with hundreds of people. I like how Paul says, "Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to...". We can only make the effort and leave the results with God. I must do what I can and then leave it. I think we will read too much into these verses if we do not keep our eyes on Christ. We are not called to be door mats. Truth in love must be spoken and lived out. Verse 21 is, again, on the theme of causing your brother to fall. What does this mean to cause a brother to fall? I would say that it means for you to cause someone to go against their conscience. What you do in front of them causes them to do that thing and it is not what they believe to be good for them. Verses 22 and 23 get into the whole issue of conscience. When you read chapter one of Romans you see that there are people who have no conscience and now we are talking about people who seem to have a very sensitive conscience. The point is that we all have a conscience and we are to listen to it and we are to listen to God. A fun question to raise is one of conscience changing. Can a person change their conscience? If you discover that God approves a certain behavior that you once thought was wrong, then can you at least not be offended if someone does that in front of you? Can you eventually enjoy meat? Have a great day and do what you can to create peace.
First keep the peace within yourself, then you can also bring peace to others.
Thomas à Kempis (c. 1380–1471)
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Romans 14:13-21 (NIV)
Romans 14:13-21 (NIV)
13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.
14 As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.
15 If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died.
16 Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil.
17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,
18 because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.
19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.
21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.
The words, "If your brother is distressed because of what you eat..." has caused some distress in believer's communities. I went to a school that I believe built it's rule book around those who might get distressed over this or that. These are strong words, "Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died." Distressed and destroy are two words that would make anyone hesitate in doing something that would cause such upheaval. If you for instance felt it was okay to go to church on Saturday night so you could sleep in on Sunday, but a close friend of yours felt it was wrong, should you stop going to church on Saturday nights? Should the church stop having Saturday night services? If the music of the church is causing some believers to have distress and could destroy other believer's faith, should the church stop that music? The list goes on and on. Notice the meat thing keeps coming up. Paul has stopped using the holy days and stuck with the meat-and-eating theme. I believe there is a reason for this and that is the meat that Paul is talking about has been sacrificed to demons. It couldn't have been pork or Paul would of just said the word pork instead of making it so vague ( simply meat). Paul had to take on the same issue in Corinth. It will take a little more time, but let's look into 1 Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 10:23-33 (NIV)
23 "Everything is permissible"--but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"--but not everything is constructive.
24 Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.
25 Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience,
26 for, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it."
27 If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience.
28 But if anyone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience' sake--
29 the other man's conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another's conscience?
30 If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?
31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God--
33 even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.
Make sure you read Paul carefully as he goes over a very delicate issue. I believe some of the same things were happening in Rome. This is why Paul keeps up with the theme of meat. If my assumptions are correct, then that of eating what has been sacrificed to idols could cause distress and destroy someone's faith. Yet think of all the other items that can be put on the list. In Romans 15:1 Paul uses the term the weaker brother. It is my conviction, based upon Scripture and watching the life of Christ, that we cannot let the weaker brother rule in every area of life for fear of causing distress. We would never reach anyone for Christ. We have to be very careful as to how we understand and apply what Paul is saying in Romans and Corinthians. The best part is when Paul says, "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."
Let us enjoy what God has purchased for us.
13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.
14 As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.
15 If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died.
16 Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil.
17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,
18 because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.
19 Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification.
20 Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble.
21 It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.
The words, "If your brother is distressed because of what you eat..." has caused some distress in believer's communities. I went to a school that I believe built it's rule book around those who might get distressed over this or that. These are strong words, "Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died." Distressed and destroy are two words that would make anyone hesitate in doing something that would cause such upheaval. If you for instance felt it was okay to go to church on Saturday night so you could sleep in on Sunday, but a close friend of yours felt it was wrong, should you stop going to church on Saturday nights? Should the church stop having Saturday night services? If the music of the church is causing some believers to have distress and could destroy other believer's faith, should the church stop that music? The list goes on and on. Notice the meat thing keeps coming up. Paul has stopped using the holy days and stuck with the meat-and-eating theme. I believe there is a reason for this and that is the meat that Paul is talking about has been sacrificed to demons. It couldn't have been pork or Paul would of just said the word pork instead of making it so vague ( simply meat). Paul had to take on the same issue in Corinth. It will take a little more time, but let's look into 1 Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 10:23-33 (NIV)
23 "Everything is permissible"--but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible"--but not everything is constructive.
24 Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.
25 Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience,
26 for, "The earth is the Lord's, and everything in it."
27 If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience.
28 But if anyone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience' sake--
29 the other man's conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another's conscience?
30 If I take part in the meal with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of something I thank God for?
31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
32 Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God--
33 even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good but the good of many, so that they may be saved.
Make sure you read Paul carefully as he goes over a very delicate issue. I believe some of the same things were happening in Rome. This is why Paul keeps up with the theme of meat. If my assumptions are correct, then that of eating what has been sacrificed to idols could cause distress and destroy someone's faith. Yet think of all the other items that can be put on the list. In Romans 15:1 Paul uses the term the weaker brother. It is my conviction, based upon Scripture and watching the life of Christ, that we cannot let the weaker brother rule in every area of life for fear of causing distress. We would never reach anyone for Christ. We have to be very careful as to how we understand and apply what Paul is saying in Romans and Corinthians. The best part is when Paul says, "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit."
Let us enjoy what God has purchased for us.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Romans 14:9-14 (NIV)
Romans 14:9-14 (NIV)
9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
10 You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat.
11 It is written: "'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.'"
12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.
14 As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.
I have been told that wearing a beard is wrong.
I have been told that wearing short pants is wrong.
I have been told, at one time, that my hair was too long (it was over my ears).
I have been told that music with a beat is wrong.
I have been told that using any other version of the Bible other than the KJV is wrong.
I have been told that eating out on Sunday was wrong.
If you challenged these so-called wrongs you felt judged. In my circumstance I felt it because I was told that I was not pleasing the Lord. There is entirely too much judging going on in the church at large these days. We must remember who the Lord is and that we all report to Him. It is one of the most sobering thoughts that I have and that is I have to give an accounting of my life to the Lord Jesus Christ. What we must do is act out of love and not be a stumbling block to others. This is a very tricky statement. I think in the end we are not to force our views on others when it comes to disputable matters. Then the question comes, "What are the disputable matters?" Once the disputable matters are agreed upon it is still incumbent upon me to show love.
Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person’s ultimate good as far as it can be obtained.
C. S. Lewis (1898–1963)
9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
10 You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat.
11 It is written: "'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.'"
12 So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
13 Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way.
14 As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean.
I have been told that wearing a beard is wrong.
I have been told that wearing short pants is wrong.
I have been told, at one time, that my hair was too long (it was over my ears).
I have been told that music with a beat is wrong.
I have been told that using any other version of the Bible other than the KJV is wrong.
I have been told that eating out on Sunday was wrong.
If you challenged these so-called wrongs you felt judged. In my circumstance I felt it because I was told that I was not pleasing the Lord. There is entirely too much judging going on in the church at large these days. We must remember who the Lord is and that we all report to Him. It is one of the most sobering thoughts that I have and that is I have to give an accounting of my life to the Lord Jesus Christ. What we must do is act out of love and not be a stumbling block to others. This is a very tricky statement. I think in the end we are not to force our views on others when it comes to disputable matters. Then the question comes, "What are the disputable matters?" Once the disputable matters are agreed upon it is still incumbent upon me to show love.
Love is not affectionate feeling, but a steady wish for the loved person’s ultimate good as far as it can be obtained.
C. S. Lewis (1898–1963)
Friday, July 30, 2010
Romans 14:5-11 (NIV)
Romans 14:5-11 (NIV)
5 One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.
6 He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.
7 For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone.
8 If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
10 You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat.
11 It is written: "'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.'"
Evidently there were those in Rome who saw one day as more sacred than another and Paul allows that as long as there is freedom. Freedom of conscience is what Paul is basing his argument on in this passage. It is a great line when the apostle says, "Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind." Once you search the Scriptures and are convinced either way about eating meat or that some days are special or are not special, then you can hold to that conviction. However, you cannot hold others to that same conviction. I have noticed that once a person makes up their mind they usually want others to follow suit. I would guess that is the herd mentality. It is hard for many to believe that we as followers of Christ can have differences and still worship and work together. The ones that have a hard time with this unity in diversity are usually the followers of Christ. The genius of the church is that it is an organism that is organized around the person of Jesus Christ. The church is not organized around a philosophy, a set of beliefs, or even truth. The church is totally and absolutely wrapped around Jesus Christ. We can still be interested in philosophy, beliefs, and truth, but our primary objective is to walk with the Savior. This is why Paul now interjects Jesus into the argument when he says, "If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord." We are all going to have to answer to the Lord so stop the judging and get on with living for the Lord! I sometimes think we are more of a busybody than we care to admit. All of us need to mind our own business because that is what we are going to have to answer for in the end. I cannot answer for your life nor you about my life. I think that is a good thing, don't you? Here is what Chuck Swindoll has to say about this subject.
Remind the religious phony that the splinter within your eye is between you and your Lord, and to pay attention to the tree trunk in his own eye.
Charles R. Swindoll (1934– )
5 One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.
6 He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God.
7 For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone.
8 If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.
10 You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat.
11 It is written: "'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.'"
Evidently there were those in Rome who saw one day as more sacred than another and Paul allows that as long as there is freedom. Freedom of conscience is what Paul is basing his argument on in this passage. It is a great line when the apostle says, "Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind." Once you search the Scriptures and are convinced either way about eating meat or that some days are special or are not special, then you can hold to that conviction. However, you cannot hold others to that same conviction. I have noticed that once a person makes up their mind they usually want others to follow suit. I would guess that is the herd mentality. It is hard for many to believe that we as followers of Christ can have differences and still worship and work together. The ones that have a hard time with this unity in diversity are usually the followers of Christ. The genius of the church is that it is an organism that is organized around the person of Jesus Christ. The church is not organized around a philosophy, a set of beliefs, or even truth. The church is totally and absolutely wrapped around Jesus Christ. We can still be interested in philosophy, beliefs, and truth, but our primary objective is to walk with the Savior. This is why Paul now interjects Jesus into the argument when he says, "If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord." We are all going to have to answer to the Lord so stop the judging and get on with living for the Lord! I sometimes think we are more of a busybody than we care to admit. All of us need to mind our own business because that is what we are going to have to answer for in the end. I cannot answer for your life nor you about my life. I think that is a good thing, don't you? Here is what Chuck Swindoll has to say about this subject.
Remind the religious phony that the splinter within your eye is between you and your Lord, and to pay attention to the tree trunk in his own eye.
Charles R. Swindoll (1934– )
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Romans 14:1-14 (NIV)
Romans 14:1-4 (NIV)
1 Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.
2 One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.
3 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.
4 Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
It is sure easier to have unity when everyone knows the rules to play by. In the Scriptures we have God clearly condemning some behavior and commanding us to do other things. We can have unity around those items, but it is when Scripture isn't clear that problems can really develop. The gray areas of life can really test our love for one another. People will say I have a strong conviction about this or that, but a strong conviction does not equal a verse of Scripture. Paul lays down some principles that are useful in those type of disputes. Paul tells us to accept those whose faith is weak. We are to accept them without passing judgment on them about those disputable matters. In this case Paul uses the issue of food. You have one person who can eat anything and another who can only eat vegetables. The person who can eat anything must not look down on those who are restricted in their diet. The person who cannot eat everything is accepted by God. Paul takes us back to the bigger issue as to how to use freedom. Do we use freedom to get our way or do we use freedom to serve others? There are many disputable matters and both sides need to learn not to judge the other side. This is easier said than done. At my church in Charlotte, some people thought it was wrong to eat food or even have coffee in the church on Sunday. We had to have meetings with these people and walk them through Scripture on this issue. They who thought it was wrong to eat in the church also thought they had a Bible verse to back up their claim. They were taking the Bible verse way out of context. They finally agreed that they didn't have to eat on Sunday at the church or even have coffee if that bothered them. We also agreed that there were those people who felt free to eat on Sunday and have coffee and they wouldn't judge them for doing so. These were not easy meetings. People get really attached to their convictions and their ways of doing things. We must be careful with disputable matters and when dealing with each other on those matters.
1 Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters.
2 One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.
3 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.
4 Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
It is sure easier to have unity when everyone knows the rules to play by. In the Scriptures we have God clearly condemning some behavior and commanding us to do other things. We can have unity around those items, but it is when Scripture isn't clear that problems can really develop. The gray areas of life can really test our love for one another. People will say I have a strong conviction about this or that, but a strong conviction does not equal a verse of Scripture. Paul lays down some principles that are useful in those type of disputes. Paul tells us to accept those whose faith is weak. We are to accept them without passing judgment on them about those disputable matters. In this case Paul uses the issue of food. You have one person who can eat anything and another who can only eat vegetables. The person who can eat anything must not look down on those who are restricted in their diet. The person who cannot eat everything is accepted by God. Paul takes us back to the bigger issue as to how to use freedom. Do we use freedom to get our way or do we use freedom to serve others? There are many disputable matters and both sides need to learn not to judge the other side. This is easier said than done. At my church in Charlotte, some people thought it was wrong to eat food or even have coffee in the church on Sunday. We had to have meetings with these people and walk them through Scripture on this issue. They who thought it was wrong to eat in the church also thought they had a Bible verse to back up their claim. They were taking the Bible verse way out of context. They finally agreed that they didn't have to eat on Sunday at the church or even have coffee if that bothered them. We also agreed that there were those people who felt free to eat on Sunday and have coffee and they wouldn't judge them for doing so. These were not easy meetings. People get really attached to their convictions and their ways of doing things. We must be careful with disputable matters and when dealing with each other on those matters.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Romans 13:11-14 (NIV)
Romans 13:11-14 (NIV)
11 And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
When Paul says, "And do this..." we have to ask is he referring to the "...Love your neighbor as yourself." (verse 9) or is it from the top of the chapter? In this instance I believe it goes back to verses 8-10, because of Paul's insistence to lay aside the deeds of darkness which have to do with the commandments of do not covet and so forth, which is about loving others. Do you feel a chill in the room when Paul says, "The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber..."? Evidently Paul had heard that the church in Rome had become a little careless. Paul explains that the hour of our salvation is nearer now than when they had first believed. This is a reference to the second coming of Christ. One of the themes in the New Testament is that the disciples believed Jesus was coming back real soon. It was Ben Johnson who said, "There is nothing like a hanging to focus the mind." These disciples where extremely focused and some of that had to do with meeting Jesus either by death or by His coming back. Paul is pleading with them as he continues to argue his case that the night in nearly over and the day is almost here, which is another reference to Christ's return. If this be the case then put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. If the darkness is going to lose and it is wrong, then go with the light which is the right way and is the winner. In context the armor of light, in part, is doing the deeds of light i.e. "behave decently." The deeds of darkness is the opposite of the deeds of light. Look what he names in those deeds. When we look at the list that includes orgies, drunkenness, sexual immorality and debauchery as things of darkness. We get those as sins. However, what about dissension and jealousy? Do we really get that these are sins as well? Dissension and jealousy can almost parade itself as righteous acts. I am speaking the truth that no one seems willing to speak or their ministry is really not of God or that wouldn't have happened, etc. Doesn't that sound holy? Notice how Paul places dissension and jealousy in a list that includes orgies! Real transformation has to do with everyday choices. It has to do with clothing ourselves with Christ so we do not allow our sinful selves to rise up and make bad choices. This is about obedience. Listen to what author Jerry Bridges has to say about this: "It is time for us Christians, to face up to our responsibility for holiness." Too often we say we are “defeated” by this or that sin. No, we are not defeated; we are simply disobedient. It might be well if we stopped using the terms victory and defeat to describe our progress in holiness. Rather we should use the terms obedience and disobedience.
11 And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.
12 The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
13 Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy.
14 Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
When Paul says, "And do this..." we have to ask is he referring to the "...Love your neighbor as yourself." (verse 9) or is it from the top of the chapter? In this instance I believe it goes back to verses 8-10, because of Paul's insistence to lay aside the deeds of darkness which have to do with the commandments of do not covet and so forth, which is about loving others. Do you feel a chill in the room when Paul says, "The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber..."? Evidently Paul had heard that the church in Rome had become a little careless. Paul explains that the hour of our salvation is nearer now than when they had first believed. This is a reference to the second coming of Christ. One of the themes in the New Testament is that the disciples believed Jesus was coming back real soon. It was Ben Johnson who said, "There is nothing like a hanging to focus the mind." These disciples where extremely focused and some of that had to do with meeting Jesus either by death or by His coming back. Paul is pleading with them as he continues to argue his case that the night in nearly over and the day is almost here, which is another reference to Christ's return. If this be the case then put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. If the darkness is going to lose and it is wrong, then go with the light which is the right way and is the winner. In context the armor of light, in part, is doing the deeds of light i.e. "behave decently." The deeds of darkness is the opposite of the deeds of light. Look what he names in those deeds. When we look at the list that includes orgies, drunkenness, sexual immorality and debauchery as things of darkness. We get those as sins. However, what about dissension and jealousy? Do we really get that these are sins as well? Dissension and jealousy can almost parade itself as righteous acts. I am speaking the truth that no one seems willing to speak or their ministry is really not of God or that wouldn't have happened, etc. Doesn't that sound holy? Notice how Paul places dissension and jealousy in a list that includes orgies! Real transformation has to do with everyday choices. It has to do with clothing ourselves with Christ so we do not allow our sinful selves to rise up and make bad choices. This is about obedience. Listen to what author Jerry Bridges has to say about this: "It is time for us Christians, to face up to our responsibility for holiness." Too often we say we are “defeated” by this or that sin. No, we are not defeated; we are simply disobedient. It might be well if we stopped using the terms victory and defeat to describe our progress in holiness. Rather we should use the terms obedience and disobedience.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Romans 13:6-10 (NIV)
Romans 13:6-10 (NIV)
6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing.
7 Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.
9 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."
10 Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Ouch! Does the Scriptures really have to say we have to pay our taxes? Yes. Rome collected from their own people and those nations they conquered. I am sure there was corruption back in those days as we have today. Yet, Paul knowing all of this, said that they were to pay their taxes. If you owe someone then pay them. Look at the way we can owe people. The currency of owing someone is not always the currency of money. We are to show respect or honor if it is due. The only debt we are to owe all the time is the debt to love one another. This love thing is a big thing. We as followers of Christ are to really show forth the love of God in and through our lives. Paul goes back to the law to prove his point as to love really is important. We fulfill the law if we love our fellowman. Paul names some of the commandments that we fulfill in loving others. The one rule sums up the many rules. If we love, we will for instance, not covet our neighbor's wife. At the very least if we understand love, love does not bring any harm to those around us.
If your love be pure, simple, and well ordered, you shall be free from bondage.
Thomas à Kempis (c. 1380–1471)
6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing.
7 Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.
9 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."
10 Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Ouch! Does the Scriptures really have to say we have to pay our taxes? Yes. Rome collected from their own people and those nations they conquered. I am sure there was corruption back in those days as we have today. Yet, Paul knowing all of this, said that they were to pay their taxes. If you owe someone then pay them. Look at the way we can owe people. The currency of owing someone is not always the currency of money. We are to show respect or honor if it is due. The only debt we are to owe all the time is the debt to love one another. This love thing is a big thing. We as followers of Christ are to really show forth the love of God in and through our lives. Paul goes back to the law to prove his point as to love really is important. We fulfill the law if we love our fellowman. Paul names some of the commandments that we fulfill in loving others. The one rule sums up the many rules. If we love, we will for instance, not covet our neighbor's wife. At the very least if we understand love, love does not bring any harm to those around us.
If your love be pure, simple, and well ordered, you shall be free from bondage.
Thomas à Kempis (c. 1380–1471)
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Romans 13:1-5 (NIV)
Romans 13:1-5 (NIV)
1 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
2 Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.
4 For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.
5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.
How is your submission mode working nowadays? This command to submit to the governing authorities goes for everyone and that includes the disciples of Christ. According to these verses there is no authority that has been established unless it is established by God. You can have some fun with these verses by asking some questions of this verse? In light of these verses was the United States established as an illegal nation? What about Hitler and his regime? Is it okay for a more powerful nation to be a regime remover? What about the Civil War? These verses tell us that if there is rebellion against the established authority that they bring judgment upon themselves. It would be good to remember that this is written to the Romans who were living in Rome. We can be free from fear of these authorities by being obedient. Here is where it gets even more interesting as to the one who carries the sword. Does a nation or state have the right to take a life? Many point to these verses to say yes. There are still others who say the state has the right to punish, but not to take a life. Try to remember where these verses are located for it is good to remind those around us at different times to understand that God establishes authority and we must trust Him who has placed it here.
1 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
2 Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.
4 For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.
5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.
How is your submission mode working nowadays? This command to submit to the governing authorities goes for everyone and that includes the disciples of Christ. According to these verses there is no authority that has been established unless it is established by God. You can have some fun with these verses by asking some questions of this verse? In light of these verses was the United States established as an illegal nation? What about Hitler and his regime? Is it okay for a more powerful nation to be a regime remover? What about the Civil War? These verses tell us that if there is rebellion against the established authority that they bring judgment upon themselves. It would be good to remember that this is written to the Romans who were living in Rome. We can be free from fear of these authorities by being obedient. Here is where it gets even more interesting as to the one who carries the sword. Does a nation or state have the right to take a life? Many point to these verses to say yes. There are still others who say the state has the right to punish, but not to take a life. Try to remember where these verses are located for it is good to remind those around us at different times to understand that God establishes authority and we must trust Him who has placed it here.
Monday, July 19, 2010
Romans 12:12-16 (NIV)
Romans 12:12-16 (NIV)
12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
13 Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
Who are you to become? What are you to become? We are to be a cheerful people. One of the characteristics of a follower of Christ is that of joy. Notice the new twist. We are to be joyful in hope. When tough times come we are to be patient. We want patience, but we are like the person who prayed, "Lord give me patience and give it to me now." We are to be faithful in prayer. It would be good right now if you stopped reading and prayed to your heavenly Father. Try to do that throughout the day. We are no longer to conform to the ways of the world, but we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. If you haven't noticed these are all commands. We become what we think and do! We are to be a generous people. We are to share with God's people who are in need. It is so easy to become consumed with our stuff. Two words--practice hospitality. Is your heart and home open to others. Now the tough stuff. We are not only to walk away when being persecuted we are to bless them. This is why you need to read Romans 5-8 before you read these words. We are dead to sin and alive to God. We have the power of the Holy Spirit living inside of us. Here is another real kicker. We are to rejoice when others are rejoicing and mourn with those who mourn. Paul makes no allowances for our feelings at this juncture. We are commanded to do it. Paul breaks down the social class system with these words in verse 16. Are you proud? Are you conceited? What do you do to live in harmony with other people? I plead with you not to read these verses too fast. Let them sink into your soul.
Christianity does not teach a doctrine of weakness. But the strength it gives a man is quite different from his natural strength. It is a God-directed strength, doing what God wills. It wins great victories, but they are only over evil and self, not the destructive victories that are won over others.
Paul Tournier (1898–1986)
12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
13 Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
Who are you to become? What are you to become? We are to be a cheerful people. One of the characteristics of a follower of Christ is that of joy. Notice the new twist. We are to be joyful in hope. When tough times come we are to be patient. We want patience, but we are like the person who prayed, "Lord give me patience and give it to me now." We are to be faithful in prayer. It would be good right now if you stopped reading and prayed to your heavenly Father. Try to do that throughout the day. We are no longer to conform to the ways of the world, but we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. If you haven't noticed these are all commands. We become what we think and do! We are to be a generous people. We are to share with God's people who are in need. It is so easy to become consumed with our stuff. Two words--practice hospitality. Is your heart and home open to others. Now the tough stuff. We are not only to walk away when being persecuted we are to bless them. This is why you need to read Romans 5-8 before you read these words. We are dead to sin and alive to God. We have the power of the Holy Spirit living inside of us. Here is another real kicker. We are to rejoice when others are rejoicing and mourn with those who mourn. Paul makes no allowances for our feelings at this juncture. We are commanded to do it. Paul breaks down the social class system with these words in verse 16. Are you proud? Are you conceited? What do you do to live in harmony with other people? I plead with you not to read these verses too fast. Let them sink into your soul.
Christianity does not teach a doctrine of weakness. But the strength it gives a man is quite different from his natural strength. It is a God-directed strength, doing what God wills. It wins great victories, but they are only over evil and self, not the destructive victories that are won over others.
Paul Tournier (1898–1986)
Friday, July 16, 2010
Romans 12:6-13 (NIV)
Romans 12:6-13 (NIV)
6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.
7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;
8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
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 God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
We are all different. We all see the world through a different set of lenses. We have different gifts. Our differences have been given to us by the grace of God. It is not only that God's grace has given us different gifts, He has given us the gift of being different. Yet, this "greatest gift" can almost drive us crazy at times. We must always come back to the grace of God. It is in God's grace that we are different. We must all be on the same page and it seems at the same time we must draw our own drawing on that same page. Those that are called to serve, should serve and those that are called to teach, should teach, etc. The point is that we do it for God's glory and under His command of His great commission. Paul is instructing us on all these different gifts and then what does he come back to after that teaching? Paul comes back to love. Paul does the same thing here that he did in his letter to the Corinthians. He talks about the different gifts and then inserts 1 Corinthians 13 in the middle of his teaching on gifts. Here he says love must be sincere. Love should not be faked. In verse 10 we are told to be devoted to one another in brotherly love. We are family! Then he strikes a chord that we all should learn how to do more. We are commanded to honor one another above ourselves. I really like verse 11. We are to keep up our spiritual fervor. Perhaps one of the keys to keeping the church unified and going forward in the battle is this item of our zeal. What gets you fired up for the Lord? What helps you to become stronger in Him? What keeps you lit up for God's kingdom? Let's go back to that thing of honoring one another. How can we really do that apart from God's zeal being in us? How can we sincerely make someone look better than us apart from God's grace working in us? Have you noticed that we are in the details of what it looks like to be transformed by the renewing of our minds? We cannot skim over these verses for in the end they are the heart and soul of how the church of Jesus Christ is to function. This is how God builds a new community.
Biblically the church is an organism not an organization—a movement, not a monument. It is not a part of the community; it is a whole new community. It is not an orderly gathering; it is a new order with new values, often in sharp conflict with the values of the surrounding society.
Charles Colson (1931– )
6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.
7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;
8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
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 God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
We are all different. We all see the world through a different set of lenses. We have different gifts. Our differences have been given to us by the grace of God. It is not only that God's grace has given us different gifts, He has given us the gift of being different. Yet, this "greatest gift" can almost drive us crazy at times. We must always come back to the grace of God. It is in God's grace that we are different. We must all be on the same page and it seems at the same time we must draw our own drawing on that same page. Those that are called to serve, should serve and those that are called to teach, should teach, etc. The point is that we do it for God's glory and under His command of His great commission. Paul is instructing us on all these different gifts and then what does he come back to after that teaching? Paul comes back to love. Paul does the same thing here that he did in his letter to the Corinthians. He talks about the different gifts and then inserts 1 Corinthians 13 in the middle of his teaching on gifts. Here he says love must be sincere. Love should not be faked. In verse 10 we are told to be devoted to one another in brotherly love. We are family! Then he strikes a chord that we all should learn how to do more. We are commanded to honor one another above ourselves. I really like verse 11. We are to keep up our spiritual fervor. Perhaps one of the keys to keeping the church unified and going forward in the battle is this item of our zeal. What gets you fired up for the Lord? What helps you to become stronger in Him? What keeps you lit up for God's kingdom? Let's go back to that thing of honoring one another. How can we really do that apart from God's zeal being in us? How can we sincerely make someone look better than us apart from God's grace working in us? Have you noticed that we are in the details of what it looks like to be transformed by the renewing of our minds? We cannot skim over these verses for in the end they are the heart and soul of how the church of Jesus Christ is to function. This is how God builds a new community.
Biblically the church is an organism not an organization—a movement, not a monument. It is not a part of the community; it is a whole new community. It is not an orderly gathering; it is a new order with new values, often in sharp conflict with the values of the surrounding society.
Charles Colson (1931– )
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Romans 12:3-8 (NIV)
Romans 12:3-8 (NIV)
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.
4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,
5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.
7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;
8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
We learned that to be transformed we must be renewed in our minds. Part of that renewal has to do with how we think about ourselves. Paul uses what I find to be an unusual statement to start out his thoughts on this subject. Paul says "For by the grace given me I say to every one..." and you have to ask why at this juncture does he use this phrase? I believe everything that Paul has been saying is by the grace of God. For me it is as if Paul is going to become like a coach to these people. Paul is wanting God's team in Rome to really come together to serve the one and true God. Paul is letting them know that he is on this team and it is by the grace of God that he is on this team. One of the first things you have to address on the team is getting people to think rightly about themselves. If you have people going around thinking they are cut out to preach but they really belong in the sound booth then you have a problem. These words of Paul are pure wisdom from above when he says, "Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment...". When we hear the words, "It is not about you" that does not mean that you are not addressed in the God's Word, you just need a right opinion about yourself. You have to think of yourself with sober judgment. In a world gone wild about themselves the Word tell us to get sober on the subject of self. In Galatians, Paul is even more blunt when he says, "If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself." (Gal. 6:3). This new thinking has to be done by faith, the faith that only God has given us. Now Paul starts talking about the team, but not until he had dealt with the "self." Paul uses the analogy of the human body that is one, and yet each member of a human body (the eye, mouth etc.) has different functions. The vision of the church is for everyone to find their place and then serve in that place with their whole heart. What could be getting done in the name of the Lord if that vision was ever realized? Would you please dream with me to see more of this vision realized here at Crosspoint?
Weak things united become strong.
Proverb
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.
4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,
5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.
7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;
8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
We learned that to be transformed we must be renewed in our minds. Part of that renewal has to do with how we think about ourselves. Paul uses what I find to be an unusual statement to start out his thoughts on this subject. Paul says "For by the grace given me I say to every one..." and you have to ask why at this juncture does he use this phrase? I believe everything that Paul has been saying is by the grace of God. For me it is as if Paul is going to become like a coach to these people. Paul is wanting God's team in Rome to really come together to serve the one and true God. Paul is letting them know that he is on this team and it is by the grace of God that he is on this team. One of the first things you have to address on the team is getting people to think rightly about themselves. If you have people going around thinking they are cut out to preach but they really belong in the sound booth then you have a problem. These words of Paul are pure wisdom from above when he says, "Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment...". When we hear the words, "It is not about you" that does not mean that you are not addressed in the God's Word, you just need a right opinion about yourself. You have to think of yourself with sober judgment. In a world gone wild about themselves the Word tell us to get sober on the subject of self. In Galatians, Paul is even more blunt when he says, "If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself." (Gal. 6:3). This new thinking has to be done by faith, the faith that only God has given us. Now Paul starts talking about the team, but not until he had dealt with the "self." Paul uses the analogy of the human body that is one, and yet each member of a human body (the eye, mouth etc.) has different functions. The vision of the church is for everyone to find their place and then serve in that place with their whole heart. What could be getting done in the name of the Lord if that vision was ever realized? Would you please dream with me to see more of this vision realized here at Crosspoint?
Weak things united become strong.
Proverb
Monday, July 12, 2010
Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)
Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.
2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.
We must ask what the word "Therefore" is there for at the beginning of chapter 12. Some say it only goes back to chapter 11 where Paul says we are all bound up to His mercy. There are others that say it goes back to the whole discourse on the Gentiles being let in and the Israelites being laid off to the side, which is found in Romans 9-11. I am one who says the "Therefore" goes all the way back to Romans chapter 1 and the whole theme of the book of Romans which is Romans 1:16-17. The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to any who believe. God's mercy, in its fullest way, has been revealed in this Good News about Jesus Christ. Paul has been teaching about all the ramifications of this Gospel since he stated those verses. Now he is bringing it home. In light of all of what God has done for us in His mercy we have only one response and that is to become a living sacrifice. This is our spiritual act of worship. It is worship seven days a week. We are to have a moment-to-moment relationship with our God. If we place ourselves upon Jesus Christ in this way we must no longer conform to the ways of the world. The transformation that takes place is what happens in our minds. Our minds, the way we think, must change by the grace of God. It is then that we are able to taste the sweetness of the will of God. Could you, would you, place yourself upon the altar once again and let God be God in your life? What do you need to get a grip on and of what do you need to let go? Let us look at Romans 12:1-2 in The Message.
Romans 12:1-2 (MSG)
1 So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.
2 Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.
2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.
We must ask what the word "Therefore" is there for at the beginning of chapter 12. Some say it only goes back to chapter 11 where Paul says we are all bound up to His mercy. There are others that say it goes back to the whole discourse on the Gentiles being let in and the Israelites being laid off to the side, which is found in Romans 9-11. I am one who says the "Therefore" goes all the way back to Romans chapter 1 and the whole theme of the book of Romans which is Romans 1:16-17. The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation to any who believe. God's mercy, in its fullest way, has been revealed in this Good News about Jesus Christ. Paul has been teaching about all the ramifications of this Gospel since he stated those verses. Now he is bringing it home. In light of all of what God has done for us in His mercy we have only one response and that is to become a living sacrifice. This is our spiritual act of worship. It is worship seven days a week. We are to have a moment-to-moment relationship with our God. If we place ourselves upon Jesus Christ in this way we must no longer conform to the ways of the world. The transformation that takes place is what happens in our minds. Our minds, the way we think, must change by the grace of God. It is then that we are able to taste the sweetness of the will of God. Could you, would you, place yourself upon the altar once again and let God be God in your life? What do you need to get a grip on and of what do you need to let go? Let us look at Romans 12:1-2 in The Message.
Romans 12:1-2 (MSG)
1 So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.
2 Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
