Practical Piety.

Colossians 3:18-25

And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. – Colossians 3:17 NLT

So far in this chapter, Paul has reminded us that God has chosen us to live as holy people, set apart and distinctively different than the world around us. We are to live lives that exhibit tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. We are to make allowance for one another's faults. We are to forgive when others offend us, just as the Lord has forgiven us. We are to clothe ourselves with love, seek to live in harmony and peace, and allow the message of Jesus' life-changing power fill our lives and impact our relationships with others.

Now he gets practical and personal. He gives us concrete examples of what this kind of life looks like in the everyday world. Wives are to submit to he Lord. This is always a controversial and somewhat unpopular topic among Christians. In our modern-day context it sounds archaic and antiquated. It comes across as someone who is out of touch with reality. But before we get too bent out of shape, it might help to take a look at another one of Paul's letters where he addresses this same issue. "And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord" (Ephesians 5:21-22 NLT). Notice that Paul puts his statement within the context of mutual submission within the body of Christ, and under the headship of Christ. So when he tells wives to submit to their husbands, the issue is headship and God-given authority, not a matter of value or worth. The submission he is calling wives to is the same kind Jesus exhibited in relationship to His heavenly Father. It was done willingly and gladly. Paul told the Ephesians that wives were to submit to their husbands as if they were submitting to the Lord Himself.

Paul tells husbands to love their wives and never treat them harshly. In Ephesians, he takes it a step further, explaining that their love is to be like that of Christ's for the church. Christ died for the church. He gave up His life so that we might live. And His objective was to be able to present a church that without spot, wrinkle, or any kind of blemish. So the kind of love to which Paul calls husbands is difficult, if not impossible. There is no doubt that most wives find it hard to submit to their husbands because they fail to love in the way that Christ did. Many men find it difficult to love their wives, because they refuse to acknowledge their God-ordained authority and responsibility as the heads of their households. And some of those same men have failed to take seriously that God-ordained authority and responsibility, turning over the reigns of their home to their wives. Keep in mind, all of this is to be done in a way that it is accompanied by tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

Children are to obey their parents. Not just when it's convenient or falls in line with their own desires, but at all times. In other words, always. They are to submit to their father and mother – willingly, gladly, humbly, and regularly. At the same time, fathers are not to aggravate their kids, driving them to despair or discouragement. Don't irritate them, or arouse within them feelings of bitterness or resentment. Some fathers are experts at exasperating their children by setting up unfair or double standards. They say one thing and do another. They live lives of hypocrisy, demanding of their children what they are unwilling or unable to do themselves. That can be discouraging and defeating for a child.

Paul tells slaves, of which there were many in the New Testament church, to obey their masters in every area of their lives. Many of these slaves had come to faith in Christ and yet were still required to live as slaves in the society in which they lived. In some cases, they could have actually attended the same church as their owners. And Paul calls them to live as redeemed slaves, serving their masters out of reverence and fear for the Lord. They were to submit to their masters, working diligently and recognizing that their efforts were to be done with a degree of integrity and consistency, marked by a new nature provided by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

In Paul's context, faith in Christ was to be lived out in the context in which one found themselves. He told the Corinthians, "Each of you should continue to live in whatever situation the Lord has placed you, and remain as you were when God first called you" (1 Corinthians 7:17 NLT). If you were a slave when you were saved, remain one. But be a redeemed, holy, set apart slave. If you were married, remain so. But live in such a way that God gets the glory. Submit, love, humble yourself, show mercy, extend kindness, and live in patience with one another. "Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ" (Colossians 3:24 NLT).

Father, this is difficult stuff. Living in submission, loving sacrificially and selflessly, obeying willingly, and serving faithfully are all hard things to do. But that is what it means to live differently and distinctively. You have called us to a higher standard, but You have also provided us with the Holy Spirit to equip and empower us to pull it off. So that at the end of the day, You get the glory. What a difference we would make in the world if we actually lived this way – in obedience to Your will and empowered by Your Spirit. Amen.

Heavenly Minded.

Colossians 3:1-17

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. – Colossians 3:1-3 NLT

There's an old saying that goes something like this: "Some people are so heavenly minded that they're no earthly good." The gist of that statement is that we can become so focused on spiritual things that we never do learn to live them out on a practical level. While I agree with the general idea, I think there are very few of us who suffer with this problem. In fact, I don't believe there are that many Christians today who are truly heavenly minded. Sure, we think of heaven on occasion, when a loved one is nearing death, we attend a funeral, or when we're going through a particularly bad spell of trials with no end in sight. But for the most part, if life on this earth is going well, we tend to think about the things of this earth. We enjoy the things of this earth. And before we know it, heaven becomes an afterthought. It becomes that nice reward that awaits us some time in the distant future. But for now, our minds remain set on earth. And that's understandable, because we're human. We have a human nature, which for the most part, is synonymous with our sin nature. It's what Paul called "the flesh." That part of us that is of this world, and longs for and craves the things of this world. In fact, our "flesh," as Paul describes it, is in love with this world, and it is opposed to the things of heaven. One of the greatest battles we face as Christians is an internal one. It takes place between our sin nature and the new nature provided for us by Christ's death and the Holy Spirit's presence in our lives. Paul told the Galatian church, "The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other…" (Galatians 5:17 NLT)

Paul knew full well what this war within was like. He shared his first-hand experience with it in his letter to the Romans. "…if the power of sin within me keeps sabotaging my best intentions, I obviously need help! I realize that I don’t have what it takes. I can will it, but I can’t do it. I decide to do good, but I don’t really do it; I decide not to do bad, but then I do it anyway. My decisions, such as they are, don’t result in actions. Something has gone wrong deep within me and gets the better of me every time. It happens so regularly that it’s predictable. The moment I decide to do good, sin is there to trip me up. I truly delight in God’s commands, but it’s pretty obvious that not all of me joins in that delight. Parts of me covertly rebel, and just when I least expect it, they take charge. I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question?" (Romans 7:17-24 The Message).

So what's the cure? Paul gives the answer in the very next verse: "The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does." Jesus provides the answer. He not only provided for our salvation, but He made possible our ongoing sanctification, by giving us the indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit. We have a power source available to us that is like no other. It is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. But Paul reminds the Colossian believers that they have to reset their minds, reconfigure their thought processes. They need to focus their attention on the things of heaven – where Jesus Himself is and where our future lies. This world is not our home. We don't belong here. It is a temporary holding place, but is not intended to be our permanent residence. And it is not to garner all our attention. It should never distract us from the reality of heaven and the eternal nature of our souls.

Over in Romans 13, Paul warns his believing readers, "…make no provision for the flesh in regards to its lusts" (Romans 13:13-14 NASB). The Greek word translated "make no provision" means to "know ahead, to have forethought." It conveys the idea of preparing ahead to sin. We actually provide for sin in our lives by cultivating a climate in our minds in which it can grow and prosper. How do we do it?

-        By focusing our thoughts on the wrong things

-        By concentrating our attention on impure things

-        By participating in the “deeds of evil and darkness” that mark this world

-        By applauding evil and rationalizing our involvement with it

-        By glamorizing sin and growing complacent about wickedness

-        By refusing to expose sin in our own lives and the lives of those around us

-        By becoming lazy about our lifestyle and flippant about God’s will

-        By failing to recognize that we live in evil times

That's why Paul says, "Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth." This was a common theme for Paul. He told the believers in Philippi the same thing. "Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise." (Philippians 4:8 NLT). The things we fill out minds with are incredibly important when it comes to how we live our lives. Paul reminds us to "put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you" (Colossians 3:5 NLT). So rather than feed the flesh, we need to starve it. He goes on and makes it even more specific. "Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires" (Colossians 3:5 NLT). And I don't think he is restricting our involvement in these things to the purely physical level. He is also addressing our thought lives. He are to have NOTHING to do with these things. That includes not watching others act them out on TV or in the movies we watch. He also tells us to refrain from greed because it reveals that we worship and love the things of this world. He warns against anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, lying and dirty language. All these things are characteristics of our sinful human nature. But we have a new nature and are being renewed into the likeness of Christ by the indwelling power and presence of the Holy Spirit. But we have to fix our minds on the things of heaven, not the things of this earth. We have to desire what the Spirit desires, not what the flesh desires. Paul makes it clear in Galatians 5:19-21 what the fruit of feeding the flesh looks like. But he also tells us what fixing our eyes on heaven looks like. When we live heavenly minded lives, we will exhibit heavenly minded fruit: tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, love, and peace.So what are you going to fix your thoughts on today?

Father, we are surrounded by the things of this world and it is so easy to become fixated on what we see. We can't see heaven and we can't see You. But give us a heavenly perspective that allows us to see the things of heaven more clearly with each passing day. Help us to live by faith, because "Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see" (Hebrews 11:1 NLT). Amen.

Rooted In Christ.

Colossians 2:6-23

And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. – Colossians 2:6-7 NLT

You can't ever get enough of Christ. I realize that might sound a bit heretical, but it is completely and solidly biblical. We are never to grow satisfied with a basic knowledge about Jesus. While a deep and intimate knowledge of Jesus is not necessary to enjoy a saving relationship with Him, once we have come to faith in Him, we are to grow in our knowledge of and relationship with Him. Peter put it this way: "…you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18 NLT). That's a command. And in another one of his letters, Peter wrote, "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation" (1 Peter 2:2 NIV). Both of these passages are fascinating if you take the time to think about what they are saying. In verse six of Colossians 2, Paul uses the word, "rooted." It is a Greek word that actually means "to take root" or "to strengthen with roots." It conveys the idea of a plant sending down a healthy root system in order to receive nutrients for growth, but also strength for future adversity. Paul tells us we are to sink our roots down into Christ. We are to be rooted in Him. In other words, we are to grow in our knowledge of who Christ is and what He has done for me. We are to grow in His grace and in the knowledge of who He is. Peter uses the term "grow" and it means "to increase or become greater." We are to grow in our knowledge of Christ. We are to grow in our salvation. But what does all this mean?

Think about when you came to Christ. How much did you really know and understand about Jesus and His gift of salvation? You probably had a fairly basic knowledge of who He was and what He had done. When I accepted Jesus' free gift of salvation at the age of seven, I had a very elementary and basic understanding of what I was doing. I knew and believed that Jesus was the Son of God. I knew that I was a sinner – from my own experience. I also knew that I couldn't be good enough to live the kind of life God expected of me. I couldn't even please my own parents. And I knew that Jesus offered me forgiveness of sin and eternal life, if I would simply place my faith in who He was and what He had done for me on the cross. So I did. But that was 51 years ago, and my knowledge of Jesus is far greater than it was then. I know so much more about Him, intellectually and, more importantly, experientially. I have a much more robust understanding of just how significant His death on the cross really was. I appreciate His grace and mercy far more than I ever did at seven. I have a much more sophisticated understanding of my own sin nature and my need for grace than I ever did. Because I have grown in my knowledge of Jesus and of my own salvation.

Paul tells us that if we will sink our roots deep down in Jesus, holding firmly to who He is and feeding regularly on the truth of what He has done, our faith will grow strong and we will experience an overflowing thankfulness for all that He has done and is doing in our lives. This is so important, because the world will constantly attempt to distract us from becoming rooted and grounded in Jesus. The enemy will try to get our eyes off of Christ and on to something or someone else that promises to give us hope, joy, peace, fulfillment, and happiness. Paul knew that the believers in Colosse were going to be bombarded by the temptation to buy into "empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world" (Colossians 2:8 NLT). These humanly, worldly alternatives to Christ would never be an adequate substitute for Christ. "For in Christ dwells all the fullness of God in a human body" (Colossians 2:9 NLT). Christ was all they needed. But they needed to grow in their knowledge of Him. They needed to continue to root their lives in Him. And so do we.

A growing knowledge of who Christ is and the significance of what He has done for us will help us discern false teaching, reject the accusations of the enemy claiming we haven't done enough, refuse the condemnations of others demanding we need to do more, and allow us to rest in the all-sufficient work of Christ on our behalf. "You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world" (Colossians 2:20 NLT). My roots continue to grow deep down into Christ. I am continually learning to root my hope and strength in Him and what He has done and is doing for me. I didn't save myself through self-effort and I cannot sanctify myself through self-effort. He saved me and is sanctifying me. He loved me enough to redeem me and He loves me enough to renovate me. He is all I need.

Father, thank You that Jesus is sufficient. I don't need to add my hard work and human effort to the equation. I don't need to keep a set of rules and live up to some human set of standards. My roots are set down into Christ and what He has done for me. It is all about Him, not me. He is my salvation and my daily source of strength. He not only saved me, but is sanctifying me each and every day of my life. Show me how to continually sink my roots into Him and build my life on Him, so that my faith will continue to grow and prosper – even in the midst of adversity. Amen.

Actively Caring.

Colossians 1:24-2:5

I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally. I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. – Colossians 2:1-2 NLT

Suffering. Serving. Proclaiming. Telling. Warning. Teaching. Working. Struggling. Agonizing.

Look at all the present participles Paul uses in short passage. What it reveals to me is his undeniable commitment to the cause of Christ and the spiritual growth of those under his care – whether he has ever personally met them or not. Paul was actively involved in the spiritual well-being of others. His goal was their maturity or growth in Christ-likeness. So he was willing to suffer and serve, work and warn, struggle and agonize on their behalf, so that they might grow in love for God and for one another. He wanted them to increase in confidence and boldness, and live lives that were a testimony to the life-changing power of God.

I can't help but read the words of Paul and reflect on just how much I care about the spiritual well-being of others. Too often, in the church today, we become focused on our own personal spiritual health, but fail to show much concern for those around us. Paul could have easily grown content with the state of his own growth in Christ, knowing that he was making significant progress in his own spiritual development. But he knew that his growth was directly tied to the body of Christ. His spiritual gifts were given to him for the benefit of the body, not himself. God had called him, not just so that he might have a personal relationship with Him, but so that he might tell others of the same Good News that had completely and radically changed his life for eternity. So Paul was not content just focusing on his own spiritual development. He was obsessed with helping others grow and mature. It was his calling. It was his reason for being. And he was willing to burn himself out on behalf of others, so that they might experience all that God had in store for them.

Paul was gladly willing to suffer if it meant that others could benefit. Keep in mind that he was more than likely writing this letter while under house arrest in Rome. Paul knew what it meant to suffer. He had been beaten, tried unjustly, flogged, stoned and left for dead, and constantly harassed for his association with Christ. But he wrote, "I am glad when I suffer for you in my body, for I am participating in the sufferings of Christ that continue for his body, the church" (Colossians 1:24 NLT). As the head of the body, Christ suffers when we suffer. He indwells each and every believer and, as a result, is intimately involved in all of our suffering. Jesus told us that we would undergo trials and suffer as a result of our association with Him. He warned us that the world would hate us. "If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you" (John 15:18-19 NLT). And Paul knew first-hand the reality of this warning. But he willingly and gladly accepted it as a part of his calling as a minister of Jesus Christ.

What a model we have in this incredible man. Rather than put him on a pedestal and make him into some kind of unapproachable icon of virtue, we should imitate his actions and attitudes. We should model our lives after his. Paul did not see his salvation as a ticket to heaven or some kind of Get-Out-Of-Hell-Free card. He saw his calling as a privilege and responsibility that he took seriously. So he suffered, served, proclaimed, told, warned, taught, worked, struggled and agonized, so that others might grow. What about you? Are you actively seeking the spiritual well-being of others? Are you intimately and personally involved in helping those around you grow more Christ-like? What a difference it would make if each of us were to take personal responsibility for the spiritual health of the body of Christ just like Paul did. If I was willing to suffer physically so that others might prosper spiritually, the overall health and vitality of the body of Christ would increase exponentially.

Father, give me the same kind of zeal and determination Paul had. Don't let me become so myopic and self-focused that I lose sight of the fact that You have placed me in the body of Christ for a reason. You have called each of us to minister to one another. You have designed this thing to be mutually beneficial, not selfishly individual. Help me see the needs all around me and meet them, even if it means that I have to suffer as a result. Amen.

Members In Good Standing.

Colossians 1:15-23

Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. – Colossians 1:22 NLT

This next section of Paul's letter to the believers is Colosse contains some incredibly rich theological truths. In it, Paul provides us with what has been called "The Great Christology" or "Christ Hymn." In verses 15-20, Paul gives a clear and concise view of Christ's supremacy over all things. He reveals Christ's status as the very image of the invisible God, His role in creation, His headship over the church, His sustaining power over the universe, and His incredible work of reconciliation, made possible by His death on the cross. What is amazing to Paul and should be amazing to us, is that Christ – the all-superior, all-supreme Son of God, the Creator and sustainer of the universe – has chosen to provide a way for us to be made right with God. We were at one time strangers and enemies of God, as evidenced by our evil behavior, and yet, Christ died in our place and on our behalf, so that we might be reconciled to God. Paul reminds us, "You were his enemies, separated from him by your evil thoughts and actions" (Colossians 1:21b NLT). Yet God "reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body" (Colossians 1:22a NLT). God did for us what we could not do for ourselves. He provided a means by which we could be restored to a right relationship with Him. He sacrificed His Son so that we might be made friends of God rather than enemies of God, children rather than strangers. "As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault" (Colossians 1:22b NLT).

That thought should blow every one of us away. It should boggle our minds and never cease to amaze and astound us. Look at what Paul says. We have access into the very presence of God Almighty, where we stand as holy and blameless, as if we didn't have a single, solitary fault. What an incredible truth. It is so incredible that many of us have a hard time believing it to be true. We focus on our sins and our faults and find it difficult to imagine that God can't see or refuses to see what is so clear to us: Our own sinfulness. But Paul is speaking about something called our "positional righteousness" made possible by Jesus Christ's death on the cross. His blood covered our sins – past, present and future. That's why Paul could write, "So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1 NLT). Our sins have been paid for and forgiven. God sees us through the redemptive work of Christ and covered by His blood. Our debt has been paid in full. We stand before God as positionally righteous. This does not mean that we are sinless in actuality. It means that we have been justified by the death of Christ on the cross. Because of what Christ did for us on the cross, God is able to declare us legally righteous. Christ took on our sin and we took on His righteousness. It is what has been called "The Great Exchange."

But Paul goes on to remind us of another important reality. "But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News" (Colossians 1:23 NLT). It is our belief in and reliance upon this important truth that should motivate our desire to live righteous and holy lives before God all the days of our lives. Our positional righteousness, made possible by Christ's death on the cross in our place, should motivate us to live in practical righteousness. We should want to live as what God says we are: Holy and set apart for Him. So when Peter quotes God as saying, "You must be holy because I am holy" (1 Peter 1:16 NLT), he is reminding us that we are to live out the reality of who we are. Our positional righteousness must become practical and present-tense. Our sins have been atoned for, so why would we ever want to continue to live in them? When God looks at us, He sees us as righteous. Paul reminds us to live as what we are. We must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Yes, we will struggle with temptation in this life. We will even give in to it and commit sins that contradict our righteous standing. But when we remember and recognize that we have been reconciled to God through Christ, it should provide us with the motivation to repent and return. Our sins can no longer condemn us. Our periodic acts of rebellion can't remove or separate us from the presence of God. Our place is permanent. Our position is secure. So we are to live like it. "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39 NLT).

Father, while I find the theology behind positional righteousness hard to comprehend, don't let me ever doubt it. Help me rest in it and cling to it all the days of my life. Don't ever let me go back to thinking that I have to somehow earn my right standing with You, because that is an impossible task. I am right with You because Jesus made it possible. Now help me, through the power of Your indwelling Spirit, to live as who You say I am – Your righteous, forgiven, holy child. Amen.

The Key To Pleasing God.

Colossians 1:1-14

Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. – Colossians 1:10 NLT

I don't think I've ever met an individual who claims to be a Christian who hasn't somehow aspired to live a life that is pleasing to God. In fact, most of us as believers know that our lives should be markedly different than those of non-believers. We recognize that God has a higher standard for us. So we go out of our way to try and attempt to live in such a way that our lives somehow bring glory to Him. What we usually end up with is some list of do's and don'ts that we use to determine our behavior and, ultimately to measure our degree of spirituality. Here's the formula most of us work from: More good behavior + less bad behavior = holiness. So we attempt to increase certain things in our life that we understand to be good, while eliminating other things that might hamper our holiness because they're inherently bad. So we read our Bibles and we give up smoking. We attend church and stop hanging out at bars. We listen to Christian music instead of rock or rap. But too often we miss the whole point. We can't actually increase our holiness through behavior modification. We can't sanctify ourselves any more than we could save ourselves.

That's why this passage in the very beginning of Paul's letter to the believers in Colosse is so important. He is writing to Christians and is confident that they have had a saving encounter with Jesus Christ. He refers to them as "God's holy people" (Colossians 1:2a NLT). He has heard great reports regarding their faith in Jesus Christ and their love for one another. And he offers up a prayer for them at the very start of his letter. That prayer is insightful and gives us a great glimpse into what Paul understood about the key to living a godly life. Notice that the verse above starts with the word, "then." Some translations use the words, "so that" or "in order that." But the idea is the same. Paul is telling the believers in Colosse that if they want to live lives that honor and please God, and if they want to live lives that produce every kind of good fruit, there is something they are going to have to have before that can happen. And that ingredient is made clear in Paul's prayer for them. "We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding" (Colossians 1:9 NLT). Paul tells them, "we have not stopped praying for you…" and the content of those prayers have been that they might know God's will and have spiritual wisdom and understanding. Those things are not just "nice-to-have-them-if-I-can-get-them" kinds of things. They are the keys to living a life that honors and pleases God. They are non-negotiables to to fruitful living.

Paul knew that in order for the believers in Colosse to live godly lives they were going to need to know the will of God. They were going to have to understand what it is that God desired for them. Over in 1 Thessalonians 4:3, Paul wrote the Thessalonian believers that God's will for them was to be holy – set apart, devoted to God. His will for all believers is that they live lives that are distinctive and different, characterized by the Spirit's presence and God's righteous requirements. One of the primary ways in which we can know God's will is by reading and obeying God's Word. The Bible is the revelation of God and gives us a glimpse into His character and His expectations of mankind. As believers, we have the unique combination of the indwelling Holy Spirit and the Word of God that provides us with a way to know God's will, and a means to receive spiritual wisdom and understanding. Together, they provide us with divine insights into the will and ways of God. When I know His will and gain spiritual wisdom and understanding from His Word, I have what it takes to live a life that will always honor and please Him. I also have what it takes to produce the kind of fruit He is looking for.

Paul offered up a similar prayer for the believers who were living in Philippi. "I pray that…you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ's return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation – for this will bring much glory and praise to God" (Philippians 1:9-10 NLT). He prayed for knowledge and understanding. He wanted them to know and understand not only God's expectations, but His provision. God makes the life of holiness possible. He provides us with salvation and then gives us His Word and His Spirit to aid us in the pursuit of sanctification. When we discover His will through His Word, and rely upon His Spirit to empower us to obey what we see and hear, our lives end up bearing fruit that is Spirit-produced. Paul describes that fruit in Galatians 5. "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23 NLT). That kind of fruit honors and pleases God because it is fruit that is the by-product of His presence in our lives. We can't manufacture it on our own. So when it shows up, it is proof of His presence in our lives.

So if you want your life to honor and please God, producing fruit that is of divine origin, then you will have to know His will and possess a wisdom and understanding that is not of this world. That will require time spent in His Word. It will demand a submission to His Spirit's leading. It will take a willing obedience to and trusting faith in His will for your life. And it all starts in the Word of God. Go there. Spend time there. Get to know Him there. And "you will grow to know God better and better" (Colossians 1:10b NLT).

Father, never let us lose sight of the fact that Your Word is essential for living a life that honors and pleases You. We can't know Your will part from Your Word. We can't get to know You well if we refuse to spend time in the very book that reveals Your character to us. May we grow increasingly dependent on Your Word and Your Holy Spirit's leading, so that our lives might honor and please you, producing fruit that proves Your powerful presence in our lives. Amen.

Ken Miller Grow Pastor & Minister to Men kenm@christchapelbc.org

A Final Word of Warning.

Romans 16:17-27

And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching things contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them. – Romans 16:17 NLT

Paul wraps up his wide-ranging treatise with a single, simple warning: Stay away from anyone who might want to cause division in the church or negatively impact another believer's faith. Paul had a special disdain for false teachers – those who taught anything contrary to the Gospel message he had received from Christ Himself. These individuals were not to be tolerated. Paul did not live in an age of political correctness or rampant tolerance. He didn't have to put up with those who chose to present their own version of the Gospel or offered up a slightly variant form of salvation. As far as Paul was concerned, there was no reason to accept or tolerate these people and their messages. He knew just how dangerous they could be.

Paul had warned the believers in Galatia, "This false teaching is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough! I am trusting the Lord to keep you from believing false teachings. God will judge that person, whoever he is, who has been confusing you" (Galatians 5:9-10 NLT). In their case, he was addressing those who were teaching that circumcision was a necessary requirement for salvation to be complete. These were Jews who were demanding that Gentiles adhere to all the rituals and requirements of Judaism in order to be fully saved. For Paul, this was a clear case of trying to add to the Gospel message. It was Jesus + something. And as far as Paul was concerned, the Gospel was Jesus + NOTHING. No-thing. No works. No merit. No circumcision. No rituals. No sacrifices. No rules. Nothing.

So why would Paul wrap up his lengthy letter with a warning against false teachers? Because he knew that they were alive and well and would be continuing to spread their false teaching to anyone who would listen. And as Paul told the Galatians, all it would take was a little false teaching to permeate and impact the entire church. Within any local body of believers it is essential that those who are more mature and knowledgeable of the Scriptures to be on the lookout for false teaching and errant doctrine. Those who are new to the faith are especially susceptible to false teaching. They do not yet have adequate knowledge of the truth to discern falsehood from truth. That is why pastors, teachers, and elders of the local church carry a special responsibility to protect the flock from false teachers and faulty doctrine. Paul warned the elders from the church in Ephesus, "So guard yourselves and God's people. Feed and shepherd God's flock – his church, purchased with his own blood – over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as elders" (Acts 20:28 NLT). That is a high calling and a weighty responsibility, and one that every elder should take seriously.

Paul warned Titus that any man who served as an elder "must have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught; then he will be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong" (Titus 1:9 NLT). Why was this important to Paul? "For there are many rebellious people who engage in useless talk and deceive others. This is especially true of those who insist on circumcision for salvation. They must be silenced, because they are turning whole families away from the truth by their false teaching" (Titus 1:10-11 NLT). They must be silenced. They must be avoided at all costs. They must be dealt with strongly and severely. Because the health of the body and the well-being of the flock is at stake. And the same holds true today. Paul warns us with these words: "Such people are not serving Christ our Lord; they are serving their own personal interests. By smooth talk and glowing words they deceive innocent people" (Romans 16:18 NLT). We need to see them for what they are. Deceivers who are motivated by their own personal interests and who prefer their version of the truth over God's Word. They sound good. They tend to make sense. But if they contradict the truth of God's Word and alter in any way the Good News regarding Jesus Christ, they are to be avoided at all costs. Don't tolerate them. Don't listen to them. Don't allow them to influence your fellowship. The Gospel message is far too precious and valuable to allow it to be diluted or altered in any way. Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6 NLT). Anyone who attempts to add to or alter that message in any way, is not only wrong, they are dangerous. Tolerance may be politically correct, but it is spiritually deadly. That's why Paul told the Corinthians, "You happily put up with whatever anyone tells you, even if they preach a different Jesus than the one we preach, or a different kind of Spirit than the one you received, or a different kind of gospel than the one you believed" (2 Corinthians 22:4 NLT). Their tolerance was going to have devastating results on the health of the local church. And the same is true today. So let us stand up for the truth. Let us defend the Gospel. And let us protect the body of Christ from false teaching – at all costs.

Father, there are so many confusing and conflicting message out there today. So many are trying to water down the Gospel and make it all-inclusive. They want to teach that there are many paths to Your Kingdom. They want to lower the standard and increase the number of options available for being made right with You. But Jesus said He was the only source of salvation. He was and is the only means for man to be restored to a right relationship with You. Help us remain faithful to that truth. Don't let us lower our guard or tolerate anyone who wants to dilute or confuse the Gospel in any way. Amen.

The Church: A Melting Pot.

Romans 16:1-16

Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in the ministry of Christ Jesus. In fact, they once risked their lives for me. I am thankful to them, and so are all the Gentile churches. Also give my greetings to the church that meets in their home. – Romans 16:3-5 NLT

Phoebe. Priscilla. Aquila. Epenetus. Mary. Adronicus. Junia. Ampliatus. Urbanus. Stachys. Apelles. Aristobulus. Herodian. Narcissus. Tryphena. Tryphosa. Persis. Rufus and his mother. Asyncritus. Phlegon. Hermes. Patrobas. Hermas. Philologus. Julia. Nereus and his sister. Olympas.

What a list. Paul closes out his letter with this lengthy compilation of individuals to whom he wished to send his greetings or offer introductions for the local congregation in Rome. In addition to the sheer number of names on the list, what should jump out at us is the cosmopolitan nature of the list. It contains Romans, Greeks, Jews, Gentiles, men, women, rich, poor, slaves and citizens in high standing. In just 16 short verses, Paul gives us a glimpse into life within the early church. In less than a century, the body of Christ had grown from that small, rag-tag group of disciples who had gathered in the days just after Jesus' resurrection and ascension. Just as Jesus had promised, they had received the Holy Spirit and were immediately transformed into agents of change and messengers of the Good News, spreading the message of salvation throughout the known world.

Now we see that their efforts, and those of Paul, Barnabas, Silas, and others, had been effective. The Good News was being preached and people from all walks of life were being saved. Individuals from every strata of society were hearing and accepting the message of reconciliation with God made available through belief in Jesus Christ. These people, whom Paul knew personally and loved deeply, were not just Christians, they were fellow servants, co-workers, brothers and sisters in Christ, friends, ex-inmates, house-church leaders, and co-laborers within the Kingdom of God. Paul gives little to no explanation or clarification about most of these individuals. He doesn't tell us how he knew them or where he met them. He simply explains that they are his brothers and sisters in Christ, and offers them to the believers in Rome as well worth getting to know.

The church was designed to be a melting pot. It was intended to be a place of unity, where individuals from every walk of life were joined together within the Kingdom of God because of their common relationship with and reliance upon Jesus Christ. While in Rome there would have been a well-defined social strata and caste system, within the church there was to be no such division. The body of Christ is about diversity. Paul put it this way in his letter to the church in Ephesus: "And this is God’s plan: Both Gentiles and Jews who believe the Good News share equally in the riches inherited by God’s children. Both are part of the same body, and both enjoy the promise of blessings because they belong to Christ Jesus. By God’s grace and mighty power, I have been given the privilege of serving him by spreading this Good News" (Ephesians 3:6-7 NLT). There is unique quality of unity and cohesiveness that should mark the church. Paul reminded the believers in Corinth, "But to those called by God to salvation, both Jews and Gentiles, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. This foolish plan of God is wiser than the wisest of human plans, and God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength" (1 Corinthians 1:24-25 NLT). Social standing, economic status, personal attributes and educational background had nothing to do with it. "Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. As a result, no one can ever boast in the presence of God" (1 Corinthians 1:26-29 NLT).

God chose. God called. God saved. Not based on merit or worth. Not according to our own worthiness or some arbitrary standard of value. The one thing that binds every single believer in Christ together is our inherent unworthiness. God's gift of salvation was just that – a gift. It was undeserved and unmerited. Christ died for us while we were still neck-deep in our sins, not after we got our spiritual acts together and somehow earned His favor. Each of the individuals listed in Paul's closing to his letter to the Romans shared one thing in common – their complete dependency upon God for their salvation. As a result of God's redeeming work, they had become part of the body of Christ and found themselves inextricably linked to one another regardless of income, ethnic background, social standing, or personal history. Paul tells his readers to "Greet each other in Christian love" (Romans 16:16 NLT). The fact that they didn't know each other well was irrelevant. That some were Greeks and some were Romans was immaterial. The reality that his list included both Jews and Gentiles didn't matter. They were all part of the body of Christ and each belonged to the other. Together they represented God's unique, one-of-a-kind plan known as the church.

Father, what an amazing thing You have accomplished through Your Son Jesus Christ and the faithful witness of Your servants over the centuries. Men and women from all walks of life and every tribe, tongue and nation have found salvation, hope and life through Your Son and have been included in Your family – the Church. Thank You for the diversity and unity found within the body of Christ. May we continue to seek to expand the reach of Your Kingdom and the spread of the Gospel throughout the world. Give us a love for ALL believers, not just those who look like us and talk like us. Help us look past our differences and see our common bond in Jesus Christ. Amen.

To the Ends of the Earth.

Romans 15:23-33

Dear brothers and sisters, I urge you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to join in my struggle by praying to God for me. Do this because of your love for me, given to you by the Holy Spirit. – Romans 15:30 NLT

Over in the book of Acts, Luke records for us the words of Jesus, spoken to the disciples after His resurrection and just prior to His ascension back into heaven. He was giving them His marching orders. He told them, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere — in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth" (Acts 1:8 NLT). This statement had to have amazed the disciples on a number of levels. First of all, He was leaving. They were going to be on their own for the very first time since they had begun following Jesus. That thought had to be intimidating to them. Secondly, He was telling them that they were going to spread the Good News all over the world. These were men who were unlearned and who had not traveled beyond the region of Palestine. Now they were being told to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. But they did. And one of the men who played a significant role in accomplishing Christ's commission was the apostle Paul. While he was not present when Jesus spoke the words quoted above, Paul clearly knew about them and took the seriously. He spent his entire adult life, post-conversion, doing just what Jesus had commanded. As a result, people all throughout the areas of the world we now know as Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria and Italy heard the Good News about Jesus Christ. Paul traveled thousands of mile, under less-than-ideal conditions, in order to make Christ known to the Gentiles. He faced difficulties, setbacks, and opposition of all kinds. He even went through the life-threatening experience of a shipwreck. Paul was relentlessly obedient to the command of Christ.

And he longed to visit the believers in faraway Rome. But not before he made a trip to Spain. Think about the significance of what Paul was planning. Travel in his day was not easy or comfortable. It wasn't inexpensive either. And Paul's travel plans were not driven by wanderlust, but a deep desire to see people come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. He wanted people of all nations to hear the Good News and experience the same life-changing transformation he had gone through on the road to Damascus all those years ago. Paul was driven by a love for the lost. He wanted more and more people to come to faith in Jesus Christ. He knew that the only hope for the world was Jesus. And he knew that the only way they were going to hear about Him was if someone was willing to tell them. Paul expressed this very sentiment earlier in his letter to the Romans. "But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?" (Romans 10:14 NLT). So Paul went and Paul told. And he asked the believers in Rome to pray for him. He knew that not everyone was free or able to do what he did. Not everyone could spend their lives traveling around the world spreading the Gospel. But they could join in his efforts through prayer. They could give financially to help fund his travels. Paul viewed what he did as a family affair. They were in it together. He had his part to play and they had theirs. And the same it true today. There are those who have been called to full-time ministry, spreading the Gospel to the nations. But all of us have been commissioned by Christ to take the Good News to the ends of the earth, and it begins in our own neighborhood. We are all missionaries, messengers of Good News to the nations. Some of us can go. Many of us can give. All of us can pray. And we need to do so until Jesus returns. Like Paul, we need to learn that it is not enough to be content to hear the Good News and to benefit from it. We must spread the Good News so that others might come to experience the same joy, forgiveness, freedom, and hope that we have. "How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!" (Romans 10:15 NLT).

Father, we have a job to do. We have a message to share. We have a commission to keep. Give us a focus like Paul had. Don't let us ever think that the spread of the Gospel is someone else's job. Never let us buy into the lie that we are somehow exempt from keeping the Great Commission. Constantly remind us of the importance of going, telling, giving and praying. May we learn to sacrifice our own agenda for Yours. May we give up our conveniences and comforts for the sake of those who are lost and dying. There are still so many who have not heard the Good News regarding Your Son. Give us the desire and determination of Paul in this generation. Amen.

You Have What It Takes.

Romans 15:14-22

But I myself am fully convinced about you, my brothers and sisters,that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another. – Romans 15:14 NET

While Paul has spent a great deal of time critiquing the behavior of the Christians in Rome, he begins to close out his letter with some words of encouragement. He wants them to know that they not only have within them the power to live lives that are different and distinct from those around them, they are actually pulling it off. His letter was not meant to depress and demoralize them. He was simply doing what God had called him to do as a minister of the Gospel. And that sometimes included having to say and write difficult things. But his goal was always the same: "that the Gentiles may become an acceptable offering, sanctified by the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:16 NET). Paul wanted them to live lives that were set apart, different and distinct from the way they used to live. He wanted their lives to be marked by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit – who alone can make a life of holiness possible. Paul knew that they had what it takes to live holy, set apart lives because he knew they had the Holy Spirit residing within them. As a result they were "full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another" (Romans 15:14 NLT).

Paul uses the term "goodness." It is the Greek word, agathōsynē and it means "uprightness of heart and life." It is the goodness that comes from God and reveals itself in spiritual, moral excellence. In other words, it is an inner quality that shows up in our character and our interactions with others. Paul uses the word in three other places in his letters and it is always associated with the work of the Holy Spirit. In other words, it is not of human origin, but is divine. In Galatians 5, Paul includes it in the list of the fruit of the Spirit. In Ephesians 5, Paul tells the believers in Ephesus that they are full of light and, as a result, they should live as people of light. For the light that resides within them only produces "goodness" – spiritual and moral excellence. In 1 Thessalonians 1:9, Paul prayed that they would be make them worthy of His calling and fulfill for them every desire they had for "goodness" and every act that was prompted by their faith. Paul wanted to see the power of the Holy Spirit "fleshed out" in their lives by the way they lived their lives and interacted with one another. They had it in them, but they had to live it out.

The key for Paul was dependence upon and obedience to the Holy Spirit. His life was marked by a constant reliance upon the Holy Spirit's direction. He did what he was told to do. He went where he was told to go. He preached what he was told to say. In spite of opposition, difficulty, set backs, his own apprehensions, fear, physical illness or any feelings of inadequacy or inability. Again, Paul was simply doing what the Holy Spirit had directed and empowered him to do. "I bring you the Good News so that I might present you as an acceptable offering to God, made holy by the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:16 NLT). Anything he had accomplished through his life had been done by the Spirit, not him. His life had been marked by "goodness" – spiritual, moral excellence. By allowing himself to be used by the Spirit, Paul had been able to see lives changed, and the message of the Gospel spread throughout the Roman Empire. The power of God had been "fleshed out" in Paul's life, making a difference in not only his own life, but the lives of thousands of others. The goodness of God had done a good work in and through Paul. And Paul wanted to see that same thing happen in the lives of the believers in Rome. Having the Spirit of God living within us is great. But the key to living the Christian life is learning to let the Holy Spirit reveal His power through us. In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul writes, "We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves" (2 Corinthians 4:5 NLT). Our darkness has been penetrated by the light of the Gospel and the presence of the power of God in the form of the Holy Spirit. Now we need to let that light shine. He describes us as fragile clay jars. We are weak and worthless, and yet God has placed His Spirit within us, so that His power might flow from us – revealing and testifying to His life-changing presence in our lives. But if the Spirit's power never shows up, if the "goodness" of God never reveals itself in spiritual, moral excellence in our lives – God doesn't get the glory and the darkness around us remains unchanged. We have what it takes. Now we have to take what we have and let it out.

Father, too often we live in our own power and fail to reveal Your power that resides within us. Show us how to let the power of the Spirit within us out of us. May His light shine through us, proving that we truly are Your sons and daughters. May Your goodness flow from us in acts of kindness, works of faith, and the fruit of the Spirit. Amen.

Maturity By Committee.

Romans 15:1-13

We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves. We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord. – Romans 15:1-2 NLT

The Christian life is not a solitary excursion, but a communal effort, where we walk hand-in-hand, side-by-side with other believers on a pilgrimage of faith. This journey is meant to be done in the context of community, not in isolation. Paul's letters were primarily written to churches, not individuals. He spent a great deal of time trying to encourage the corporate life of the local church and stressed the non-negotiable interrelationship between believers. This chapter is no different. He closed out chapter 14 with an admonition to not allow the grey areas of life to cause division within the body of Christ. According to Paul, there was nothing worth causing another believer to stumble, whether it was your right or not. Just because you have freedom to do something, doesn't mean you should. Your first consideration should always be for the other party. Paul tells us, "We must not just please ourselves" (Romans 15:1b NLT). The Christian life is not to be self-centered, but rather it is to be selfless and sacrificial. "We should help others do what is right and build them up in the Lord" (Romans 15:2 NLT). Our goal should always be the edification or building up of the body of Christ, not the self-centered protection of our own rights and privileges. For Paul, Jesus was and is the greatest living example of this idea. He wrote to the Philippians, "Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had" (Philippians 2:3-5 NLT).

We are to have the mind of Christ. We are to adopt His attitude when it came to loving others. Jesus willingly suffered the abuse and rejection of men, and returned their disdain with sacrificial love. Paul's desire was that the believers in Rome would follow Christ's example and learn to live in complete harmony with one another. He wanted them to share Christ's passion for and commitment to the spiritual well-being of others. As followers of Christ, they needed to learn to live like Christ lived, with their attention and focus on the needs and cares of others. They were to "accept each other" in the same way that Christ had accepted them. In other words, not based on merit, effort or earning. One of the unique things about the church is that it is by nature a compilation or blend of a wide variety of people from all walks of life and of varying degrees of spiritual maturity. There will be strong and weak believers present. There will be mature and immature individuals within any given body of believers. There will be rich and poor, spiritual and carnal, young and old, educated and uneducated. "Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory" (Romans 15:7 NLT). When we accept one another, it glorifies God, because it reveals that He is at work in our midst, providing us with the capacity to love one another in spite of our differences. He is the one who provides us with the strength to love one another whether we deserve it or not.

We must constantly remember that we are all works in process. God is not done with His transformative work in our lives. And we must constantly remind ourselves that God has chosen to renew us within the context of community. We test, try, strengthen, and encourage one another. We not only test one another's gifts, we help bring them out. We develop the fruit of the Spirit within the context of the local body of believers. There is a method to God's seeming madness. He knows what He is doing. As we trust His redeeming work in our lives and accept the fact that He has chosen to do it through the relationships we have with others, we will experience hope, joy and peace. We will learn that those with whom we disagree are actually tools He has placed in our lives to accomplish His transformation of our lives. "Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13b NLT). Rather than bicker and fight over petty issues like food, clothing, worship music styles, Bible translation preferences, and a host of other grey areas, we will learn to trust that God is working through our differences, blending together a wide range of personalities, gift sets, backgrounds, and opinions, in an effort to accomplish His will for us – our holiness (1 Thessalonians 4:3).

Father, thank You for the body of Christ, the local church. It is far from perfect, full of people like me, and therefore, prone to division and dissension. Help me to view it as the divine organism You ordained to accomplish Your redemptive work in the world and the transformative process You are doing in each and every one of our lives. Amen.

Food Fights.

Romans 14:14-23

Don't tear apart the work of God over what you eat. Remember, all foods are acceptable, but it is wrong to eat something if it makes another person stumble. – Romans 14:20 NIV

In all things, our goal should be the building up of one another in love. There is no place in the body of Christ for petty arguments or disputes over rights and privileges. This entire section of Paul's letter has to do with food. At first glance, it may appear that Paul is spending an inordinate amount of time dealing with what appears to be a non-issue. After all, how big a deal is what we eat in our local fellowships today? We don't tend to fight and argue over issues of diet or culinary preferences. But in Paul's day, this was a problem. There were those within the local church in Rome who were still adhering to the Jewish dietary restrictions found within the Mosaic law. And they were placing those same restrictions on other believers within the church, demanding their adherence to them. There were others who, having come out of pagan religious practices, were reluctant to eat meat sold in the marketplace that had been sacrificed to pagan idols. Other believers, fully aware that their new-found freedom in Christ made all foods available to them. After all, Jesus Himself had said, "It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart" (Mark 7:15 NLT). He had also stated, "Food doesn’t go into your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. (By saying this, he declared that every kind of food is acceptable in God’s eyes)" (Mark 7:19 NLT). So as far as they were concerned, they could eat anything they like, whether it was sacrificed to an idol or not. They could even eat food that had been off limits according to the Mosaic law. As a result, you had all kinds of conflicts going on within the church over food. To us it sounds petty and childish. But there is a principle going on here that applies to every situation and circumstance within the church – regardless of the century. Paul makes it clear in verse 19. "So then, let us aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up" (Romans 14:19 NLT). The Greek word for "build" was a construction or architectural term that had to do with the act of building something up. Metaphorically, it meant to build up, encourage, or strengthen. Paul used it to convey the idea of promoting the spiritual growth of another. The goal was mutual edification. Paul states, "For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of what we eat or drink, but of living a life of goodness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17 NLT). How easy it is to focus on the non-essentials. Today, we make it about things like music styles or worship preferences. We debate about what constitutes acceptable or appropriate clothing styles for church. Some feel comfortable attending worship in flip flops and shorts, while others are appalled by this apparent lack of respect, and prefer more dignified apparel for Sunday worship. As a result, judgments are made, criticism is leveled, and harmony is destroyed. To paraphrase Paul's words, he could just as easily have written, "Don't tear apart the work of God over what you wear."

Now don't get me wrong, when it comes to clothing, there must be careful consideration given to what we put on. Especially when it comes to modesty. Paul's entire point is built around not causing another believer to stumble. While we may feel completely free to dress casually when attending church, we must always consider how our choice of attire affects those around us. Women need to consider whether the outfit they select might cause a brother in Christ to lust. Is their choice of clothing putting the emphasis on the wrong part of their anatomy? Is it distracting or could it cause a brother to lust and, therefore, stumble? Just because you might feel that a suit and tie is the only acceptable attire for worship, wouldn't it be worthwhile to consider whether your choice of clothing might not cause another brother or sister in Christ to feel unwelcome or even unworthy to attend worship because they don't have the capacity to dress accordingly? "You may believe there's nothing wrong with what you are doing, but keep it between yourself and God" (Romans 14:22 NLT). What a difference it would make in our local churches if our main priority was the mutual building up of one another. What a radical impact we would see in our fellowships if it became all about US, not ME.

There are so many things – petty, inconsequential things – that tend to divide and destroy the harmony of the local church. Paul's obsession was for unity. He wanted his readers to understand the non-negotiable nature of mutual edification and corporate spiritual growth. The goal then, as now, was spiritual growth. Nothing was to stand in the way of the spiritual maturity of each and every believer. And we all share in and must take responsibility for the spiritual growth of one another. And oftentimes, we allow petty matters and personal preferences to stand in the way of that goal. Instead, we are to "aim for harmony in the church and try to build each other up" (Romans 14:19 NLT).

Father, give us the perspective of Paul. Help us to look past our petty, personal preferences and focus on the mutual edification of one another. May our goal be harmony and unity. May our desire be the spiritual growth and maturity of one another. May our rights be replace with focus on relationships and the task of building up the body of Christ. Amen.

When Opinions Become Obstacles.

Romans 14:1-13

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. – Romans 14:13 NIV

Remember what Paul said in the last chapter? "Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God's law" (Romans 13:10 NLT). We are to owe nothing to anyone – except for our obligation to love them. So Paul now makes those statements practical. He puts it into the context of the local body of believers – the church. He uses a very realistic, everyday circumstance that each and every one of use can relate to. Within any local congregation, there will be "stronger" and "weaker" brothers and sisters in Christ. In other words, there will be those who are mature in their faith and others who are relatively young and spiritually inexperienced in their Christian walk. Because of human nature, it is quite easy for the more mature believers to become frustrated or impatient with those who are young in the faith. They may even judge their immaturity and demand that they "grow up." But oftentimes, our insistence that someone grow is simply a desire that they see things the way we see things. It would appear that Paul is not dealing with doctrinal or theological issues in this passage. He is not dealing with situations that involve false teaching or potential heresy. These appear to be amoral issues that are neither right or wrong, but matters of conscience. "For instance, one person believes it's all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables. Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don't. And those who don't eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them" (Romans 14:2-3 NLT).

This was an amoral issue involving the eating of certain foods. It had nothing to do with sin per se. It was a matter of one person's opinion versus another. But there are always those who see things as black and white, right or wrong. They tend to view their opinion or viewpoint as on a par with the Scriptures themselves. They have determined that something is either acceptable or unacceptable and turn their opinions into obligations, which they place on others. This was a real problem in the early church. Paul had to constantly deal with many of the Jews who had accepted Christ, but who were still living as if they had to keep all the laws and rituals associated with Judaism. It was their opinion that this was necessary for someone to truly be a Christ-follower of Christian. So they placed their opinions and obligations on the Gentiles within their local fellowship. They demanded that they only eat certain foods and worship on a certain day, and looked down in judgment on those who refused to see things there way.

There were others among the believers in Rome who were "weak" in their faith because they did not understand the concept of Christian liberty. It's enlightening to understand that Paul is probably referring to the Jewish Christians when he uses the term weak. They would have seen themselves as "strong," because of their Jewish heritage and their close association with the Mosaic laws. But they failed to understand that Christ had set them free from the Law. They were still living under the false idea that they were obligated to keep the law in order to be made right with God. In Paul's mind, this was a weakness, not a strength. So he urged others in the church to show them love and grace. He wanted everyone to understand that these matters were inconsequential when compared with the need for love and unity within the body. The real issue was one of selfishness and self-centeredness. So Paul reminds them, "For we don't love for ourselves or die for ourselves. If we live, it's to honor the Lord. And if we die, it's to honor the Lord. So whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord" (Romans 14:7-8 NLT). We are to live in such a way that we honor Christ. And He has called us to love one another, not condemn and judge one another based on our own criteria or opinions. We are to live in such a way that we build one another up, rather than cause one another to fail or fall.

The important thing to remember here is that we are talking about amoral or grey issues. They are not black and white and having nothing to do with the commands or requirements of Scripture. There are times in which we do need to judge our fellow believer and call them out – but only when their actions are in violation of the clear teachings of Scripture. If a fellow believer is living in sin – for instance, committing adultery – we are not to tolerate their actions or take the attitude, "who am I to judge." We are obligated to lovingly, but firmly confront them about their sin and call them to repentance. Paul dealt with this very idea in his letter to the Galatians. "Dear brothers and sisters, if another believer is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. If you think you are too important to help someone, you are only fooling yourself. You are not that important" (Galatians 6:1-3 NLT). When it comes to matters of personal opinion, we are to default to love. When it comes to matters of sin, we are to lovingly confront and convict. But the key in both cases is always love. To allow a brother or sister to continue to live in sin because we don't want to offend or confront them, is unloving. It is selfish. To demand that another believer live according to our personal opinions or set of religious requirements is just as unloving and selfish. Paul calls us to a different way of life within the body. "Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall" (Romans 14:13 NLT).

Father, far too often we allow our own opinions to become the law of the land. We create our own set of religious rules by which we live that have little or nothing to do with You or Your Word. Yet we seem to think we are more spiritual because we have a certain length of quiet time or pray in a certain way at a particular time of day. We listen to only Christian music or refrain from watching particular kinds of movies. Then we place those requirements on others, demanding that they live accordingly, judging them as immature or unspiritual if they don't. Help us to understand that our opinions are not on the same level as Your Word. Show us how to live in love and how to extend grace to our fellow believers, and honor You in the process. Amen.

The Debt of Love.

Romans 13:8-14

Owe nothing to anyone — except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law. – Romans 13:8 NLT

While this verse has been used as a proof text against indebtedness, that was not Paul's point. He is talking about a Christian's relationships with fellow believers and, in this case, with those outside the family of God. He has just addressed a believer's relationship with the civil authorities and now he deals with what is to be the overriding principle that is to control all our relationships: Love. It is the one thing we owe to all men that is never paid in full. We can never love enough. All our other debts should be paid when due and in full. But our indebtedness of love is to be ongoing and completely inexhaustible. Love is the ultimate expression of all the Law of Moses. To not commit adultery requires love. Love for the other person and their spouse. It is difficult, if not impossible, to murder another person if you love them the way Christ loved us. To steal something that belongs to someone else reveals a hatred and disdain for that person, but we are called to love them. Love sacrifices and gives, not takes. Love protects and defends, not hurts. Love is the driving force behind all of the law. Paul reminds us that all of the laws are summed up in this one commandment: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does NO wrong to others. So one who loves as God intends, fulfills the law of God.

Paul is simply echoing the words of Jesus. "So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other" (John 13:34 NLT). Jesus calls us to a life of love, but He also provides us with a clear example of the kind and degree of love He is talking about. We are to love other in the same way He has loved us – sacrificially, selflessly, completely, and never expecting any love in return. Jesus loved us to the point of death. His love for us resulted in His death for us. John recorded similar words from the lips of Jesus. "This is my commandment: Love each other in the same way I have loved you. There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends" (John 15:12-13 NLT). Jesus would go on to live out the reality of His own words with His death on the cross. And Paul is calling us to live and love in that same way.

Why? Because the time is late. God's redemptive plan has an expiration date. He will not delay forever. We have been left on this planet to be the hands and feet of Christ. We have been given the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:11-21). We are to express the love of Christ to all those we meet, especially those who don't know Him. Paul tells us, "The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living" (Romans 13:12 NLT). Paul lived with a sense of anticipation. He lived with a recognition that the coming of the Lord could be any day. He wanted all believers to live with urgency and not in complacency. The day of our future glorification, when our salvation will be complete, is nearer than we think. And with that thought in mind, we should live differently. We should love selflessly. Spiritual maturity should be our objective. Righteous living should be our obsession. Loving others, especially the lost, should be our passion. Time is running out. There is no time to waste. Spending however many days we have left, fulfilling our own selfish desires, or living like the world around us, would be a waste of time. It would be unloving. Right living and Christ-like loving go hand and hand. If we are to love like Christ, we must live like Christ. He was not distracted by the things of this world. He knew His days on earth were limited. He knew He had come to earth for a specific reason, and nothing would deter Him from accomplishing God's will for His life. What about us? Why are we here? What does God have for us to do? Jesus answers that question for us. "You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name. This is my command: Love each other" (John 15:16-17 NLT). He chose us, saved us, and appointed us that we would go and produce lasting fruit – changed lives – our own lives and the lives of others. We are to spread the Gospel and make disciples. We are to call the lost back to a right relationship with God through Jesus Christ. And it all begins with love. We have to love the lost like Christ did. He came to save the lost. He endured the pain of the cross for the lost. And ultimately, He died for the lost, including you and me. All out of love. And we are to love others in that same way – regardless of how unloving and undeserving they may be.

Father, You have called and commanded us to love others. And that is so hard for so many of us to do. We can find all kinds of reasons to not love others. And as a result, we end up living selfish, self-centered lives that do not reflect who we really are and who it is we serve. Paul's call to live and love is hard to hear and even harder to obey. But You have given us Your Spirit to make it not only possible, but non-negotiable. There is no excuse for our lack of love. Give us a sense of urgency because time is running out. Your Son is going to return one day and there are still so many who have never experienced the love of Christ. May we be the flesh-and-blood expression of that love as we live out our days on this earth. Amen.

Living Civilly With Civil Authorities.

Romans 13:1-7

Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. – Romans 13:1 NLT

Now Paul changes his focus from discussing our relationship with our enemies to how we should interact with the government under which we live. Keep in mind that Paul is writing to Christians living in Rome. They are under the iron-fisted rule of one of the most powerful nations that has ever existed. So when Paul tells them to submit, his readers immediately had to think about the heavy-handed reign of Caesar and his far-reaching empire. The Romans ruled from England to Africa and from Syria to Spain. Every one in four people on the planet at the time lived under Roman law. The Roman Empire governed all of life, including a person's social status. Roman rule could be both sophisticated and brutal. It was the Romans who perfected the use of the cross as a means of capital punishment. The Romans were intolerant of dissension or civil unrest of any kind.

And yet, here is Paul encouraging his readers to submit to governing authorities, including the Romans. Why? Because according to Paul, all authority comes from God. He is the ultimate authority and no one rules on this planet outside of His overarching, divine authority, including Satan. It is interesting that Paul concluded chapter 11 with an admonition about taking revenge into our own hands. For those living under Roman law, there would have been the constant temptation to rebel against or at least resist their all-encompassing influence – perhaps to even consider retaliating against what they believed to be unjust and unbearable requirements. Even the disciples had an expectation that Jesus, as their Messiah, would at some point overturn the rule of the Romans and reestablish the Jews as the authorities in Palestine. But Jesus' agenda was not political, but spiritual. When confronted about whether or not the Jews should have to pay taxes to Caesar, Jesus replied, "give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God" (Matthew 22:21 NLT).

The real issue here is about the sovereignty of God. As believers, we must understand that God is the ultimate ruler over all things, including earthly governments, whether good or bad. Paul says that we are to submit, not just obey. That word conveys a willing decision to come under the authority of another. When we do so, we are really coming under the authority of God, recognizing that, in His sovereignty, He has ordained where we were born and under what government we live. And ultimately, government is a God-ordained institution designed to provide order, protection, and punishment for wrong when necessary. Paul writes, "The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong" (Romans 13:4 NLT). Governments inherently establish law as a necessary means to maintain order. Order prevents chaos. Much like Paul's discussion of the Law of Moses and its role in the lives of men, civil law provides a bench mark for behavior. We have traffic laws in order to establish and maintain some sense of order. Without them, it would be every man for himself. The laws provide standards for behavior, that when broken, require punishment. Paul says that we are to submit to those laws or standards, willingly and with the understanding that when we rebel against the authority placed over us by God, we are really rebelling against Him.

In saying all of this, Paul is not encouraging blind submission or allegiance to an unjust, unfair government. Those in authority over us must also ultimately answer to God as their authority. When civil authority contradicts the divine authority of God, we must obey God, which may require us to disobey those in authority over us. But we must do so submissively, willingly accepting the consequences of our actions. If the government should require a believer to do anything that contradicts the will of God or to violate our belief system, we are obligated to disobey, but we are also obligated to accept the consequences of our disobedience. Daniel disobeyed the civil authorities of his day when he refused to bow down and worship King Darius as if he was a god. His punishment? He was thrown into a den of lions. Daniel obeyed his God, but willingly submitted to his fate for disobeying the civil authorities.

There is no perfect government. Governments are ruled by fallen men with wicked hearts. Even those with the best of intentions are marred by sin and prone to selfishness. And yet Paul lets us know that God has ordained all governments. They are tools in His hands to accomplish His divine will. All throughout history, God used both good and evil rulers to bring about His divine plan. He used the Pharaohs to enslave the Israelites for 400 years. He used the Babylonians to conquer the southern kingdom of Judah, and the Syrians to conquer and capture the northern kingdom of Israel. God used King Herod to attempt to eliminate the baby Jesus, forcing Mary and Joseph to seek safety in Egypt, all in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah. Our problem is that we are cursed with a limited perspective. We have a hard time seeing government as good. We focus on the flaws and fret over what we see as the inequities of their rule over our lives. But Paul would say, "Submit!" He would encourage us to recognize all rulers and authorities as having been placed there by God. So at the end of the day, we are really submitting to the sovereign authority of God over our lives. We must trust Him, much like Daniel did. We are to "give respect and honor to those who are in authority" (Romans 13:7b NLT). That is our God-appointed duty. Should the time come that we must disobey that authority because it requires us to do anything that goes against the will of God, then we must do so submissively, not violently. We must be willing to obey God AND accept the consequences of our actions. And when we do it that way, we can do so with a clear conscience. Jesus willingly submitted to the authorities in His day, accepting the punishment of death on the cross, even though He was guiltless and innocent. His only crime was claiming to be the Messiah, the King of the Jews. All He had to do was renounce His claim and He could have saved His life. But He refused, because that would have been to disobey God. So He willingly submitted to the civil authorities, and accepted their punishment of death on the cross – a Roman cross. At no time did He lash out. He didn't rail against the Romans and their tyrannical rule. He didn't attempt to start a rebellion in order to save His life. He submitted to His authorities as though placed their by God, and willingly accepted His fate – all to God's glory and our ultimate good.

Father, this is difficult. We live in a world where governments are corrupt, untrustworthy, and even ruthless in their treatment of their citizens. We struggle with remaining obedient to what we believe to be unethical systems of rule that violate our freedoms and trample our rights. But Paul reminds us that, while we are citizens of heaven, we must remain submissive and obedient to the authorities under which we live. We must view them as placed there by You, and trust that You have a plan in place of which we are ignorant. You left us in this world, with its corrupt and flawed government, for a reason. Show us how to live as children of light in the midst of a dark and depraved world. We need Your help and a glimpse of Your perspective. Amen.

A Radically Different Life.

Romans 12:17-21

If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads. – Romans 12:20 NLT

Paul continues to offer his readers practical application of the theological truths he has unpacked for the last 11 chapters. This is where-the-rubber-meets-the-road kind of stuff. He is giving them everyday applications of what it means to live in freedom from sin, forgiven, justified, filled with the Spirit and as a recipient of God's marvelous grace. Our vertical relationship with God, restored by the sacrificial death of Christ on the cross, must be matched by a change in our horizontal relationships – including the ones we have with believers and unbelievers. And what Paul lays out is a radically different version of life on this planet than what most of us know or experience.

First, he tells us to refrain from responding to wrong with more wrong. "Never pay back evil with more evil" (Romans 12:17 NLT). But isn't that they normal human response. It's almost a reflex action. We inherently react to anything done to us that we consider harmful or hurtful with more of the same. It's a natural human defense mechanism. "You hurt me and I'll hurt you!" But Paul reminds us that life for the Christian is to be different – radically so. Rather than respond to evil with more evil, we are to "Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody" (Romans 12:17b NIV). Our concern should be for our witness, not revenge. Elsewhere, Paul tells us to "Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity" (Colossians 4:5 NLT). In fact, we are to go out of our way to live in harmony and peace with all men. This does not mean that we are to seek peace at all costs or to refrain from having convictions when it comes to the truth of God and the integrity of the Word of God. There will be occasions where we must stand up for what we know to be right, and that will result in conflict. But overall, we are to pursue a life of harmony and peace with all men – whether they are believers or not.

At the end of the day, revenge is to be left up to God. Our job is not to seek revenge or to demand justice for all the wrongs done to us. No, Paul reminds us that our ministry is one of reconciliation. "For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation" (2 Corinthians 5:19 NLT). Our job is to call people back to God. Rather than revenge, we are to seek reconciliation, restoration and redemption. How do we even remotely begin to do that? Paul gives us a glimpse at the answer. "If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink" (Romans 12:19-20 NLT). What a radically different approach to conflict resolution than what the world offers. Instead of responding in hate, we are to express love. Rather than seeking to get even, we are to give sacrificially. While this method of dealing with enemies may appear to be a bit naive and unrealistic, it's intention is to bring shame and conviction on those whose intent it is to harm us. Rather than justify their hatred for us, we convict them by responding in a way that does not fit with their perception or expectation of us. Jesus said very similar words in His sermon on the mount. "But to you who are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, offer the other cheek also. If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also. Give to anyone who asks; and when things are taken away from you, don’t try to get them back. Do to others as you would like them to do to you" (Luke 6:27-31 NLT). This is the "Golden Rule." It is a picture of life lived according to God's standard and not the world's.

We have been called to a different kind of life, marked by a different set of standards. Paul closes this chapter with the words, "Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil with good" (Romans 12:21 NLT). Rather than give in to the temptation to respond to evil with more evil, and fulfill the expectations of our enemy and meet the standards of this fallen world, we are to react with sacrificial, selfless love. But isn't that impossible? Only if we attempt to do it in our own strength. But God has given us His Spirit and His Word to empower and equip us with all that we need to live radically different lives in a world that desperately needs a dose of reconciliation.

Father, this is hard stuff to read. And it's even harder to live out in real life. But I know You have given us all that we need to live in a way that is pleasing to You. We have the power to live radically different lives. Continue to change us and motivate us to live radical, revolutionary lives. Help us live like Christ lived. Help us love like Christ loved. Help us sacrifice like He did. All for Your glory and, ultimately, the good of man. Amen.

What Difference Does It Make?

Romans 12:1-16

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. – Romans 12:1 NLT

Paul launches this next section of his letter with the words, "And so…." Some translations use the word, "Therefore…." Which reminds me of an old adage that says, when you see the word, therefore, in Scripture, always ask what it's there for. What is the writer trying to tell you? It is almost always used as a transition from one train of thought to another. It is used to tie when section to another, and so it is here as Paul makes his transition from the end of chapter 11 to the beginning of chapter 12. Up until this point in his letter Paul has been stressing the sin of man and the grace of God. He has stressed the universality of man's sinful state and his inability to save Himself. He has spoken of God's gracious gift of salvation made possible through His Son's death on the cross. He has contrasted faith and works. He has reminded his readers of the freedom found in Christ – freedom from having to try and keep the Law in order to have a right relationship with God. He has written of God's mercy, love and faithfulness – illustrated in His plan to fulfill every single promise He has made to the people of Israel – despite their constant unfaithfulness to Him.

And then Paul says, "And so…." With all of that in mind, here is what we are to do. This is where Paul moves from the theological to the practical. As a result of all that he has told us about God, man, sin, salvation, the Spirit, freedom, grace, mercy, eternity, and love, here is how we should respond. Paul pleads with us to give our bodies to God as living and holy sacrifices. Why? Because of all He has done for us. Paul is going to begin with what our reaction should be to God. That is the most important relationship any man can have. All of our other earthly relationships with human beings are insignificant and immaterial if we do not have a right relationship with God. So Paul begs us to respond to God's mercy, grace, goodness, sovereignty and love with an attitude of willing submission. We are to offer ourselves to Him for His use. In doing so we are acknowledging that we belong to Him and Him alone. Elsewhere Paul wrote, "You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20 NLT). But it is interesting to notice that Paul's emphasis is on the group, not the individual in his letter to the Romans. He pleads with them to give "your bodies" as a living sacrifice. It is to be a group effort, not an individual one. Paul is going to stress what it looks like to live as a holy sacrifice to God and it is going to involve our interactions with one another as believers and our relationships with non-believing world in which we live.

Paul exhorts them to NOT copy the behaviors and customs of this world. As a group, they are to live lives that are set apart and distinct from the world around them. Part of living as a sacrifice to God is allowing Him to do with us as He wishes. And part of God's desire for us is to transform the way we think. He wants to renew our minds and transform us into the likeness of His Son. And there's no better way to see that transformation take place than in our relationships with one another. Paul makes it painfully practical. "Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us" (Romans 12:3b NLT). When God starts changing the way we think, we will see ourselves and others differently. Rather than living lives marked by pride and self-centeredness, we will begin to display humility toward others and develop a healthy assessment of who we are in Christ. We will understand that God has placed us in the body of Christ, given us gifts for the good of the body, and challenged us to live with and love one another. And we are not to live hypocritically or insincerely. Our love must be real, involving self-sacrifice and eager enthusiasm. As God transforms our way of thinking, we will begin to even bless those who persecute us. In other words, we'll develop the capacity to love the unloving and unlovely. We'll learn to love in ALL of our relationships and in all circumstances, developing a harmony and unity that is not of this world.

That kind of living is holy, sacrificial living. It is pleasing and honoring to God, because it reveals the very power of God in our lives. No one can live and love that way unless God makes it possible. It takes the saving work of Jesus Christ and the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit to bring about that kind of radical transformation. But we must choose to offer ourselves as sacrifices to God, for Him to do with as He wishes. It all begins there – with a willing submission to the will of God. We must constantly give in to Him so that He can impart into us. In the end, this kind of life is the greatest form of worship to God.

Father, continue to show me how to live out this passage. It is so easy to talk about being living sacrifices, but it is another thing to live it out in real life. I keep wanting to crawl down off the altar. But I really do want to see You continue to change the way I think and transform my behavior. And I realize that the greatest illustration of those things taking place will be in how I react to and relate with others. That includes not only my fellow believers, but the lost world around me. Amen.

Our Unfathomable, Yet Reliable God.

Romans 11:25-36

Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways! – Romans 11:33 NLT

Who are we to question the ways of God? I find it fascinating how often we, as mere men, want to take on God, putting Him on trial – trying to determine whether we agree with or approve of His ways. We debate whether God could or would do something. We argue over whether God has the right to act in a certain way, because it offends our sensibilities or our understanding of right and wrong. But when we doubt God or try to judge Him based on our limited human understanding, we reveal just how little we really know Him. It shows how we have tried to put God in a box in an effort to make Him more comprehensible and believable. But Paul would argue that His God is greater than our capacity to understand. "How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!" (Romans 11:33b NLT). Paul knew enough about God to know better than to try and explain away His actions or question His logic. God does not have to answer to us or even explain Himself to us.

As Paul wraps up his discussion regarding God's plans for the people of Israel, he wants his readers to understand that God is not obligated to do things in a way that we can understand. He does not have to appeal to our sense of fairness. God is holy, righteous, and completely sovereign. He can and will do what He wants to do, and whatever He does is always right. His treatment of the people of Israel, while it may appear harsh in our eyes, is completely just and wholly necessary. God had a plan in place that included their rejection of His own Son as their Messiah. He was not caught off guard or surprised by their actions. He knew they would refuse to accept Him as the Anointed One. God was prepared for their actions and had planned for them in advance. It was all part of His divine will. Their rejection opened up the door for the spread of the Gospel to the Gentiles. But God is not done with the people of Israel. There is a day coming when "the full number of Gentiles comes to Christ" (Romans 11:25b NLT). In other words, there is an apparent limit on the number of people who will accept Christ as their personal Savior. Not ALL will be saved. And only God knows that number. That may sound unfair and capricious to us, but again, who are we to question the justice of God? When that full number is reached, then God will turn His attention back to the people of Israel. He will once again show His favor on them, sending His Son a second time, to restore a large number of the nation of Israel back to a right relationship with Him. "The one who rescues will come from Jerusalem, and he will turn Israel away from ungodliness. And this is my covenant with them, that I will take away their sins" (Romans 11:26-27 NLT). At the second coming of Jesus, God will do what the Israelites could have never have done for themselves – He will change their hardened hearts and give them the capacity to believe in His Son as their Messiah and Savior. Why? Because God is a covenant keeping God. "Yet they are still the people he loves because he chose their ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For God's gifts and his call can never be withdrawn" (Romans 11:28-29 NLT).

We may not understand it or even agree with it, but God's plan is just, righteous, and completely perfect. God does not need or want our advice. He does not require our approval. He does not owe us an explanation. We can't even fully understand why He chose to save us. But we are grateful that He did. Paul would encourage us to rest in the knowledge of God's unchanging, holy and righteous character. He can be trusted. He always does what is right. "For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever!" (Romans 11:36 NLT).

Father, I don't understand Your ways, but I am learning to trust them more and more with each passing day. I can't fully explain how and why You do things the way You do, but I am trying to rest more and more in Your faithfulness. There are things that happen in my life every day that cause me to doubt and question Your ways, but I am learning to rest in Your sovereign, loving, all-knowing plan for me. You know what is best, whether it looks like it or feels like it at the time. I can trust You. Amen.

The Faithful God of Israel.

Romans 11:1-24

You, by nature, were a branch cut from a wild olive tree. So if God was willing to do something contrary to nature by grafting you into his cultivated tree, he will be far more eager to graft the original branches back into the tree where they belong. – Romans 11:24 NLT

When reading the book of Romans, especially chapters nine through 11, it is easy to make it all about Jew and Gentile. God, it appears, has rejected one and received the other. But while Paul talks a great deal about these two specific people groups, the real hero of the story is God Himself. Paul has emphasized over and over again the sovereignty and grace of God. He has highlighted God's undeserved grace and mercy, and made clear the fact that no one, either Jew or Gentile, can earn a right relationship with God. Whether speaking of the nation of Israel or the Gentile nations, it is God who calls, chooses, redeems, restores, and even rejects. But Paul makes it clear that God has NOT rejected the people of Israel. "I ask, then, has God rejected his own people, the nation of Israel? Of course not! I myself am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham and a member of the tribe of Benjamin" (Romans 11:1 NLT). Paul himself was a Jew and he most certainly had not been rejected by God. He had been chosen by God and had had a life-transforming encounter with Jesus Christ. He was a living example of the fact that God had not completely rejected the people of Israel. Paul reminds his readers that God has been carefully and faithfully sparing a remnant of His chosen people for generations. "…a few of the people of Israel have remained faithful because of God’s grace — his undeserved kindness in choosing them. And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is — free and undeserved" (Romans 11:5-6 NLT). As it was with the Gentiles, so it would be with the Jews. A right relationship with God was to be solely based on grace, not works or effort. No one was going to earn their way into good favor with God, not even the people of God, the Jews.

As a result, a majority of the Jews had failed to be restored to God. Unwilling to believe that salvation was available through the death of a single man, they continued to pursue a right relationship with God through attempting to keep the law – a pursuit that Paul considered foolish and impossible. But Paul explains that the rebellion of the people of Israel and their rejection of God had a divine purpose. "Most of the people of Israel have not found the favor of God they are looking for so earnestly. A few have — the ones God has chosen — but the hearts of the rest were hardened. As the Scriptures say, 'God has put them into a deep sleep. To this day he has shut their eyes so they do not see, and closed their ears so they do not hear'" (Romans 11:7-8 NLT). According to Paul, this was all God's doing. But why? What was His purpose in hardening their hearts, shutting their eyes, and closing their ears? "God made salvation available to the Gentiles" (Romans 11:11 NLT). That was the purpose. Their rejection of Jesus as their Messiah and Savior opened the doors to the Gentiles. This had always been part of God's plan. Even long before the moment God made His promise to Abraham to bless all the nations of the earth through him, He had planned make His grace and the gift of His Son available to all nations. And He would use the rejection of Jesus by the Jews as a springboard to for spreading the Good News of Jesus Christ to all the nations. Jesus, a Jew, would be the Savior of all the nations, not just His own people. And yet, God did not completely abandon the people of Israel. As Paul writes, they had not fallen beyond recovery. Their disobedience made salvation available to the Gentiles. But the day is coming when many of Paul's Jewish brothers and sisters will turn to Christ. "For since their rejection meant that God offered salvation to the rest of the world, their acceptance will be even more wonderful. It will be life for those who were dead!" (Romans 11:15 NLT). Why? Because of the faithfulness and mercy of God. He is not done with the people of Israel. He will spare and restore a remnant of the Jewish people, using the Gentiles as a means to create jealousy among them. In all of this, Paul can see the divine hand of God, working behind the scenes in ways we can't understand. God chose to make the Israelites a special people in His eyes. He raised up the Savior from among them, but they ended up rejecting Him. But their rejection of the Messiah made possible the spread of the Gospel to the Gentiles. And the blessings of God upon the Gentiles who received Christ as their Savior would be the impetus behind the future salvation of many Jews. And the day is coming when the salvation of the Jews will lead to even more Gentiles coming to faith in Christ. This whole section is really about the faithfulness and sovereignty of God. It is about His divine plan for mankind and how He intends to fulfill that plan and keep His promises to both the Jews and the Gentiles.

We cannot fully understand the ways of God. But it is dangerous for us to question His methods or means. We may not understand what God is doing, but we have no right to doubt His plan or purposes. He knows what He is doing. We can trust that He will do what He has promised and complete what He has begun. We have a limited, short-term perspective. He is eternal and has a long-term view that knows how all this works out in the end. There is a method to God's seeming madness. He is purposeful and faithful. He is righteous and just. His ways are not our ways. His wisdom is beyond our understanding. But we can rest in the fact that God has everything under control and nothing can prevent His sovereign plan from one day coming to complete and perfect fruition.

Father, You are in control. You are sovereign and have all things held firmly in Your hands. That includes my future and the future of the people of Israel. You are faithful and always keep Your promises. You never go back on Your word or fail to do what You have said You will do. Thank You for allowing me to be a part of Your plan. Not because I deserved it, but because of Your grace and mercy. Thank You that You are going to one day restore the people of Israel. You are not done yet. Your work is not complete. But one day it will be. And I rest in the assurance that You are in complete control, whether I can see it or sense it. Amen.

Hearing, Yet Not Believing.

Romans 10:16-21

So faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ. – Romans 10:17 NLT

As a Jew, Paul had a special love for the people of Israel. He knew that God held a special place in His heart for them and desired greatly that they come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. And that's why Paul was so insistent that they hear the Good News. He knew that the only way the people of Israel could be made right with God was through placing their faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross. They had to believe the testimony regarding Jesus Christ and His claim to be the Son of God, their long-awaited Messiah, and the Savior of the world. In other words, they had to express faith in Jesus Christ, just as the Gentiles did. But many of the Jews in Paul's day had failed to accept the Good News about Jesus Christ. They had refused to believe. So was it a matter of them not having heard the message? Had they not been given ample opportunity to hear the Good News? Paul answers his own question and exclaims, "Yes, they have!" He then quotes Psalm 19:4. "The message has gone throughout the earth, and the words to all the world" (Psalm 19:4 NLT). By the time Paul was writing his letter to the Romans, he and others had spread the message regarding Jesus Christ throughout the known world. The Gospel had spread rapidly ever since the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Converted Jews and Gentiles had returned to their own towns and cities, ready to share the testimony regarding Christ to their own communities. Christianity had spread rapidly, which is one of the reasons that Paul, in his pre-conversion life, had been hired full-time by the Jewish religious leaders to track down and persecute Christians every where he could find them.

Paul is not saying that the message of salvation had been spread to every area of the globe, and that every individual had been given the opportunity to hear about Jesus and accept God's offer of salvation. But he is saying that the Jews were without excuse. They had heard. They had been given the promises regarding the coming Messiah in their own Scriptures. They had read the writings of the prophets regarding the Anointed One. And they were familiar with the claims of Jesus to be the Messiah and the teachings of the early Christians regarding the new requirement of faith as the means to be made right with God. They could not plead ignorance. Paul even claims that the very fact that Gentiles were coming to faith in Christ was an attempt by God to make the people of Israel jealous and open their eyes. Again, he turns to the Hebrew Scriptures and quotes Deuteronomy 32:21. "I will rouse your jealousy through people who are not even a nation.I will provoke your anger through the foolish Gentiles." As in the day of Moses, God was going to bless non-Jews in an attempt to awaken the people of Israel to their own rebellion and God's hand of cursing upon them. Ever since Jesus' resurrection from the dead and the launch of the Church at Pentecost, the hand of God's blessing could be seen upon the Gentiles as more and more of them accepted Christ as their Savior. And yet, the majority of the Jews continued to refuse Him as their Savior. They were not acting out of ignorance, but outright rebellion. Again, Paul turns to the Hebrew Scriptures in the writing of the prophet Isaiah. "All day long I opened my arms to them, but they were disobedient and rebellious" (Isaiah 65:2 NLT). God had been faithfully calling the people of Israel to Himself. Paul had been aggressively preaching the Good News of Jesus Christ to the Jewish community everywhere he went. But they remained disobedient and rebellious. As a result, God had temporarily rejected His people. He had taken His blessings to the Gentiles. But that rejection was not to be permanent. Chapter 11 will unpack God's gracious, merciful plan for the people of Israel. He is not done with them. In spite of their rejection and rebellion of Him, He will extend mercy and grace. He will keep every promise He has made to them. In fact, there were some Jews coming to faith in Christ, even in Paul's day. There was a remnant who were accepting Christ as their Messiah and Savior. But the day is coming when God will turn His favor back on the people of Israel and He will restore their hearts to Himself. The requirement will still be the same. They will still have to accept Jesus as their Savior. They will still have to give up any and all attempts at self-righteousness and rely on the righteousness that Jesus provides on their behalf. But they will return and God will restore them. Because He is a faithful God.

Father, it always encourages me to be reminded of just how faithful You are. In spite of all that the people of Israel have done to You and how often they have rejected Your love and mercy, You continue to hold to Your promises regarding them. You fully intend to keep the covenant You made with them. Because You are faithful. You are the promise-keeping God. You do what You say. You fulfill what You promise. Never let me forget that. Amen.