Hello Friends!
Welcome Back! Let’s continue our journey through the book of Romans – “The Romans Road to Righteousness.”
Welcome Back! Let’s continue our journey through the book of Romans – “The Romans Road to Righteousness.”
The Roman’s Road to Righteousness (Chapter 12:9-21)
This week we will conclude our reading of chapter 12, verses 9-21 as we consider Living Life as a Christian…
We
now approach a very practical section of Scripture focusing on righteous and godly “living” as the true
Christian way of life. This passage pertaining to personal “holiness”
is more revealing than anywhere else in the book of Romans. It's very simple
and easy to understand. All that we've learned in the first 11 chapters and in the first section of chapter 12 about “submission”
to the Lord is to prepare the true “believer”
to “live” it out in “obedience” to God’s Word!
All
Biblical theology has as
its ultimate end that we might “live”
to the “glory of God” in Jesus
Christ. All Biblical doctrine
is to result in proper “sacrifice”
and “reasonable service”
to Jesus Christ! God is working on the inside of the “believer” to do His perfect “will” and to fulfill His “good pleasure” on the outside
of the “believer.” This is the
true act of “spiritual worship”
to God! Therefore, we are “called”
to “live” our “redeemed” lives on the outside
through what we already are on the inside –
Sanctification!
Behave Like a Christian!
Here
in these passages the Apostle Paul begins with three basic attributes of the “obedient” Christian life:
Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good – Romans 12:9
This
verse shows us that these traits are to be evident in our lives:
We
“love” without “hypocrisy”
We
“abhor” all “evil”
We
“cling” to what is “good”
In
God’s sight, these attributes are absolutely essential in
our “walk” as “believers” with our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ!
Next
Paul encompasses another dimension. Not just to us personally… but to “one another” in serving the “saints” of
God:
Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality – Romans 12:10-13
The
word "kindly affectionate"
is a very interesting word in the Greek – philostorgē. It's a
combination of two words both meaning “love.” We
could translate it "be lovingly loving." The two words
are phileō which means a “warm affectionate love” and storgē
which means a “natural family love.” In other words, Christians ought to
have a warm family “love” for
“one another” in Jesus Christ.
Paul
also uses “brotherly love”
– phila-adelphos – to “love”
as if other “believers”
were intimately associated with you as kindred. This is not
just a theological “love”
of theory. This is a true, tender,
kind, caring, concerned and affectionate “love”
for each other. It is the pure “love”
of those who “belong” to Jesus
Christ! In other words, we ought to be marked by a natural, non-sensual “love” of which we share with all “believers.” This is an eternal bond that
stretches beyond culture, time and circumstances. Even though we may
have no prior history or knowledge of commonness in terms of lifestyle, likes
or dislikes, there is an immediate sense of “brotherly love” and “kindly”
affection with “another”
who belongs to the true family of God! – Thank you Lord!
There
must also be intensity in the Christian life – “not lagging in diligence” but “fervent in spirit”
as we are “serving the Lord”
and each other. There's no room for laziness in our work for our Lord
Jesus Christ! Our “reasonable service”
demands a “spirit” that is moving…
The Christian life ought to be filled with enthusiasm, zeal, excitement and the
true “joy of the Lord”
– With total focused and caring effort!
Next
Paul widens the circle of this important discussion to address our “mind toward one another”
alike:
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion – Romans 12:14-16
Should
anyone “persecute” us, we are
to “bless”
and not “curse”
them. We are to “live” by “blessing” the people who treat us with “evil” intention. As difficult as this
often is – that is our Christian distinction
from the satanic “world”
system. We also are to “rejoice”
and “weep”
together with others in true Christian sympathy – being of the “same mind toward one another.”
We also must not be a “respecter of persons”
by “playing up” to certain kinds of people or “high things” but to think of
everyone equally – made in the “image”
of God! Treat everyone the same – whether they are “wealthy” or “humble” in means. And we must not
be “wise” in our “own opinion.”
In other words, don’t become “wise”
with yourself – thinking you know everything or are better than other people.
There is no room for social, intellectual or aristocracy here!
There is no “caste system” in the “body”
of Jesus Christ – The way it ought to be!
Then
Paul widens the circle of this discussion even further to address our
living “peaceably”
among “all”
men:
Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men – Romans 12:17-18
Here
Paul is saying: “I want you to “live
peaceably,” but I do recognize a few things... Do it if it’s ‘possible’.” After all, there are some
people we truly try to live “peaceably”
with but it’s simply not possible due to our “sin” natures! In fact, even the Holy
Spirit knew it is not always “possible”
to do so because He also says “as
much as depends on you.” However, we must obediently “strive” to “live peaceably with all men”
through God’s “grace”
and “power” – AMEN!
THOUGHTS TO PONDER: But you might be asking:
“What about the Old Testament writings found in Exodus
21, Leviticus 24 and Deuteronomy 19 where it says “’an eye for an eye and a tooth for tooth’?” –
Good question!
These
passages are actually referring to Old Testament public law. This
Mosaic prescription has to do with the “nation”
of “Israel” as a Theocracy. In
fact, any rational “nation”
is to have a system of “justice”
in place that retaliates against evil and punishes it
appropriately. For example: Where there is murder, there should be the
execution of a murderer – capital punishment. Where there is
a theft, there should be the appropriate retribution brought upon
the thief. There is to be an ‘eye for an
eye and a tooth for a tooth’ in a society as ruled by “men” in a “government”
that is ordered by proper God-given governing “laws”
(Paul will further address this important subject matter in chapter 13). However, this “evil for evil” prescription of retribution
is not to be instituted for private revenge
because that is God’s responsibility – This is the important distinction Paul is making
here!
Then
Paul addresses the “beloved”
believers with another sensitive cry from the Old Testament:
Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord – Romans 12:19
Paul
essentially says “don’t you dare execute your own justice!” The
word “avenge”
– ekdikeō – literally means “to punish evil.” Do not personally
punish people for their “evil”
– we are not called to do that! So, what do
we do then? Paul continues: “but
rather give place to wrath” which is the “wrath” of God – let Him
exercise His judgment – for “as it
is written”:
“Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord – Deuteronomy 32:35
We
must let the Lord’s “wrath”
prevail in “all” things! Then
Paul finalizes his thoughts with another fascinating statement from the Old
Testament book of Proverbs chapter 25, verse 21:
Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head” – Romans 12:20
HISTORICAL NOTE: In Old Testament
times, when a man in the Egyptian culture wanted to demonstrate his public
disgrace – in a true spirit of “repentance” – he would actually carry a
pan of burning “coals” on his
head! This man’s literal outward act represented the “conscience” response of his “burning” pain
of guilt and shame. Therefore, Paul is saying when you treat an enemy with “love” – “feed”
him and “give”
him “drink” – you “heap” on his “head” the “coals of fire” for the evil he has
done – A burning shame!
Finally
Paul closes with this command:
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good – Romans 12:21
The
word “overcome” is nikaō –
a Nike missile… We’ve seen this earlier in our Romans study. It literally
means “victory.” We “overcome”
all “evil” by doing “good” – This
is distinctively Christian!
Therefore…
Don’t be a victim… Be a victor! Now that’s very practical
truth, isn’t it? – Yes it is!
In
closing:
How
does one know when he's truly a Christian and hasn’t simply
succumbed some momentary emotional activity that happened in some pastime experience?
The
only way you can “know” if “Jesus Christ is in you”
is to “examine” your “faith” and “test” the kind of “fruit” that is being grown…
Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified – 2 Corinthians 13:5
If
we have indeed received Justification
of “being made right” with God
– “born again” – by repenting
of our “sins” and placing our
“faith” and “trust” in Jesus Christ alone
for His “forgiveness” then
there will be an out-flowing of Sanctification
– a continuing willful pattern of God’s “righteousness”
and “holiness” – evident in
our lives. And although we may not yet see all that we would like to
see, it is the expression of the deepest “desire”
of our “hearts” to be “conformed” to the “image: and “likeness”
of Jesus Christ through the Word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit – Amen!
Therefore,
when we “live” a “godly” life “in” Jesus Christ, we bring “honor” to the One who “transformed” us and
we attract “unbelievers” to
the One who can “transform”
them as well! We are “blessed”
by our “obedience” to God’s
Word and we bring “glory” to
Him for the “blessings” we “receive” from Him – All honor and glory to God!
It
was once said about William Arnonot in his writings pertaining to the parables
of Jesus Christ:
"His preaching is good. His writing is better. His living is best of all"
And
so it should be with all of us as well! We too should “live out” what we “learn” from God’s Word through our
“walk” with Jesus Christ. Why?
Because more than anything else, Christianity is the only
“way” to “eternal life” of which pleases God. It is the lifestyle “pattern” and “promises” of Jesus Christ found in His
Word that we must follow! Our “relationship”
to God is not “right” if a “life” of “righteousness”
and His “perfecting holiness”
in the “fear” of Him is not present
in our lives. It simply cannot be…
Having, therefore, these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleans ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God – 2 Corinthians 7:1
The
disciplined kind of “living”
of which the Apostle Paul calls us to “cleans
ourselves” from the “filthiness
of the flesh” is abnormal and unnatural. In fact,
”unredeemed“ human beings cannot
of their own choice “live”
this kind of “life.” This is super
natural “living”
that can only occur when energized and empowered by the Holy Spirit
through “salvation” in the “person” and “work” of Jesus Christ on the cross as the “full,” “final”
and “finished” payment for the
“sins” of “all” who “believe.”
It is the true Christian who desires to “live”
by the first 11 chapters of
Romans that can “live”
out chapter 12!
Because, until we have been “justified”
by God “eternally,”
have come to “know” Jesus
Christ personally and “receive”
the Holy Spirit “living” within
us… It's absolutely impossible to live
this way!
We
must not regulate our behavior by legalistic compulsion, impulse or the
“fleshly desires” of what we
want in life. That is not Biblical self-discipline. For
the true Christian, self-discipline is to “obey” the Word of God in the “righteousness” and “holiness” of Him who “saved” us! We must bring our desires,
emotions and feelings under the full control of
the Lord Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit so we can “live” an “obedient”
self-sacrificing “life” with
our ultimate goal of bringing “glory”
to Him. This is the self-disciplined Christian life – Praise be to God!
We are not guaranteed tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late! If you haven't yet made that most important decision of your life, won't you make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior today - before it's too late? Today is the day of Salvation!
If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com
I love hearing from you. Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!
Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><
Encouraging Concepts
Truth for Today
"Living Life From a Biblical Worldview"Lighthouse Publications <><
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