Romans 12:15–Practical Relational Intelligence

Romans 12:15–"Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep."

Knowing when it is appropriate to weep with someone is as important as knowing when it is inappropriate to rejoice.  When someone is grieving the loss of a loved one or the diagnosis of cancer it can be like a great wound.  If we go to that person with nothing but rejoices we will be salting the wound not nourishing someone who is broken.  It is, therefore, of paramount importance that we would grow the acuteness of our relational intelligence.  In other words, we need to become better at assessing where other people are coming from emotionally and to relate to them appropriately.  This is love.  This is Christianity.

Romans 15:2–Let Each Build Up His Neighbor

Romans 15:2–"Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up."

This is a decidedly-foreign attitude to take towards the people around us (our neighbors).  We're so far more prone to belittling, criticism, negligence, and disregard.  But this verse exhorts a different perspective, another way to love those we are blessed to have in our lives.  We are called to love our neighbors in order to build them up.

This is the very essence of Christianity as it pertains to loving one another.  We do it to build them up.

Love, plain and simple.

Romans 15:5-6–"May God Grant You To Live In Unity

Romans 15:5-6–"May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."

We are surrounded by divisions.  The whole world is a mix of lines of maps, lines down aisles, lines between factions, and lines between ethnicities.  But in Christ, the hostility that separates us is broken (Eph. 2:13-16), and we are able to join together not only to Christ our Lord, but also to each other through Christ.

This transformation from tension to relationship does not happen naturally.  In truth, it is an entirely unnatural change.  It demands that we would rely on God to bring us together, to build connecting bridges where none exist.  It is with this intent, with this sentiment in mind that Paul pens the benediction of Romans 15:5-6.

Let us thus pray that God may grant us the ability to truly sing with one voice, breaking down any barriers that would hinder our unity and glorifying God as a unified body of Christ.

Romans 12:1–Present Your Bodies

Romans 12:1–"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."

To present your body as a living sacrifice is a theologically-dense proposition.  Not only is it a commentary about how different Christian worship is in contrast to every other form of worship, but it is also a testament to the wholehearted devotion that God desires from us.  It is insufficient for us to merely believe.  We need to support our belief by offering ourselves in body to the will of God for our lives.  Furthermore, Paul tells us that this kind of devotion is, it turns out, our spiritual worship.  Let us consider, then, how important it is for us to remember that God wants it all–our bodies too!

Romans 15:7–Welcome One Another

Romans 15:7–"Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God."

Let me begin with this: Christ did not need to welcome us into His presence.  In fact, it could be argued that we didn't deserve was for Christ to accept and welcome us into relationship with Him.  But this is precisely what He did; He overlooked our unlovability in order to make us lovable.  At the very least, this means that we will overlook offensiveness, overlook differences, overlook that which separates, and all this for the purpose of joining in relationship for the glory of God.

As we look to Christ as our example, let us strive to welcome one another into relationship as He has welcomed us.

Romans 12:11–Be Fervent

Romans 12:11–"Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in Spirit, serve the Lord."

Christianity is not about sitting on salvation as if it is an arrival or a destination.  No.  Christianity is about expiring ourselves upon the Gospel, utilizing the lengths of our energies for the task of loving one another and serving the Lord.  That is what this verse is about.  It comes in a context that is concerned with what the Christian is supposed to do, how the Christian is to live his/her life.  It is no wonder, then, why the writer is sure to remind us for the need for zeal and fervor in our lives.  There is no little pull to be lazy in spirit or slothful in zeal.  But if we keep our eyes fixed upon Christ and the great depth of zeal in His passion, we will remain zealous in fervent service to the tasks God has placed before us.

Rom. 1:20–Enjoying the Sunny Day isn't Enough, Why?

Romans 1:20–"For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.  So they are without excuse."

Winter in Minnesota this year has been a long, cold pall.  Its persistence has chilled my attitude as it has chilled my bones.  But 'praise be to God' for the sun is shining again!

To feel the welcomed warmth of a sunshiny day has brought a portion of this verse's point to the forefront of life.  But to acknowledge the Creator when we are confronted by the majesty of His creation is only a beginning step in the equation.  And it is the next step, our response, that matters.

It is not enough to enjoy the beauty of God's creation, for in doing merely this we are never actually enjoying as it was intended by He who created it.  In order to get to this point we need to glorify God, to praise Him for His marvelous works.  This is what we, as Christians, strive to do–take the next step from creation to Creator.  In truth, it is for lack of this step that all are held accountable and there is no excuse.

On this wonderfully gorgeous day, then, let us do the only appropriate thing: praise God and enjoy His creation.

Romans 13:8–What Do We Owe One Another?

Romans 13:8–"Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law."

I was recently listening to a radio conversation in which the guest told the host, "I don't owe anybody anything."  To which the host replied, "that's right.  I feel the same way myself."

It occurred to me that many people live their lives with this same understanding, that they owe nothing to no one.  And even if we might not say as much we probably live our lives like it.

But God has something else for us.  he says that we do owe other people.  We owe them our love.  To be sure, this is a simple but profound thing; however, it is also an oft-neglected debt.  Truly, we do owe everyone around us our love because, at its core, our love is a gift from God.  Because our love comes as a gift from God it is out of our devotion that we deliver our love to others as an expression of our love for what God has done.  That's the least that we owe.

Romans 8:38-39–Nothing Can Separate Us From The Love Of God

Romans 8:38-39–"For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

It is more than a mere comfort to consider the reality of this verse.  Simple words cannot adequately convey the deep and awesome nature of God's great love for us that He showed in Christ Jesus.  In short, the love of God is the very definition of satisfaction, joy, fulfillment, peace, worth, happiness, destiny, purpose, and hope.  It is then of supreme solace to know that nothing can separate us from the love of God that we find in Christ Jesus.  Of course, this presumes that we already have a relationship with God through Jesus.

For those of you who do cannot say with confidence that you have a definite relationship with Jesus I would encourage you to consider the life of Jesus this Easter.  I pray that you would come to know the great love God has for us in His Son.  For those of us that do have this relationship, however, this passage is one that offers strength and encouragement for our lives.  We would do well to let this become a stabling backing to undergird our lives in Christ, knowing that in Him we will always know the love of God.

Romans 10:9–Confess & Believe

Romans 10:9–"if you confess with mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

Without spending much time on the particulars of what salvation is–the topic of several other posts–I want to make a brief statement about the nature of conversion, which is what this passage is about.  In truth, the simplicity of conversion: confession with the mouth and believing with the heart that Jesus is who He claimed to be and that He raised from the dead, a well-attested historical event.  So simple.

Praise be to God for the simplicity of receiving salvation!

Romans 8:28–All Things Work For Good, For Those Who Are Called

Romans 8:28–"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose."

This is a promise to all those who God is pleased to call His.  The promise is for those who love God and for those who are called.  It speaks of a knowledge, a specific knowledge that God will work everything together for the good of those who are His.  AMong many things, this means that for all the sufferings, the troubles, the good, the bad, the disappointments, and the achievements, we can have the confidence that God is working to use all of those things for our eternal good and for His purposes.

In all this, all I can say is: Amen!  Praise be to God!

Romans 12:1–Present Your Bodies to God

Romans 12:1–"I appeal to you therefore brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."

Christianity speaks often of devotion in spiritual terms as if worship was primarily some esoteric, mystical activity that required barely more than a willing spirit.  But this verse has something else to say.  It is a profound thing to say that our spiritual worship requires...the proper use of our bodies.

How many of us can say that we use our bodies as if they were instruments for worship?!

But this is precisely what this verse is commanding of us, that we would treat our bodies not as appendages to serve our own whims of enjoyment but as instruments of worship!

Let us commit to treat our bodies with this sort of reverence, recognizing that our bodies are to be our foremost tool for sincere worship.

Romans 8:1-2–No Condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus!

Romans 8:1-2–"Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death."

Praise God for what He has done in Christ Jesus!  Time here does not permit for the sheer amount of information I want to unload on this incredibly important and theologically-dense topic.  That being said, it needs to be said that this verse and the theology therein is at the very heart of the Christian message and it runs something like this:

The Law of God, which includes His perfect commands of righteousness for human begins to live by, condemns the person because on every person's own unrighteous, rebellious heart.  The Law, though, was never meant to save as much as it was intended to reveal God's perfect holiness as well as man's utter debauchery in our very hearts.  But God, who is rich in mercy and not wanting that we would be abandoned in our state, sent His Son, Christ Jesus, to die an atoning death on our behalf.  Now, through confession and belief in Jesus, we are freed!  Amen!

So, as Christmas season approaches, let us not forget this great mystery of God's grace in Christ Jesus!

Romans 15:5-6–Cry for Unity with Purpose

Romans 15:5-6–"May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Unity is a great thing.  In many ways it drives much of the human experience as we seek and define unity amidst the immense diversity that is always around us.  Humans seem to yearn for unification, it is, in many ways, the very thing that drive so much of our lives.  We can unify behind entertainment, like sports teams or favorite movie franchises, or we can unify behind a common goal or experience, such as the GLBT community or human rights.  And while there are a vast number of unifying principles or ideals, they are all paltry and counterfeit in comparison to the single most vital thing that unites all persons and peoples who have ever lived and will ever live (save for Christ who remains uncreated)–We are made to glorify God.

It's in our DNA, our very genes cry out in worship to the Creator of the universe.  And despite our best efforts to suppress or to misplace this reality, it is inescapable.  After all, even the atheistic artist can compose beautiful and intelligent art that, by its very nature, worships the Creator!  But as in this human experience we are faced with the proposition of either discovering or manufacturing unity in diversity, we are faced with the dilemma: what unifies us?

The answer, as is so often true of honest questions, relies solely on the singular and profound theological reality of our existence and our identity.  Every human that has every lived was born bearing the image of God.  This is the utmost truth about us.  It is this astonishing truth that provides for us the very essence of unity under the strains of overwhelming diversity.  For the image of God is born just as much in the life of the drunkard as it is on the saint.  It often turns out that what caused the drunkard to turn to drink in the first place was that he either never knew whose image he was meant to bear or he is more interested in bearing his own rather than His.  In both cases, the fault, it turns out, is not on the One whose image is borne, but on he who illegitimately bears it.

In both cases though, that of the saint and the drunkard, they are, ultimately, unified in the fact that they each bear His image.  Therefore, unity is only held at the distance of recognition: that we would recognize the reality of our unity and that this recognition would only be crystalized through a unified glorification of God!  That is what the aforementioned verse is about, and we would do well to pray for the very same thing that Paul is praying for, too!

Romans 12:3–A Statement About Humility

Romans 12:3–"For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself any higher than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgement, each according to the faith that God has assigned."

This statement is, in many ways, presenting the very essence of biblical humility.  In it we can see that Paul and the Holy Spirit are exhorting us to keep our views of ourselves in proper perspective, always recognizing with honesty the reality of our disposition, particularly in regards to our own self-love.  But Christ compels us to see others as equal and sacred before Christ just as we are the same, thus preventing us to think more highly of ourselves than we ought for we will continually keep the our focus upward first.

In the end, we should never allow our vision to shift from God, which is precisely the change that occurs when we begin to exalt ourselves. This is at the very heart of the Christian message and we should never forget its necessity in the life of the believer.

Romans 12:2–Do Not Be Conformed To This World

Romans 12:2–"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

Not much needs to be said about this verse.  It's fairly self explanatory, really.  The point is that by the renewal of your mind, that is, by reading the Scriptures and applying them by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we will be able to test and to discern what is the right will of God.  It is as a much a gift as it is a practice, our effort works in concert with His presence so that we would be transformed into the image and likeness of the Son, Jesus.  This is the goal and aim for every Christian.  Let us then pray that we would be diligent in the renewal of our mind, actively pursuing that which is righteous, holy, and right!

Amen.

Romans 1:16–The Power of God

Romans 1:16–"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek."

This is one of those 'defining' verses for Christianity.  In reality, the gospel of Christ is the power of God for salvation, meaning that to receive the gospel of Christ through faith is, in effect, to receive God's salvific power in one's own life.  To be sure, this one of the most remarkable things about what believing in Christ affords the believer.  What a beautiful thought!

Praise be to our glorious God!
Amen!

Romans 1:16-17--Righteousness of God Revealed

Romans 1:16-17-"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew and then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed-a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: 'the righteous will live by faith.'"

This verse is full of theology, brimming with the very heart of the the Gospel of Christ.  It speaks of the power of God, of His righteousness revealed, and how salvation is appropriated to God through faith.  But it is the last line, 'the righteous will live by faith,' that spurs me on to excitement.  To be sure, this statement is a combination of description and prescription, meaning that not only does it describe for us how the righteous will live, but it also prescribes for those who would desire to be righteous how they should live.  Because of this, this verse is as convicting as it is affirming.  It compels the believer who has determined to try to live righteously to ask the honest question: how well am I living by faith?

Perhaps we would do well to keep this question and this verse before us as we strive to live lives of godliness.

Amen.

Romans 12:4-5–Many Members=Many Functions

Romans 12:4-5: "For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another."
There are many partnerships and teams that are analogous to the Church.  From a football team to an army battalion, humans naturally accumulate into different files and functions within the roles they are asked to play at any time.  While the Church can be described like this, it is, however, something different too.  For the Church is always ordered into three ranked categories of function and relationship.

1. Vertical–As Christians, our focus always begins vertically.  That is to say that we are God-centered to begin with.  This distinction, ultimately, forms the basis for all Christianity as it inexorably informs the other two functions.

2. Horizontal Covenantally–From our God-centered focus, we are then commanded to live covenantally to our brothers and sisters in Christ.  That is to say that our love of Christ compels us to a sincere devotion toward every other Christian.  We, in a real sense, belong to every other Christian by virtue of belonging to Christ.  This is one of the main purposes of the Church: that we would grow in love to each other within the Christian community.  In this way, we will be equipped and capable to accomplish the third function.

3.  Horizontal Evangelistically–From Christ through the Church and into the world, it is our call.  We are exhorted and ordained to love people who are not Christians and to lead them into the truth that is a personal relationship with the Lord Almighty through His Son, Jesus Christ. Needless to say that this alone is a multifaceted endeavor but it is an essential task for the Church at large.

Now for the connection:

Each of the aforementioned functions within the Church are set before every Christian.  We are all called to commit ourselves to do each of them.  However, within that command, our personalities, gifts, talents, resources, and histories are all taken into consideration, meaning that every person actualizes the three Christian functions in slightly different-though-equally-valid ways (think of the pastor or the businessman or the evangelist, et al).

The point, then, really becomes that we would simply commit ourselves to loving God, loving our brothers and sisters, and loving our neighbors as ourselves.  Let us take these three task with the serious devotion and commitment that Jesus has shown us, being obedient to the Father unto death upon the cross.

Romans 8:31-33–God Wants To Bless Us

Romans 8:31-33–"What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?  Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies."

This passage is a series of questions, but it there are two statements, two answers to these questions that this passage offers for these questions.  The first is a statement in the form of a question: "If God is for us, who can be against us?"  This one sets the background for a whole slew of Christian theological awesomeness but it is but a lead in to the final statement: "It is God who justifies."

Needless to say, this passage is packed full of theology.  But, in truth, I must submit that it speaks for itself far better than my contemplations can convey.  All I can say that is appropriate or worthy of addition is this:

Thank You, Lord.  Amen!