Installment Three: Romans 12 through 16
The Living Sacrifice
“So, in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” 12:5
“Living Sacrifice” is not a dramatic martyrdom, it is a daily surrender. Never become arrogant or think of yourself more highly than you should. Find your gift, we all have different gifts (I can wiggle my ears! Really!). Use your gifts for good, for righteousness. In all your affairs, you are operating within your own Ministry so share all your gifts!
Your love must be sincere. Be devoted, honor one another, and do so with enthusiasm. Go ahead and compete in your love. Try to outdo one another honorably with your sharing of love. It’s healthy! It called “competitive humility” and “Holy rivalry”.
Bless those who persecute you and never curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice. Live in peace with everyone and never forget that God will handle the troublemakers, you don’t need to— in other words, do not go looking for a fight but speak with love, blessings, and authority when confronted with evil. Instead of asking your flock, how are you feeling? Ask them what they did when they were wronged! Teach them to have faith in God’s justice and turn the other cheek.
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
The Christian life is not behavior modification it is perceptual renovation, beginning with me, you, us. We must not simply do differently, we must see differently.
In Romans 13:1, Paul brings the ire of even the modern revolutionary by saying, “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities.” But what is being said is to remember the lessons of the previous chapters— that all the good or bad our governments do have a purpose! Just as all of our suffering, physical, emotional… Recognize that. Speak about the issues, but don’t worship the state (or hate it), and remember your greater calling— your Faith.
It should be noted that this section may have been Paul’s appeal to Rome to go easy on him. Paul was jailed once already for his “radical” vision of Christianity; he hopes not to be imprisoned again. He was being prophetic no doubt.
In chapter 14 Paul devotes an entire chapter to judgment. I have written about this before here: Judgment and Justice.
The main idea of 14 is to accept those that are weak of faith and remember that God has accepted them just as you. Make disciples of the weak of faith with love! Bring them along for the ride just as you are along for the ride.
“So, whatever you believe about these thigs keep between yourself and God.” 14:22
This is where modern churches still fail. They tend to speak of right vs. wrong, Holy vs. compromised. Instead, Paul divides churches into either strong or weak but if we are strong, be humble not for the sake of peacekeeping, but for love’s sake. Doing so will tend to attract those that seek what is promised to them by God!
In chapter 15, Paul grounds everything in Christ. He says that Jesus is not merely the savior, the substitute for our sin, or the sacrifice. Instead, he is the pattern for our communal lives— our ministry.
“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 15:5-6
Unity is the key to the Kingdom and it will serve to encourage our righteous living. When we aren’t living in unity with each other it has the effect of delaying the Kingdom for all of us.
“Accept one another just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy.” 15:7
Unity does not come from agreement on various topics, culture, or alignment with personalities. It comes from a shared submission to the crucified Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Paul ends with a request for prayer for what he expects will be united Jews and Gentiles, operating side-by-side with one voice, one hope, and one Messiah so that he may travel safe to spread the good news.
In summary, the Church is meant be a preview of the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, it should not be tribal and instead be a living argument for the gospel which is rooted in Love. That’s the foundation of the book of Romans.
Did Paul accomplish his mission to unite the Jews and the Gentiles? The short answer is YES! Not only that, but Christianity also gained a strong foothold in Rome as a result of his work... even getting into the mind of Caesar himself! Think Augustine, The Reformation, Protestantism all largely a result of Paul’s work! Spreading the Good News works when grounded in the principles described above!
His final prayer didn’t materialize. He was arrested before making it to Rome and was eventually executed (yes, I’m foreshadowing). His words challenged the power structure of Rome. Still, Paul shaped Christianity’s understanding of the gospel for 2000 years. I’d say well done, Sir!
Our prayers filled with our Grace and our Love— do not need to end in “Amen” every time. But maybe they should begin with “therefore” if we have learned anything in Romans.
