Baptism 2

THE SYMBOLISM OF BAPTISM

When we think about the symbolism of baptism you could ask why we don’t use dirt in the ceremony. Or why don’t we have a tomb and then have the new believer go into it and then come out of it? Why water “baptism” using this old word with connotations of drowning and sinking? Why would anyone want to associate a sinking ship with a new life? Of all the things that could be used to show we are committed to Christ why baptism?

For me, much of the preferred mode and appropriate subjects of baptism are set by the symbolism of Baptism. When we think of the Tabernacle in the Old Testament we were told that the Tabernacle on earth represented the real spiritual Tabernacle (Hebrews 8:1-7). In a similar way we have a baptism on earth that represents a real spiritual baptism (Luke 12:50). For the Tabernacle God provided great detail because those who were building the earthly Tabernacle could not see the heavenly Tabernacle. For our baptism we could see the real thing in the work of Christ and we have Scriptures that tell us what is symbolized.

 

God gives us explanations of the symbolism of baptism and so, as you might guess, God wasn’t making a random choice (God never makes a random choice but that would be another lesson). So once again we go to Scripture and look for verses that describe the relationship of baptism to our lives in Christ.

Acts 22:12-16

And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, well spoken of by all the Jews who lived there, came to me, and standing by me said to me, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’ And at that very hour I received my sight and saw him. And he said, ‘The God of our fathers appointed you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear a voice from his mouth; for you will be a witness for him to everyone of what you have seen and heard. And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name.

So washing is appropriately part of our baptism. Ananias is calling on Paul to confess Christ as savior and witness to the spiritual baptism with his physical baptism. Remember that our sins are washed away because they are paid for. God’s righteous judgment is satisfied by the Lamb of God and is not simply set aside.

 

Now the next section of Scripture is a little bit long but it covers multiple aspects of baptism. These words follow the revelation of how Grace now reigns through the power of Christ’s sacrifice.

Romans 6:1-11

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

     For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self, was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.

The spiritual reality is being represented with our physical Baptism. We are symbolizing our real death, burial, and crucifixion in the work of Christ as well as our resurrection to walk in newness of life. Water baptism represents these things that really happen when we are born again. Your justification and atonement is being represented in water baptism but it is the real spiritual baptism (justification, atonement) that saves you. If that spiritual reality hasn’t occurred then getting wet is all that water baptism will do for you.

Colossians 2:11-14

In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

Remember what we learned about our membership in Abraham’s family in the book of Romans. We have entered into our new relationship to God via our new birth, buried with Christ and raised with Him. You were dead in your trespasses and sins (under the waters of baptism; by nature children of wrath) and then God made you alive together with Christ. We were circumcised by “putting off the body of the flesh” in a way that makes us “the real circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh (Philippians 3:3).” We stop our own works to attain righteousness and accept it by grace from God. God made us alive when we were dead and we follow this with baptism to show what God has done. I’ve heard folks comment on someone who got baptized and then went back to living like they always did that, “the baptism didn’t take”. Water baptism is a means of Grace in the life of a Christian and God will bless it; however, if that spiritual circumcision, spiritual death and resurrection, and nailing of your sins to the Cross in Christ hasn’t occurred then there is nothing in water baptism that will make it happen and all you get is wet.

Galatians 3:26-29

for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

So we testify in baptism that we have put on Christ and, if we are saved, we really have put on Christ. The water baptism testifies of the real thing (spiritual baptism) that happened. We have become born again and we are then Abraham’s offspring. We are heirs according to promise.

1 Peter 3:20-22

because they formerly did not obey, when God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.

Literally tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of pages have been written on the baptism-circumcision parallel. It is a real parallel that we will study but here is what baptism “corresponds to”. One of the things we seem to miss most often is that the reason we use water is because it symbolizes the judgment of God. The judgment of God fell on Egypt via water, the flood of Noah was the judgment of God, Jonah went to sea and the storm was seen as God’s judgment (and it was). One remarkable thing about this verse in 1 Peter is that we actually have Scripture tell us that Baptism corresponds to being brought safely through the water by God’s provision (as were Noah, Moses as a child, and the Israelites). God makes a way for us to be saved from the righteous anger of God toward sin. It is the real spiritual Baptism that saves you and you testify to that salvation with the means of Grace we call baptism (here on earth). You are saved by works but they are not your works they are the works of Christ.

 

This figure summarizes some of the key verses and concepts regarding the reality that is depicted by our water baptism. As we identify with Christ in our regeneration by the Holy Spirit we identify with the baptism that He was made to bear in our place (Luke 12:50 and Isaiah 53:3-4).

 

One thing that I glossed over last week was that the water that was used for baptism in Scripture was moving water. It was the River Jordan or in a valley with lots of springs and abundant water. The early Church referred to this by asking for the water to be “living”. What they meant by that was that the water should be moving. In meditation on the wrath of God that was carried for us by Christ our Savior then it seems appropriate that you should have your feet knocked out from under you by a river and you should realize that if someone doesn’t pull you up you are in danger (after you were dead in your trespasses and sins; you were by nature a child of wrath) but then you are pulled up to walk in newness of life. Not just clean on the outside but clean on the inside by claiming the Grace offered you by God (an appeal to God for a clean conscience). 

 

Titus 3:4-7

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

 

We were not saved by any of our works. Not even (maybe especially) baptism. If you haven’t experienced regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit then your water baptism doesn’t represent a reality. We represent the reality of what the Holy Spirit has done with the sacrament of baptism.

 

When Jesus came walking on the water He wasn’t just out for a stroll. When He was sleeping in the boat in the midst of a storm without a worry in the world it wasn’t just to show that He was tired. These things are given to us in Scripture to teach us not to just wow us. The judgment of God represented by the water could not overwhelm Christ. He was the perfect Lamb of God, holy and without blemish and He could walk over the waters and they couldn’t take Him. In the storm, it couldn’t touch Him and He could sleep because God’s judgment is just and perfect and He was just and perfect too. Think of Peter asking for Jesus to call to him so he could walk out on the water too. He looked at the waters and started to doubt but Jesus reached out for Him. Each of us calls out to Jesus in a sense and each of us also walk across the waves because we are not overwhelmed and destroyed by God’s righteous anger. Just like your weight necessarily makes it impossible for you to walk on water, your sins make it impossible for you to avoid sinking into the punishment you deserve apart from the Grace given you in Christ. When I think of my sin and the appropriate anger of God then I can believe it will overwhelm me too. Like Peter all we can do is look at Christ and His perfection and appeal for a clean conscience. I can honestly say that to baptize me by aspersion or effusion would have been ridiculous since the water represents the righteous judgment of God for my sin (1 Peter 3:20-22). I should have been dunked in some deep rapids and even they would be a sorry representation for the judgment that was paid for me by the work of Christ. Christ dealt with my sin (Psalm 69:1-2) and the waves and mire that would have otherwise claimed me.

 

So for each local Christian fellowship and for each individual you must satisfy yourself that you’re teaching and practicing water baptism in a manner that is consistent with the reality of the spiritual baptism that saves you. Baptism shows that you really were baptized into His death, it shows your justification, the waters represent the flood of God’s anger toward sin (pictured as Noah’s flood), and your water baptism testifies that you really have been raised to newness of life.

 

In a sense, I can say that everyone who is a true Christian is saved by believer’s baptism. In this way we can say that the Thief on the Cross was saved by believer’s baptism. But when I say that I’m talking about the reality of what happened which is so much more than what we see in the water baptism (Mark 10:37-40). That baptism that Christ passed through (Luke 12:50; Psalm 69) saves you who believe. His work satisfied the righteous requirements of a holy God and we can’t add anything to that perfect work of the Lamb of God. 

Baptism 1

Well we are Baptists so we have an intuitive feeling that we must be the world experts on baptism and that we must have it right and everyone else must have it less right or maybe even wrong. However, in some ways we hold a lower view of baptism than some other denominations. What I mean by that is some denominations believe that baptism actually saves a person while we believe that it provides a testimony of a salvation experience. While baptism in our view is not an essential of the faith we do believe that it is very important and we make it a requirement for church membership.

We need to know what we believe about baptism if for no other reason than because we differ from most believers down through the ages in some key aspects of our doctrine of baptism. We as a Sunday School Class will be unlikely to all agree on all the aspects I cover and that is OK. I realize that there is a great deal of variation within the Body of Christ in general and even within the Baptist Church in particular with regard to Baptism.

One thing to keep in mind (especially in Scripture study and especially in this study of baptism) is that there is no inherent virtue in being conservative. Liberals may need correction and conservatives may need reformation. From time to time in history liberals have stimulated reformation. To make yourself comfortable you can think of liberals who have turned out to be right as simply better conservatives since often the call is to a higher standard. For example, Rosa Parks just called us to a standard of common courtesy that was entirely Biblical. What has that got to do with baptism? Well we (Baptists) are liberals in the sense that we are calling for practices in baptism that have not been the majority report. The Body of Christ has generally not baptized by immersion and the Body of Christ has generally baptized the infants of believing parents. So we are either reformers or just liberals. If you want to answer the question then you must answer the question from Scripture.

The concept in “Sola Scriptura” is that Scripture is authoritative and that the Body of Christ has been seeking that alignment through tradition since the first century so that creeds and traditions have a significant role in the Church. Scripture may correct tradition but tradition is viewed as otherwise significant in shaping our practice as believers.

Alister McGrath, writing in The Science of God, develops 2 important aspects of tradition in the Church. They are:

1) Considered as a process of transmission, the notion of tradition embraces far more than the mere oral transfer of ideas from one individual to another. The process of inter-generational transmission of the faith has been institutionalized. This process is already evident in the Pastoral Epistles, where the importance of offices and institutions in preserving the integrity of the ‘deposit of faith’ is heavily emphasized.

2) Considered as transmitted reality, tradition includes institutions, practices, systems of symbols, values and beliefs. It is unacceptable to limit the notion of tradition merely to ideas; what is passed on from one generation to another are ways of thinking, existing, seeing, living, belonging, and behaving. It is a deeply socially embedded concept, which embraces matters of doctrine while at the same time transcending them.”

This gives us a needed focus back on the rest of Christ’s Body as we formulate our statement of what we believe is true about our expression of baptism. We must acknowledge that God has been directing the Church through the centuries. This is, in part, what gives tradition value in our lives as Christians. The knowledge that most of the Church throughout most of the Church’s existence has practiced paedobaptism means that Baptists should approach believer’s baptism with great humility. If I formulate a view of baptism that places me in the position of arguing that the baptisms of most of the Church throughout most of history are fatally flawed then I would be arguing that God left the Church in an unacceptable position with regard to baptism for centuries. So, if I differ in mode or subject of baptism then it is likely that I may decide that the prior decision was less desirable or less consistent with the meaning of baptism. My carpenter ancestors knew something very important about passing on information. If we want 100 boards of the same length then my grandfather would use the same standard each time. He would have objected loudly if someone had been working by cutting the first board, then measuring the second from the first, and the third from the second, and so forth until you measured the 100th from the 99th board. You’d have a mess is what you’d have either a gradually decreasing or decreasing mess. You must go back to the standard each time. We can’t use tradition without the standard.

Every tradition of ours must stand or fall before Scripture. I say that knowing that some denominations elevate the authority of church tradition to that of Scripture but also knowing that God’s Word will not be defeated. I need to submit my own view of Baptism to Scripture for correction. I want to approach our study of Baptism first by asking if our point of view is OK. Is believer’s baptism by immersion inconsistent with Scripture? If it is inconsistent then we need to reform our point of view regardless of what the Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Church of Christ or any other denomination teaches. All that we can really address right now is our (us, right here, right now) faithfulness to Scripture. If we need to respectfully differ from the majority then so be it. There was a day when our decision on this topic could get us killed by other believers. Thankfully this is not that day.

As I’ve read arguments from other denominations I’ve been reminded first, not to argue, and secondly, that a text without a context is a pretext, and thirdly, never trust an ellipsis (especially from a man arguing a text without a context).

Aspersion, Effusion, Immersion:

Let’s first look at descriptions of baptisms as best we can from Scripture looking for mode of baptism. We’ll look first to see what it the most reasonable understanding for the way in which baptisms were conducted. In other words, were they sprinkled (aspersion), poured (effusion), or dunked (immersion). We can simply approach it by looking at the most reasonable inferences of the most relevant Scriptures.

Matthew 3:5-6
Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

Don’t forget that John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance but it looked like the baptism we practice. John was baptizing in the river Jordan. So he was not using water in a container. He was outside in a river.

Matthew 3:13-16
Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him;

So Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River. As John pointed out, Jesus didn’t have any sins to repent from. However, consider what was happening in His life. For thirty years He had been a son and then a servant for His brothers and mother. We don’t know for certain when it happened but at some point Joseph apparently died. Jesus was the head of household as the oldest son. So in a very real sense as Jesus began His ministry he was turning from (repenting) being a surrogate father and son of Mary to being a Faithful Shepherd and Son of God.

Notice also that Jesus “went up from the water” so he didn’t walk away from the water’s edge but he came out of the water.

Mark 1:4-5
John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

So we see again from another Gospel that John was in the wilderness baptizing in a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. So participants were repenting and asking God for forgiveness “in the river Jordan.”

Mark 1:9-11
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opening and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

And from the Gospel of Mark we see that Scripture says that Jesus “came up out of the water” rather than walked away from the edge. He was baptized “in the Jordan” and not by it or near it.

John 3:22-24
After this Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside, and he remained there with them and was baptizing. John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because water was plentiful there, and people were coming and being baptized (for John had not yet been put in prison).

Now Jesus and his disciples were baptizing in the Judean countryside and John was baptizing at Aenon near Salim. Aenon probably means spring (there may have been more than one) so John had source of flowing water near a headwater so it would have been clear and cold. This may have been a valley full of springs that then flowed into the Jordan.

Acts 8:35-39
Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.

We can learn a few things here because of what they pass over. The eunuch is looking for a quantity of water that is greater than a quart or two. So they went down into the water and not beside it. Then they came up out of the water and not from beside the water.

Acts 10:46-48
For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

So here we have some folks who are obviously believers and then Peter commands that they be baptized in the name of Jesus. So why not do it right there with some water? They must have had some around. Apparently the baptism was not something that Peter could not do immediately.

Certainly our teaching of baptism by immersion seems to fit the model presented in Scripture. We can’t find anything in Scripture that would teach that our mode is inappropriate. In fact it seems completely appropriate with regard to the Scriptures present with one difference. Based on biblical examples, we should be outside in flowing water. Now you can argue that Scripture doesn’t command that but only that you find it as the example set for us. So you can then argue that a pool of water should be OK because Scripture doesn’t forbid the use of a pool. Just remember your argument when you hear it used to justify effusion or aspersion .

What about the Greek word used for baptism?

Here is what Calvin, said about baptism…
“Whether the person baptized is to be wholly immersed, and that whether once or thrice, or whether he is only to be sprinkled with water, is not of the least consequence: churches should be at liberty to adopt either, according to the diversity of climates, although it is evident that the term baptize means to immerse, and that this was the form used by the primitive Church.” Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, IV, xv, 19.

Calvin is making statements here without any reference to Scripture so we can enjoy his confidence as he sits out on a limb. We can see that even someone who rejected immersion (apparently because, within the “diversity of climates”, Calvin lived where it was too cold) would not argue the meaning of the Greek word.

The word Greek word seems to suggest immersion very strongly. For example, synonyms include plunge, drowned, dip, immerse, and wash with some non-Christian literature would also suggest plunge, sink, drench, and overwhelm. It was used for example to indicate the sinking of a ship and in other Greek writings the general meaning of sinking or drowning is common while bathing or washing is rare. Berkhof is a very good author and I’d recommend his systematic theology but in his effort to support a “less than immersion” point of view he mixes a couple of Greek words. Baptizo (βαπτίζω) is the word we are studying and Berkhof mixes in Bapto (βάπτω) in an effort to find some usage that is less than immersion. We should also note that the Greek word rhantizo (ῥαντίζω) exists, was used in the New Testament, and means sprinkle (Hebrews 9:13, 9:19, 9:21, and 10:22). For example, the word is used in the following verse.

Hebrews 9:11-14
But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the sprinkling of defiled persons with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a heifer sanctifies for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.

So the author of Hebrews (who probably was not Paul and I’m saying that so that when I attribute the words to Paul you’ll forgive me) draws the parallel of Jesus blood that sprinkled down with the method of applying the blood of sacrifices in the Old Testament. This is not baptism. This is dealing with the blood of the atonement.

So if we simply look at the New Testament verses and the Greek words the plain interpretation is that Baptism was by immersion based on the practice as described, the Greek words used to describe it, and the Greek words not used to describe it.

Next week we'll study the symbols present in baptism. For me the symbols drive both the mode and subject for baptism.

Romans 16

Chapter 16 is personal for Paul as he gives instruction and greeting to individuals.

Romans 16:1-2
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.

Phoebe was probably the one who was carrying the letter to Rome. The word “servant” is the word for deacon. As a fellowship, we don’t officially recognize female deacons. We also don’t distinguish between those who serve in administration and helps versus church elders who are expected to provide a spiritual leadership to the church. That further complicates applying titles to individuals. However, we have plenty of women who are serving the church. Another of our peculiarities is that we consider deacon and honorific title. It would probably be better if we just said servant or worker since it might help us remember that it isn’t something for your tombstone but rather something to do right now.

Romans 16:3-16
Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them. Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.

There are many names here. Priscilla and Aquila were apparently in prison with Paul and then moved to Rome later and helped organize the church since it was meeting in their house. These two also taught Apollos when he was preaching but didn’t have a complete understanding of the Gospel (Acts 18:24-26). Andronicus and Junia were apparently married and were Jews who had been saved before Paul was saved. In a time when the Roman world considered women at best as second class citizens, Paul is careful to acknowledge the ministry of women in the Church.

The mention of Rufus is interesting since the Gospel of Mark (that may have been written to the Church in Rome) identifies the man who helped carry the Cross as Simon of Cyrene and the father of Alexander and Rufus. That is one of those things that we’ll need to ask about in heaven but that must have been a very special family.

Romans 16:17-20
I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive. For your obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise as to what is good and innocent as to what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

If we are going to be able to respond to this appeal then we will certainly need a firm grasp on the doctrine taught in Romans. The challenge is not to be slack about doctrine but rather to have it clear in your head so that you can actually identify someone who is departing from Scripture. In the first few centuries you could claim that Scripture was difficult to acquire and study but we don’t have that excuse anymore.

Romans 16:21-23
Timothy, my fellow worker, greets you; so do Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen. I Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in the Lord.
Gaius, who is host to me and to the whole church, greets you. Erastus, the city treasurer, and our brother Quartus, greet you.

I find it interesting to hear the names of those who were working with Paul. In particular we get to find out about Tertius who actually did the writing. I think we can begin to see that Paul was certainly no lone ranger. Paul had a tremendous group of individuals around him ministering.

Romans 16:25-27
Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.

This is a wonderful benediction and encouragement to pursue an understanding of Scripture for our own strength. The mystery has been explained in detail by Paul (as written by Tertius) in the book of Romans. Only God gets glory for the Gospel. Amen.

Romans 15

Continuing with some of the ideas presented in Chapter 14 …

Romans 15:1
We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

We are always under the rule of loving one another as Christ loved us. We don’t try to bring another person down because of their beliefs. If I have a friend who is a vegetarian because they think that God would have them eat a vegetarian diet or baptize by sprinkling then I must not work at talking them out of it. That assumes that they do not begin to teach this practice as a spiritual discipline or law. We don’t even need to try to figure out who the weak and who the strong are in a given difference of opinion. We just acknowledge God and move on.

Romans 15:2-7
Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.” For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. 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. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

Notice that we are not just putting up with some yahoo teaching a bunch of rules to be holy, such as don’t chew gum, wear black pants to church, always wear a tie to church, don’t mow your grass on Sunday, etc. We are being sensitive for Christ’s sake to build up our brothers and sisters. If they begin to teach a law that isn’t in Scripture then you must object. You can’t be building up your neighbor if you allow them to teach false doctrine. On the other hand, if they want to practice some discipline such as vegetarianism or a particular means of Baptism that is within the bounds of Scripture then we need to keep our mouths shut. We live a life of service and even if someone criticizes you for the way you live then you keep your mouth shut. You serve Christ so Scripture is your guide and we want to live in harmony with each other. We are commanded to live in harmony with each other. We clearly don’t want to break Christian fellowship with others over anything that is not an essential of the faith. I wish that fewer who call themselves Christian actually were these days. Many are on the far side of the essentials of the faith these days. When it comes to our justification and the atonement of Christ we can’t ignore and compromise. When someone starts to teach that you must do something that is outside the moral law of God to be righteous then we have to object. These days the confusion is so great that some folks get in arguments of nonessential doctrines such as the frequency of communion or the mode of baptism and welcome someone into fellowship who may believe that Jesus was a great moral teacher but doesn’t believe in an atonement or payment for sins on the Cross.

Romans 15:8-13
For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written,
“Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles, and sing to your name.”
And again it is said,“Rejoice, O Gentiles, with his people.”
And again,“Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples extol him.”
And again Isaiah says, “The root of Jesse will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles; in him will the Gentiles hope.”
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the
power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

Remembering that Paul is speaking to a mixed congregation of believers who are ethnically Jewish and gentile, I love the progression of Christ’s service to the circumcised, fulfilling the promises given to the patriarchs, and pouring out God’s blessings on the Gentiles. It is a blessing that we now enjoy all the blessings of God’s promises to the patriarchs and now, by adoption, they are our patriarchs in a sense that is more real than for unbelieving ethnic Israel.

God gives us hope because of His promises for heaven. Remember too that this hope is not wishful thinking. This hope is based on an expectation that rests on the faithfulness of God. This hope that is based on believing should produce joy and peace. Notice that we have a brief prayer that we can adapt for ourselves and others here.

Romans 15:14-15
I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. But on some points I have written to you very boldly by way of reminder, because of the grace given me by God to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Paul begins his salutation here. He encourages those in leadership that they are able to teach and aware of the Gospel. Paul also mentions that he has a special call to minister to the Gentiles and that he ministers the Gospel so that we can offer ourselves to God as we are sanctified by the Holy Spirit (and nothing more).

Romans 15:17-21
In Christ Jesus, then, I have reason to be proud of my work for God. For I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me to bring the Gentiles to obedience—by word and deed, by the power of signs and wonders, by the power of the Spirit of God—so that from Jerusalem and all the way around to Illyricum I have fulfilled the ministry of the gospel of Christ; and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s
foundation, but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will
see, and those who have never heard will understand.”

Spoken like a true apostle. He went where God said to go. Although completely Jewish, Paul was sent by God to the Gentiles. Paul knows how he did it because he knows that he didn’t do it but that Christ accomplished great things through him.

Romans 15:22
This is the reason why I have so often been hindered from coming to you. But now, since I no longer have any room for work in these regions, and since I have longed for many years to come to you, I hope to see you in passing as I go to Spain, and to be helped on my journey there by you, once I have enjoyed your company for a while. At present, however, I am going to Jerusalem bringing aid to the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make some contribution for the poor among the saints at Jerusalem. They were pleased to do it, and indeed they owe it to them. For if the Gentiles have come to share in their spiritual blessings, they ought also to be of service to them in material blessings. When therefore I have completed this and have delivered to them what has been collected, I will leave for Spain by way of you. I know that when I come to you I will come in the fullness of the blessing of
Christ.

Paul wanted to see them but he’d been busy starting fellowships everywhere the Holy Spirit lead him. Spain was a serious trip for someone in Paul’s day but he was ready to go. It sounds like he may have made it to Spain and preached there.

Romans 15:30-33
I appeal to you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God on my behalf, that I may be delivered from the unbelievers in Judea, and that my service for Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints, so that by God’s will I may come to you with joy and be refreshed in your company. May the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

Eventually, Paul was imprisoned and martyred by decapitation but not before finishing the course God had set before him and not before he wrote a significant portion of Scripture.

Romans 14

Chapter 14 continues with instructions for Christian behavior and begins to even teach general principles for living.

Romans 14:1-3
As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.

Once again we need to deal with the word adiaphorous. Things which are adiaphorous are those things which God has not commanded nor forbidden. So what is God telling us in this Scripture? First of all we are not supposed to argue with a person who has decided that they should eat or not eat or drink or not drink something. In fact, we are not even allowed to judge or despise someone who observes a dietary restriction. If someone feels that something which is adiaphorous is something that should not be part of their life then that is fine and you don’t really have anything to say about it. However, the knife cuts the other way too. Someone who has decided to abstain from something which is adiaphorous may not think that it makes them any better or more righteous than one who does not abstain (and if they do then they are sinning). It is ironic but when we set up laws to make ourselves more righteous it has the opposite effect. We are not generally aware of that at the time and we can even get drawn into acting in ways we associate with the Pharisees.

Getting specific examples these topics is generally a good way to get someone upset with you. A real life example that is relevant to you is your behavior while fasting. Jesus assumes that we will fast so it is not a question of if we will practice this behavior but how we will practice this behavior. God gives specific things to do and attitudes to have when we fast (Isaiah 58) but it isn’t a magic practice that forces God’s hand. It is a good way to bring humility into our lives and focus on spiritual growth but it is all about us conforming to God and His will and not about getting God to conform to us and our will.

However, over the last however many decades I’ve heard of a “Daniel Fast” and of course all that is required for an evangelical to develop a new spiritual discipline or even sacrament is a misinterpreted Scripture. The practice is based on Daniel 1:12-15. Daniel and his friends ate vegetables and drank water rather than Nebuchadnezzar’s food and drink. There was a particular motivation for Daniel and his friends to do this and God blessed them and performed a miracle and they gained weight and looked better and answered the king’s questions better than anyone. Some modern Christians have decided that if they eat only vegetables and drink water that they too will gain weight and smarter. No I’m teasing. I wish it was that simple. They seem to think that they will be more spiritual based on thinking that this special fast (not really a fast but a kosher diet for life in Babylon) will, somehow, make them more holy. Now there is nothing wrong with this type of dietary restriction unless you think it works in some magical way. We are told to crucify the flesh. We can fast all sort of things. One Norcross GA church says that your Daniel Fast can include potatoes, beans, and soybeans. None of those would have been available to Daniel. They suggest fruit juices which would not have been available. And they suggest you avoid grains that Daniel probably would have used. They suggest a single meal a day. Biblically I suppose that you should believe God for weight gain so I guess that raises the bar a little. No one seems to teach that you’ll be smarter and I’m not sure why. Some teach that you can use a Daniel Fast to lose weight! You can even buy a 76 page cookbook for your Daniel Fast.

Now you can do a Daniel Fast if you feel that God is calling you to that type of fast. In fact, you can fast anything that God puts His finger on. He may have you fast something that is taking on too large a role in your life. But these things are adiaphorous. Many Christians fast something for the 40 days leading up to Easter and it can be a very personal thing. I’d encourage you to ask God if He would lead you into a fast. Fasting of some sort is supposed to be part of the normal Christian life. I was once confronted by a Korean immigrant who was almost a nominal Christian who had been friends with my Roman Catholic sister-in-law for a long time. She decided that she was going to fast her “cussing” until Christmas. I told her she could not fast a sin and only after my protesting for a while did the Roman Catholics break the news to her that they agreed that she probably couldn’t fast a sin. You can’t fast sin! For sin, you repent right now and stop sinning.

You can’t feel superior because of the type of fast or because of anything you do or don’t do that is adiaphorous. If your brother or sister in Christ decides to pursue a “Daniel Fast” then that is fine and you should not offer them roast beef in the middle of it. However, if they begin to teach that you must fast in a particular way in order to be righteous then they are sinning and you must lovingly indicate that.

Romans 14:4-6
Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.

We sometimes need reminding who the boss is and it isn’t us. Each of us will answer for our behavior to The Boss. However, here we also see the promise that each Christian has that we will be kept by God. We will be upheld because God will uphold us. In every case we are to honor God in our life. You are called on to serve God each moment so it is by doing what you believe God would have you do that you serve God. You are to be “fully convinced” in your own mind that your behavior honors God. Even in our eating we give thanks to God and honor Him. Even in our fasting we do so to honor God.

Romans 14:7-9
For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.

All of our life and whatever we do is to be done to glorify God. God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him as John Piper says. Our position within the Body of Christ is for God’s glory and we serve Him according to His direction.

Romans 14:10-12
Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written,
“As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

We will each explain why we did what we did. We don’t need to be trying to figure out what is in someone’s heart when they decide what to fast … unless they want to fast a sin. The Bible never tells us not to call a sin a sin in order to avoid “judging” one another. Our problem is with things which are adiaphorous or in the way a brother or sister follows God. You certainly don’t want to feel superior or despise your brother over these things but that is often what happens. Fasting, mode of baptism, mode of communion, observance of a day of rest, frequency of church attendance, and worship style are all things that can cause deep differences among Christians. Sometimes it has something to do with serious scriptural issues. For example, communion can be practiced in a way that I would not participate in; however, we often encounter differences that should be tolerated.

Romans 14:13-19
Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding.

Therefore, because you’ll answer to God for your behavior, do not judge the behavior of your brother’s and sister’s that is not in conflict with God’s commands. You also are told not to put your freedom or your lack of freedom in the face of another in a way that might cause them to sin. Remember that if a person thinks something is sinful, and you encourage them to do it, and they do it, then you have caused them to sin. The attitude in the act makes it a sin. If we think God would have us do something or not do something and we do it or don’t do it then we have sinned. The act is a sin because the sinner’s heart is acting contrary to the perceived will of God. You don’t want to push a person into that. We are supposed to pursue peace and mutual upbuilding. God expects us to be able to fellowship within the diversity of the Body of Christ discerning the essentials of the Christian Faith and passing over the things which are not essential.

Romans 14:20-23
Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.

So if you are pursuing those things that make for peace and mutual upbuilding then you will not make an issue of nonessential aspects of the Christian life. You will clearly need to know Scripture to be able to separate essentials from nonessentials but that is no excuse for stumbling your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Romans 13

In chapter 13 we continue to receive instruction for how we are to become sanctified by following Christ.

Romans 13:1-2
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.

We resist the governing authorities whenever we find it convenient and remember that the governing authorities were radically more hostile in Paul’s day than they are today. The TV show “Cops” is a show about resisting the authorities that God has appointed. It is an eye opener if you haven’t seen a really good liar or amateur track athlete with more motivation than skill.

We, especially as Americans, have issues with being subject to anyone. We’ll consider to being subject to God but it rarely moves beyond our consideration and outward into action. I got caught speeding the other day and I think the policeman was waiting for me to give him a hard time. Now the speed limit was 30 and I did thirty until I thought it wasn’t 30 but I was wrong and when he hit his lights I figured I had done something wrong and pulled over before he was really out in the road. My charge from God in that situation is to be subject to the policeman and not resist him. He asked me if I wanted to challenge the accuracy of his radar gun. He seemed a little surprised when I said no. Apparently we in Georgia have been given the right to request a recalibration whenever we are stopped for speeding based on the results of a radar gun. I think that if a person were convinced that they were not speeding then it might be appropriate but to request it just because you are able to request it would appear to be resisting the authorities that God has appointed.

We live in a society in which urban myths exist on how to radar proof your car (no they don’t work) and you can buy radar detectors to make it possible to resist the authorities with reduced risk of penalty.

Governing is naturally thought of in a political sense but it would include your secular employment and church leadership as well. We need to seriously consider our actions when we have differences of opinion with those in authority over us. God would have us always respect the position even when the individual in the position is behaving in an ungodly way. That is because they are instituted by God. In the way taking revenge shows a lack of faith in God, we show lack of faith when we panic over individuals who are in positions of authority. God will still be in control next year when we have a new president regardless of who wins the election. God’s sovereignty is not shaken by democracy. We participate in our government as a privilege of citizenship but we still know that God says:

2 Chronicles 7:14
if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

We may be subject to the judgment of God (as the context of 2 Chronicles 7:14) but we are never outside His control.

Romans 13:3-4
For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.

Only a man of great faith could have written this with the rule of Caligula, Claudius, and Nero in view. I’ve lived long enough to watch Republican and Democrat Presidents lie and face impeachment on television but the worst sins of the past few decades in the United States are nothing compared to what was going on when Paul wrote the book of Romans.

We have no wiggle room for aligning our minds with this Scripture and being law abiding citizens. To be law abiding in this democracy is a trivial command compared to being law abiding with Nero in charge. If you had lived in that age you would likely have believed that Nero was the antichrist.

Romans 13:5-7
Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

So our good citizenship is not just so that God will not judge us but so that we can have a clear conscience and not live in opposition to God’s revealed will. We can never cheat on our taxes because God commands us to pay. As Jesus instructed, we pay our taxes and then give to God what you find His image imprinted upon (Romans 12:1). Notice also that we are told to give respect and honor to authorities. Not because of the individual but because we recognize the office is filled by authorities who are ministers of God. If you have a problem with this then talk to God and begin by thanking Him that we are not governed by anyone who is even in the same ballpark with those who were in authority when this verse was written. Study Caligula and Claudius and then praise God for His mercy and grace in your political life.

Romans 13:8-10
Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Now Paul is moving from a discussion of our life in society to a discussion of our interactions with other individuals. This is a restatement of Jesus command and a reminder to keep short accounts with each other. Here, as in many other portions of Scripture, the word love is not a warm fuzzy feeling this is God’s purposeful love that works in the heat and cold.

Romans 13:11-14
Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

I think that it is remarkable how mankind hasn’t changed in 2000 years. Those who are saved are warned to wake up, cast off sin, and put on our spiritual armor. The warning specifically warns us to abandon substance abuse, sexual sin, and selfishness.

We can put on the Lord Jesus Christ because the law of the Spirit of life has set us free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Romans 12

Before moving into Chapter 12 we need to review context. We need context because we are coming up on a “therefore” and we need to realize what it is there for. This is also a pivotal point in the book of Romans. Paul is preparing to move on to our participation in sanctification. We need to keep the big picture in view so I’ll do a brief review of what we have covered so far.

Greetings and Introduction (1:1–17)

Mankind’s Universal Sinfulness (1:18–3:20)
---Our Condition Apart from Christ (3:10-20)

Justification (3:21–5:21)
---Provided in Christ by Faith (3:21–31)
---Abraham is an Example of Justification by Faith (ch. 4)
---Justification Guarantees Blessings for the Righteous (5:1–11)
---Imputed Righteousness from Christ in Justification — the New Adam (5:12–21)

Sin’s Dominion Broken and We are Captured by God (ch. 6)

Believers Dead to the Law’s Condemnation, Not Yet Made Sinless (ch. 7)
---'Simul iustus et peccator'

Those Living by the Spirit Prove Victors over the Flesh (ch. 8)

God Demonstrates His Righteousness and Mercy in Election (chs. 9–11)
---God’s Righteousness Established in History (ch. 9)
---God’s Righteousness Received Only by Faith (ch. 10)
---God’s Righteousness Revealed in Jew and Gentile (ch. 11)

Paul is moved to worship and adoration of God for His sovereignty in salvation and for His actions in Grace … at the end of Chapter 11 Paul writes:

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?” “Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?” For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen

Briefly then Justification and God’s saving Grace in your life is why Paul says “therefore” in the following verses.

Chapter 12:1-3
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. 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.

What God revealed in the first 11 chapters we now begin to see worked out in lives. What is it that justification should produce in you? Worship as we saw in Paul’s praise of God and a submission of yourselves as living sacrifices. This is your worship. Your soul should be moved to worship in this way if you are thinking rightly. It is appropriate to worship in this way because of the Grace that has been poured out on you. You are told to fight against being conformed or shaped by the world. You are supposed to fight for a renewal of your mind. We learn (by experience in pursuit of God) to discern His will and to recognize “good”, “acceptable”, and “perfect”.

Here is where the Laodiceans fell short (and lots of others). In Revelation 3:14 and the verses that follow we find that the Laodiceans were neither hot nor cold and Jesus tells them they are about to be rejected as a Church. We know we have an assurance of our individual salvation but God is under no obligation to keep moving in a place that apathetic. We must ask God for mercy when we see our church or nation heading in this direction and do our best to keep our hearts pure before God’s face. The natural reaction is to look for a new program or change the order or style of worship. That is just like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. We need a miracle for a fellowship at that point and not new sales techniques. The really tragic thing is that programs can give an illusion of success in numbers while the Holy Spirit moves out the door.

It is ironic and perhaps telling of our hearts in the way we quote the Scripture, “Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me (Revelation 3:19-20).” The verse is often quoted in evangelism and I’m sure was in the Will Thompson’s mind when my least favorite hymn was written (Softly and Tenderly Jesus is Calling). In context, the verse has nothing to do with evangelizing the unsaved. It is written to the church at Laodicea. They were lukewarm. They were well fed and fat and sassy. As it says in Romans 11: 9, “their table had become a snare to them.” It is written to believers who must move contrary to the spirit of their age and seek God with all their hearts while others in the Body of Christ do not seek God with all their hearts. I beg you by the mercy of God to become a living sacrifice. Don’t live a sick weak Christian experience when Christ can feed you and renew your mind. The way the culture of the United States glorifies sin is bad but the way the Church fails to respond to God is a greater tragedy. He promises if you’ll pursue Him in your sanctification that He’ll respond and if you can stand against the lukewarm in your age and in your church then the promise is in Revelation 3:21, “The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.”

Romans 12:3-8
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 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. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

What are you going to do with the gifts given you by God? He breathed life into you when you were dead in your trespasses and sins. He has promised to keep you and now what will you do? Sleep in the light or run with patience the race that is set before you? There is a bunch of sleeping and discouragement in the Church. The enemy of your soul wants you bundled up in discouragement and/or asleep in the light of the Gospel. We have different gifts to use in service. You must find your place in the Church to obey God and to fulfill your reasonable worship. Yes of course you will be fulfilled and enjoy the fruits of the Spirit but that is not to be your motivation. You were taken from the kingdom of darkness and made a Child of Abraham and it was all by the Grace of God. You need to let that truth drive you to seek God’s place for you in the Body of Christ. God has given you purpose and it is grounded in your brothers and sisters in Christ.

Tom Brady is quarterback of the New England Patriots. He was interviewed by Steve Kroft on 60 Minutes for CBS. Brady’s team is one win from an undefeated season. If they win the Super Bowl it will be the first undefeated season in 35 years. He won Super Bowl MVP twice and been to the Pro Bowl 4 times. He dates actresses and supermodels and makes millions of dollars a year. In his interview he said:

"Why do I have three Super Bowl rings and still think there's something greater out there for me? I mean, maybe a lot of people would say, 'Hey man, this is what is.' I reached my goal, my dream, my life. Me, I think, 'God, it's got to be more than this.' I mean this isn't, this can't be what it's all cracked up to be."

When Kroft asked him, "What's the answer?" Brady responded, "I wish I knew. I wish I knew. I love playing football and I love being quarterback for this team. But at the same time, I think there are a lot of other parts about me that I'm trying to find."

Sometimes a striking contrast is what we need to see. Brady has very little sense of meaning in his life. Another victory won’t mean anymore than the last one. He is a fantastic quarterback but so what. He’s gained the whole world but, by his own words, has a lost soul. There are probably plenty of Patriot fans who hope he won’t let it trouble him at least until his football career is over.

God has purpose for your life. Any Christian regardless of resources can give an answer to a question of purpose superior to that of Brady. It isn’t a question of our ability but of Gods.

Listen to just a little of a poem titled, “The Hound of Heaven” by Francis Thompson (1859-1907) in which Thompson describes the way in which he ran from God but how God, as the Hound of Heaven with unhurrying chase and unperturbed pace ran him down.

I fled Him, down the nights and down the days;
I fled Him, down the arches of the years;
I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways
Of my own mind; and in the mist of tears
I hid from Him, and under running laughter.
Up vistaed hopes I sped;
And shot, precipitated,
Adown Titanic glooms of chasmed fears,
From those strong Feet that followed, followed after.
But with unhurrying chase,
And unperturbèd pace,
Deliberate speed, majestic instancy,
They beat--and a Voice beat
More instant than the Feet--
"All things betray thee, who betrayest Me."

Thompson was a smart guy who lived in the late 1800’s but he had some health problems and ended up addicted to heroin. He was homeless and would send poems in for publication but without a return address because he didn’t have an address. Some editors tracked him down and tried to care for him but things didn’t go very well. Eventually he damaged his brain on heroin and was essentially a vagrant. He died from tuberculosis when he was 48. Now his poem, “The Hound of Heaven” has blessed many for many years and will continue to do so. He had nothing except some paper and a pencil. Almost no resources were available to Thompson but God used him anyway. Do think a Sunday School class in 100 years will have a reason to be talking about something that Tom Brady wrote or said this year? Unless he changes his ways then the best he can hope for is that he might be the answer to a sports trivia question. Tom Brady, the Laodicean Church, and the American Church have wealth and blessing in common and they are neither hot or cold just lukewarm with respect to God.

Our behavior as God’s children is supposed to be different than our behavior before our salvation. We are blessed by God with a purpose to our blessing. We are to take the physical and spiritual gifts of God and spend them as God directs on others.

Romans 12:9-13
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

We are not supposed to be generating a hypocritical love but on the contrary we are to release God’s love. God’s love isn’t dependent on a feeling. God loved us while we were unlovable. It was Grace and mercy. We can, in God’s strength, display Grace and mercy while functioning in God’s love. People don’t have to be lovable all the time. Pat works at the Food Pantry once a week and we talk about some of the folks that are blessed in this Mercy Ministry. They aren’t all wonderful or even thankful. We don’t need them to have a certain demeanor for us to bless them. We are to reject evil and love good things. Popular media has developed a fascination with evil and the effort to be on the “cutting edge” is putting some violent perverse stuff into the living room. We need to be very careful about what we view as entertainment since God has told us to abhor what is evil. We are to be disgusted by evil and not fascinated by it.

Showing brotherly affection and honor toward each other is also something we are commanded to do. This is a command of God and not a suggestion. So you really should be asking God how that Scripture applies to you and how you can obey God. In contrast to the Laodiceans, you are commanded be zealous and fervent in spirit as you serve the Lord. Well what if we don’t “feel it” right now? Then how about asking for forgiveness and God’s grace to be poured out so that we won’t sin by having a cold heart?

We rejoice in hope because we know that we will live forever with God. That hope helps as we face tribulation and keeps us constant in prayer. As we live within the Body of Christ we will clearly pay attention to those around us seek to minister to their needs. We seek to show hospitality. Things as simple as our breakfast in Sunday School become spiritual disciplines if we seek to do it in Jesus’ name as we are supposed to live our entire lives.

Romans 12:14
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.

Guys have a tendency to spend more effort on what this Scripture doesn’t mean rather than what it means. This is stated pretty clearly and it is at least a little funny that we are so worried about what it doesn’t mean. In the time it was written Christians were being placed in prison, were losing property, and losing their lives. So yes you are to bless those who persecute you. It is a very good spiritual discipline for you to pray for those who persecute you. God will judge those who attack you. This is a command not a suggestion. I remember I was sharing one time about the importance of blessing those who are persecuting you and we had a person who just flat said that they pray for God to beat the daylights out of people who persecuted them. So rather than obey God they decided to pray contrary to the command of God. I know that I waste plenty of time but praying that God would honor my prayer when I pray contrary to His revealed will is just too dumb of a way to spend your life.

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

This should be obvious to us (and generally is) but sometimes we do respond in an inappropriate manner. In an effort to encourage we may fail to mourn with someone who is in an appropriate time of mourning. On the other side we may fail to rejoice with those who have been blessed in some way. We need to be happy when we see our brothers and sisters blessed. I really can’t watch “American Idol”. However, I caught part of a show the other day and Simon said something interesting. Folks would wait outside for their family member or friend to audition and when they are successful there is screaming and hugging and all sorts of carrying on. After one especially loud display after a person’s successful audition, Simon said that he couldn’t imagine being happy for someone he knew in the same way that we are all over the United States. I feel sorry for anyone so self absorbed that they are only happy when they succeed and I’m certainly happy that there are enough Americans around to rejoice with those who rejoice. It is revealing when we don’t rejoice with those who rejoice.

Romans 12:16-18
Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be conceited. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

What a recipe for a healthy church fellowship! However, with recipes you can pick a different one each time you cook and these attitudes in Romans are not optional or elective. These verses are commands and not a menu for you to look over and consider for adoption. So as long as it involves only personal preferences and doesn’t depend on Scripture and the commands of God … your effort should be to live peaceably with all.

Please realize that you are never asked to compromise Scripture. Paul makes it abundantly clear that when the Gospel is involved it is time to stand up and hold fast to the truth. The general principle is that you only dig in your heels when it comes to the essentials of the Faith. Justification, atonement, sanctification, and the person and work of Christ as taught by Scripture do not depend on you and they are not negotiable.

Romans 12:19-21
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

These are some serious commands. God tells us to never avenge ourselves. That is hard because we always seek to avenge ourselves. The only time we don’t is when we didn’t get the opportunity. Once again we are, by nature, more concerned about what we can get away with than what we are commanded to stop doing. Keep in mind that the attacks that were facing the first century Christians were more serious than most Christians in our nation ever face. If you had a friend or family member martyred in the Roman arena then I think you’d find this command more challenging than when you suffer by being cut off in traffic or the victim of poor service at a restaurant.

If we are going to live like children of our Father then we need to respond to our enemy’s the way God responded to us while we were still His enemy. While we were sinners rebelling against God, He saved us. Most of us don’t even acknowledge that we have sinned when we fail to comply with the commands of this chapter and yet our Father loves us and cares for us. How dare we have a problem with Him telling us that we need to leave vengeance to him and to be kind to our enemy?