Romans 12:3-16 Our Relationship to Other Believers

Paul discusses our relationship to other believers next in these verses.  My commentary said, "Each believer is a living part of Christ's body, and each one has a spiritual function to perform.  Each believer has a gift or gifts to be used for the building up of the body and the perfecting of the other members of the body."

It also discussed essentials for spiritual ministry and growth in the body of Christ, and the first is honest evaluation.  "Each Christian must know what his spiritual gifts are and what ministry or ministries he is to have in the local church.  It is not wrong for a Christian to recognize gifts in his own life and in the lives of others.  What is wrong is the tendency to have a false evaluation of ourselves.  Nothing causes more damage in a local church than a believer who overrates himself and tries to perform a ministry that he cannot do.  (Sometimes the opposite is true, and people undervalue themselves.  Both attitudes are wrong.)  The gifts that we have came because of God's grace.  They must be accepted and exercised by faith ... Since our gifts are from God, we cannot take credit for them.  All we can do is accept them and use them to honor His name ... When the individual believers in a church know their gifts, accept them by faith, and use them for God's glory, then God can bless in a wonderful way."

Another essential is faithful cooperation.  My commentary said, "Each believer has a different gift, and God has bestowed these gifts so the local body can grow in a balanced way.  But each Christian must exercise his or her gift by faith.  We may not see the result of our ministry, but the Lord sees it and He blesses ... Whatever gift we have must be dedicated to God and used for the good of the whole church ... Spiritual gifts are tools to build with, not toys to play with or weapons to fight with."

A third essential is loving participation.  "Here the emphasis is on the attitudes of those who exercise the spiritual gifts.  It is possible to use a spiritual gift in an unspiritual way ...  Serving Christ usually means satanic opposition and days of discouragement... When life becomes difficult, the Christian cannot permit his zeal to grow cold."  It says in these verses, "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."

"Finally, Paul reminded them that they must enter into the feelings of others ... that means sharing the burdens and the blessings of others so that we all grow together and glorify the Lord.  If Christians cannot get along with one another, how can they ever face their enemies?  A humble attitude and a willingness to share are the marks of a Christian who truly ministers to the body."

Father, please continue to help me honestly evaluate and discover the spiritual gifts You have given me.  Don't allow me to overrate myself or undervalue myself.  Keep me faithful in my cooperation with others, and them with me.  Use me as You see fit, according to Your great plan.  Help me to show Your love in all that I do.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Romans 12:1-2 A Lot Packed Into Just Two Verses

These two verses say a lot:

"Since God has shown us great mercy, I beg you to offer your lives as a living sacrifice to Him.  Your offering must be only for God and pleasing to Him, which is the spiritual way for you to worship.  Do not change yourselves to be like the people of this world, but be changed within by a new way of thinking.  Then you will be able to decide what God wants for you; you will know what is good and pleasing to Him and what is perfect."

My commentary says this contains "the therefore of dedication, and it is this dedication that is the basis for the other relationships that Paul discussed in this section ... Christian dedication involves three steps:"

"1)  You give God your body -- Isaac became a living sacrifice after willingly putting himself on the altar ... he died to self and willingly yielded himself to the will of God ... Jesus Christ is the perfect illustration of a living sacrifice, because He actually died and rose again ... Every day is a worship experience when your body is yielded to the Lord."

"2)  You give Him your mind -- The world wants to control your mind, but God wants to transform your mind ... The world wants to change your mind, so it exerts pressure from without.  But the Holy Spirit changes your mind by releasing power from within."

"3)  You give Him your will -- Your mind controls your body, and your will controls your mind.  Many people think they can control their will by willpower, but usually they fail.  It is only when we yield to the will of God that His power can take over and give us the willpower (and the won't power!) that we need to be victorious Christians.  We surrender our wills to God through disciplined prayer, praying 'Not my will, but thy will be done.'"

Father God, I need Your willpower (and Your won't power).  Please continue to help me to discipline my mind.  Change me from within.

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Romans 11:25-36 Saving The Best Witness For Last

"Paul saved his best witness for the last," my commentary said.  God Himself.  "His very character and work were involved in the future of Israel."

God's timing:  "This present age is primarily a time when God is visiting the Gentiles and building His church.  When this present age has run its course, and the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, then God will once more deal with the nation of Israel."

God's promise:  "God has promised to save His people and He will keep His promise."  My commentary believes the prophet had national conversion in mind.

God's covenant:  "God chose Israel in His grace and not because of any merit in it.  If the nation was not chosen because of its goodness, can it be rejected because of its sin? ... God will not break His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."

God's nature:  "'I am the Lord.  I change not.'  God's gifts to Israel and God's calling of Israel, cannot be taken back or changed, or God would cease to be true to His own perfect nature.  The fact that Israel may not enjoy her gifts or live up to her privileges as an elect nation, does not affect this fact one bit.  God will be consistent with Himself and true to His Word, no matter what men do."

God's grace:  Paul said, "Now, may it be that through your salvation Israel will come to know Christ."  "God has included all in unbelief -- Jews and Gentiles -- so that all might have the opportunity to be saved by grace."

God's wisdom:  "Only a God as wise as our God could take the fall of Israel and turn it into salvation for the world!  His plan will not be aborted, nor will His purposes lack fulfillment ... God is too wise to make plans that will not be fulfilled."

Father, with You as a witness, how can any man doubt that what You say won't come true!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Romans 11:16-24 The Witness Of The Patriarchs

Paul takes up the patriarchs as witnesses that God is not done with Israel.  In Numbers 15, we read "a lump of dough was offered to God as a symbol that the entire lump belonged to Him ... The basic idea is that when God accepts the part, He sanctifies the whole ... God accepted the founder of the nation, Abraham, and in so doing set apart His descendants as well.  God also accepted the other patriarchs, Isaac and Jacob, in spite of their sins or failings.  This means that God must accept the 'rest of the lump' -- the nation of Israel," my commentary said.

There is also an illustration of grafting a branch from a wild olive tree onto a domesticated olive tree.  Usually, it's the other way around.  The branches get their sustenance and support from the root.  Israel is the root and the Gentiles are represented by that wild branch, now being supported by those same roots.  Those Jews who failed to believe were branches broken off the tree.

My commentary noted particularly that "Paul was not discussing the relationship of individual believers to God, but the place of Israel in the plan of God."

The church is not part of this illustration, it says, because "in the church, there is no difference; believers are all one in Christ Jesus."

As to Israel, "No matter how far Israel may stray from the truth of God, the roots are still good.  God is still 'the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.  He will keep His promises to the patriarchs.  This means that the olive tree will flourish again!"

Father, thank You for Your wisdom and Your promisekeeping.  Continue to show me more about Yourself!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Romans 11:1-15 God Is Not Through With Israel

Paul spends chapter 11 letting us be reassured that God has not given up on Israel and He's not through with them.  He is a promisekeeper who never reneges.  My commentary says, "We must not apply this chapter to the church today, because Paul is discussing a literal future for a literal nation.  He called five witnesses to prove there was a future in God's plan for the Jews."  The section I read today covers three of those witnesses:

1)  Paul himself -- "Paul includes the reminder of his own conversion as an illustration of the future conversion of the nation of Israel.  Paul called himself one born out of due time.  In 1 Timothy 1:16 he stated that God saved him 'that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all long suffering, for a pattern to them who should hereafter believe on Him to life everlasting ... Paul's conversion is a picture of how the nation of Israel will be saved when Jesus Christ returns to establish His kingdom on earth ... It will be an experience similar to that of Saul of Tarsus when he was on his way to Damascus ... what is important is the way he was saved."

2)  The Prophet Elijah -- "Israel is God's elect nation:  He foreknew them, or chose them, and they are His.  The fact that most of the nation has rejected Christ is no proof that God has finished with His people.  In his day, Elijah thought the nation had totally departed from God.  But Elijah discovered that there was yet a remnant of true believers ... There were 7,000 more."

3)  The Gentiles -- "He used the Gentiles to assure Israel of a future restoration.  His logic here is beautiful.  When the Jews rejected the Gospel, God sent it to the Gentiles and they believed and were saved.  Three tragedies occurred in Israel:  the nation fell, was lost, and was cast away.  None of these words suggests a final judgment on Israel.  But the amazing thing is that through Israel's fall, salvation came to the Gentiles.  God promised that the Gentiles would be saved, and He kept His promise.  Will He not also keep His promise to the Jews? ... There is a future for Israel.  Paul calls it their fullness and their receiving (11:12-15).  Today, Israel is fallen spiritually, but when Christ returns, the nation will rise again.  Today, Israel is cast away from God, but one day they shall be received again.  God will never break His covenant with His people, and He has promised to restore them."

Father, I don't know what I'd do if You weren't a promisekeeper.  you've given me faith to hold on in the darkest times, because I know that I can trust Your promises!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Romans 10:14-21 What's Next For Israel?

"The remedy for the Jews' rejection of Christ was discussed in verses 14-17, followed by the results of their rejection in 18-21," my commentary said.

Paul said the remedy was messengers or missionaries taking the good news to the Jewish people.  During this time individual Jews can be saved, but the Jewish nation itself is stayed from believing.  "Individual Jews must believe that Jesus Christ of Nazareth truly is the Son of God and the Messiah of Israel.  It also meant believing in His death and resurrection.  But in order to believe, they must hear the Word ... a herald must be sent, and it is the Lord doing the sending."

Paul uses a quote from Isaiah 52:7 and Nahum 1:15.  "The peace spoken of is peace with God and the peace Christ has effected between Jews and Gentiles by forming one body, the church," my commentary says.  The remedy for Israel's rejection is in hearing the Word of the gospel and believing on Jesus Christ."

"Note that trusting Christ is not only a matter of believing, but also obeying.  Not to believe on Christ is to disobey God ... True faith must touch the will and result in a changed life."

The result of Israel's rejection?  Israel is guilty ... Israel heard, but she would not heed ... The message goes to the Gentiles that they might be saved.  This was predicted by Moses in Deut. 32:21 ... One reason why God sent the gospel to the Gentiles was that they might provoke the Jews to jealousy.  It was an act of grace both to the Jews and to the Gentiles.  The prophet Isaiah predicted too that God would save the Gentiles in Isaiah 65:1 ... Finally, God still yearns for His people ... While Israel as a nation has been set aside, individual Jewish people can be saved and are being saved ... God's favor to the Gentiles did not change His love for the Jews.  Jesus Christ wept over Jerusalem and longed to gather His people in His arms.  Instead, those arms were stretched out on a cross where He willingly died for Jews and Gentiles alike."

Father, thank You for showing me Your love for all, and my part in helping show that love to others to bring them to eternal life in You.  Help me to be used to gather Your children into Your arms.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Romans 10:1-13 The Reasons For Israel's Rejection

Paul now explains the reasons for Israel's rejection:

1)  They did not feel a need for salvation -- "They considered the Gentiles in need of salvation, but certainly not the Jews."

2)  They were zealous for God -- "Only the true God was worshiped and served, and only the true law was taught.  So zealous were the Jews that they even improved upon God's law and added their own traditions, making them equal to the law."

3)  They were proud and self-righteous -- "They were proud of their own good works and religious self-righteousness, and would not admit their sins and trust the Savior."

4)  They misunderstood their own law -- "They worshiped their law and rejected their Savior.

Father, I once had become just as sure of myself and just as stubborn.  Please help me never to allow anyone or anything to convince me to return to that point again.  Keep me sheltered in Your arms.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford

Romans 9:30-33 God's Grace

My commentary says here is the place where Paul moved from divine sovereignty to human responsibility.  Here, he didn't use "elect" and "non-elect".  He emphasized faith.

"The Jews sought for righteousness but did not find it, while the Gentiles, who were not searching for it, found it.  The reason?  Israel tried to be save by works and not by faith.  They rejected grace righteousness and tried to please God with law righteousness ... We need to decide what kind of righteousness we are seeking, whether we are depending on good works and character, or trusting Christ alone for salvation ... It is not a question of whether or not we are among God's elect.  That is a mystery known only to God.  He offers us His salvation by faith.  The offer is made to whosoever will.  After we have trusted Christ, then we have the witness and evidence that we are among His elect.  But first we must trust Him and receive by faith His righteousness that alone can guarantee heaven."

It ends with, "Romans 9 does not negate Romans 8.  God is still faithful, righteous, just, and gracious, and He can be depended on to accomplish His purposes and keep His promises."

Father, as it say, the fact that we cannot fully understand how divine sovereignty and human responsibility work together does not deny the fact that they do.  I'm so glad that You are so wise and put it all together to work for our good!

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford