In Romans 12, Paul described the term “living sacrifice.” From there to the end of Romans 15, he showed how this principle works in different areas of life. Now, he does another remarkable thing—he lists person after person who were living examples of living sacrifices at that time. What a great theme for meditation!
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Romans 15: Let's Use the Old Testament Well
In verse 4, Paul told the Roman Christians that the scriptures from former days were written for the benefit of those who live now. In order to show how to use them for our benefit, he quoted from the Old Testament at least six times in Romans 15. Take note of each one as you read, and use Paul’s methods to make good use of the rest of that part of the Bible.
Romans 14: Do Not Destroy Him
Getting along with one another can be one of life’s greatest challenges. Sometimes it even gets harder when we are among people who are very different from us due to background, nationality, customs, and former religions. So it was in the early church. Romans 14 is one of several places in Paul’s writing where this is discussed. In all of the advice—and commandments—that he gives, what could be more helpful than the heading of this meditation? How about the next thing he said? “Do not destroy your brother with your food, for whom Christ died” (v. 15).
Romans 13: Christians Obey the Law
All people should obey the law, but Christians should be leading the way. The key to it is the same thing that led us to obey the gospel in the first place—the spirit of submission (Romans 6:6-18). This spirit is in the first line of Romans 13: “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers.”
Romans 12: It Makes Sense for Us to...
As a result of being saved from sin (Romans 1-8) and being a part of the one body that includes Jews and Gentiles (Romans 9-11), Paul says that the reasonable thing for us to do is to be living sacrifices in order to show that the will of God is good, acceptable, and perfect. So, in this chapter, he lists more than two dozen things that we can do in our daily lives that are acceptable to God, good for us, and helpful to the people in our lives.
Romans 11: That He Might Have Mercy Upon All
Romans 9, 10, and 11 are Paul’s explanation of how God is able—because He so very much desires it—to save Jew and Gentile by the gospel. The fact that sin is so terrible, and we are so helpless in saving ourselves—coupled with God’s desire for our salvation—is why the gospel was designed. The great thing to be learned from this is the conclusion of Romans 9, 10, and 11. Please read, read again, and highlight Romans 11:33-36.
Romans 10: They Have Not All Obeyed
This comes from verse 16. The word “obeyed” comes from a word that means “heard,” or “hearkened.” God has the right to expect people who hear the gospel to hearken to it! Hearing—honest, fair hearing—should lead to obedience (Acts 6:7). When it does not, punishment will follow (2 Thessalonians 1:8). In the Bible, people who truly “heard” and “believed” also obeyed. Let us not disappoint Him (v. 21).
Romans 9: The Lord of Sabaoth
These are words in verse 29, quoted from Isaiah 1:9, where the phrase is, “The Lord of hosts.” This name of God is a reference to His position over “the hosts,” which is used in the Bible to refer to all created things (stars, planets, sun and moon) and all created beings (angels, seraphs, cherubs, and people). He is over everyone and everything—He is sovereign. He deserves our reverence, devotion, humility, obedience, and submission in all things. When we give Him these things, we are better able to see how wise He is in how He treats us—and we are then—only then—going to become “vessels of honor.”
Romans 8: If God Be for Us, Who Can Be Against Us?
Every chapter in Romans has many themes that would be good for meditations. This chapter is no exception. Paul is nearly through with the discussion of salvation from sin (that covers the first eight chapters). He concludes it with a paragraph that helps us to see that we are not in this battle—the battle of the daily Christian life—alone. GOD IS FOR US! Please do not rush through Romans 8—particularly verses 31-39.
Romans 7: The Battle Is Not Over, But It Can Be Won
Here is a great description of the difficult struggles that occur in every soul—the struggle between knowing what to do and the power of sin to fight against our will. Paul knows that the answer is not in him—but there must be an answer! “I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” This is the answer to the struggle. Let’s rely on Him and tell the world that they can rely on Him, too!
Romans 6: Free to Live
Jesus died so that we could be brought back to life. We have to die, too. We have to die to sin and be buried before we can live again. The physical act of obedience that God requires of us in order to complete the process is immersion (burial). When we come out—and Paul said “we” (including himself; Acts 22:16)—we are alive again. No wonder Peter says that baptism saves us (1 Peter 3:21). Don’t let anyone mislead you, you must be born again, and it includes water (John 3:3,5; Acts 8:36-39).
Romans 5: Much More
Sin is much more of a problem than any of us can possibly realize. Romans 1-3 is one of the longest descriptions of sin in the Bible. Beginning at Romans 3:24, Paul shows how God unleashed the power of His grace through Jesus Christ against sin. In this chapter, he uses the term “much more” five times to help us see what heaven is doing for us so we can go to heaven (vv. 9-10,15,17,20). The last verse is the place to really do our meditating.
Romans 4: Blessed(ness)
God wants us to be in a “blessed” condition (Psalm 1; Matthew 5:3-12). He has made that possible through the riches of His grace, the sacrifice of His Son, and the revelation of the truth through the Holy Spirit. Paul uses this word in verses 6, 7, 8, and 9. Think carefully about this “happified” state that is possible as a result of having sins forgiven. Keep reading and meditating through Romans, and more pieces of this gospel will be described.
Romans 3: No, Not One
Since the Gentles are lost (Romans 1) and the Jew are lost (Romans 2) - apart from the gospel—and since everyone is one or the other, then all “are under sin” (v. 9). The world is lost because of sin—personal violations of the will of God (vv. 19-21). But God has a propitiation—a way for Him to set aside our sin and be satisfied. The propitiation (a Greek word for “mercy seat”) is Jesus Christ (vv. 24-26). Meditate on the two extremes in this reading—sin and propitiation.
Romans 2: Who Is the True Jew?
Romans 2 indicts the Jewish world as being in sin, just as Romans 1 does to the Gentile world. At the end of Romans 2, Paul (who was a Jew by birth) asserts that the true Jew is one who is so inwardly (that is, he has become a spiritual Jew through the gospel; Romans 1:16-17). It is just as impossible to please God today through Judaism as it is to serve Him through paganism.
Romans 1: So That They Are Without Excuse
This line is in verse 20 and is used to describe the real condition of people who choose not to glorify God in their lives. They are without excuse because the evidence for the existence of the God Whose character is described in the Bible—that evidence is conclusive. GOD IS: He is Creator and is seen in His creation as well as in His word (Psalm 19). Meditate on the clearly revealed things about Him and accept your accountability before Him.
Acts 28: Isaiah--Again
Isaiah was sent to people who were not going to listen (Isaiah 6). Jesus was sent to people who were not going to listen, and He quoted Isaiah 6 to them (Matthew 13:14-15). Paul is in Rome in Acts 28, preaching to still another generation of Jews—who did not listen and obey. So, he quoted Isaiah 6 again. Isaiah 6:9-10 applies to anyone who treats God’s word that way. So, what did Isaiah, Jesus, and Paul do? They kept on preaching until they found people who would listen. Don’t stop reading at Acts 28:27, or you will miss it.
Acts 27: The Ship Sank
Paul wrote to the Romans some years before Acts 27. At the beginning of Romans, he requested their prayers for a prosperous journey to them. His journey began in Acts 21, went through a few years of persecution, and continued on a ship in this reading—and then the ship sank! But all the while, Paul was prospering as a Christian, using every opportunity to tell the good news of Jesus. And his leadership in the ship led to the conclusion that not one person died when it went down.
Acts 26: Almost Persuaded...But There Is More
The “Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian” from Herod Agrippa has been the subject of millions of appeals to sinners, such as “Do not be almost persuaded as Agrippa, but altogether persuaded”; or “Almost cannot avail—almost is but to fail,” according to the songwriter. But there is much more in this chapter, including the lesson that Paul taught Agrippa (which is the third record of Paul’s conversion in Acts; see chapters 9 and 22). Please let his lesson draw you past the “almost” to the “altogether.”
Acts 25: I Appeal to Caesar
This persecution of Paul, which began in the middle of Acts 21, is still dragging on. Paul had been wanting to go to Rome for some time now (Romans 1:9-12). As a freeborn Roman citizen on trial in Acts 25, he had the means to guarantee a trip to Rome. So he did it—he appealed to Caesar (v. 11). Let’s think carefully about seeking for opportunities to serve God rather than merely waiting for them to fall into our laps.
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