Preface
These devotions are in one day slots and are designed to get one thinking about the passages that are at the top of each one.
Paul’s Plans.
Romans 1:1-15
We see here how Paul describes himself ….. as a servant of Jesus Christ. A servant in those days was more likely to be a slave, but in any case a servant’s job was to serve, to be obedient to the master’s commands….
A servant did not have a high status. Then Paul says he was called to be an apostle….this was a person who had actually seen the Lord Jesus and we know that Paul had this experience on the road to Damascus (Acts 3:5) at the time of his conversion. Paul was also separated to preach the Gospel, being called and sent by the Holy Spirit for this task (Acts 13:2-4).
Although this letter is called “Romans”, it was actually written to the Jews who lived in Rome…..there was already a church of Jewish believers living there and they were part of a larger Jewish community living in that city.
Paul already knew quite a few of them, in fact some were his relatives, and he had heard good reports back of their faith and witness. Hw prayed for them constantly and longed and intended to go and visit them. Every time he planned the visit, something arose to hinder him, but he still intended to get there and to preach the Gospel as well as to encourage them in the Lord.
Called by God a servant to be, To preach the Word obediently,
Paul was ready, no matter the cost, To encourage the saints and reach the lost.
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The Immoral Sinner.
Romans 1:16-32
Paul had a message to proclaim that he was not ashamed of….in fact he gloried in the Gospel (Galatians 6:14) that told of the cross of Christ. Preaching seemed to the unbelievers to be foolishness, but to Paul (and other believers) it is the power of God to bring salvation to all who respond to it (1 Corinthians 1:18-19)….
People of this world who think they are too wise and smart to believe “that stuff”, are lost and rushing downhill to eternal doom. God’s judgement will fall on them as they pull down, bit by bit, the evidence of God’s existence (Psalm 2:2-4). The first to go was belief in His Creation, replacing it with evolution in spite of all the things that are clearly seen around them in nature….everyone is without excuse!
The next downward step was to make something to take God’s [lace in their lives…in some countries it is literal idols, but in other places it is fame, money, sport, work , clubs. This did not satisfy the human soul, so the next step is immorality…free sex, “safe” sex taught to the young in the schools. This didn’t satisfy, so homosexuality was brought in as law and then they wonder why STD and AIDS is rife.
Even this has not satisfied them, so all manner of drugs are being used until man is totally depraved, prisons are overflowing, street kids and gangs with associated stabbings occurring almost daily. Why is all this happening? Because they have thrown God out! They are forgetting that God will have the last say and that they will all have to stand before Him and give an account of themselves one day.
Man wonders why much crime abounds, Ignoring signs of God around,
They think they are so smart and wise, Replacing God with all these lies.
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The Self Righteous Sinner.
Romans 2:1-10
The self-righteous person is usually very harsh in his judgement of others…”I wouldn’t do this or that!” they say smugly. Often they are doing something equally bad….let us make sure we don’t fall into this trap of judging others!
No-one can earn favour with God by being good and doing good deeds….man’s good deeds are not good enough! We cannot gain favour by being born into a certain culture or family….there is no respect of people with God, ALL have sinned and come short of His standards!
Do we walk the walk, or only talk the walk? Do we follow what we think is right, or do we bother to find out what God thinks about the things that we are doing? God DOES require that we do good, but He also requires everyone to humble themselves to walk WITH Him. How many “good” people only do the good and not think about God! So many people just rely on their good works or church going outwardly but inwardly they are counting on that to balance the scales in God’s favour! It is only those who call on God with a contrite heart (Psalm 51:17), that He hears and puts their names in His book (Micah 6:8).
God
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The Self Righteous Sinner.
Romans 2:1-10
The self righteous person is usually very harsh in their judgement of others…they say, “I wouldn’t do this or that!” But perhaps they are doing something else equally bad….let us not fall into this trap of judging others verbally!
No man can earn favour with God be being good and doing good deeds….man’s good deeds are not good enough! We cannot gain favour by being born into a certain culture of family….God does not respect man’s values! Do we walk the walk, or do we just talk the walk? Do we follow only what we THINK is right or do we bother to find out what God thinks or says about what we are doing?
God does not require that we do good to gain His favour, but that we humble ourselves to walk with Him. How many really “good” people refuse to do this! So many people rely on their good works or church going outwardly, but inwardly they are counting on this to balance the scales in God’s favour! They say that they are as good as the next person and that’s enough, but what happens when the next person isn’t good enough?
Only those who call on God with a contrite and humble heart are those who He hears.
Proud spirits cannot with God walk, They show themselves up by how the talk,
God requires that men do good, Walk humbly with Him as they should.
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All Equal.
Romans 2:11-29
This passage starts of with the heading….there is no respect of persons with God. How we need to remember this! How often we judge a person on first impressions! Each person is taken on his own deeds and attitudes….those who have trusted in keeping the law, will be judged by the law. Those who have lived without knowing the law will be judged outside the law….
God has said that there is no excuse for anyone! (chapter 1:20c) Those who live by their conscience, will be judged by their conscience….a person’s mind will be more alive and their memory more active in the day of facing God than ever before.
The Jews thought they were above all other people, after all, they had God’s law. But Paul shows quite clearly the hearts of all men are equally corrupt. We are quick to condemn others for doing wrong, but think it is OK for us or our family to do the same thing!
The Jews trusted in their rite of circumcision to count before God, but as we see here it was only a symbol of pointing to the circumcision of the heart which is what really counts. We are to cut away all that hinders from following our Lord wholeheartedly (Colossians 2:11). We see this in Moses’ time too…it is not nationality that matters, it is the heart attitude that counts (Deuteronomy 10:16).
Jews and Gentiles, all the same, None is perfect without blame,
To point the finger is no use at all, For all are under man’s sinful fall.
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The Religious Sinner.
Romans 3:1-20
Paul asks here what the advantages of being a Jew are, and then points out that all the blessings of belonging to the Lord came originally from them…what a heritage they have! They had God’s Word in the Old Testament Scriptures which other people didn’t have….
But he points out that this didn’t automatically make them right before God …some didn’t believe their own teachings! Being “religious” doesn’t mean a thing to God, because He knows every heart and judges each person on this. Jews and Gentiles alike are all sinners in God’s sight. Left to themselves, all are lost, none good enough.
The law doesn’t save anyone, it only proves the hopelessness of trying to keep it in its entirety. It is like a fence that has a weak spot which is man’s inability to keep it….the slightest slip in keeping it ruins man’s whole life. Those who thought they kept the law were just as guilty as those who didn’t even bother to try. The law only serves to show and prove man’s inability to reach God’s standard.
The immoral sinner, self righteous sinner and even the religious sinner all have no hope. Where then, is man’s hope? Paul goes on to show where there is hope for mankind.
All have sinned the Scriptures say, All are on the downward way,
There is no hope in law or deeds, Only Christ can meet man’s needs!
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Faith is Necessary.
Romans 4:1-25
Paul goes patriarchs on to ;point out that none of the OT patriarchs were saved by being good or doing good things….Abraham for instance BELIEVED God….he had faith, trust and obedience and these were what counted….
e, David too, recognised this and said how blessed people were when their sins were forgiven and taken away. The Jews trusted in the law and the rite of circumcision, not realising that they were putting things around back to front. Circumcision does NOT bring salvation, but faith in God does.
Abraham was not circumcised when he believed and obeyed God, coming to Him in repentance….our works come later when we do the things that God requires because we WANT to please Him. This concept was strange to the Jews of Paul’s time and Paul had to make a strong point to them that Abraham was just an ordinary person, but he believed in God in faith and this was what gave him salvation.
In the same way we can only come to God in faith and contrition, repenting of our ways and believing in Jesus Christ as the Son of God.
Is faith, not works, that will us save, Later comes how we behave,
Tis faith in Christ that matters most, In Him alone we make our boast.
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Cleansing!
Romans 5:1-5
Paul has shown us that the immoral sinner has no hope; the self righteous sinner no hope and even the religious sinner can’t make it. Man’s only hope is in Jesus Christ who died for our sins and was raised again for our justification (to make us clean and give us a new start)….
Therefore he says, we are justified by faith (NOT by works) and now have peace with God. What a wonderful fact! To be justified means that I am made “just as if I’d” never sinned in the first place. I am given a new start with everything clean! It gives me a standing before God, a place in His family and I can now rejoice in Him.
But all these blessings do not always come without a cost….today, as in Paul’s time, persecution follows a decision to follow the Lord, but these all serve to make the believer strong in the Lord. Notice the progression….tribulation, patience, experience, and hope which bring joy and the realisation of God’s love in giving us His Holy Spirit to live within, to strengthen and encourage us. Everything we need for our own good has been freely given….let us live in the enjoyment of it all!
Man himself has no heavenly hope, In things of God, he cannot cope,
God offers freely new life in His Son, All our needs are in this One!
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Christ is the Answer!.
Romans 5:6-21
Some might feel they are not good enough to receive God’s blessings….why would God bother with them? But we are ALL God’s creation, we have ALL come short through the sin we have been born in and now we see that NONE are good enough….
Christ died for all mankind, and we are alll worthless creatures while we are steeped in our natural sin as this passage clearly shows. To now hang back from God’s offer is the highest insult a person can give after all that He has done for us! Christ died for His enemies, for the very ones who had put Him on the cross.
Paul really hammers this point home…men have sinned right from the time of Adam, but now through the death of God’s only Son, man can now be released from the grip of sin. The first man, Adam, sinned but Jesus Christ has come as the sinless perfect man and through obedience to His Father’s plan, man can now be delivered from sin’s grasp. We have natural life from Adam, but through Jesus Christ we can now have spiritual life as well. What a wonderful thought!
The first man Adam gave natural life,
But sinned and brought much sorrow and strife,
The second Adam was Christ our Lord,
Who paid sin’s debt with love’s strong cord.
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Leave Sin Alone!.
Romans 6:1-23
Paul’s argument that God’s grace is sufficient to cover all sin might lead some to say, “Great, let’s keep on sinning then, seeing God’s grace is more than enough!” Not so. Those who have come into God’s grace are now dead to sin, and have no desire to live in it any more….not only that but sin has no more grip on them, they are now new creatures in Christ with new desires….
Because our Lord Jesus died and rose again, so the believer too can reckon themselves dead to sin and alive to God. But this does not necessarily happen automatically….we have to play our part, and this is the “works” that James talks of in his letter (James 2:17-18). We are not to let sin reign in our minds, we are to put it out and fill our minds with the things of God.
Temptation is so readily available in this day and age, right at our finger tips with an idle moment or two at our disposal. Our Lord said it is better to cut our fingers off if they cause us to sin against Him (Mark 9:43). We are not to do sinful things or give way to lustful thoughts, but to give them to God shutting these other things out of our minds.
If we deliberately sin, we are putting ourselves on slippery ground, back into sin’s grip. Our responsibility is to walk in obedience to God’s ways and we only know these by immersing ourselves in His Word.
God’s grace is sufficient for every need, In our walk and talk and all our deeds
But we must truly play our part, And keep God’s Word with all our heart!
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What’s Gone Wrong?
Romans 3:1-20
Paul goes back to the law here, talking about the different ones that the believer encounters. He speaks of the law of marriage and how a woman is bound to her husband unless separated by death. He likens this bond to that of the believer to Christ….
We belong to Him and are bound to walk a new way, a new life. We cannot do this on our own or in our own strength….our old nature is still within and still has strong desires and habits. Our minds know all this, but our bodies are powerless to respond.
It is impossible to keep God’s law, all it does is to show un our weaknesses….there is nothing wrong with the law, the breakdown is within us! What I want to do, I can’t keep up with. How many of us can keep up with our New Year resolutions?
What I know I shouldn’t do, I find myself doing! What a miserable state I am in! What help is available to the believer to rise above this state of affairs? We have the solution here….Jesus Christ our Lord. But how? Keep reading into the next chapter….
A new man in Christ! What wonder is this? Until I see the mark I’ve missed,
Why all this turmoil and failure within, What hope have I now? How can I win?
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Enter the Holy Spirit .
Romans 8:1-17
The difference is….the Holy Spirit! He is our Comforter, Teacher, and resides in each true believer. It is the Spirit’s law and power that frees the believer from the grip of the sin within….now we CAN walk in God’s law and ways as we would like to….
If we feed our spirit on the things of God’s Spirit, He will show us the right way in conviction and through the reading of God’s Word (John 14:26; 16:13-15). But if we are slack in doing this and allow the old desires to come to the fore in our minds, then the old nature will assert itself. We have to realise that now we believe, we have two natures within us….the old fleshly nature with its attitudes and feelings, and the new one from God with different attitudes and desires.
All believers have God’s Holy Spirit living within them, this is eternal life (John 17:3). We have to put down the fleshly desires and thoughts….we have to forget the old hurts and resentments that we have harboured over the years and put them away, THEN we can live in the enjoyment of the things of God.
We know we belong to God and are in His family, His sons and feel the warmth of His spirit as we sing His praises and listen to His Word. There is a kinship with other believers, and an immediate bond when one meets them. Not only is a believer a child of God, but they are His heirs and joint-heirs with Christ…a mind-boggling concept!
A new life in Christ, putting flesh behind, New ways to live, renewing the mind,
New desires and new songs to sing, As to our Lord ourselves we bring.
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Why Suffering?
Romans 8:18-27
Paul goes on to show how that all creation has suffered from the effects of sin, but we are not to worry because one day deliverance will come. All creation groans because of man’s sin….animals all ate only grass and plants until man sinned….
The first record we have of a slain animal is when God clothed Adam and Eve in coats of skins after they had sinned (Genesis 3:21). The next mention of an animal killed is in Abel’s sacrifice to God from his flock (Genesis 4:4). If there was no sin, there would be no need for an animal sacrifice. The ground too was cursed with thistles, thorns and all sorts of weeds, and so the whole of creation groans under the weight of sin.
The sinner groans in his sin, and the believer groans too from not being able to live a completely holy life as he would like to, and because of the persecution of ungodly men. We see here that even the Holy Spirit groans as He makes intercession for believers as they grope towards the truth, and then again He is grieved when they fall into sin (Ephesians 4:30). But we can praise God that one day there will be total deliverance from sin, where sorrow, sighing and death will for ever be done away with!
Animals die, the ground grows weeds, All because of sinful deeds,
Man groans too striving in sin, While the Spirit grieves from deep within.
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Conforming to Christ.
Romans 8:28-39
We all know verse 28, falling back on it when life seems to be a mess. But we miss the reason for the “ALL THINGS” that is given in the next verse. God intends us to be CONFORMED to the image of His Son, made like Him in every way. This is the reason He predestinated (planned), called, justified (made us anew) and glorified (gave a high position) us as His people…..
God has done everything possible for His people to become the people He wants, so everything that happens to us (both good and bad) is for our ultimate good towards this end. He doesn’t condemn us in our weaknesses; He won’t allow us to be separated from Him….none of the sufferings we go through can take away our life in Christ. Our life in Him can never be touched by these things….let us make sure we enjoy this to the full and continue to give thanks in SPITE OF, (not BECAUSE OF!) our trials and tribulations.
God’s love for His people is greater than we can comprehend, and He will allow nothing to take us from this knowledge and from the ability to be conquerors and overcomers in Him!
All work together for man’s great good, For those who love God as they should,
Naught can prevail against those God’s called, Justified, glorified, He’s done it all,
Our lives are changed, our souls are bought, Oh how much our Lord has wrought!
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Man’s Blessings.
Romans 9:1-17
The Jews, as descendants of Abraham were a tremendously privileged people….they had been given the glory, covenants, blessings, law and promises of the people of God, and have now been given the Son of God. But they turned away from all this and spurned the greatest gift of all….
Paul was immeasurably sad at the thought of this. But there is hope for mankind yet, and Paul goes on to point out that those who receive God’s gift of His Son by faith become Abraham’s spiritual children, and as such enter into all that God has promised him. This promise was to Abraham’s children by Sarah, not his other descendants. Even from them there were those with a godly line as distinct from the ungodly line…e.g. \the descendants from Jacob (Israel) , but not from Esau.
God’s foreknowledge of hiow people will react, cause Him to only call those who will respond to Him. We find this hard to comprehend….we can only say with Abraham…”Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Genesis 18:25c)
God knows ahead how people will react, His promises therefore aren’t fiction but fact,
Those He calls will truly respond, While others remain is sin’s dread bond.
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God’s Foreknowledge.
Romans 9:18-33
It is because of God’s foreknowledge of who will accept Him and who will reject Him, that He seems to have mercy on some and not on others. We must remember that God’s foreknowledge even extends to recording the names of His people in the Lamb’s book of Life BEFORE the foundation of the world, before it was even in existence! (Ephesians 1:4) It boggles our mind, we cannot comprehend this!
So therefore we have no right to say that God is being unfair….after all, we are all made by God and given a free will to choose. Just as an artist has the right to paint what he wants in his picture, and the same way that a potter makes the sort of pot he wants, so God has the right to do as He will with people! He has shown tremendous patience with people as He waits for them to turn to Him one by one.
When the Jews gave up their chances of God’s salvation, then God sent the message to the Gentiles and many of them have become His children. We can see today, how the more privileged countries have had their opportunities to come to Him and are now throwing Him to one side. However, He is now speaking to people in less privileged countries in dreams and visions and they are turning to Him in great numbers. God’s purposes will not be thwarted…every one whose name is written in His book, will come (Revelation 17:8b). The Jews stumbled at the idea of a humble Galilean being their Saviour (1 Peter 2:7-8), but the Gentiles received Him to their eternal blessing. Truly in Abraham is all the world being blessed! (Genesis 12:3)
God’s foreknowledge is seen clearly so, His wisdom and patience so plainly to show,
The Saviour He sent when His Son He gave, From sin’s dread grip His people to save.
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All May Now Come.
Romans 19:1-21
Paul’s love for his nation comes through again, but he recognised their problem….they thought they were good enough like they were! They had no need for faith in Christ, they were the children of Abraham! Paul now shows them differently….
He tells them that Jesus Christ heralded the end of the law for salvation….the Jews found this very difficult to take….it was everything to them! To simply believe in one’s heart and to confess that belief outwardly was too simple for the self righteous Jew!
But the beauty of the Gospel message is that it is to the “whosoever”….ALL have the opportunity to acknowledge God and to receive His Son, Jesus Christ (John 3:16-18). So ever since that day of Pentecost, the Gospel has gone out into the world, to the annoyance of the Jewish leaders. They had always been stubborn and hard headed, right from Moses’ time, being rebellious against God (Deuteronomy 31:27-29). Many years later Isaiah foretold of the time when other nations would seek God and find Him (Isaiah 65:1).
The message of God to all is clear, Believe My Word, when it you hear,
Confess My Son to others around, Then with My joy you will abound.
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Hope in Christ .
Romans 11:1-36
Paul now asks…have the Jews no hope at all then? The answer is, “Of course not!” But they have to come individually through faith in Jesus Christ the same as everyone else. Israel as a nation will not come, but individuals will. Through their fall, the way is opened up to all peoples in the world….
Just imagine if the nation did turn to God, what a blessing that would be! But now there is space for others to be brought into God’s family….just like branches grafted into the strong growing stock of a tree. Those who have been brought into God’s family must not despise the Jews….remember that as God’s judgement fell on disobedient Jews, so it will likewise fall on disobedient Gentiles!
All who come to Cod in faith are the children of Abraham and are part of the Israel of God, and that is why Paul can say that ALL Israel will be saved….we are all looking for the Deliverer from Zion for our salvation, and are part of the new covenant. The whole concept is beyond our comprehension, and we can only say the same as Paul says in verses 33-36….”to Him be all the glory!” (Isaiah 40:13-14)
As Jews have hope in Christ alone, His blood is what for sin atones,
The Gentiles too are grafted in, The Tree of God, set free from sin,
God’s children all, who knows His mind? Only in Him all things we find.
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The Right Order.
Romans 12:1-2
People often tend to the cart before the horse, and want to “do” the Lord’s service, rather than “BE” what He wants them to be. It is more spectacular to DO things, rather than to BE; to be up in front of people rather than to spend time quietly with Him which no-one else sees….
We are told here that the first thing a believer must do is to present our bodies to the Lord. Stop and think what this involves….we must not only keep our bodies clean and unmarked (thinking of the latest fad of tattooing oneself), tidy and fit (not overeating). Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit and are not to be used in immoral practices or habits. To smoke or drink is to abuse our body, as is to overeat , while to sleep around is topen oneself to all sorts of STD. so we are to give our body to live in a holy manner to the glory of God, which after all, is only our reasonable service.
Then we are to renew our minds and feed ourselves on what is good and acceptable to God. We are to guard our minds from the filth and temptations of the world which are so readily available to everyone today who has access to the internet.
We are not to do what the world does….watch, read, and feed on the world’s rubbish and filth. If we are not prepared to do this, we cannot expect to know God’s will for us.
We cannot “do” before we “be”, To know God’s will acceptably,
This is how we please our Lord, to live for Him and Read His Word.
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All Working Together.
Romans 12:3-10
One of the ways to renew our mind, is to think of others before ourselves….yuet we are to think sensibly and learn to say “no” instead of allowing ourselves to get bogged down and too busy. We must learn to get our priorities right, and to put first things first….
If we find ourselves too busy for our family and friends, then we are too busy! No-one is expected to do everything, everyone has something to offer and ALL are expected to work together in harmony. If we do things that others can do, then we are depriving them of that service or thing (1 Corinthians 12:4-11).
Whether we teach minister or encourage others, we are to wait for the right opportunity, and not just go in regardless of others being able to help. If we are able to give, it is to be done simply with no show and be generous with it….a grudging gift isn’t worth much. We are to be cheerful with our kindness, a grumpy person isn’t nice to be around. We are to be honest in our love for others and do our best to promote them.
A cheerful spirit rejoices the heart, As we help each other and do our part,
To do our bit and pool our gifts, Will make a whole and keep from rifts.
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Walking the Talk.
Romans 12:11-21
Our Lord spells out so clearly the way His people should live….we are to be honest, hard working and fervent in His things. Along with that, we are to be a rejoicing people, happy and cheerful in spite of what happens in life and continuing in prayer….
Helping others out when needed and not paying others back when they are nasty. To be sympathetic and non-judgmental. We are not to think we are better than others, nor are we to show off or laud it over others. We are to be honest and diligent, responsible and accountable as well as doing our best to live peaceably with others, even those who persecute us. We are not repay evil with evil nor have an unforgiving spirit….this will get us nowhere and will only turn to bitterness that will eat us up. We are to be kind to our enemies, and on so doing to “heap coals of fire on their heads”.
All these actions and attitudes are things that WE have control over. No matter what circumstances over take us outside our control….illness, persecution, financial and family problems or relationship disasters, we still have control over our minds, feelings and actions (Matthew 18:21-22). Let us always honour God by sticking to these admonitions!
Our Lord has made it clear and plain, How we should live in spite of pain,
We CAN control our thoughts and ways, And live for Him for all our days.
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Behaving in the Community.
Romans 13:1-14
More aspects of the lie of the believer is spelled out clear and plain here. Are we free from obligations of community life? Definitely not! We are to pray for our rulers (1 Peter 2:17) , respect and obey them, pay our rates and taxes and give them honour due to their station…..
As we benefit from the government in the roads, schools and amenities, let us cheerfully pay our part towards it. We have obligations to those around us….to be honest on our dealings, to be kind and loving to all our neighbours and in doing this we are fulfilling the ten commandments as laid down by God (Colossians 3:10-14). One last piece of advice here is to not waste time in partying and drinking like the world does….don’t envy and strive with others, and don’t worry about always being or having the latest fads.
Instead, we are to put on the attributes of our Lord….if we do this, there won’t be space or inclination for the lusts of the flesh. These thoughts are reinforced in other parts of the Bible, and we are told how we can do things that please our Father in Heaven. If it seems hard to keep to this, we know we have the Holy Spirit to help us from within our being. These are the things that we can ask for in prayer, and KNOW that we will receive them, but it will still take time and effort on our part…..nothing happens automatically in living the Christian life apart from automatic cleansing when we sincerely confess our sins to God (1 John 1:9)
Do we pay taxes, rates and bills? Yes, surely we must as this is God’s will,
Respect and honour to whom it is due, In keeping all this, God’s law we will do.
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Other Matters.
Romans 14:1-12
Now we come to individual thoughts and ideas….what about keeping certain days and feasts, and eating certain things? If others are a bit fussy about what you are doing, don’t upset them further by continuing to do it. Don’t make an issue of things that don’t really matter, and try not to be judgmental….
If a person feels strongly enough about certain issues to do them specifically for the Lord, that is between him and the Lord (as long as it is not unscriptural). We are not to judge others in such cases. Some people feel that Christmas and Easter should not be celebrated, while others see the birth and death of Christ in such things. Which ever view you have of these things we are not to make an issue of it, but to do what we feel is right before the Lord.
We should remember that we must each give an account of OUR actions to the Lord in a time to come, not the actions of the next person! Something may be perfectly harmless in itself, and yet may form an addiction, and we are to keep away from these things. Other things may be allowable but take too much time away from the things of the Lord without doing anything positive for our spiritual life….these are the things that we should refrain from taking up.
What shall we do in the keeping of days, Eating some foods, are there yeas and nays?
The mains thing to do is take time in prayer, Not judging others, but for them to care.
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Who Makes the Rules?
Romans 14:13-23
Paul deals at length with these sticky issues. One person thinks he should do this and another person thinks he shouldn’t. Which one is right? Who makes the rules? We see here that the kingdom of God is not affected by what a person eats or doesn’t eat, but it IS affected by wrong attitudes of judging others and causing offence….
Believers should be joyful, happy and at peace, and should not deliberately do things they know will upset others. Before we do something that is following the fads of the world, we should ask ourselves some questions….will it upset other people who may be seeking the Lord’s ways; will it bring glory to God and is it edifying to myself and others.
This is the criteria we are to go by…..and another good rule is that if you have doubts about a certain course you are taking or thing that you are thinking of joining, then leave it alone….if it’s doubtful, it’s dirty! We are to take all our ideas and courses to the Lord with a sincere heart and then see how we feel about it.
Who makes the rules? What should I do? To keep from acting in ways I might rue;
Just follow these guides and act in their way, Glorify God and help others each day.
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Glorifying God.
Romans 15:1-11
Paul now enlarges on the thoughts he has just mentioned….to edify others and glorify God. It is the responsibility of each believer to do their best to encourage others in the right way….we are to please and help others before we please ourselves….
We have the greatest example of this in our Lord Jesus Christ….He put the needs of sinful man before His own wants and left the glory of His Father to come and live on earth, giving Himself the limitations of being a human being in order to bring salvation to them (Philippians 2:3-8).
As we put others’ needs before our own, we are glorifying God in this by our actions and then our praise in glorifying God is more meaningful, being seen in actions as well as words. There is no difference between Gentile believers and Jewish believers in these things…..all can glorify God and rejoice in Him.
Helping others is important indeed, For Christ helped us in our time of need,
In doing this God is glorified, As we in Him always seek to abide.
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Paul’s Confidence in These Believers.
Romans 15:12-33
At this point in time, it was still hard for the Jews to accept that Gentile believers were equal in God’s promises, even though this had been foretold many years before by the prophet Isaiah….
Paul points out the positive side of living the Christian life….joy, peace and hope….but this can only be brought about by the power of God’s Holy Spirit. He also felt that the Roman believers were mature enough to keep each other in the right paths, able to admonish one another and take it in the right manner. He was pleased that the Lord had allowed him to preach to the Gentiles and for the way they had responded.
Paul was now planning to visit Jerusalem and then to go to Spain, stopping off to see them on the way. He was really looking forwards to meeting them all and had great confidence in this. He knew that his time in Jerusalem would be filled with danger, and asked for prayer for safety and that the needy believers there would accept the gift from the Gentile Christians.
The positive things of peace, joy and love, Are given so freely by the Father above,
They can only be had by the Spirit within, Who helps us each one to overcome sin.
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Personal Greetings.
Romans 16:1-16
We now come to a list of people who Paul knew personally, and to whom he sends greetings. Phoebe, a missionary lady, was going to Rome and taking this letter with her. Paul was introducing her to those at Rome….this is a good idea when travelling around and wanting to attend a new church….
References are very important when applying for a new job, and how much more when moving to a new church! Priscilla and Aquila seemed to get around a fair bit (Acts 18:1-3; 1 Corinthians 16:19), helping and encouraging others as did many of the others in Paul’s list. Some were fellow workers, others were relatives….it seems that they were all ages, young and old, and Paul loved them all. Some were family groups and others individuals, and Paul has a concer for each one.
We need to show our concern and interest in others of the Lord’s people….after all, we all belong to the same family!
It is good to show our love and concern, Because from each other we have much to learn,
As Paul greets these ones he loves and knows, This love and encouragement clearly shows.
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Final Advice.
Romans 16:17:27
Some people love arguments and debates, but these are not becoming to God’s people. Once we start answering people back on their level, what we offer are merely opinions, and people are not obliged to take notice of these. We have to stick to the facts that are given in God’s Word and leave it to speak for itself….
Not only that, but Paul points out that if the person we are debating with is an expert, we could become deceived by the one we are trying to convince. Leave them alone, God says here. We are to be wise in what is good and simple in what is evil….it we keep to God’s Word, Satan will be overcome.
Those who were with Paul at that time, then sent greetings to those in Rome….Timothy who worked with him, his relatives, Tertius his secretary, Gaius who he was staying with and a couple others.
Paul finishes up with a little gem…the mystery of God which was always there and kept secret, is now revealed….that Christ will live with ALL believers, both Jew and Gentile alike….salvation is available to ALL! (Ephesians 3:3-6; Colossians 1:26-27)
To argue and debate achieves not a thing, No glory to God does it ever bring,
The “mystery of God” is revealed now to men, Though prophets of old could not see it then.
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