April 24, 2021 WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE
Romans 12:9-18 “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, reverent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and curse not. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men.”
Often we debate, discuss, analyze, and theorize about what the scriptures teach and about how we are to live the Christian life. If not careful, gaining more knowledge of the God’s word can become our goal instead of having the goal of living out the gospel. If information does not lead to transformation, then we miss the central purpose and power of the gospel. The beauty of God’s word is that it challenges the most brilliant, but it is also understood by the most simple. It is indeed a miraculous book. It is the wise person who reads God’s word and allows it to transform him, and then put into action what he reads-it’s that simple. Our most basic response to the gospel should be that of obedience. Often, obedience to the scriptures precedes our understanding; if we wait to obey only after we understand, we will miss much of what God desires to show us. All of these commands in the verses above and many other verses as well, are straight forward, leaving no room for debate or misunderstanding. For example, we know what it means to be ‘devoted to one another in love’, or to ‘be devoted to prayer,’ or to ‘contribute to the need of others,’ to ‘be hospitable,’ or ‘not to be haughty’---and etc. In this day of doubt and uncertainty, and all sorts of troubles, I find it refreshing to have the clear call of the gospel-a gospel that is do-able and life giving. In Matthew 18:3, Jesus said that we must become as a child if we are going to see His kingdom. I take that to mean that I am to trust and obey Him and His teachings without debate or without delay-that’s what trust is all about. We say we trust-but do we really? We act on trust and what we believe. I encourage each of us to simply read God’s word with the view that we will put in to action what we read. There are many other instructions, in addition to the ones above, in Romans chapters 12 and 13, and throughout the New Testament, that present a clear picture of what it looks like to live according to the ways of God. May we just do it-starting now.
Romans 13:11-14 “And this do, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now the salvation is nearer to us than we believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is at hand. Let us therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us therefore behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealously. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lust.”
Psalm 119:105 “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and light unto my path.”
Blessings,
Buddy
RSS Feed