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“ Summary, Part 5 (final) ” SUMMARY: Chapters 12 onward are a summary Gospel that Paul laid out in the previous chapters. The Gospel has a logic of its own, sparking a spiritually-minded way of life. It is characterized by a love of God, humility, a care for others, and seeking others’ welfare for the glory of God. It is practical in that it is meant to bring obedience of faith to all the nations. As the power unto salvation, it brings just that. It changes our worldview, putting God first and subjecting all our priorities, thoughts, words, and deeds to His righteousness. Grace must be the basis of our relationships with each other. We don’t wait for people to be lovable to love them; we are to love them because He loved us first. We are to reject the world’s framework and be transformed by the constant renewing of our minds.
Ian Migala (8/28/2013)
from Minneapolis, Minnesota
“ Summary, Part 4 ” None of us can attain the full stature of Christ alone; that’s why He gave us the body of Christ: the Church. Verse 7: we do not serve to be thanked, but so that someone is served. This isn’t communism, but Christian love. Verse 8: “diligence”: thinking about what one does before one does it. Verse 9: “Let love be without hypocrisy”: the kind of love that Jesus showed, than the Father shows. An indicator of our worship is how we love each other. “I love you, but…” is one word too many. “Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.”: not who, but “what”. We cannot leave that to our own affections, but rather let God’s truth be the measure. And we are to be energized by it (verse 11).
Ian Migala (8/28/2013)
from Minneapolis, Minnesota
“ Summary, Part 3 ” “But be transformed by the renewing of your mind”, so that we will know better; so that we may better identify God’s will. See COLOSSIANS 2:8. We can, should, and must swim against the stream. It’s hard, but what’s wrong with hard? Hard leads to holiness far more than comfort does. We must be willing to pay the price of true discipleship. God calls us to be different. We are Reformed, but let us be reforming. In ROMANS 16:17, Paul draws attention to causers of division; not just false doctrine, but even true doctrine used to create unholy division in the Church. He followed that with the exhortation to preach the Gospel to all the nations. Verses 3-11 are a well-connected link of chains in which one point leads to the next. It isn’t easy for people to live together; that’s why we divide so easily. “For I say…to every man that is among you”: Paul is addressing each of us individually, no matter our differences. One way we overcome them together is humility. The differences we have are God-given, meant to serve each other. Whatever our God-given gifts, they are not agents of pride (since they’re God-given) but of service. Every part of the body is necessary. We are united to the same extent that we are different. Every difference reflects a facet of God’s glory.
Ian Migala (8/28/2013)
from Minneapolis, Minnesota
“ Summary, Part 2 ” The Gospel equips us to glorify God and benefit our fellow man. We are surprisingly unique in that we still hold a door open for a stranger. This reflects the importance the Gospel places on the individual. ROMANS 12:1 begins with “therefore”, the logic of which is laid out in ROMANS 6:2-8. In 12:1, we see that the Gospel requires and enables a response. Regeneration doesn’t render us passive; it creates the only response that is reasonable. “Present your bodies” reflects the truth that our bodies will be redeemed. And so we must keep them as “a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.” Why would we dishonor something that God declares righteous, worthy of redemption? “Living sacrifice”: this was a new concept. Sacrifices are typically once and final. But a living sacrifice is ongoing (“take up your cross daily”: LUKE 9:23). “Reasonable service”: spirituality is not illogical, and true logic is spiritual: it begins with the fear of God (PROVERBS 1:7). How we conduct ourselves suggests how we worship God. Verse 2: the Gospel is a transforming truth with power, but it contains content. “Be not conformed to this world”: if we’re like the world, then what message do we have for it?
Ian Migala (8/28/2013)
from Minneapolis, Minnesota
“ Summary, Part 1 ” In ROMANS 1-11, Paul defends against the challenges to the truth. Chapters 1-5, he presents the nature of the Gospel, particularly in terms of righteousness. In chapters 6-8, he works out the practical implications of the Gospel in human life. In chapters 9-11, he demonstrates the Gospel’s validity in the history of the people of Israel. From chapter 12 onward, he discusses the practical implications of Gospel principles: how they work themselves out in daily life, particularly in our relations to others. The operative principle of the Gospel is grace. Morality that isn’t grounded in truth is not really morality, but altruism. In the Reformed tradition, we understand that the Gospel is not merely truth, but has implications for every sphere of daily life. We saw that yesterday in Paul’s charge against Peter’s behavior. In ROMANS 6:18, we read, “Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” This is not anomalous, but demonstrative of the lives God brings out of His people. The early Church was the spark of the Gospel transformation of the West, something of which we are not very aware. Even despite the erosion of the Gospel message, our culture bears traits of practical Gospel truth found nowhere else.
