Romans 11-12
Romans 11 is an intimidating chapter because it is hard to understand Paul's reasoning. Is he saying that Israel is saved apart from Christ Jesus? Obviously not, based on other Scripture, yet verse 26 says that "all Israel will be saved." It appears that this is not a reference to spiritual Israel, since the context has Paul speaking of a hardening of Israel until the full number of Gentiles has come into the Kingdom. So something is still to be accomplished with Israel -- a mass turning to Jesus?
Paul points out that not all Israel is hardened, since he, for one, is a Christian. There have been other Jewish converts to Christ over the years as well. God hardens who He wants to harden. Yet there appears to be a choice for Jews today, just as there is a choice for Gentiles. And since a Jew has the Old Testament background, as it were, to the faith, re-grafting them into the Kingdom is relatively easy according to Paul.
The doxology of 11:33-36 is breathtaking, frustrating, awe-inspiring and humbling all at the same time.
Romans 12 is a masterpiece of application of Paul's first eleven chapters. Beginning with the first two verses, Paul exhorts the follower of Christ to live out the doctrines preached by the Master. Offering our bodies as living sacrifices is an incredible visual image of what taking up our cross is like. And with God's mercy as the reason, why shouldn't we offer Him everything? Our worship is the offering of our very selves, and when we do so, we won't be made in the image of the world, but we will be transformed. Our minds will be different. We won't think like the world thinks. Why are we so surprised when the world has different priorities than Christians? Why are we shocked when the world rejects and mocks the Church?
Perhaps the reason lies in verse three, where we are told not to think too highly of ourselves. It is far too easy to go from "forgiven" to "superior" in our minds. We can reject the renewal of our minds and try to crawl down in the gutter with the world once again; communicating on their level.
When we are transformed, we seek to serve Him. We look for ways to use the gifts given us. We search for ways to express our love for Christ and for others. And we don't try to live in conflict with others. We seek peace when possible. Evil is overcome with good. How hard that is to practice!
Paul points out that not all Israel is hardened, since he, for one, is a Christian. There have been other Jewish converts to Christ over the years as well. God hardens who He wants to harden. Yet there appears to be a choice for Jews today, just as there is a choice for Gentiles. And since a Jew has the Old Testament background, as it were, to the faith, re-grafting them into the Kingdom is relatively easy according to Paul.
The doxology of 11:33-36 is breathtaking, frustrating, awe-inspiring and humbling all at the same time.
Romans 12 is a masterpiece of application of Paul's first eleven chapters. Beginning with the first two verses, Paul exhorts the follower of Christ to live out the doctrines preached by the Master. Offering our bodies as living sacrifices is an incredible visual image of what taking up our cross is like. And with God's mercy as the reason, why shouldn't we offer Him everything? Our worship is the offering of our very selves, and when we do so, we won't be made in the image of the world, but we will be transformed. Our minds will be different. We won't think like the world thinks. Why are we so surprised when the world has different priorities than Christians? Why are we shocked when the world rejects and mocks the Church?
Perhaps the reason lies in verse three, where we are told not to think too highly of ourselves. It is far too easy to go from "forgiven" to "superior" in our minds. We can reject the renewal of our minds and try to crawl down in the gutter with the world once again; communicating on their level.
When we are transformed, we seek to serve Him. We look for ways to use the gifts given us. We search for ways to express our love for Christ and for others. And we don't try to live in conflict with others. We seek peace when possible. Evil is overcome with good. How hard that is to practice!
posted by rev-ed @ 12:13 PM
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