Core of Christian Living

Having dealt with how to relate to the family of believers inside the church, Paul now, in verses 14 to 21 of Romans chapter 12, turns to our conduct with the outsiders, that is, outside the church, namely the non-believers and the non-Christians, with whom we live as neighbors. This would form the core of our Christian living, containing the rules and the principles that need to govern our relationship with our fellow-human beings in the world.

Reflecting Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:44, Paul pleads with Christians to bless those who persecute us and to bless and not to curse. To bless is to wish well and pray for that person who persecutes us.

We have the example of Jesus, who sought forgiveness for those who crucified him, because they knew not what they were doing. Luke 23:34. He did not revile back 1 Peter 2:21-23, but like a lamb that was led to slaughter was quiet. Isaiah 53:7.

The other example is the first martyr Stephen, who as he lay dying by the stones thrown by his country-men, prayed for God to forgive them. Acts 7:60. We have an example of such Christian largesse closer home in Gladys Steins, who in 1999, within days of the burning of her husband and two innocent children, said she forgave the murderers. She was not looking for their punishment even.

A colleague of mine could not understand how she could do that. She thought it was not normal for a person to forgive the killers of her husband and two young sons. Yes, what is a mystery to non-believers is a truth to us, because Christ laid the path of forgiveness before us and walked in it first. Because of that his followers also can do it. It takes a strong man not to retaliate. And we are empowered to do this by the indwelling Holy Spirit.

Next, Paul asks us to rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn. This is the simple rule of sharing the joy and sorrows of our neighbours. In this world, common sorrows and joys entwines human life. We need to enter into the sorrows of our fellow-men and extend a helpful hand, showing mercy, kindness, understanding and love to those who are suffering.

Rejoicing with those who are rejoicing is a little tougher than partaking in others’ sorrows, because we might become envious of others’ achievements and joys and resent it in case we have not made it. The worst human being is one who cannot stand another person being happy. We are not to be like that. A good and sincere heart will rejoice in the success and happiness of our neighbors as in our own.

We are exhorted to live harmoniously with one another and be devoid of pride and conceit so that we associate with people of low position. Pride and snobbishness are not to be our characteristics. Slaves and masters are to sit side by side in the church. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ. But easier said than done.

In India when missionaries came in 18^th century and people started to accept Christ, separate churches were built for upper castes and the lower castes, because of the strong resistance of the upper caste to associate with the lower caste. With the result, sadly, even today we have caste-specific churches in India, especially in rural areas. This is a blot which needs to be removed from our country, definitely from our churches.

We are not to repay evil with evil, but do what is right in the eyes of everybody. We need to show respect for the moral standards of the non-Christians around us. We need to be sensitive about it. Paul elsewhere in 1 Corinthians 5:12-13 says it is none of our business to judge those who are outside the church. God will judge them. Jesus asked us not to judge in Matthew 7:1.

Our aim is to live above reproach in the eyes of all. Proverb 3:4. Same law is written in their hearts too, as said in Romans 2:14. There is a universal common code of morals for the human beings as a whole. Let everyone obey it. Let that form the basis for our harmonious relationships with the others.

Paul exhorts that ‘if possible,’ and ‘as far as it depends on you,’ live in peace with everybody. He is giving here lot of latitude to cover our human frailty. But let the provocation or the first blow, not be from us. Christ was born to bring in peace on earth. We need to put away strife and learn to live peaceably with our neighbors as far as possible. Galatians 6:10.

We are not to take revenge, but leave it to the Lord to act on our behalf. Our God is just and will extract requital without our interference. The principle of retribution is enshrined in our universe. We need not attempt to get even, but leave it to the Lord to do it. 1 Peter 2:21-23. We do not know all the facts involved in a case or the circumstances under which an act was committed. So, it is difficult for us to judge correctly. God alone is omniscient, let’s leave vengeance to Him.

Thereafter, Paul quotes from Proverb 25:21-22, to impress that if the enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing we might heap burning coal on his head. This heaping of burning coal, might be a reference to an Egyptian tradition of carrying a pot of burning charcoal on one’s head as a public act of repentance.

The idea behind this is that when we treat our enemies with kindness, they might become so ashamed of what they did, they could be led to repentance and subsequent forgiveness. The best way to get rid of an enemy is to turn that person into a friend, which is achieved by praying for them.

The last exhortation of Paul is ‘do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.’ We must never give that much of power to evil to overcome our goodness, since we have spiritual defenses to overpower evil. We pray to our Father in heaven, ‘to deliver us from evil.’ Matthew 6:13. We are aware of God’s warning to Cain in Genesis 4:7, “if you do not do what is right sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it.”

Have we also not been given the weapons for spiritual warfare in Ephesian 6: 10-18? Let’s use it all, with the help of our Counselor, the Holy Spirit, and overcome the evil. Evil can never be overcome by evil, but only by a greater good. We need to meet evil with love, a sure antidote to the poison.

Let us live up to the image of a perfect Christian in this world, as exhorted by Paul; it is difficult, but not impossible, especially with God’s help.  

God bless you all.

Amen. 

Christian Ethics for Everyday Life

After describing our duties in the corporate body, the church, Paul goes on to enumerate the ethics required for a Christian’s everyday life. In verses 9 to 13 of Chapter 12, Paul literally describes ‘love in action,’ in a Christian’s life.

In 1 Corinthians 13:13, Paul declares that of the three, faith, hope and love, love is the greatest. In 1 Corinthians 8:1, he recalls that love builds us up. In Colossians 3:14, he affirms that love binds us in unity.

Love is the central principle of Paul’s social ethics. It is the agape love, sacrificial and self-giving love as exemplified by God, who gave His Son to die for us even when we were sinners. Romans 5:8. This divine love is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit Romans 5:5, to the measure we yield to him.

Has not our Lord Jesus pronounced love for God and love for our neighbor as the twin most important commandments according to the Scriptures? Matthew 22:37-40.

First in the list is sincere love in verse 9. It is a love without any hypocrisy, with no playacting or pretensions. There are no ulterior motives in such a love. It is not just courtesy or politeness, though these are to be highly appreciated. A sincere love from the heart is what Paul means here.

Secondly, a brotherly love which seeks to honor the other more than ourselves. It is the philos love or Philadelphia, love for a brother or a sister, within the family. We are all one big family, all brothers and sisters in Christ, with God as our loving Father. We learn to put others’ needs first, before us. There is no room for self-exultation or pride or boasting in such a family.

Third, there has to be zeal in our love for God, and with spiritual fervor we are to serve the Lord. No lethargy, or sluggishness or lagging or laziness is to be exhibited in such a service. We are to be diligent in serving our Lord.

If this life on earth is a training ground for life in eternity that is to come, we need to be diligent. A heart that is warm for God, burning for God and ablaze for God is required. Our spirits have to be warm and hot, and not lukewarm, which the Lord will spew out. Revelation 3:15,16. I am reminded of the lovely book “Ablaze for God,” by Wesley L. Duewel. If you get the book, please read it.

Three quick telegraphic rules follow in verse 12. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer.

Christian is always an optimist. He has hope, hope that Christ is in control and that the best is yet to come. We operate under His grace, which is sufficient for us as indicated in 2 Corinthians 12:9, and also, we can do all things on Christ who strengthens us. Philippians 4:13. No task is difficult for us and there are no hopeless situations in life with Christ at hand to help us.

Patience in tribulations is fortitude. We have the faith that God will protect us from evil, but perchance any evil should befall us, we still have faith that God, who has allowed this in our lives, will be with us as we pass through the difficulty. As Psalmist sings in Psalm 23:4, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me and your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”

Like the three friends of Daniel, who were thrown into the blazing furnace, we can also say, “God we serve is able to save us from it” … “but even if he does not, we will (still) not serve your gods,” or the worldly ways. Daniel 3:16,18. That is the confidence we have in Christ. For, did he not say, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33. 

As we worship such a God, we need fear no evil. Praise God for that confidence. This restores peace to our hearts, a peace that passeth understanding.

To be faithful in prayer, we need to persevere, like in the parable of the widow and the judge, which Jesus narrated in Luke 18:1. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, “pray without ceasing.” We are not to give up our prayers, but always be ready to yield to His Will in our lives.

Lastly, Paul exhorts us to share with God’s people who are in need, within the church first. We also need to practice hospitality. Hebrews 13:2, asks us to entertain strangers, for you never know you might be entertaining angels. 1 Peter 4:9 impresses the need to entertain each other without grumbling.

When we entertain and show hospitality to believers, we are entertaining God’s own children. So, let us do it gladly, offering the best we can afford, taking out the best crockery and the best cutlery that we have reserved for VIPs. The believers are coming in the name of Christ and we need to give them our best.

God be with us and give us the strength to practice all these virtues that are listed by Paul and others in the Scripture.

Amen.

"Building up the Body"

After talking about our bodies being offered as a living sacrifice to God, and exhorting us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds, Paul goes on here, in verses 3-8, to individual ethics for the betterment of the whole church. 

Paul starts with ‘do not think of yourself more highly than you ought.’ A healthy self-esteem is important in any social setting. In its absence, a person will be plagued by low self-esteem and consequently will not be able to achieve his or her full potential. 

The key to correct evaluation of one’s self-esteem would be to know that our self-worth is based on our identity in Christ. We are His children, saved by His grace. I need to realize that He considered me important enough to die on the cross to save me. That is the measure of my self-worth. 

My estimation in the eyes of Christ is important and not in the eyes of the world. I am precious in His eyes. Evaluating our worth by worldly standards of success, money, fame and achievement will not yield fruit. 

The other extreme is over-estimation of one’s worth. Such people usually suffer from inferiority complex and to make up for that, pretend to be better than everybody else and most of the time go about boasting about themselves.

This leads to ego-clashes within the church and creates problems and divisions. A major outflow of such boasting would be pride, leading to obnoxious behavior by the person concerned. 

The other danger of not properly estimating our worth is to paint a high ideal and trying to achieve such impossible heights. In the process, when such a person fails, he or she would constantly be under self-doubt, low self-esteem, many a times leading to depression. It is setting an non-achievable goal for ourselves.  

An honest estimation of our own capabilities, without pride and without false modesty, a sober judgment, is important. We need to accept ourselves as we are, and use whatever gift God has given us for His glory. 

Paul goes on to list the gifts that people are endowed with by God, in accordance with the measure of faith. 

What is this ‘measure of faith?’  

That means God will give appropriate spiritual power that is necessary to the fulfill the responsibility that He has entrusted to a person. On our own we cannot hike up our faith and expect to do wonders in the name of Christ. It is given by God and Christ through the Holy Spirit, with the only purpose of building up His kingdom. 

Paul compares the different gifts given to different members of the church to a body that has many parts, with each part fitted to suit the function that has been assigned to it. He brings forth this comparison in greater length in 1 Corinthians 12:12-31. 

In Christ, we who are many form one body, each one having a different gift and an appropriate function suitable to that gift. Christ is the Head of the church. Ephesians 4:15-16. Under His direction, we all work for the edification of our fellow Christians and to further the kingdom of God.

Church is the Body of Christ. 1 Corinthians 12: 27. If so, we need to do the task of building up the kingdom of God in cooperation with the other Christians, the other members of the church. This requires humility and willing to consider others better than oneself. It is God’s work and we are just the instruments, different instruments, all working for is glory, building up the edifice. 

In verses 5 and 6, Paul brings out the various gifts that have been given to us by Christ. In two other places Paul gives such a list, some overlapping, and some covering exhaustively. 1 Corinthians 12:28-30 and Ephesians 4:11.

What is this gift? Is it just a natural talent or something supernatural? 

What Paul is talking here is both; a natural talent, a gift by the grace of God, a God-given talent to be used for His glory. A person so endowed in his or her Christian life, needs to use it for His glory, to build up and edify the others in the church and to further the kingdom of God. It is a natural inclination to be pursued for His glory. 

There is no claim for self-glory or preeminence in the church because of such a gift. It must be used, not to enhance a person’s personal prestige but for the common good of the community. 

The other is a supernatural gift or vocation, like prophesying. This is no natural talent, but God-given ability for building up His people. 

The first one that Paul mentions here is the gift of prophesying. Prophesying is forth telling, announcing a message from God for warning or for the edification of the church. This comes with the authority of Christ, for unless such a person is in close relationship with Christ, such prophesying will not be possible. 

Second is the gift of serving. A person could have a natural inclination for serving, to serve his or her fellow human beings, and this needs to be done well. It is a life poured out in the service of others, showing the love of Christ. 

Gift of teaching comes next; the message of Christ and those of the Apostles, needs to be explained, made simple and easy to understand by the church. This again comes with years of study under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Presenting the truth in an attractive and interesting manner is a gift.

Gift of encouraging is to exhort, to motivate, to lead and to inspire the people to follow the example of Christ and to walk in His ways, so as to enjoy the joy of being with Him.

The next one is giving, contributing to the needs of others. It is giving generously, without holding back or expecting anything in return, but with the sheer pleasure in giving. It is sharing, showing kindness to the needs of others, and being liberal, primarily with one’s money. Did not Jesus appreciate and highly esteem the two mites contributed by the poor widow? Luke 21:3,4. It is giving whole-heartedly for the love of Christ and not grudgingly.

Leadership in governance is also another gift, to be exercised with responsibility, zeal, honesty and integrity, especially in matters of financial responsibility. It has to be done with utmost vigilance. 

Last one mentioned by Paul in this portion is showing mercy. It is caring for people, giving them their time to meet them in their troubles and problems, being a helper, an angel of mercy, showing genuine care and love. 

In all these Paul exhorts people to do it all well, as if you are doing it to the Lord, as elsewhere he points out. Colossians 3:23,24.  

Isn’t it time for us to seek the face of the Lord to know what is His gift to us and start using it for His glory? 

Let’s do it my dears, with God’s grace emboldening us and using us for His glory. 

Amen. 

The Living Sacrifice

Now that the discourse of the fate of Israel is over, Paul turns from chapter 12 on wards to practical Christianity – giving out guidelines for living as redeemed people in a fallen world.

Unless there is a close relationship between the faith (belief) laid out in the first 11 chapters and the conduct of Christian life, all these would be just preaching and will have little practical relevance. Christian ethics has to emerge from Christian theology. The new life in the righteousness one got from Christ, which justified a believer before God, requires a power derived from the Holy Spirit. We have to let the Spirit of God to take control of our inward spirit.

If in Chapters 1-11, Paul described “What has God done for us,” in Chapter 12-15 he lays down “What we are to do to glorify God here on earth.”

Verses one and two of chapter 12 are most important to Christian life. Verse 0ne says, “offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God,’ which is a spiritual act of worship.

Animal sacrifice was practiced in Old Testament times (OT). The officiating priest will kill the animal, a goat or a lamb or a bull, brought as an offering by the Israelite, cut it into pieces, wash it, and place it on the altar, to offer it as a sacrifice, the aroma of that act of worship being a sweet smelling to God. Leviticus 1:5-9.

However, even in OT times God made it clear that “to obey is better than sacrifice.” This was pointed out to the disobedient Saul by the priest Samuel in 1 Samuel 16:22. In Psalm 40:6-8, David prophetically speaks saying “sacrifice and offering you did not desire…burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require; but what is required is a heart “to do Your will, O my God.”

Amos warns Israel in Amos 5:21-24, that God had made it clear through him that He despised their religious feasts and will not accept their burnt offerings and grain offerings, but what He wants is “let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never failing stream.”

So it is not that God is pleased with or demands animal sacrifices, but He wants a willing and obedient heart in us.

Paul is seeking here that we offer ourselves and our bodies as ‘living sacrifice.’ We are not to be killed and offered as sacrifices, but while still alive, we need to offer our lives, our bodies – the physical vehicle of our lives as sacrifice to God.

What does this mean? What does this require of us?

We need to daily lay aside our own desires and follow Him; we are to be ‘holy and pleading to God;’ we do what is pleasing to God – that is, being obedient to all that Christ taught us. Mt.28:20. Jesus said in John 14:15 “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” In 1 John 5:3, it is written, “This is love for God: to obey His command.”  

According to Paul, the real worship of God is the self-dedication of Christians to Him. Our body is the Temple of the Holy Spirit. 1 Corinthian 6:9. “We are the temple of the living God,” says Paul in 2 Corinthians 6:16. And God’s Spirit lives in us. God’s temple is sacred and if we are the temple as in 2 Corinthians 3:16-17, we need to keep ourselves pure and shun sexual immoralities and other such sins.

We are bought with a price and we need to honor God with our bodies as well, by keeping them pure and undefiled. Not just the body, but the body, soul and our spirits have to be kept clean for the service of God.

How do we do this?

All the tasks that we do every day with our bodies, the thoughts that we think in our everyday life, the ideas, thoughts and dreams that we feed our minds every day through observation and reading, all have to be holy and dedicated to God. The ordinary works that we do every day at home, at school, office, company, and elsewhere, are to be offered as an act of worship to God.  If so we need to be clean and pure in all these things every day, every minute of the day.

Verse two says we are ‘not to conform any longer to the pattern of the world,’ but we are to ‘be transformed by the renewal of our mind.’ As believing Christians we are not to conform to the world and its patterns – behaviors, customs, traditions–the human pride, unforgiving heart, selfishness, stubbornness, arrogance – and all such corrupting influences. We are not to match our activities to the dominant spirit of the world.

Then how do we live in this world? Won’t we be seen as unfit to live in this world?

What comes to my mind is Jesus teaching his disciples, Matthew 10:16, “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” We need to be prudent and not gullible; ‘do not cheat and do not get cheated,’ may have to be our motto.

Then how should we be?

We have to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. Our whole thinking, inward personality has to be changed, metamorphosed like a caterpillar, emerging as a full-grown and beautiful butterfly.

We are to be transformed by the Spirit of God, who resides in us, so that from a self-centered life we go onto a Christ-centered life.

Is that easy? How do we achieve it? Is it automatic?

Not really. Nothing could be automatic as we have our won thinking power, our individuality and will. Only with our cooperation this transformation could be brought about. To achieve it, mind has to be renewed by a continual occupation with Christ.

Start the work with Him in mind, finish it for His glory; when mind is free with nothing to do, occupy it with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs as Paul recommends in Ephesians 5: 19. This is what Brother Lawrence calls as “Being in the Presence of God.” This later developed into what we call as “Breath-prayer.”

We need to occupy our thoughts with thoughts of God at all times and do things for His glory. Then we will know, what His perfect, good and pleasing will is for our lives. Once our wills are aligned to His will, our life will sail through smoothly, with the Holy Spirit filling our billows and carrying us through the storms of life safe and secure.

Ah, who said Christian life is easy? Not at all, but with his help we can do all things, even transforming our lives by renewing our minds.

God be blessed.