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Explore the correlation between belief and behavior, focusing on relationships with God, fellow believers, and enemies, as detailed in Romans 12-13. Discover the duty of Christians towards authorities, emphasizing love, obedience, and respect.
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Right Relationships Mean Right Living Chapter 11 Romans 12-13
Practical duties based on doctrines • Doctrines and duty go together • What we believe determines how we behave • Key idea: relationships • Our Relationship to God (12:1-2) • Fourth “therefore” in Romans • Dedication to God: body, mind, & will • You give God your body (1) • God’s temple (I Cor 6:19-20) • Holy Spirit indwells within the believer (Rom 8:9) • Instruments of righteousness (Rom 6:13)
Sacrifices • Dead in O.T. • Living in N.T. • Isaac (Gen 22): willingly & dead to self • Jesus Christ: Died as a sacrifice & living sacrifice in heaven; high priest (Heb 4:14-16) & advocate (I John 2:1) • Present: to present once & for all • Definite commitment • Right response to all that God has done for us • Our reasonable service or spiritual worship • You give God your mind (2a) • Control by the world vs transformation by God • Transform: transfigure (Matt 17:2) • Metamorphosis: change from within
Conformer vs transformer • Transformed by using God’s Word • You give God your will (2b) • The mind control the body & the will control the mind • Attempted willpower will fail (Rom 7:15-21) • Yield the will to God • Disciplined prayer • Time on God’s Word • Our relationship to Other Believers (12:3-16) • We belong to each other, minister to each other, & need each other
Essentials • Honest evaluation (3) • Overrated believers • Undervalued believers • Spiritual gifts: accept & use them to honor God (I Cor 15:10) • Faithful cooperation (4-8) • Gifts used for the good of the church & dedicated to God • No gifts should be overemphasized over other gifts (I Cor 12: 29-30) • No gifts without the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23 & I Cor 13) • Loving participation (9-16) • Emphasis on attitudes • Love (I Cor 13)
Circulatory system of the spiritual body • Honest love (9) & humble (10) • Preferring one another: treating another is more important than yourselves (Phil 2:1-4) • Serving Christ means Satan’s opposition & days of discouragement • Maintain the spiritual zeal: “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, & faithful in prayer” (12:12) • Feelings of others: Christian fellowship • Sharing burdens & blessings • Purpose to grow together & glorify God • Our Relationship to Our Enemies (12:17-21) • The believers like Paul & Jesus had enemies • Of their own household ( Matt 10:36) • Some have enemies because of lack of love &
patience & they are not faithful in witness • Christians should return good for evil, not seeking revenge • Require love & faith • “Give place to wrath” (Deut 32:35) • Romans 12:20 – Therefore if their enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in doing so there shalt heap coals of fire on his head (Prov.25:21-22; Matt 5:44-48) • Don’t protect yourselves; just obey the Lord& leave the results with Him • Overcome evil with good (21) • Our Relationship to the State (13:1-4)
God established 3 institutions • The home (Gen 2:18-25) • The government (Gen 9:1-17) • The church (Acts 2) • Reasons Christians must subject to the law of the state (government) • For the wrath’s sake (1-4) • Authority to rule comes from God • Resistance to the law is the resistance to God • Reasons: Humankind is sinful • Capital punishment (Gen 9:5-6) • Respect the office • Officials, the ministers of God • For the conscience’s sake (5-7)
If government’s inference with conscience, obedience to God is necessary (Acts 5:29) • If the law is right then we must obey to maintain a good conscience (I Tim 1:5, 19; 3:9, 4:2, Acts 24:16) • Romans 13:7 commands us to pay what we owe: taxes, revenues, respect, & honor • If not, disrespect to the law, the officials, & the law • For love’s sake (8-10) • Love one another: basic principle of the Christian life • Love: motive for obeying God & helping others • Love covers it all • Owe no man anything • Bible forbids (Ex 22:25-27;Neh 5:1-11) • Charging of high interest • Robbing brethren • Failing to pay honest debts
The bottom line: human heart is the very heart of the problem in need for the government. • For Jesus’ sake (11-14) • Emphasis on the imminent return of Christ • Wake up (I Thess 5:1-11 & Matt 25) • Clean up (I John 2:20 – 3:3) • Put on armor of light, not deeds of darkness • Grow up • Put on Jesus: become more like Him • A Christian should be the best citizen