Text: Romans 13:4-7 ESV

4 for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.

5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience.

6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.

7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

-Rom 13:4-7 ESV

SUBMISSION AND OBEDIENCE

We do live without fear of those in authority if we are doing good, don’t we? God has given the role of those in authority to keep order in the community. They are servants for good. Knowingly or not, an authority is a servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.[v.4] This is His design to limit the influence of evil in the world (2 Thess 2:7) Those in authority will most often give their approval to people who are contributing to that order by making things better. The good may include paying taxes and obeying other civil laws.[v.6,7]

Our fear of God and those in authority is not the only reason to obey the law but also for the sake of conscience. We know, as Christians, that it is the right thing to do to submit to authorities. It is God's will for our lives. In a general sense, it's part of the Christian sense of humility. We are not the ultimate authority, so we ought to be submissive to those in power over us.

Are Christians not going to pay taxes if the government is funding evil practices? Jesus and Paul disagree. Both paid taxes to the same government that ultimately killed them and persecuted other Christians. Neither Jesus nor Paul endorsed the option of not paying taxes as a matter of conscience.

In almost every law and human authority, submission is God's will for His children is encouraged. Submission and obedience are normally the same thing—but they are not always the same. Jesus and Paul are always submissive to authorities but they were not always obedient to them. But, they were willing to suffer the consequences when they disobeyed.

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God’s Word for Today

1 Feb 2024

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval,

-Rom 13:1- 3 ESV

DO SUBMIT TO AUTHORITY

Paul turns to the issue of how Christians by God's grace should interact with our present governments. This describes the biblical doctrine of submission to human authorities, which Peter also teaches (1 Pet 2:13–17). Are believers going to obey the authorities in all cases?  Paul and the other apostles refused to obey commands from people in authority to stop preaching the gospel in Acts 5:27–29 They, however, they submitted to those in authority in all matters that were not in contradiction to the will of God. If it was, they were willing to obey God and were willing to accept the consequences. Thus, civil disobedience is only allowed when a Christian is being asked to sin, disobey God, or act in some ungodly way.

Why we do submit to authority? 

Every authority in the world was established by God. It is a recognition that human government, in general, is a legitimate authority ordained by God. Human government is one of the ways God restrains the influence of evil in the world (2 Thess 2:7). Resistance to authority will result in judgment. It's not clear if Paul has in mind the judgment from the government or judgment from God. Both are possible.

We cannot use our faith as an excuse for civil lawlessness, can we?  In fact, the contrary,  we must be law abiding citizens. The Roman empire ruled much of the known world at the time. It was led by the Emperor Nero from AD 54–68. He was infamous for being cruel and unfair to Christians. Paul knew the implications of this command definitely. 

Jesus has the absolute authority yet He did not overturn the Roman government for their oppressive government. He was governed by a higher authority. Thus He says, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”[John 18:37]

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God’s Word for Today

31 Jan 2024

19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

-Rom 12:19-21 ESV

OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD

When we are wronged, we are not going to ‘get even’. To avenge is never our option. Either the hurt comes from a believer or from an unbeliever. What is the reason behind?

We should refuse to take revenge because God is much better at it than we are. God says to us, "Trust me to handle revenge and justice for all who harm you instead of seeking it yourself." In a sense, Paul implies that taking our own revenge would dilute God's opportunity to avenge for us in His great anger against those who harm us. 

A desire for justice for ourselves and those we care about is not wrong by itself. Paul simply reminds us to trust God's timing and power to deliver justice as He sees fit. Paul quotes Moses’ words from Deut 32:35 to declare that God has always His intention to take vengeance against  those who wrong others. 

Moreover, we are called to an active, positive, and generous engagement with those who harm us. This is counter culture. Our natural tendency is to ignore the harmful person, is it not? It’s supernatural act to do good to the person who hurt us. Does this mean that we are going to tolerate abuse? Definitely not!

Retreating from violence or avoiding a physical abuser is not being discouraged here, at all. If we can take steps to avoid future injury, that is the right and wise thing to do. God is not commanding us to welcome any kind of abuse.

Paul quoted Prov 25:21-22, “If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, 22 for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you.” This appears to work towards our disadvantage by relentlessly kind in seeing and meeting the enemy’s  basic needs. 

What is the wisdom of God? As we do this, two things could happen. Firstly we reflect God's own mercy to us who were once His enemies (Rom 5:10). Secondly, we do that we do not deserve to be treated poorly and that we are stronger than those who harm us. 

By so doing you will heap burning coals on his head. This has an allusion to a known custom.  To carry a pan of burning coals on one's head as a sign of repentance. Kindness and forgiveness to those who abuse us, ideally, will make them ashamed of themselves, and hopefully bring them to repent. The strongest, most powerful response to persecution and hatred is to love your enemies.

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Text: Romans 12:16-18 (ESV) 

16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

LET US PROMOTE PEACE

Because of the gospel, let’s strive to live harmoniously. Harmony during musical rendition requires everyone to adjust his or her own pitch with one another. It is not to perfectly match each other but to be compatible so that the blend happens when put together.

It's not surprising, then, that Paul's next exhortation is for us not to be haughty or arrogant. Definitely, to live in harmony needs humility from everyone. We are to associate with the lowly. In other words, we don't think of ourselves as being too good to hang out socially, specially with the underprivileged. In Christianity, women, children and slaves are welcome which is foreign to the Roman culture.

And being humble involves not behaving as wise in our own signt. The idea is not that we’re not wise. It is to posturing of ourselves to listen to others and not accept our own opinion as the final word. We submit to the word of God, as well as to the input and ideas of others.

Even to the hostile towards us, we must resist our natural human instinct for revenge and refuse to ever pay back evil when evil is done to us. Instead, we should be thoughtful when evil is done to us. It is that moment which is as an opportunity to demonstrate Christ’s love. We cannot, after all, display the love and forgiveness of Christ until we have the opportunity to forgive. This is an honorble sight before people.

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Text: Romans 12:13-15 (ESV)

13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

DO BLESS OTHERS

We are members one with another. Brotherly affection and honoring one another is encouraged. It would be demonstrated by contributing to the needs of others. During the early days of the church, wealthier Christians sold their belongings to meet the physical needs of Christians who were not as well off as them. “And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need.”[Acts 2:45] Paul even exhorts us, “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”[Gal 6:10] These surely authenticate that Christians are genuine. This meant they had to offer safe and welcoming spaces to believers of other believers. Traveling from town to town in Paul's day was always risky because of the weather and robbers on the road.

Even when being treated badly, they are not to retaliate. Paul echoes the direct teaching of Jesus: Bless those who persecute you and don't curse them (Mat 5:44). Don’t we feel the natural desire to curse those who hurt us and to avoid doing good for them at all costs? Yet, as believers, we must bless them. And this will show that we belong to God. As Jesus teaches, “43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”[Matt 5:43-48]

And we must be sympathetic to the hurting especially. The weak among us need our gentle support.[Gal 5:1] As Christians, who have received great mercy from God, we ought to be merciful to others (Rom 11:30–31; Eph 4:32) We should be following Jesus who can sympathize in all our pains and struggles.[Heb 4:15-16]

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Text: Romans 12:12 ESV

12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

-Rom 12:12 ESV

REJOICE IN HOPE

The three commands in this verse are keys to the emotional and spiritual well-being of every Christian. We are commanded to rejoice in hope. Can we command anyone how he should feel? The concept here, though, is more about declaring ourselves as having reason for joy. It's not a command to be emotionally happy per se, but to have the right perspective on our situation. Our hope isn’t wishful thinking but certain. Paul said, “And not only the creation, but we, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.”[Rom 8:24-25] The hope of the redemption of our bodies and being united with our Father forever is guarranteed.

Having this hope, we could be patient in tribulation. Certainly, Paul is not downplaying the pains and hurts during suffering. Tribulation is part and parcel of our spiritual journey. [John 16:33] Paul has pointed out that the struggles of life on earth are not worth comparing with the glory to come (Rom 8:18). Thus, we wait with patience.

Believers who are anticipating a bright future and are praying to the Father continually have a much easier time being patient during hardship. Let’s pray therefore without ceasing. [1 Thess 5:17]. This is a posture of dependence and peace, which marks a strong Christian. Patience during tribulation could be a product of constant prayer.

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Text: Romans 12:11 ESV

11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.

-Rom 12:11 ESV

BE ZEALOUS

Paul is urging us to be ‘outdoing one another’ in our attempts to give honor to each other [v.10]. And apparently, he is urging us to live with zeal or enthusiasm, that is, to remain focused, intentional, and positive about our purpose in treating each other well in the body of Christ.

We must keep our spiritual fervor. It comes from the Greek word here is ‘zeontes’ related to the root word for "life.” This phrase could be translated that we must be ‘boiling in our spirit’. This either mean to keep up our own spirits or that we should be set on fire by God's Spirit in us. In either case, there must not be slackness but give our best shots.

What is our motivation? We are serving the Lord! We are saved to serve. Otherwise, He should have taken us into glory. The Lord deserves our all and best. “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”[1Cor 10:31]

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God’s Word for Today

25 Jan 2024

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

-Rom 12:9-10 ESV

LET LOVE BE GENUINE

These verses are quick commands about how Christians should conduct their everyday lives. It’s  a fundamental attitude that we should love each other. But, Paul's instruction is that our love must be genuine or sincere. In other words, Christians are not to show a fake attitude of love for each other. He has to find ways to express God's love meaningfully, as an extension of God's love for us and ours for Him.

Negatively, we believers, too, are called to hate what is evil, meaning sin. This is especially true of sin that brings harm to the innocent. This is one of the results if we are transformed to think like God (Rom 12:2). Hating evil, especially the sins that intrigue us, does not always naturally. The word ‘hate’ often translated is from the Greek term apostygountes, which implies a dislike or revulsion towards something. It’s directed to sin not people.

Positively, we are to hold fast to, or cling to, what is good. What is good is that which the Lord refers as good. Hence, we must learn to see the world through God's perspective, in order to discern and keep  that which is truly "good." 

As a family, we ought to show love as a kind of devotion to a sibling. We must love each other with a brotherly affection. God adopts us as His children, welcoming us into His family. And this family includes everyone who knows God as Father.

Paul moves on, encouraging us to ‘compete’ in a good sense. We're told to outdo one another in showing honor to each other. We should be motivated to continue asking ourselves, "How can I show more honor than he showed to me?" Such selflessness is possible only when the Spirit is in control.

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God’s Word for Today

24 Jan 2024

6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

-Rom 12:6-8 ESV

USE YOUR SPIRITUAL GIFTS

The church is Christ's body on earth. She is to function in the world as a single entity. This does not mean, however, that God designs for each member to be exactly the same. The relationship is neither mechanical nor robotic. 

Each one is to to function, in service to each other, in the power of God. Paul describes our differing functions in the body  as "spiritual gifts." These gifts are given to each believer through the Holy Spirit to use in our specific service in the church. We describe each of these gifts as the supernatural ability to perform or fulfill a specific function that our fellow members in the church truly need. These are differentiated from natural talents.

God intends for us not just to have these gifts of grace to make us unique but to actually use them. Paul begins with the gift of prophecy should use it in proportion with their faith. In other words, proclaiming a prophecy from God to the other members of the church is an action that requires faith that the message has been given by God. 

Next is the gift of serving. This gift of service, sometimes called "helps," is the ability to step in and meet the practical needs of individuals or the church as a whole.

The gift of teaching is believed by most as a primary role in the church. It is the supernatural ability, to make clear to a diverse group of hearers what God's Word declares. The early church relied heavily on Spirit-gifted teachers to help them understand the truth,  like today.

The gift of exhortation is another gift which the Spirit-enabled ability to build someone up by challenging another to be strong and do better.

Another gift is giving. It is the ability to see the financial need and to step in to help meet that need. As Paul writes here, it requires generosity. Giving generously does not require that someone be wealthy, does it? Many Christians with very limited resources are ones of the most generous in the church as they are led by the Holy Spirit to exercise this gift.

Leadership is another gift. Sometimes this is called the gift of administration. This is the supernatural ability to call others to follow in the best direction for the everyone. Paul urges for them to use it with zeal or enthusiasm. Spirit-gifted leaders help to set the energy level for the entire group.

Last in the list is mercy. It reflects the mercy God has shown to us. It involves ministering to the hurting and less fortunate. In either case, Paul urges this gift to be exercised with genuine cheerfulness.

What is your spiritual gift? Have you used for the edification of the body of Christ?

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Text: Romans 12:3-5 (ESV)

3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

THINK WITH SOBER JUDGEMENT

Instead of thinking highly about yourself, think with sober judgment. We must cultivate "sober judgment," or an objective eye. We need to be honest with ourselves and see objectively what we're good at and what we're not. That is, it is looking by faith at our giftedness. Hence, it is not thinking of ourselves as worthless or terrible.

Why we’re more drawn to think highly of ourselves? Our flesh is weak. It will always prompt and appeal to see that which is sensual – lust of the eyes, flesh, and pride of life. This tension must be always addressed by the transformation of our minds through obedience to the scriptures by the Spirit.[Gal 5:16]

Christianity is not an individualistic religion but a collective one. We are one body with many members, and the members do not all have the same function. Every Christian is uniquely designed by God to think beyond himself so that everyone should think about how to serve others. He should be having an ‘other orientedness’ thinking. It is hard to serve others if we are thinking most of the time about ourselves, isn’t it?

Like a human body with different members, so is the church. And each members have different functions to complement one another not to compete with one another. Though many, we are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. One disfunctioned member can affect the rest in one degree or another. This dynamic is captivated in this poem,

“For want of a nail, the shoe was lost.

For want of a shoe, the horse was lost.

For want of a horse, the rider was lost.

For want of a rider, the battle was lost.

For want of a battle, the kingdom was lost,

And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.”

Everyone, including the little member, has a significant role in the body of Christ. Hence, each one must not think highly of himself but think soberly – what is his strength and giftedness and where he could serve to advance the cause of the gospel of Christ.

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