The Apostle Paul famously declared in Galatians 5:1, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free!”  How should we use our freedom in Christ?  We are tempted to use it as an excuse to indulge ourselves, treating God’s gifts as if we were entitled to them.  Instead, we have been freed in order to love God and to love our neighbor.  How can we use God’s gifts as a way to bless others?

The world is not enough.  Yes, that is the title of a bad Bond movie (Pierce Brosnan as 007?), but it is also the reason why we keep coming up short in our relationships.  We quarrel and fight because we can’t get enough of what we want.  But what if we are just looking in the wrong place?  What if what we really want isn’t on earth, but in heaven?  Heaven has more than enough.

If we are self-aware, if we pay attention to the thoughts in our head and the attitudes in our heart, we will likely be shocked by what we think and feel.  We are unceasing critics and self-appointed judges.  We size people up and measure their worth as soon as we encounter them.  And, of course, we often come to a conclusion that flatters us and is unfavorable toward them.  This the way of the world.  But the Gospel teaches us to think otherwise, about ourselves and about others.

Time seems to speed up as we get older.  Remember when a year felt like forever?  Remember when birthdays felt far apart?  Two thousand years have passed since Jesus tabernacled among us, which seems like a very long time.  But what if time worked on a cosmic scale the same way it works for us personally.  When the Lord returns, will the aged earth look back and wonder, “Where did all the time go?”  “The night is far gone; the day is at hand” (Romans 13:12).

Our world has a warped understanding of love.  Boil it down, and you see it for what it is: “I love you because you make me feel good.”  Kinda selfish, right?  How does God define love?  “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13).  Love is intrinsically about the other.  How well do you love?

Last week we were called to love those who are tough to love—even our enemies.  God tells us to forego personal vengeance by returning a curse with a blessing.  But what about justice?  God reassures us that He has instituted the governing authorities to bear the sword, to avenge the wrong.  Government is a gift, but oftentimes the gift becomes burdensome.  Various laws and taxes seem unnecessary.  Nonetheless, God still calls us to show submission, respect, and honor for those who govern, despite their failings, for the sake of the true King they represent.

The Bible is a radical book.  St. Paul only needed eight verses at the end of Romans 12 to show us just how counter-cultural is the calling of the Christian.  He tells us to love the stranger, to love the lowly, and even to love our enemy.  Who does that?  Our culture tells us that strangers aren’t safe, the lowly are beneath us, and to get even with our enemies.  Paul’s ethic reflects the heart of the Gospel.  Where would we be if Jesus hadn’t loved us when we were lowly strangers and enemies of God?

The Gospel teaches us how to think about ourselves and how to think about others, especially our brothers and sisters in the church.  We all have value and usefulness, and we are called to love one another in hands-on, practical ways that bless the Body of Christ.  In addition, the Gospel teaches us that everyone has value and dignity, that life is sacred.  Does the Gospel inform your view of the unborn, the elderly, and the handicapped?

After a spending the last few months of 2016studying stewardship and celebrating Advent, we are now returning to Romans.  This is good timing too, because Romans 12 is where Paul turns from what the Gospel is to what the Gospel does.  The Gospel transforms us.  And no new year rolls in without people thinking about changes, resolutions, and even transformations they would like to see happen in the new year.  What transformation do you want to happen in you?

It is hard to believe but 2016 is no more. For some of you this is a sad parting. It has been a good year and you don’t want to see it go. Also, you are not sure about what lies ahead. For others, all you can say is good riddance. You are glad this year is over and you are hoping 2017 will be much better. As we take our first steps into this new year, let us remember that no matter what has happened in our past, there is a glorious future in front of us. We will not know and experience this future in its fullness yet, but we can be confident that it is coming. God is faithful! Jesus will return! And that makes all the difference (even for today!).