Christian, you will spend eternity with people with whom you have nothing in common except faith in Jesus. We are so prone to separate ourselves from people the Lord has bound us to forever. This must grieve the heart of God! To divide over non-essential matters and use those to judge one another is not right. Paul helps us understand how Christians with conflicting personal convictions can live in harmony. We should strive to that end! We should welcome our brother with whom we disagree if for no other reason than God has welcomed him!

Romans 14:1-14

#conect4QC #Foundation #Romans #JudgingOthers #PersonalConvictions #Non-essentials

What does it mean to put on the armor of God? I’m concerned a lot of Christians say they put it on, but have no idea what that actually means and it becomes just another Christian cliché. In this week’s passage Paul tells us to “put on the Lord Jesus Christ,” which interprets what he said in a previous verse to “put on the armor of light.” Armor of light, full spiritual armor of God, the Lord Jesus Christ seem to be synonymous; but what does it mean to put it on? Check out this week’s sermon!

Romans 13:13-14

#connect4QC #Romans #Foundation #SpiritualBattle #SpiritualArmor #PutOnTheLordJesusChrist

Every soldier is issued basic protective gear when they enlist. While it’s necessary, it’s not always appreciated. It’s bulky, uncomfortable, and heavy. There’s nothing worse than the protective mask, or gas mask. Soldiers hate to wear them. That’s why the Army sends every soldier through the gas chamber. It demonstrates the effectiveness of the protective mask and builds the soldier’s confidence in it. Its one thing to tell them their protective mask is effective and another for them to experience it themselves.

In a similar way, Jesus gives every Christian spiritual armor. Is there anything that helps us experience its effectiveness? I see three things that I believe help us understand that the “armor of light” is effective in the spiritual battle.

The worst thing a soldier can do while on patrol is fall asleep on the perimeter of a patrol base. He has one job: be a watchman for the rest of the unit and warn them of enemy attack. To fall asleep on the perimeter invites devastation to the unit. In this text, Paul issues a wake-up call to sleepy soldiers. Are you spiritually asleep? Wake up!

Romans 13:11-12

#Foundation #Romans #Soldiers #StayAlert #StayAlive #WakeUp

Watch this sermon online here:

https://wildwoodchurch.com/messages/wake-up-sleepy-soldiers/

What is love? What is loving? Ask 10 people and you might get 10 different definitions. The Bible tells us love is the fulfilling of the Law because love does not wrong to a neighbor. Whatever we may think love is, if it doesn’t pass that test, it’s not love.

Romans 13:8-10

#connect4QC #Foundations #Romans #Love #LoveDoesNoWrong

Christians belong first and foremost to God and to Christ. We are called to advance His Kingdom and pursue His righteousness. One of the ways we do this is by voting according to biblical principles. We are called to submit to governing authorities with humble hearts, but a Christian cannot in good faith vote for those whose policies advocate for what the Lord calls evil and encroach upon what the Lord calls good. Steward your vote in faithfulness!

Romans 13:1-7

#connect4QC #Romans #Foundation #Election #Vote #biblicalprinciples

Around the time Paul wrote Romans, the Roman Emporer was tossing around the idea of eradicating a certain tax that Roman citizens had to pay. In the end, he decided not to. This created quite a stir and became a political hot-button. Paul wasn't afraid to address the political issue from a biblical worldview. We shouldn't be either!

Romans 13:1-7, pt. 3

#connect4QC #Romans #Taxes #Government #Politics

Governing authorities is one of the things God has given to the world as a gift of common grace. Paul calls governing authorities and sword-bearers “servants” and “ministers” of God. No doubt few who fill this role recognize their status, but they will all answer to Him for it. Christians are called to be subject to them because they fulfill an important role of maintaining law and order in the world. Are there limits? Of course, but a general rule, Christians should grateful and willfully submit themselves to the authorities placed over them.

#connect4QC #Romans #Government #Authorities #Police #Military #Swordbearers #Law #Justice

How Christians relate to the state is not secondary to the gospel. As Paul makes clear in Romans 13, our relation to the governing authorities is part of our response to the glorious gospel Paul laid out in chapters 1-11. It is part of how we express genuine love for the Lord. It is part of laying our lives down as living sacrifices, holy and acceptable to Him. But how should Christians relate to the state? Paul gives us clear instruction in today’s passage.

Did you know that every true believer is a brother or sister in Christ? This is how we will spend eternity together in heaven. All other distinctions will dissipate as we’re united together in the kingdom of God. And what will bind us together forever in Heaven binds us together on earth – the glory of Christ. Every born-again believer has beheld the glory of Christ here on earth by faith and we will behold it together by sight in Heaven. It is our blessed privilege, then, to not only behold His glory, but to reveal it the lost world by proclaiming the His Gospel.

#connect4QC #GloryofChrist #Church #Fellowshipofbelievers