Most religions have a common theme: sacrifice yourself for your god and your god will reward you. But true followers of Jesus do not think like that because it is not true to the Bible. Yes, we certainly understand that God does not want us to live for ourselves, and that sacrifice is an essential part of our discipleship ...
J B Phillips translated this verse, "Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God remould your minds from within so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God fo
Arrogance is welded into our sinful human nature. Although there is a rightful pride in using our gifts well and wisely as gifts from God (the joy of being 'fit for purpose' - Galatians 6:4), comparative pride is wicked. That error starts with a false estimate of ourselves. Usually we think that we are better than others, but some people have an inverted pride and insist that they are worse than everybody else to gain attention: both are expressions of self-centred pride.
Individualism is encouraged in many educational systems – learning to be the best, gaining money and status. And many have benefitted from that highly focussed approach. But spiritually, it is not how God’s kingdom works. Yes, we are all made as individuals in the image of God, uniquely precious to Him. Yes, every believer has special abilities and God gives spiritual gifts to every believer, enabling them to fulfil the purpose for which God has called them into His kingdom.
The ‘church’ is not a building. It is the word used for all the people who belong to God because they have put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The ‘Church Triumphant’ is already with Christ; the ‘Church Militant’ is made up of every believer on earth. The ‘Local Church’ is the gathering of believers who live and work near to each other (Romans 16:1-5). Each believer has been given gifts by the Holy Spirit.
Western culture portrays love as a feeling. It is served up to screens world-wide as a complex emotion, an irrational driving force which redefines right and wrong.
Starting is easy but keeping going right up to the finish is much more difficult. Perseverance is a choice: convinced that it was right to start, and knowing it is right to complete the course, we choose to press on despite tiredness, weakness and hardship (James 1:2-4). The expression 'keep your ... fervour' translates the Greek word which means 'to boil with heat and keep hot'. In English we use the expression someone has 'gone off the boil' when their early enthusiasm has disappeared, and they are no longer putting much energy into what they started.
Non-Western people are generally much better at offering hospitality generously. It is part of their cultures to welcome strangers (Hebrews 13:2). Yet the church in Rome was caught between ancient traditions of hospitality and the aggressive self-seeking, self-serving mentality of the metropolis. The Jewish background believers were also reluctant to share a meal with Gentiles (Acts 10:28). With so many people passing through the capital of the Empire, it was important that believers were treated as "family", irrespective of their ethnic and cultural background.
It is easy to like people who like us, and respect people who respect us. It is the natural way society works. It is also natural to hate those who hate us and curse those who are against us. But Jesus was not like that! Paul was teaching Christians in the high profile, high pressure, city of Rome to live a radically new life - like that of Jesus (Romans 12:1). In that way, they would demonstrate the in-grafted nature of Jesus Christ as they interacted with the people they lived and worked among. The context of the first half of Romans 12 was how to live
Genuine relationships share at a deep level. They are not a forum for people to get as much out of each other as they can - that sort of behaviour breeds distrust and separation. City life is full of superficiality and Paul's plea to the believers in Rome was counter cultural (Romans 12:1-2). Within the church especially, it matters that people share together. Those who rejoice need others to rejoice with them about the Lord's goodness. And those who grieve need compassionate empathetic souls to share their grief.
