sacrifice

The God-Ordained Mission of Submission

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22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. – Ephesians 5:22-24 ESV

In verse 21, Paul called the Ephesians to “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21 NLT). This admonition was stated in the context of doing God’s will and living in a way that pleases Him. But to many contemporary Christians, submission is a four-letter word that conjures up images of slave-like subjugation and subservience. Verses 23-24 strike fear into the hearts of many pastors and cause them to avoid them like the plague. If they preach these verses at all, they present them as a culturally driven anomaly with little or no application for modern-day believers.

Many view this passage as old-fashioned, a throwback to some cultural context that has no bearing on our more sophisticated modern milieu. They conclude that Paul was writing to a people trapped in an antiquated social structure that no longer applies. Either that, or he was just misogynistic and trying to keep women in their “proper” place.

But what most of us fail to realize is that submission is a non-negotiable requirement of every believer in Christ. These two verses, like so many others in Scripture, are typically lifted from their context and treated in isolation. But Paul has been talking about how believers are to live their lives, calling them to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called” (Ephesians 4:1 ESV). He repeats that thought in Chapter 5.

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. – Ephesians 5:15-16 ESV

The New Living Translation translates verse 15 as “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise.” Paul was calling the Ephesian believers to live differently from their unsaved neighbors. Their behavior was to set them apart as children of God. They were to walk in love, as children of light, exhibiting the wisdom of God, not the foolishness of the world.

The verses that often get overlooked when dealing with this passage are located right before it. In them, Paul gives an admonition to every believer, male or female.

…be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. – Ephesians 5:18-21 ESV

Submission is expected of every follower of Christ. A lifestyle of submission is one of humility and honor, not subservience and servitude. When done properly, it reveres Christ by modeling the very lifestyle He lived. Jesus Himself described His mission in terms of submission and a servant-like attitude.

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Matthew 20:28 NLT

The apostle Paul told the believers in Corinth to imitate Christ’s example.

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. – Philippians 2:5-7 NLT

This has nothing to do with Jesus’ rights. As the Son of God, He was divine and all-powerful. He created the world and all those who lived in it. Yet He was willing to submit to His Father’s will and set aside His divine privileges and prerogatives in order to serve mankind by sacrificing His life.

In the upper room, on the night that Jesus was to be betrayed and arrested, He washed His disciples’ feet. Setting aside His robe, He wrapped Himself in a towel and did what none of the others would have dared to do. As He knelt before them, performing the role of a lowly servant, Jesus told His disciples, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand” (John 13:7 ESV).

When He finished, Jesus said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them” (John 13:12-17 ESV).

Jesus’ act of submission was meant to be a living lesson for the disciples about what their lives would be like in the days to come. He was calling them to a life of service and sacrifice, where their wills would take a back seat to God’s. He expected them to submit to one another out of reverence for God and love for one another. Titles were not to stand in the way. Rights were to be set aside. Status was to be ignored. Submission was to become a key characteristic of their lives. And what the disciples did not yet understand was that Jesus’ demonstration of foot-washing was simply a foreshadowing of His ultimate act of service on the cross.

When James and John, two of Jesus’ disciples, came to Him and arrogantly asked for positions of prominence in His coming Kingdom, the rest of the disciples became angry and jealous. Jesus denied their request by presenting them with a radically different expectation for their futures.

“You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” – Mark 10:42-45 ESV

Among you, it will be different. In His Kingdom, sovereignty would be marked by slavery, and honor would be achieved through humility.

So what does all this have to do with wives submitting to their husbands? In this chapter, Paul will use a number of earthly relationships to illustrate Christian submission. He will talk about husbands and wives, children and parents, and slaves and masters. As believers, we do not operate in a vacuum. We are not independent agents, acting on our own and focused solely on our individual walk with God. We live in a communal context. Wives have husbands, and it is in that context that they are to practice submission.

Notice that Paul says, “Wives, submit to your own husbands;” he does NOT say that all women are to submit to ALL men. Paul’s discussion of submission has nothing to do with the value or significance of women in general; it has everything to do with the context of marriage. What more difficult place to practice submission than in a marriage?

Just as the disciples would never have lowered themselves to wash the feet of one another, wives will find it difficult to submit to their husbands, especially if their husbands fail to love as Paul commands. Yet submission is non-optional and is a willing coming under the other, recognizing them as more important than yourself. This is what Paul told the believers in Philippi.

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. – Philippians 2:3-4 ESV

A wife’s submission is NOT an admission of her husband’s superiority, but a recognition of God’s divine order. He has made the husband the head of the household, not because He is smarter, more spiritual, or even better equipped to lead, but so that there might be order in the home. God holds the husband responsible, just as He held Adam to a higher standard than Eve when it came to their mutual sin against Him.

Submission is essential to every relationship in which we find ourselves as Christians, and it is one of the hardest things for us to do. We long to be first and tend to view ourselves as better than others. We long to be in control, but when we submit to others, we are really submitting to God. We are coming under His divine authority and recognizing His righteous order for His creation.

At the end of the day, submission is about trusting God. It involves the realization that He is in control and has authority over the husband. A believing wife must submit to her husband “as to the Lord,” trusting God to lead him and protect her. But the temptation will be to step in and take over, especially when the husband fails to lead and love well. But when the wife attempts to take over, she is actually stepping outside God’s ordained plan. Submission will not always make sense and will not always appear to work. It may even be uncomfortable at times. But even Jesus humbled Himself to the point of death, offering Himself as a ransom for many. Submission is not a dirty word; it is the God-ordained way of life for every believer.

Father, subnission is difficult for all of us. We inherently want to be in charge and dislike playing second fiddle to anyone. We even find it hard to submit to those we love and respect. But, ultimately, we are not submitting to another person, we are submitting to You. That is why Paul makes it clear that wives are to submit “as to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:22 ESV). Our submission is to be focused on Your will, trusting that You know what is best for us. As Paul told the Colossians, we are to work willingly at whatever we do, as though we are working for the Lord rather than for people (Colossians 3:23) Submission is countercultural and, oftentimes, counterintuitive. As the Son of God and Creator of the universe, Your Son had every right to demand the submission and subjugation of humanity. But “though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:6-8 ESV). And You have called us to follow His example and live out that same sacrificial, selfless lifestyle in all our relationships. With the Spirit’s help, we can do it, and when we do it, we imitate Christ and glorify You. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Power of One

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1 I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, 3 eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. – Ephesians 4:1-6 ESV

At one time, God’s divine plan to establish the church as the household of faith was shrouded in mystery, but now that it had been revealed and begun to spread throughout the world, Paul was on a mission to ensure it lived up to its calling. As he continues his letter to the believers in Ephesus, he charges them to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which they had been called.

As part of the ever-expanding church, they were expected to conduct themselves in accordance with the plan God had laid out for them. But when Paul mentions their “walk,” he is talking about a lifestyle, not physical fitness. The NET Bible translates the first two verses as, “I, therefore, the prisoner for the Lord, urge you to live worthily of the calling with which you have been called.” The calling each believer has received is the same; it is the calling of the Holy Spirit that allowed those who were formerly dead in their sins and blind to the reality of the gospel to hear and respond to the offer of salvation made possible through Jesus Christ.

Jesus quite boldly and matter-of-factly claimed, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:44 ESV). The Greek word John used is ἕλκω (helkō) and it means, “to draw by inward power, lead, impel” (“G1670 – helkō – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (KJV).” Blue Letter Bible). It was God who had made it possible for those Jews and Gentiles in Paul’s audience to come to faith in Christ. He is the one who called, impelled, and drew them. It was He who placed them in the body of Christ. Now Paul wanted them to live up to that calling. In other words, he expected them to reflect their new nature and standing.

And Paul gets quite specific. He lists out humility, gentleness, patience, and love as four visible characteristics of those who have been called and set apart by God. Each of the four is other-oriented and takes into account those with whom we live within the body of Christ. Each requires a high degree of selflessness. Paul told the “called ones” in Philippi, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too” (Philippians 2:3-4 NLT). Then he added: “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had” (Philippians 2:5 NLT).

What was the attitude or mindset of Jesus? First, He was humble and willing to leave behind the glory of heaven and take on human flesh to provide redemption for mankind. Secondly, he had the mindset of a servant. Though He was the Son of God and worthy of honor, He put aside His royal prerogatives and lived among humanity so that He could serve those in bondage to sin and death. Third, He demonstrated patience as He willingly endured ridicule, rejection, taunts, false accusations, and, ultimately, death at the hands of those He came to save. He could have destroyed them, but instead, He died for them. Finally, Jesus exhibited unconditional love even for those who rejected Him. As Paul will point out in the very next chapter of this letter, we are to emulate Christ’s example by living “a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God” (Ephesians 5:2 NLT).

Paul wanted his readers to be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3 ESV). There is a oneness and unity within the church, unlike anything else in the world. We have all been called by God, and none of us deserved that calling. We were all in the same place before God graciously drew us to Himself. We were lost and dead in our trespasses and sins. We were spiritually blind and separated from God. We were hopeless and totally helpless to do anything about it. Yet God called and placed us within the body of Christ. He unified us despite our differences, giving us a common bond and a shared responsibility to live up to our new status as His children and heirs.

For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus. And all who have been united with Christ in baptism have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes. There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. – Galatians 6:26-28 NLT

Paul told the Colossian believers that he constantly prayed for them, asking God to give them complete knowledge of His will and spiritual wisdom and understanding. As a result of receiving those things, Paul said, “the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better” (Colossians 1:9-10 NLT).

The way they lived their lives would honor and glorify God, and that was Paul’s desire for the believers in Ephesus as well.

In verses 4-6, Paul uses the word “one” seven different times. His repetitive use of this word was to drive home a point. Those believers to whom he was writing all had one thing in common: their calling by God. But that calling was multifaceted. They were all called by one and the same Spirit of God. They were all placed in one body: the body of Christ. They were all called to the very same hope: their future glorification and the promise of eternal life. They all worshiped one Lord, as a result of one factor: faith. They had all experienced the unity of baptism. And all of it had been made possible by the one God and Father of all.

One God, one calling, one hope, one Lord, one church, and one response: To lead a life worthy of your calling.

Father, on the night He was about to be betrayed by one of His own disciples, Jesus uttered these sobering words: “I pray that they will all be one, just as you and I are one—as you are in me, Father, and I am in you” (John 17:21 NLT). As He faced the reality of His pending death, He lovingly asked that You would unify all those who You were going to draw to Yourself. He knew His death was necessary and He was willing sacrifice His life so that sinful humanity might be redeemed and restored. He was alluding to His death when He said, “unless a kernel of wheat is planted in the soil and dies, it remains alone. But its death will produce many new kernels—a plentiful harvest of new lives” (John 12:24 NLT). Our unification with You and with one another was made possible by His willing sacrifice of His own life. Speaking of His own crucifixion, Jesus said, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32 NLT). This was all Your plan and it was the only way that we could enjoy a restored relationship with You and the one-of-a-kind experiencing the harmony and diversity of the church. But even the unity of the church is impossible to maintain without the unifying power of Your Spirit. So, pour out Your Spirit in abundance, so that we might walk “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:2-3 NLT). Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Mystery Made Known

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7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of his power. 8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things, 10 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. 13 So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory. – Ephesians 3:7-13 ESV

Paul saw his role as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ as a gift of grace. He had no right to be the bearer of the good news to the Gentiles. In fact, Paul saw himself as the very least of all the saints. As a fallen human being, he was morally unqualified to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ, but God had mercifully showered him with His grace, transforming him into a worthy messenger of the glorious gospel. And Paul took his role seriously, willingly enduring rejection, ridicule, and even physical abuse in order to fulfill his God-given mission.

Even as he wrote this letter, he was under house arrest in Rome. But imprisonment would not stop Paul from preaching the unsearchable riches of Christ. Until he began taking the message of salvation through faith in Christ to the Gentiles, it had remained hidden from them. They had been incapable of understanding or accessing the incredible offer of God’s grace made available to them through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. But Paul spent his life making sure they heard the good news and were given the chance to know the joy of being made right with God through faith in Jesus as their Savior.

One of Paul’s greatest joys was unveiling the mystery of the church, God’s wonderful plan to make the Gentiles “fellow heirs, members of the same body and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (Ephesians 3:6 ESV). When we read the New Testament, it is tempting to view the world as divided into two groups: Jews and Gentiles, and it is easy to mistake the word “Gentile” as referring to a particular people group. But that word was an all-encompassing label for anyone who was not a Jew. It included Greeks, Parthians, Medes, Elamites, Phrygians, Egyptians, and Romans.

Paul was an equal-opportunity evangelist who shared the gospel with everyone. And as those individuals placed their faith in Christ, they became part of “the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things” (Ephesians 3:9 ESV), the church. And Paul said that God was using the church “to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 3:10 NLT). That word, “manifold,” is the Greek word, πολυποίκιλος (polypoikilos), which literally means “much variegated, marked with a great variety of colors” (“G4182 – polypoikilos – Strong’s Greek Lexicon (KJV).” Blue Letter Bible).

The church’s ethnically diverse makeup reveals the wisdom of God. The concept of a racially and socio-economically integrated gathering of people from all walks of life was not something men would have come up with because it made no sense. The blending of people from different cultural backgrounds and social standings into a single homogeneous group was unheard of.

The degree of equality and equanimity made possible in this mysterious thing called the church was a societal anomaly.  Even the angels and demons are perplexed by the unexpected success of God’s plan to bring unity out of diversity through this mystery called the church. The unifying nature of God’s redemptive work through Christ is like nothing else in the world; no other organization, effort, or man-made institution has the capacity to draw people together in love as the church does. And that is why Satan spends so much time trying to destroy the unity within the church; he wants to divide and conquer from within. So he brings in false teaching and harmful doctrines that create schisms and divide congregations. He promotes pride, while God calls us to live in humility and selflessness. The enemy wants us to recognize our differences, while God desires that we celebrate our oneness in Christ. Satan wants us to dwell on our individuality, while God calls us to live in unity.

“The church as a multi-racial, multi-cultural community is like a beautiful tapestry. Its members come from a wide range of colourful backgrounds. No other human community resembles it. Its diversity and harmony are unique” – John R. W. Stott, The Message of Ephesians

“. . . the church is to be an audio-visual display of God’s reconciling work. In this primary way she testifies to God’s grace and wisdom. So Paul encouraged living life in Christ in such a way that reconciliation is the dominant feature of church life.” – Darrell L. Bock, A Theology of Paul’s Prison Epistles

The church is an amazing, divinely-ordained and Spirit-empowered entity that reveals to the world God’s incredible wisdom and the life-transforming power of the gospel. King David wrote, “How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!” (Psalm 133:1 NLT), and that maxim is lived out most effectively in the church.

A common faith in Jesus Christ and the presence of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit give members in the body of Christ a bond that is unlike anything the world has ever seen. This was God’s “eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ephesians 3:11 NLT). The church should be an unstoppable force in the world today, illustrating the power and wisdom of God. We should model God’s love and exude His grace and mercy to the world. We should demonstrate the unity of God as we live together in harmony, sacrificing our individual needs for one another’s sake.

When Peter confessed to Jesus, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16 NLT), Jesus responded, “Upon this rock [Peter’s confession] I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it” (Matthew 16:18 NLT). As men and women from all walks of life and from every nation on earth confess Jesus as Lord, God builds them into the most powerful force in the universe: His church, and nothing can stand against it.

Father, the church is far from perfect because it is made up of people just like me. Though redeemed and forgiven, we are all still sin-prone and pride-filled. Selfishness and a desire for autonomy tend to trump Your call for selflessness and sacrifice. But Your Spirit continues to convict and encourage obedience to Your will instead of our own. As we listen to the Spirit’s promptings, He empowers us to live in unity despite our diversity and obsession with individuality. When I consider Paul’s question, “Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16 NLT), I am reminded that salvation is not a solo sport, it is a team endeavor in which You have chosen the players and equiped them with the spiritual skills they need to accomplish Your divine game plan. We are in this together, it is only as we work together in love and unity that we display Your manifold wisdom to the world. As David said, “How wonderful and pleasant it is when brothers live together in harmony!” (Psalm 133:1 NLT). Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Diversity. Unity. Fidelity.

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1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae, 2 that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints, and help her in whatever she may need from you, for she has been a patron of many and of myself as well.

3 Greet Prisca and Aquila, my fellow workers in Christ Jesus, 4 who risked their necks for my life, to whom not only I give thanks but all the churches of the Gentiles give thanks as well. 5 Greet also the church in their house. Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who was the first convert to Christ in Asia. 6 Greet Mary, who has worked hard for you. 7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners. They are well known to the apostles, and they were in Christ before me. 8 Greet Ampliatus, my beloved in the Lord. 9 Greet Urbanus, our fellow worker in Christ, and my beloved Stachys. 10 Greet Apelles, who is approved in Christ. Greet those who belong to the family of Aristobulus. 11 Greet my kinsman Herodion. Greet those in the Lord who belong to the family of Narcissus. 12 Greet those workers in the Lord, Tryphaena and Tryphosa. Greet the beloved Persis, who has worked hard in the Lord. 13 Greet Rufus, chosen in the Lord; also his mother, who has been a mother to me as well. 14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brothers who are with them. 15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them. 16 Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you. – Romans 16:1-16 ESV

Phoebe, Prisca, Aquila, Epaenetus, Mary, Andronicus, Ampliatus, Urbanus, Stachys, Apelles, Aristobulus, Herodian, Tryphaena, Tryphosa, Rufus, Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, Phililogus, Julia, Nereus, and Olympas. That’s quite a list. Paul took the time to include the hard-to-pronounce names of 24 people to whom he wished to express his personal greetings.

Since Paul had never been to Rome, it is unclear how he knew some of these individuals. In a few of the cases, Paul had met them before. Phoebe, the woman to whom he sent his letter, was an active member of the church in Cenchreae, a port city of Corinth. She was most likely a Gentile and had been a patron to many in the church. Evidently, she was from the wealthier upper class, but had used her resources to assist others in the church in Corinth. Paul had also enjoyed a prior relationship with the husband-and-wife team of Prisca and Aquila; they had worked alongside him in his missionary journeys.

After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. And he went to see them, and because he was of the same trade he stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. – Acts 18:1-3 ESV

This couple, who had been forced to leave Italy because of an edict of the emperor Claudius, had risked their lives for Paul and made an impact on the Gentile churches. They were now back in Rome and continuing their efforts to grow the church and spread the gospel throughout the city.

Most of the people on Paul’s list remain unknown to us, but they provide a glimpse into the makeup of the local churches in Rome. It is interesting to note that verse 1 of Romans 16 is the first time in his letter that Paul uses the word “church.” The Greek word ekklēsia was used in reference to any gathering, congregation, or assembly. It literally means “called out” and was used to refer to any group called out for a meeting for deliberation. It was the perfect designation for the people of God, those who had chosen to follow Christ as their Savior. They had been called out by God and were to remain in the world, but not be of the world.

In the prayer Jesus prayed in the garden on the night of His betrayal, He emphasized the called out nature of His followers.

“They do not belong to this world any more than I do.” – John 17:16 NLT

“And the world hates them because they do not belong to the world, just as I do not belong to the world.” – John 16:14 NLT

Paul’s list contains the names of those who had been called out by God to be a part of His universal church. They were people of all walks of life. There were Romans and Greeks, freedmen and slaves, the wealthy and the poor, the influential and the insignificant. There were men and women, young and old, the educated and the illiterate. All had been placed into local congregations by the grace of God and because of their faith in Jesus Christ, His Son.

As Paul so painstakingly explained in his letter, there was no reason for anyone in the body of Christ to boast; at one time, they had all been equally guilty and worthy of God’s condemnation. None had earned favor with God because of their own self-manufactured righteousness. There was no one whose wealth or social influence had earned them brownie points with God. Every one of them had received their justification before God the same way, by placing their faith in the righteousness of Christ; none had been more righteous than another. Their sinfulness was equally condemning in God’s holy eyes, but He had extended His grace and mercy. Paul made this point earlier in his letter.

We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God freely and graciously declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. – Romans 3:22-24 NLT

Every individual Paul lists was dear to him. Each had a unique name and personality and had come to faith in Christ in their own way. They brought different talents and spiritual gifts to the body of Christ and had their own individual role to play within their local congregations. But at the end of the day, they were one. They shared a common faith in a common Savior and shared a common bond with every other believer.

Paul sent greetings to them from all the churches of Christ, so they would know they were not alone. They were part of a much larger family made up of individuals who bore different names but shared their belief in the risen Christ.

We are the called-out ones. We live in the midst of a world that hates us because we share a common love for Christ. We don’t belong here; we are aliens and strangers living in a land that is no longer our home. But we are brothers and sisters in Christ, compatriots who share a love for the cause of Christ and the Kingdom of God. We are in this together because God has placed us together into the body of Christ. May we learn to look past our diversity and embrace our unity through a growing desire for mutual love and fidelity

Father, while this list can be easily overlooked or dismissed as irrelevant, it provides a much-needed reminder of the diversity of the church. You have called out people from every nation, tribe, and tongue to be part of the body of Christ. We come from different cultures, speak different languages, and reflect the multidimensional nature of humanity. But we have been unified by our common faith in Your Son. As Paul put it, You use the church to display Your wisdom “in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 3:10 NLT). The gospel is color blind and uninfluenced by the cultural criteria that divides humanity. Peter was right when he wrote, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right” (Acts 10:34-35 NLT). You are no respecter of persons. You see everyone as a sinner in need of a Savior. Which is why You sent Your Son to serve as the sinless sacrifice to pay mankind’s debt.. You did that for all, regardless of their perceived righteousness or wretchedness. You knew that all had sinned and fallen short of Your glorious standard. So, You came up with a way for sinners to be saved — whether they were rich, poor, male, female, slave, free, Jew, or Gentile. And You included me in that number and placed me in Your family. And I am so glad You did. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.22

The Debt of Love I Owe

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8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. – Romans 13:8-10 ESV

Paul had just finished encouraging his readers to “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” (Romans 13:7 ESV). He was not alone in his thoughts on this topic. At one point in His earthly ministry, Jesus was approached by some Pharisees and supporters of King Herod who attempted to trick Him into saying something they could use against Him. Hypocritically addressing Him as “Teacher,” they said, “We know how honest you are. You are impartial and don’t play favorites. You teach the way of God truthfully. Now tell us—is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Should we pay them, or shouldn’t we?”(Mark 12:14-15 NLT). 

Jesus saw through their scheme and asked them to show Him a Roman coin. When He asked whose image was on the coin, they responded, “Caesar.” Jesus matter-of-factly told them, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God” (Mark 12:17 NLT). For Jesus, the issue had little to do with money, public policy, governmental authority, or the rule of law; it concerned the Kingdom of God, and God’s Kingdom is not of this world. At his trial before Pilate, Jesus told the Roman governor, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36 NLT).

Paul understood what Jesus meant. That is why he told his readers, “there is no authority except from God” (Romans 13:1 ESV) and “whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed” (Romans 13:2 ESV). For Paul, it all had to do with God’s sovereignty and rule. As believers, we are to be far more concerned about what God would have us do. Unless our earthly, God-appointed authorities are causing us to disobey God, we are to view them as acting on His behalf and show them the honor and respect they deserve as God’s servants.

We are to be debt-free in our submission to earthly authorities. In fact, Paul says we are to owe no one anything except love, and that indebtedness is never paid off. We owe love to everyone because of the priceless gift of love that God showed us. Paul has already reminded his readers, “But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8 ESV). Now he says that when we love others, we are fulfilling the law. His point is that all the commandments prohibiting adultery, murder, stealing, and coveting are fulfilled by love. When we truly love others, the very idea of taking something from them that doesn’t belong to us would never cross our minds. That is why, when Jesus was asked what the greatest commandment was, He pointed out the two commands that call for love.

You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments. – Matthew 22:37-40 NLT

Paul writes, “Love does no wrong to a neighbor” (Romans 13:10 ESV). In other words, the kind of love Jesus was talking about is incapable of harming or taking advantage of someone else. God’s law was designed to manage and legislate man’s relationship with his fellow man and with God. But if we truly love God and love others, the requirements of the law will be fulfilled. If we love God, we will not worship false gods and will honor His name in the way we live our lives. If we love others, we will treat them with dignity and respect, and never consider taking advantage of them for our own pleasure or benefit.

Earlier in his letter, Paul wrote, “For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (Romans 8:3-4 ESV). The Holy Spirit provides us with the power to live according to God’s law, and the key is love. Not only have we experienced the love of God through the gift of His Son, but we also have the power and capacity to love selflessly because of the presence of God’s Spirit within us.

Jesus told His disciples, “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples” (John 13:34-35 NLT). Our love for believers and non-believers alike is an indication of our relationship with Christ and His Spirit’s presence within us. In Paul’s way of thinking, we should worry less about what the government may be taking from us and concern ourselves with what God would require of us: Love.

As Paul pointed out in his first letter to the believers in Corinth, love is a non-negotiable requirement for all Christ followers.

If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing. If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. – 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 NLT

All our religious rhetoric and pious-sounding platitudes become meaningless if they are not accompanied by love. Our outward acts of kindness and mercy lose their effectiveness if they are done without love. Love is the fuel of our faith. John said that love is the greatest demonstration or proof of our faith in and love for God.

If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? – 1 John 4:20 NLT

Paul warned Titus about those who “profess to know God, but…deny him by their works” (Titus 1:16 ESV). He described them as “detestable and disobedient, worthless for doing anything good” (Titus 1:16 NLT). Those kinds of people are loveless and, therefore, worthless. Their works are missing the one thing that God requires: Love. And what makes their loveless lifestyle so glaringly unacceptable is that God didn’t just command us to love, He gave us the power to pull it off. 

We love each other because he loved us first. – 1 John 4:19 NLT 

John clarified that statement earlier in his letter when he wrote, “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters” (1 John 3:16 NLT). We have experienced God’s love, and we have been given the capacity to share that love with others. So, we are without excuse.

Isaac Watts put it well when he wrote the lyrics to the hymn, “Alas, and Did My Savior Bleed.”

But drops of grief can ne’er repay
The debt of love I owe;
Here, Lord, I give myself away,
’Tis all that I can do.

I can never repay God for what He has done for me, but I can love others.

Father, as the old song says, “Love makes the world go round,” but it isn’t sachrine, Hallmark-card kind of love; it is the love You showed by sending Your Son to die for the sins of mankind. While we were sinners, You loved us. When we were unloveable and unworthy of Your affection, You sent Your Son to serve as the sinless sacrifice who paid the debt we owed. He sacrificed His life for us. Now, You call us to love as we have been loved. You command us to model our lives after His by loving others in the same selfless, sacrificial way. And to make it possible, You provided us with the Holy Spirit to convict, encourage, and empower us. Love is not an option; it is a byproduct of the Spirit’s presence and proof that You have poured out Your love into our hearts (Romans 5:5). May we love as we have been loved, so that others might experience the selfless, sacrificial nature of Your Son’s sacrifice on their behalf. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.22

God Made A Way

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7 What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. 9 I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. 10 The very commandment that promised life proved to be death to me. 11 For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. 12 So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. – Romans 7:7-12 ESV

In assessing man’s relationship between the law and sin, Paul strongly emphasized that these two things are not synonymous. He did not want anyone to assume that the law must be somehow sinful because it caused man to sin. He clearly states: “Am I suggesting that the law of God is sinful? Of course not! ” (Romans 7:7 NLT). The law simply reveals man’s sin, just as a speed limit sign exposes a driver who is exceeding the legally enforced, visibly posted limit. The infraction is the responsibility of the individual, not the sign.

Sin cannot be blamed on the law because, as Paul says, “the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good” (Romans 7:12 ESV). God’s law was given to show man his inability to live up to the righteous standards God required. Man’s sin nature was the problem; the law simply exposed it. Paul states that “apart from the law, sin lies dead” (Romans 7:8 ESV). Paul used the Greek word nekros, and while it can refer to actual death or lifelessness, it can also mean “destitute of force or power, inactive, inoperative” (Outlines of Biblical Usage).

Paul was not saying that sin was completely dead and impotent, but that until the law came, it remained dormant.

At one time I lived without understanding the law. But when I learned the command not to covet, for instance, the power of sin came to life, and I died. – Romans 7:9-10 NLT

He was not suggesting that man was sinless before the law came, but that man sinned in ignorance. There were no speed limit signs, so to speak. So men went as fast as they wanted, with no feelings of regret or remorse. But when the law was given, God’s limits became known, and man’s sinful nature was exposed. Using one of the Ten Commandments as an example, Paul states that before learning the command “You shall not covet,” he would not have known that coveting was wrong. His sin nature would have coveted, ignorant of any conviction that he was doing anything wrong.

But when the law was given, it clearly revealed that coveting was against God’s will. Yet, man’s sin nature resisted that command and produced an increased desire to covet. Because of man’s sinful nature, he possesses a predisposition to rebel against the will of God. You can see it in a small child when you tell them not to touch a hot stove. Suddenly, everything in them wants to do exactly what you just told them not to do. Because of the fall, humanity is wired with a relentless attraction to the forbidden. When God says, “You shall not,” we inherently respond, “But we shall!”

God gave the law to show mankind what was required to maintain a right relationship with Him and to experience true life. Because God is righteous and holy, He requires that those who desire to enter His presence be holy. He cannot tolerate sin. Just as light cannot coexist with darkness, neither can God coexist with sin. And Paul explains that God’s good, holy, and righteous law, which promised life to anyone who could keep it, ended up bringing death to mankind. Paul explains why.

Sin took advantage of those commands and deceived me; it used the commands to kill me. – Romans 7:11 NLT

Sin was the problem, not the law. St. Augustine describes man’s predicament this way: “The law orders, that we, after attempting to do what is ordered, and so feeling our weakness under the law, may learn to implore the help of grace” (cited in Institutes of the Christian Religion (Book 2, Chapter 7, Section 9), John Calvin).

Paul said, “had it not been for the law, I would not have known sin” (Romans 7:7 ESV). It is our awareness of our sinfulness as revealed by the law that creates in us a desire for God’s help. But sadly, many just try harder to keep God’s law. Their self-awareness of their guilt simply increases their self-effort. Rather than throwing up their hands and saying, “I can’t”, they stubbornly refuse to ask for help from God and push themselves harder, thinking they can somehow earn His favor. Sadly, there are others who, when convicted by God’s law, refuse to acknowledge its authority over them. Sin, “seizing an opportunity through the commandment” (Romans 7:8 ESV), ultimately produces a growing list of infractions and transgressions. They knowingly and willingly break God’s “speed limit.”

In the next chapter, Paul provides the great news regarding God’s law. He writes, “The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins” (Romans 8:3 NLT).

The law shows us our sin. It also reveals our need for a Savior. And God sent His own Son to do for us what the law was never intended to do. Jesus came to save us and free us from the condemnation of the law. Our righteousness is found in Him, not in our feeble attempts to keep the law. God did for us what the law could not do; He saved us from sin. No amount of behavior modification or rule-keeping would eliminate our love affair with sin. Only the transformation of our hearts could produce the righteousness God demanded. 

The prophet Ezekiel records the promise God made to His covenant people, the Israelites. They had failed to live up to His holy standards and repeatedly violated His law. Yet, God assured them that a day was coming when He would perform a miracle of heart transformation that would not only restore them to a right relationship with Him, but would also enable them to live in perfect obedience to His law.

“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.” – Ezekiel 36:25-27 NLT

That is what God has already accomplished in the life of every Christ-follower. And Paul reassured his young protegé Titus that this heart transformation was a guaranteed reality because of God’s matchless grace.

Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. But—When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of his grace he made us right in his sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life. – Titus 3:3-7 NLT

Father, in Your grace, You provided the people of Israel a clear compendium of Your righteous standards. Your law revealed exactly what they needed to do to live in community with You. But they were incapable of keeping your law. In fact, the more they tried to live in obedience to Your revealed will, the more often they failed. But You were simply trying to expose their helplessness and hopelessness. You never intended the law to save them; it was designed to expose their sinfulness and their need for a Savior. They needed to understand that a sinless life was impossible without Your help. Obedience was unachievable as long as they operated in their own strength and according to their sin-prone wills. So, You sent Your Son as the cure for what ailed them. He became the means by which sinful men could be made righteous in Your eyes. As the author of Hebrews writes, “the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God” (Hebrews 9:14 NLT). You made a way when there was no way. You provided salvation when we couldn’t save ourselves. And we are forever in Your debt. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.22

The Only Righteousness That Matters

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21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. 26 It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. – Romans 3:21-26 ESV

Inevitably, the book of Romans is about how man can be made right with God. The first few chapters build a case for man’s unrighteousness, proving that no man can live up to God’s holy standards because his sin nature prevents him from keeping God’s law. Even those parts he does manage to keep, he does so from the wrong motivation, out of a sense of obedience or obligation, not love. His law-keeping ways are insufficient to earn him any merit with God. His acts of goodness come across to God as worthless because they are tainted with sin. So Paul concludes, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23 ESV). That includes Jews and Gentiles, pagans and the pious, reprobates and the religious, and everyone in between.

But Paul contends that God’s brand of righteousness has been revealed apart from the law. In other words, God revealed His righteousness through the gift of His grace, not as a form of compensation for man’s efforts. In Chapter Four, Paul states, “Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due” (Romans 4:4 ESV). If our righteousness can be earned, then we are simply receiving what we are owed. If it is based on our efforts, then God is somehow obligated to pay us what we rightly deserve.

But Paul clarifies the truth about the gospel and the righteousness that God approves.

…people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners. – Romans 4:5 NLT

In fact, the Scriptures point out that “Abraham believed god, and it was counted to him as righteousness” (Romans 4:3 ESV). The kind of righteousness God is looking for is based on faith, not works; it is God-dependent, not self-dependent.

God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. – Romans 3:24-25 ESV

Man-made righteousness is insufficient; it can’t measure up and falls far short of the goal that God has established. Augustine writes, “The Law was given, in order that we might seek after grace. Grace was given, in order that we might fulfill the Law. It was not the fault of the Law that it was not fulfilled, but the fault was man’s carnal mind. This guilt the Law must make manifest, in order that we may be healed by divine grace” (Augustine, Concerning the Spirit and the Letter).

We are justified through faith by grace. As Paul says, it is a gift, unearned and undeserved. Christ’s death solved our problem. He paid our debt, and redeemed us out of slavery to sin and propitiated or satisfied the holy demands of God. Until Jesus showed up on the scene, God had willingly overlooked (passed over) the sins committed by men.

…he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. – Romans 3:25-26 NLT

This does not mean that He accepted or tolerated their sins. What Paul is inferring is that God restrained Himself from dealing with the sins of men according to His own justice. He put off the inevitable. He delayed His wrath so that He might reveal His righteousness through Christ.

As Paul says, “It was to show His righteousness at the present time” (Romans 3:26 ESV). God knew it was “impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4 ESV). So, the author of Hebrews writes, “when Christ came into the world, he said, ‘Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, “Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book”’” (Hebrews 10:5-7 ESV).

God the Father sent Jesus Christ to do His will and die for the sins of men. The righteousness God demanded of men was only possible through faith in the sacrifice of His Son. The book of Hebrews reminds us that, “by that will [the will for Christ to die] we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10 ESV).

In sending His Son to atone for the sins of men, God remained just. He was able to punish sin in the way that His holy standards required, while at the same time justifying those who, though sinners, placed their faith in His Son’s saving work. God provided the righteousness man needed. It was a gift, unearned, undeserved, and unmerited in any way. And this free gift assured that no one could boast about having earned his way into God’s good grace. No one could take credit for their salvation or claim to have played a part in their sanctification. And no one can say they had a hand in achieving a right standing before God. It was all done for us and in spite of us.

Father, Your grace truly is amazing and Your plan to atone for the sins of mankind is beyond comprehension. Paul said that when the crucifixion of Christ is preached, “the Jews are offended and the Gentiles say it’s all nonsense” (1 Corinthians 1:23 NLT). It makes no sense, sounds far-fetched, and comes across more like a fable than the truth. But we know it is the truth because our lives have been transformed by this remarkable gift of Your grace. We couldn’t have earned it and, most certainly, didn’t deserve it. But You showered sinful mankind with Your love, mercy, and grace in the form of Your Son’s sinless sacrifice on our behalf. It reminds me of that familiar old hymn, “Marvelous Grace of Our Loving Lord.”

Marvelous grace of our loving Lord,
grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt,
yonder on Calvary’s mount out-poured,
there where the blood of the Lamb was spilt.

Grace, grace, God’s grace,
grace that will pardon and cleanse within;
Grace, grace, God’s grace,

Marvelous Grace of Our Loving Lord,  Julia H. Johnston (1910)

Thank You for Your grace. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.22

Blessed To Be a Blessing

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9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. 10 And in this matter I give my judgment: this benefits you, who a year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it. 11 So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have. 12 For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. 13 For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness 14 your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. 15 As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.”– 2 Corinthians 8:9-15 ESV

Paul makes it clear that his call for the Corinthians to give to the needs of the Judean Christians was not a command. “I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine” (2 Corinthians 8:8 ESV). He knew that if he commanded them to give, their doing so would be out of a sense of legalism, not love. Their giving would be done grudgingly, not willingly. It would be accompanied by regret, not rejoicing. It was Paul’s sincere desire that their giving be based on their understanding of and appreciation for all that Jesus Christ had done for them.

You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich. – 2 Corinthians 8:9 NLT

Jesus sacrificed all that He had in order to pay for the sins of mankind. He gave His own life to redeem lost men and women who were trapped in the debt they owed due to sin, and condemned to eternal separation from God. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul elaborates on the remarkable grace of Jesus and how it should motivate the believer’s life.

Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.

Though he was God,
    he did not think of equality with God
    as something to cling to.
Instead, he gave up his divine privileges;
    he took the humble position of a slave
    and was born as a human being.
When he appeared in human form,
     he humbled himself in obedience to God
    and died a criminal’s death on a cross.

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
    and gave him the name above all other names,
     that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
     and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father. – Philippians 2:3-11 NLT

The same attitude that Christ had; that is what Paul is calling the Corinthians to have. Christ displayed humility, selflessness, sacrifice, obedience, love, and a willingness to finish what He started, to complete what He had been called to do, out of obedience to His heavenly Father and love for those He came to save.

Paul calls on the Corinthians to follow Christ’s lead and to finish what they began. A year earlier, they had begun the process of giving toward the needs of the saints in Judea, but had evidently failed to finish the job. So Paul gives them a little friendly advice.

It would be good for you to finish what you started a year ago. Last year you were the first who wanted to give, and you were the first to begin doing it. Now you should finish what you started. Let the eagerness you showed in the beginning be matched now by your giving. Give in proportion to what you have. – 2 Corinthians 8:10-11 NLT

Paul was not asking them to “give until it hurts” or to give what they did not have. This was not about the redistribution of wealth or some form of socialist economic equality. It was simply the love of Christ lived out in everyday life, as the body of Christ ministered to itself. Paul was calling one group to share with those who had nothing; the blessed being a blessing. As Paul had told the Philippian believers, the mutual care and concern among Christians was to be nothing more than an extension of their relationship with Christ.

Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. – Philippians 2:1-2 NLT

While reciprocity or payback should not motivate our giving, Paul points out that the day may come when the tables are turned. We may find ourselves on the receiving end of someone else’s generosity and loving aid. When there are needs to be met, we are to give out of what we have, no more, no less. We are to give selflessly, even sacrificially, because we share a common bond in Christ. And in giving, we should be encouraged to know that, should we ever find ourselves in need, our brothers and sisters in Christ will be there for us as well. As a family, we share the love of God and a common bond in Christ.

The principle at play here is the sovereign blessing of God on His people. Paul uses the Old Testament story of the Exodus as an illustration. When the people of Israel were wandering in the wilderness, God met their needs, including providing food. In the evening, God provided them with quail, and in the mornings, they found manna. Each day, the people would go out and gather the manna, provided to them by God, but they were to follow Moses’ instructions.

“Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an omer, according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.” And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less. But when they measured it with an omer, whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat. – Exodus 16:16-18 ESV

God had provided, and no one had need, so hoarding was unnecessary. If they attempted to keep more than they needed for their own personal needs, it rotted. God did not want them to depend on the manna for their needs; He wanted them to trust in Him. In His infinite wisdom, God gave them exactly what they required to survive, no more and no less. No one went hungry, and no one needed to gather excess just in case the manna didn’t show up the next day. God would provide.

That same principle applied to the people of Corinth. Since God was meeting their needs, they had all they required to exist. There was no need to hoard or selfishly withhold the blessings of God for a rainy day. Whatever the Corinthians enjoyed by way of abundance had been made possible by God. Their excess was not intended for their own security, but for the needs of others. Just as our spiritual gifts are intended for the body and not for our own benefit, so our financial blessings are intended for the good of all. God blesses us so that we might be a blessing to others.

Father, I would never characterize myself as a hoarder but, when it comes to practicing generosity and grace-filled giving, I can certainly come across that way. It is so easy to justify my reluctance to give to others because I fear that if I give, I may not have enough for tomorrow. Yet, You have never failed to meet my daily needs. Even when times have been difficult, You have always come through, and You have graciouly used the generosity of others to meet my needs. But when the shoe is on the other foot, it is easy to rationailize my reluctance to give as nothing more than “frugality” and “saving for a rainy day.” I am reminded of the Proverb that states, “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it when it’s in your power to help them. If you can help your neighbor now, don’t say, ‘Come back tomorrow, and then I’ll help you’” (Proverbs 3:27-28 NLT). You have never treated me that way. When I have called, You have always answered. When I have had needs, You have provided. So, there is no reason that I should withhold what I have from those in need around me. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Motivated By the Love of Christ

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11 Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience. 12 We are not commending ourselves to you again but giving you cause to boast about us, so that you may be able to answer those who boast about outward appearance and not about what is in the heart. 13 For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you. 14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; 15 and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him– 2 Corinthians 5:11-15 ESV

Paul has just told the Corinthians that a day is coming when all believers will stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. – 2 Corinthians 5:10 ESV

It is that day Paul has in mind when he mentions “the fear of the Lord.” It is an awareness of the future judgment of our present actions that should create in us a sober-minded evaluation of all that we do in this life. As believers, we should carefully consider all our thoughts and actions, knowing that we will one day answer to God for all that we have done in this life since coming to faith in Christ. Paul told the believers in Rome, “Remember, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God … each of us will give a personal account to God” (Romans 14:10, 12 NLT).

Paul was not saying that he feared the judgment of God in the sense that he might lose his salvation or lose his place in the eternal Kingdom. It was that he was strongly motivated not to do anything that might displease God on the day of judgment. He lived to please God and wanted to do His will — at all costs and at all times. He was unwilling to allow the opinions of men to alter his behavior in this life because he knew he would stand before the judgment seat of Christ in the next life. That is what led him to persuade others and prompted him to risk everything to save some. His reputation took a back seat to the message of redemption. What concerned Paul the most was what God thought of him.

God knows we are sincere, and I hope you know this, too. – 2 Corinthians 5:11b NLT

Over the life of his ministry, Paul had spent a great deal of time defending his apostleship. Unlike the original disciples of Jesus, he had not been there at the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry. He was not one of the twelve and had not been personally taught by Jesus. This led his opponents to argue that he lacked apostolic authority. To complicate matters, it appears that Paul had a less-than-impressive aura about him. He was evidently small in stature, unimpressive in appearance, and had gained a reputation for being a second-rate communicator. He even admitted as much in his first letter to the Corinthians.

I came to you in weakness—timid and trembling. And my message and my preaching were very plain. Rather than using clever and persuasive speeches, I relied only on the power of the Holy Spirit. – 1 Corinthians 2:3-4 NLT

The only reason Paul defended his apostleship or said anything about himself that might come across as boastful was to silence those who kept trying to diminish his influence. Paul didn’t mind if people thought he was crazy, as long as he was being faithful to God. If he came across as crazy, it was only because he was obsessed with sharing the gospel with as many people as possible. When it came to the good news, he was “out of his mind.”

Paul said he was controlled by the love of Christ, which meant that everything he did was done out of gratitude and not for gain. He wasn’t in ministry for the money, accolades, power, or popularity. He couldn’t care less whether someone thought he was crazy or sane, as long as they saw Christ in him. He was motivated by his love for the lost and his Christ-like compassion for believers, and his love for others was the direct result of God’s love for him.

The apostle John wrote, “We love each other because he loved us first. If someone says, ‘I love God,’ but hates a Christian brother or sister, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see?” (1 John 4:19-20 NLT). And how did God express His love? “God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him” (1 John 4:9 NLT). It was that sacrificial love that motivated Paul. Because of what Jesus Christ had done for him, Paul was willing to risk everything to tell everyone about the good news of salvation through faith in Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross.

He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them. – 2 Corinthians 5:15 NLT

God’s love for us required that Jesus die in our place. His death on our behalf made our new life possible, and that new life has freed us to live for Him, not ourselves. Our newfound capacity to live unselfishly should show up in our desire to selflessly share His love with all those we meet.

For the love of Christ controls us. – 2 Corinthians 5:15 ESV

Father, I hate to admit it, but I am controlled by a lot of things other than the love of Christ. I worry way too much about what people think of me. I spend too much time thinking about me instead of thinking about others. Far too often, I allow my pursuit of personal comfort to prevent me from   carrying out the commission Jesus gave me. But Paul reminds me that I should be motivated by Christ’s selfless love for me, not my selfish love of self. I have so much for which to be grateful and none of it has to do with my reputation, possessions, or personal accomplishments. My only value is found in Your unwavering love for me. You loved me so much that You sent Your Son to die in my place. You sacrificed Your Son so that I might be restored to a right relationship with You. And that undeserved and unfathomable love should motivate me to love others. It is the least I could do to show my gratitude and love for You. I no longer want to live for me. That is a path that leads to nowhere. It is a life that produces no fruit and little satisfaction. So, open my eyes to see the magnitude of Your love for me so that I might pour it out on others. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Sole Simple Solution

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1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.

3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. – 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 ESV

After spending three chapters on the issues surrounding the use of spiritual gifts, Paul now shifts his attention to what he says is “of first importance.” The Corinthians had lost sight of the overwhelming significance of their salvation made possible by the death, resurrection, and appearance of Christ. In other words, they had allowed the gospel and its life-changing message to take a back seat to what they believed was the more significant role of the spiritual gifts. So Paul reminds them of the gospel he preached to them.

It is the gospel message they received by grace, and that allows them to stand justified before God as His adopted children. It is the same gospel that makes possible their daily sanctification – their transformation into Christ-likeness. The spiritual gifts do not accomplish any of this for them. It is the gospel and the gospel alone that redeems, justifies, sanctifies, and guarantees our future glorification. The gospel encompasses the entirety of our salvation experience. And just to make sure they understand what he means by the gospel, Paul provides them with a summary statement that contains the key ingredients to its power and significance.

“Jesus died” – the death of Jesus is central to the gospel message. It was necessary for Jesus to die so that the penalty for our sins could be paid and God could be satisfied. Otherwise, we would still be guilty and under condemnation for our sins against God. But Jesus did die in our place. He took our sins upon Himself and suffered the death we deserved.

“according to the Scripture” – Jesus’ death was not happenstance or just a run of bad luck. It wasn’t the result of the Jewish leadership and their behind-the-scenes plotting against Jesus. It wasn’t even the result of Pilate’s orders or the Roman government’s power. It was preordained by God. The Old Testament prophets spoke of His death hundreds of years before it took place.

Surely he has borne our griefs
    and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
    smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
    he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
    and with his wounds we are healed. – Isaiah 53:4-5 ESV

Jesus was sent by God to die. The penalty for mankind’s sins against God was death, and God, because He is just, required that the penalty be paid in full. But in a divine display of mercy, He provided His own Son as a substitute to satisfy the just and holy requirement for a sinless sacrifice. The author of the Book of Hebrews explains the need for this blood sacrifice.

…without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. – Hebrews 9:22 ESV

“he was buried” – Jesus’ death was real; He did not swoon or pass out. He was not placed in the grave barely alive, only to later revive and escape. The Romans oversaw His burial and were convinced of His death. His burial paved the way for His resurrection. The rolling of the stone across the opening to His tomb and then sealed by the Roman guards convinced the disciples that their Messiah was dead and their hopes for a new kingdom were gone. They went into mourning and hiding. And the words of the two disciples whom Jesus encountered along the road after His resurrection reveal just how dejected they were.

“He was a prophet who did powerful miracles, and he was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people. But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago.”– Luke 24:19-21 NLT

“he was raised on the third day” – Jesus was not a martyr; He was the Messiah, the anointed one of God, who died and was raised back to life through the power of the Holy Spirit. He was raised to new life and walked out of the tomb in His resurrected body, proving that He had accomplished what He had come to do and had satisfied the just demands of His Father in heaven. Just a few verses later in this chapter, Paul writes, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins” (1 Corinthians 15:17 ESV). He follows that up with the good news that “In fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20 ESV). It is His resurrection that assures us of our future hope of eternal life and the glorification of these earthly bodies. The apostle John assures us, “We are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2 ESV).

“in accordance with the Scriptures” – Once again, the Scriptures predicted Christ’s death, but also His resurrection. The prophet Isaiah wrote:

Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
    he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
    he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.
    Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see  and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
    make many to be accounted righteous,
    and he shall bear their iniquities. – Isaiah 53:10-11 ESV

He was crushed, but He was also resurrected and restored. His days were prolonged. As a result of His death and resurrection, many have been accounted as righteous.

“and that he appeared” – During the days after His resurrection, Jesus was seen by more than 500 people. His appearances to His disciples renewed their hopes and revived their commitment to follow Him. He gave them their marching orders, commissioning them to carry on His work and to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. He appeared to Paul on the road to Damascus, calling him from a life marked by persecution of the church to a new mission of taking the gospel to the Gentiles. Paul’s work and words were given to Him by the resurrected Christ. And he proved faithful to do what Christ had called him to do.

Jesus died, was buried, resurrected, and appeared. That is the heart of the gospel message. And when anyone accepts the reality of those facts, placing his or her faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ, they experience salvation. They are born again and given new life in Christ. Their sins are forgiven, they are given a new nature, and they are made children of God and heirs to the Kingdom of God. They stand before Him as righteous, not because of anything they have done or accomplished, but because of the blood of Christ.

Father, thank You for the gospel, the good news of new life found in the sacrifice of Your Son. But I thank You as well for the simplicity of the gospel’s message. You took a very difficult and impossible to solve problem and provided a simple solution. You sent Your Son as the substititionary atonement for the debt we owed. He died so would not have to. He paid the penalty for our sins and satisfied Your righteous judgment against us. And I am eternally grateful for the glorious gift of Your grace, mercy, and love. Amen

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.