Pray without ceasing

Question: "What does it mean to pray without ceasing?"

Answer:Paul’s command in1 Thessalonians 5:17to “pray without ceasing,” can be confusing. Obviously, it cannot mean we are to be in a head-bowed, eyes-closed posture all day long. Paul is not referring to non-stop talking, but rather an attitude of God-consciousness and God-surrender that we carry with us all the time. Every waking moment is to be lived in an awareness that God is with us and that He is actively involved and engaged in our thoughts and actions.

When our thoughts turn to worry, fear, discouragement, and anger, we are to consciously and quickly turn every thought into prayer and every prayer into thanksgiving.. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul commands us to stop being anxious and instead, “in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). He taught the believers at Colossae to devote themselves “to prayer, being watchful and thankful” (Colossians 4:2). Paul exhorted the Ephesian believers to see prayer as a weapon to use in fighting spiritual battles (Ephesians 6:18). As we go through the day, prayer should be our first response to every fearful situation, every anxious thought, and every undesired task that God commands. A lack of prayer will cause us to depend on ourselves instead of depending on God's grace. Unceasing prayer is, in essence, continual dependence upon and communion with the Father.

For Christians, prayer should be like breathing. You do not have to think to breathe because the atmosphere exerts pressure on your lungs and essentially forces you to breathe. That is why it is more difficult to hold your breath than it is to breathe. Similarly, when we are born into the family of God, we enter into a spiritual atmosphere where God's presence and grace exert pressure, or influence, on our lives. Prayer is the normal response to that pressure. As believers, we have all entered the divine atmosphere to breathe the air of prayer.

Unfortunately, many believers hold their “spiritual breath” for long periods, thinking brief moments with God are sufficient to allow them to survive. But such restricting of their spiritual intake is caused by sinful desires. The fact is that every believer must be continually in the presence of God, constantly breathing in His truths, to be fully functional.

It is easier for Christians to feel secure by presuming on—instead of depending on—God's grace. Too many believers become satisfied with physical blessings and have little desire for spiritual ones. When programs, methods, and money produce impressive results, there is an inclination to confuse human success with divine blessing. When that happens, passionate longing for God and yearning for His help will be missing. Continual, persistent, incessant prayer is an essential part of Christian living and flows out of humility and dependence on God.

The Marks of Such as Believe in Christ Romans 12:1,2 Part 1

A Living Sacrifice

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2 ESV)

Works righteousness is the default religion of man. However, God’s ways are not man’s ways. Neither are His thoughts man’s thoughts. His ways are higher than man’s. The Natural Man believes that the way to be justified by God is to do good works or not be as bad as those really evil people. However, Romans 1-11 makes it clear that no one is righteous or innocent. All have sinned. All are guilty. Also, there is not one thing anyone can do about that problem. Oh, people have and still try all sorts of things to try to earn salvation, to be justified by God. They become very religious. They do good works. However, Paul makes it crystal clear that that is all a total waste of time.

Unless faith exists in a person’s heart and that person believes God and receives Christ as Lord and Saviour there is no salvation. We teach that when a person is regenerated, believes, and is justified by God, their sanctification begins immediately. Sanctification is the work of Grace by God to remove His people from sin. Now, it is very important to know what this “sin” is. In Romans 14:23 we learn that whatever does not proceed or come from faith is sin. Therefore, it is sin for a Christian to not walk by faith. It is a sin for a Christian to not be Spirit-filled or Spirit-led. It is a sin for a Christian to not surrender their circumstances to Christ. It is a sin to not obey God’s commandments. All of these are things that Christians do by faith alone.

How does a Christian mature in God’s Grace in order to live this way? It must start somewhere. Paul gives us the starting point of our sanctification in Romans 12:1-2.

The first word in the Greek in v1 that is translated as “I appeal to” or “I beseech” is “παρακαλω” or “parakaleo.” It means to call near, invite, or call for. The root from which this word comes means “to call alongside to help.” Our Lord Jesus Christ used a similar Greek word for the Holy Spirit that is translated as “comforter.” (John 14:16,26; 15:26; 16:7) Paul’s usage here in v1 is an exhortation from him as a counselor based upon his apostolic authority. For us, we should understand that Paul is telling us that what he is telling us here is vital. The next word in this passage is translated as “you.” This passage is for the reader. It is something that we should take to heart and make our own for Paul wrote it for all believers by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.

The next word in v1 is “ουν” or “oun.” It is translated as “therefore.” When we encounter “therefore” in a passage we must stop and look for context. This is telling us that the statement we are reading is closely related and subsequent to a prior statement or passage. In this case Paul is referring back to the doxology that ended Chapter 11.

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:33-36 ESV)

Because of God’s majesty, grandeur, and wisdom is beyond our understanding, “therefore” believers should read, grasp, obey and apply what Paul is going to share in the rest of the book of Romans and that starts in Romans 12:1-2.

The next word in v1 is “αδελφοι” or “adelphos.” It is translated as “brethren.” Or “brothers.” Paul is telling us that this message is for his brethren in Christ. This is for genuine believers only. The unregenerate not only will not understand what Paul is getting ready to share, they cannot apply it.

The next word in v1 is “διαS” or “dia.” It is a primary preposition denoting the channel of an act or “through”; by or through what? It is by or through “των οικτιρμων του θεου” or “the mercies of God.” Our sanctification begins and continues for the rest of our lives by and through the mercies of God. God has given His people gracious, extravagant, divine graces. Paul expounded this in Romans 1-11. This would include God love (Romans 1:7; 5:5; 8:35,39), His grace (Romans 1:6,7; 3:24; 5:2,20,21; 6:15), His Righteousness (Romans 1:17; 3:21,22; 4:5, 6,22-24; 5:17,19), and the gift of faith (Romans 1:5,17; 3:22,26; 4:5,13; 5:1; 10:17; 12:3). We mature and grow in grace by the mercies of God.

What is our part? We are to “present our bodies as a living sacrifice.” Under the Old Covenant God did accept the sacrifices of dead animals, but our Lord’s sacrifice on the cross did away with any need for it. (Hebrews 9:11,12) Instead of dead beasts, living sacrifices: instead of the blood of beasts which was but a shadow and pleased not God of itself, the acceptable sacrifice is that of the spiritual man, framed by faith to godliness and love. For those in Christ, the only acceptable worship is to offer oneself completely to the Lord. Believer’s bodies are not redeemed. Therefore, they must surrender them to God as an instrument of righteousness. This involves surrendering our circumstances to God. This is taking up our crosses and partaking of the fruit of the cross.

To God, this act of sacrifice is holy and acceptable to Him. To worship God in spirit and truth requires this sacrifice. Our worship is our surrender to His will in all parts of our lives, to be Spirit-filled and under God’s control in all things. This is our reasonable service. The Greek word translated as “reasonable” is “λογικηνS.” This word means “logic.” This is Paul’s reinforcing the fact that in light of God’s mercies towards us then it logically follows that we owe to Him our highest form of service. Just as the priests of the Old Covenant were called to be an integral part of worship in that time, our act of total surrender is that in the New Covenant. It is our reasonable service to be Spirit-filled, humble and obedient Christians who know that their service is not to be religious, but to love and obey God.

In v2 we discover how to surrender and become living sacrifices. The first phrase in this verse is, “Do not be conformed to this world.” The Greek is, “και μη συνσχηματιζεσθε τω αιωνι τουτω.” The Greek word translated as “conformed” means “to fashion.” The verb and participle structure here is Present, Imperative, Active. This describes action that takes place in the future continuously or repeatedly. However, in this passage, Paul negates it so he is telling us that we must stop patterning our lives after this world or age. This present age or world is Satanically controlled. It is not of God, nor should believers have any part in it to the point of them becoming conformed to it in any way. That means that activities and beliefs and philosophies that form contemporary thinking are not for Christians. When believers do partake of them they are not eating from the dead tree of the cross, but are eating from the tree of rebellion that is this world. To become a living sacrifice requires us to not be conformed to this world. How do we do it?

The next phrase is, “but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” This is where the rubber meets the road. This is how we do not conform ourselves to the world. This is how we do become living sacrifices in our reasonable service of presenting our bodies to God. What does it mean? Again, Paul uses the Present, Imperative, Active here. This means that we must be continually doing what ever it takes to be transformed by mind renewal. The Greek word for “transformed” is “μεταμορφουσθεS” or “metamorphoo.” It is the root word from which we get our English word “metamorphosis.” Think of a caterpillar becoming a butterfly or a tadpole becoming a frog. It is a process whereby a being is changed from one form to another. We are being called to become qualitatively changed by the process of mind renewal on a continuous basis. What is mind renewal?

The mind here is our intellect. The renewal is describing the work of renovation. Mind renewal would be the renovation of our intellect by the work of the Holy Spirit actually changing our thinking as we submit to thorough, consistent study and mediation of sacred Scripture. The renewed mind is one that is saturated with and controlled by the Word of God. Doesn’t this sound like becoming Spirit-filled? Yes, this is simply the methodology through which we do become Spirit-filled.

As a result of this what will happen? “that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” What does this mean? This is the result of Holy living. The Spirit-filled believer is morally and spiritually spotless and in step with the Holy Spirit.

I pray that you have discerned that it is this act of surrender of our bodies as living sacrifices that is how we serve our God every day. We don’t take days off. This is every day, all day. If we will draw near unto God, He will draw near unto us. If we renew our minds continually by being in the Word as much as possible, meditating and studying it, then our intellect will become conformed to God’s standards because the Holy Spirit is actually changing us from the inside out.

The Marks of Such as Believe in Christ Romans 12:3-8 Part 2

The Gifts of Grace

As we saw in the last post dealing with Romans 12:1-2, A Living Sacrifice, genuine Christians have a duty to God to give themselves unto Him completely. It is through become a living sacrifice that the believer’s sanctification precedes to the level of surrender. This process takes place as the Holy Spirit renovates the mind as the believer submits more and more to the Word of God in all parts of his or her life. Those who are on this path of spiritual growth are now ready for service.

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in onebody we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. (Romans 12:3-8 ESV)

Paul was given undeserved favor in his calling as an apostle. However, his apostleship endowed him with apostolic authority. Along with this, it also produced sincere humility within him.

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, (Romans 1:1-5 ESV)

I thank him who has given me strength, Christ Jesus our Lord, because he judged me faithful, appointing me to his service, though formerly I was a blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent opponent. But I received mercy because I had acted ignorantly in unbelief, and the grace of our Lord overflowed for me with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. (1 Timothy 1:12-14 ESV)

Paul used this example of humility to exhort his readers to not think too highly of themselves. Why? To do so would not be of faith and, therefore, a fruit of humility. Instead, it would be of the flesh and, therefore, a fruit of pride. The phrase, “not to think of himself more highly than” is actually these 3 Greek words, “μη υπερφρονειν παρ.” This phrase actually means to “not esteem oneself overmuch.” This is a basic tenet of being Spirit-filled. We cannot be Spirit-filled if we are prideful because only the humble are. The prideful person is all about self while the humble believer is all about God. He or she is surrendered to Him as a living sacrifice. (Romans 12:1)

The next phrase is, “but to think with sober judgment.” This is the exercise of sound judgment, which leads believers to understand that they are nothing in themselves. This is the type of thinking that flows from a renewed mind that is being transformed by one who is a living sacrifice. This is a humble assessment of oneself that will yield the fruit of humility. Again, the humble submit themselves one to another and this is the very thing that the Spirit-filled do.

Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:5 ESV)

The next phrase is, “each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” This is speaking of the correct proportion of each believer’s spiritual gift. The gift is the supernatural endowment and ability to serve God according to His will. These gifts are given by the Holy Spirit to each believer so they can fulfill their role in the Body of Christ. The “faith” spoken of here is not referring to saving faith. This is faithful stewardship needed by the believer in the correct quantity and kind in order for him or her to use their gift. Each believer is given the exact gift and resources needed to be a fully functioning member in the Body of Christ.

The next phrase is, “For as in one body we have many members and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. ” Our bodies are made up of many parts. They do not all have the same function. God has given the Body of Christ a unified diversity. Both qualities are needed. Unity is vital, but God has also provided diversity within that unity.

The next phrase is, “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us.”  These gifts are the Spirit Gifts given according to God’s grace. These gifts are chosen by the Holy Spirit for each believer apart from personal merit. He also chooses their use and the results. Therefore, Paul exhorts us saying, “let us use them.” Serving God with our gifts is necessary for the wellbeing of the Church. Then Paul lists some of the more predominate gifts, “if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.”

This list is different from that found in 1 Corinthians 12:7-12. However, the emphasis for us is not on believers finding exactly what their gift is from the list, but on faithfully using God’s unique enablement that he has provided to each one. The lists being different should not trouble us. Here is the one from 1 Corinthians.

To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. (1 Corinthians 12:7-12 ESV)

Let us not be dogmatic about which gift we have or don’t have. Instead, let us obey God in all things as we follow our Lord. The differences in the lists imply that God blends them together uniquely for each believer’s life according to His will. It is vital that we remember that these gifts are given for God’s purposes not ours. Therefore, how can we take pride in our service within them? Also, we should not elevate those whose gifts are more public over those whose aren’t. These with the speaking gifts seem more glamorous than those who have the gift of mercy or giving for example, but all are necessary. Lastly, we must not covet the gifts of others. For example, I have seen more than a few men demand to be teachers only to prove they are not gifted there in a very embarrassing way. However, it was through these trials that they “discovered” where they were not to serve.

The Marks of Such as Believe in Christ Romans 12:9-21 Part 3

Marks of the True Christian

All that is not of faith is sin. That includes good works and any religious acts that are done from any motivation or source other than faith. The Christians who walk before the face of God Spirit-filled are the ones who are walking by faith. As we have seen in this study, so far, those that become Spirit-filled are those who are living sacrifices. The continual process of mind renewal is transforming them. This renewal is actually a complete renovation of the intellect or mind by the Holy Spirit as they become immersed more and more into the Word of God. This causes them to surrender more and more unto the Lordship of Christ. They have given over their circumstances to the Lord so they have taken up their crosses and are following Him.

We have now reached the last section of Romans 12, which are vv9-21. These very powerful verses provides to us a list of traits that characterize the Spirit-filled life. This list is comprehensive in that it gives us the way believers should respond to everyone around them in a Christ-like way. These traits are also mandatory for the Spirit-filled Christian. That means that any rebellion or selfish responses of any of these traits are marks that the believer is not Spirit-filled, but is being controlled by their flesh.

Before we tackle this passage it is important to understand the Greek grammar structure of vv9-21. This set of commands is in Present Tense. This means that Paul is telling us that these marks of a genuine Christian are not punctiliar in nature, but are of continuous and repeated action. This means that these traits become manifest in a Christian as part of a process. The more we become Spirit-filled the more these traits become part of our character.

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. (Romans 12:9-13 ESV)

The first command is, “Let love be genuine.” The Greek word for “love” here is “αγαπη” or “agape.” This word is not found in Classical Greek. It is only revealed in religion. It is often translated as “charity.” It means benevolent love. This benevolence, however, is not shown by doing what the person loved desires, but what the one who loves deems as needed by the one loved. The best example of this is found in John 3:16.

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 ESV)

God gave not what man wanted, but what man needed as He perceived his need. This need, of course, was His Son who brought forgiveness to those who believe in Him.

Paul is telling us to let or allow agape love to take on a certain quality in our hearts that will be manifest to everyone around us. In Greek this is expressed by the word “ανυποκριτος” or “anupokritos.” This word is from the negative. The New Testament meaning is “unfeigned or genuine.” The King James and the Geneva Bible translate this phrase as, “Let Love be without dissimulation.” Dissimulation means “hypocrisy.” Now ask yourself how successful you are in demonstrating agape love to everyone around you in unfeigned genuiness. The fact that this is a command for us and it is something we cannot do in the flesh tells us that only the Spirit-led can demonstrate this consistently.

The next command is, “Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.” The Greek word for “abhor” here is “αποστυγουντες” or “apostugeo.” It means, “to shudder or detest with horror.” What are we to abhor? We are to detest with horror that which is evil. The Greek word for “evil” here is “πονηρον” or “poneros.” It means evil in a moral or spiritual sense, wicked, or malicious. Some things are easily recognized as evil activities, such as pornography, witchcraft, murder, theft, lying, and blasphemy. Of course many professing Christians these days don’t shudder with horror at blasphemy, lying, or pornography. They don’t because their flesh controls them and, therefore, they partake of these things. On the other hand, the Spirit-filled believer does shudder with horror at any sinful activities because the Holy Spirit controls them. What is evil to Him is evil to the Spirit-filled believer.

We are also commanded here to “hold fast to what is good.” The Greek word translated here as “hold fast to” is “κολλωμενοι” or “kollao.” This word means “to glue” or “to stick” or “to keep company.” Therefore, we know that Paul is telling us to stick like glue to what is good instead of tolerating evil. The Greek word translated as “good” here is “αγαθω” or “agathos.” It means “good and benevolent.” This is a goodness that is beneficial to everyone. It is useful in a benevolent sense.

This last command to abhor evil and cling to what is good is not only a contrast, but it is showing us that the Spirit-filled believer must cling to what is good and never tolerate evil. If we are actively pursing that which is good and clinging to it, we will not tolerate evil in our own lives. If we are tolerating evil in our own lives then we are not Spirit-filled. I believe that these commands or standards are progressive in that we should be growing in these traits and will never perfectly manifest them in this life. That does not, however, allow us to neglect them. No, we must be working with God to develop these traits in us.

The next command is, “Love one another with brotherly affection.” This is a command to be devoted to other Christians with a form of love that we use for our families. This love is not based on attractiveness or desirability. This word for love here is the Greek word “φιλαδελφια” or “philadelphia.” It speaks of fraternal affection or love of the brethren. The first command was to let agape love be genuine to all then to love other believers with this brotherly love. I contend that the agape love, empowered by the Holy Spirit, will become manifest through our brotherly love for other believers.

The next command is, “Outdo one another in showing honor.” This means to show genuine appreciation to other believers by putting them first. The joy from doing this is amazing. As we become more and more Spirit-filled we will find that the more we give of ourselves, the more joy we have. This, of course, enables us to not only continue in self-sacrifice, but to go deeper.

The next command is, “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.” Living sacrifices serve God with their lives because they know that whatever is worth doing in the Christian life is valuable enough to be done with enthusiasm and diligence. To be slothful or indifferent actually prevents good from taking place and allows evil to prosper. The Spirit-filled believer is never slothful or indifferent about their walk. To be fervent in spirit means to be hot enough to be productive, but not too hot then burning out or going out of control in their service to the Lord and their walk.

The next command is, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” We should joyously be expecting Christ’s return. The Spirit-filled believer, controlled by the Holy Spirit, will have this hope burning in them. They will not want Him to delay His coming so they can enjoy more of the world. Why? In the world there is tribulation that requires patience with a crucified life and diligent prayer in order to do these things. However, when Jesus returns then our blessed hope has come!

The next command is, “Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.” The Spirit-filled believer sees their possessions as not theirs because they are only passing through. Therefore, they distribute their goods in the sense of everything being held in common. The Spirit-filled believer also pursues the love of strangers. Spirit-filled believers reflect Christ’s character to all.

The next section of this passage is:

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be conceited. (Romans 12:14-16 ESV)

The Spirit-filled believer treats enemies as if they were friends. That is not possible for the flesh-driven believer. This is a test that we will have thrust into our lives continually as we attempt to walk this walk by faith. People of the world will impose on us. They will be rude to us. They will be inconsiderate. They will denigrate our faith; even blaspheme while holding us in derision. How are we to react to that? We are to bless them. The Greek word for “bless” here is “ευλογειτε” or “eulogeo.” We get our English word eulogize from ευλογειτε. It means, “to speak well of.” Now wait a minute. What about those apostates who are seeking to draw multitudes into apostasy with them? Are we to bless them? Well Jesus rebuked those who did not have “ears to hear” and called some “white-washed sepulchers,” and John the Baptist called these same people “a brood of vipers.” I believe we need to tell the truth in love to all. That is agape love. We do what is best for them and that means we tell them the truth and leave the results to God.

The next command is, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” This simply means that the Spirit-filled believer is glad in blessings, honor and welfare of others. They do this even if their own circumstances are that they are in the fires of tribulation. We are to be sensitive and compassionate to those who are in those fires as well.

The next command is, “Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be conceited.” The Spirit-filled believer is impartial and humble. No matter how mature we become in Christ, we must never look down on those still struggling with what God has enabled us to defeat. Instead, we should come along side them and help them with prayer and fellowship and counsel.

The last section of this passage is:

Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:17-21 ESV)

“Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.” When we are called names or held in derision by unbelievers or even apostate Christians, we must not respond in kind. This is simply treating enemies the way our Lord did in His ministry. The Spirit-filled believer must respect what is intrinsically proper and honest. This is a call to be visibly moral and good around others, especially unbelievers. The next phrase, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all,” tells us that sometimes the attitude of whoever opposes us will not permit peace. I have made it a practice here to not foster “arguing” with those who will not listen. I tell them the truth in love, but if the disagreement escalates I will take action to end it by simply not allowing the argument to continue.

The next phrase is, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” This is how I have come to handle the conflicts and disagreements I have had with apostates and pagans who insist on arguing with me or with others who comment here. I stop the arguing and simply put those who refuse to listen in the hands of God.

“To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” The Spirit-filled believer is able to “turn the other cheek” and bless their enemies. In doing this, their conscience will be pricked, if they still have a functioning one, and they may very well repent and believe as God draws them into the light.

The Spirit-filled believer will be growing in all of these points. That means that they will also be tested in these areas quite often. Therefore, take heart and praise God because this means that God is using your circumstances to lead you down the narrow way that leads to Him.

The Marks of Such as Believe in Christ Romans 13:1-7 Part 4

Submission to the Authorities

God is the sovereign ruler of the Universe. All of creation is subject to Him. He is the one who hung the Earth on nothing and set boundaries of the seas. He is the one who established the authority system that governs the peoples of the Earth. Is it okay for Christians to participate in Civil Disobedience then? Should the Church rule over government or should the government rule over the Church? God has setup the correct order of things.

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. (Romans 13:1 ESV)

The Greek word translated as “be subject to” is “υποτασσεσθωS” or “hupotasso.” It means to “subordinate reflexively” or “to obey” or “be under obedience” or “put under” or “subdue unto.” It was used in Koine Greek of a soldier’s absolute obedience to his superior officer. When I was in the US Navy from June, 1973 through July, 1976 I saw this in action. The Navy has a judicial system called Captain’s Mast. There was a place called the Brig. There was the Shore Patrol who policed us. All of this was in place to deal with those who violated their oath of service by being insubordinate in some capacity. We had a chain of command over us. It was all very well defined.

God has his system of government very well defined too. His system has 4 authorities all subject to Him. The first is civil government over all citizens. The second is the Church over all believers. The third is parents over all children. The fourth is masters over all employees. God has appointed Human government’s authority. That authority is derived form and is defined by God. Our civil governments, if functioning correctly, reward good and restrain sin in this fallen world full of evil.

Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. (Romans 13:2-4 ESV)

Before we dig into this passage I need to clarify something. What Paul is sharing here in these 7 verses about authority is the principle way it should work if governments and the authorities in place seek justice. Paul knew as well as we know that there have been many governments that have not been just and actually have perverted justice.

Since God ordains all government any disobedience is rebellion against God. The judgment incurred here is that of the government as punishment for being a lawbreaker. The next phrase is very important for us to understand. It is, “For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad.” We are naturally rebels to authority. My generation was that which came of age in the 1960’s. It was one of rebellion. The Police were called “Pigs” or “the Man” or “the Heat.” If you looked in your mirror while driving and saw a police car following you, terror would run through you. Why? My Dad told me more than once that I had nothing to fear from the Police as long as I was not doing illegal stuff. That was true up to a point, but I had some friends who were singled out by our local Police and harassed continually because of their attitudes, their long hair and what kind of cars they drove. It got so bad that one father sued the city to prove that his son was undergoing Police harassment. It was settled out of court. This is what happens when governments lose their focus of justice and replace it with some other motivation.

What about Christians? What is our standard of conduct in the face of civil authority? Christians are to do good by being peaceful and law-abiding citizens. Only an unjust government with an agenda of some kind will harm people who obey their laws. On the other hand, governments are unjust when they “bear the sword in vain.” If they bear it correctly, they inflict punishment on wrongdoers, even capital punishment. However, if they bear it in vain, they inflict punishment on the innocent or allow criminals to go free or not receive the level of punishment they deserve.

Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 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 13:5-7 ESV)

Christians are to pay their taxes. Jesus taught that in Matthew 22:17-21. Therefore, even if a government is not just and perhaps even corrupt, that does not exempt us from paying our taxes. Christians must not be tax evaders for this is a violation of God’s rule of authority that He has placed over us.

Is there any circumstances in which a Christian can disobey a government? Yes, that would only be where obedience to authority would require disobedience to God’s Word. Here are some passages supporting this.

But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live. (Exodus 1:17 ESV)

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king.
(Daniel 3:16-17 ESV)

All the presidents of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions. Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.” Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction. When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.
(Daniel 6:7-10 ESV)

But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:19-20 ESV)

saying, “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.” But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men. (Acts 5:28-29 ESV)
However, I know that there is always the temptation to be a law unto oneself in determining what laws we will or will not obey. This does not quality as a caveat for disobedience to government authority. Speeding is breaking the law and is a sin no matter what rationale we attempt to use to justify ourselves. Therefore, let us seek to be Spirit-filled believers who crucify the flesh and thereby be seen as doing good and not giving the devil an opening he could use to attack us.

The Marks of Such as Believe in Christ Romans 13:8-14 Part 5

Fulfilling the Law Through Love

Human Reason can be an idol. In those who consider themselves to be “intellectual” or have been educated in philosophy thereby become existentialists, Human Reason is seen as the path to perfection. These will discount in various degrees how relevant or pervasive Holy Scripture, God’s Word, is in being the basis of truth. To these, Human Reason far outweighs the Bible in determining truth. Some see Scripture as totally irrelevant. Others see it as a valuable “historical” book. Sadly, many professing Christians are guilty of worshiping at the altar of Human Reason while their Bibles gather dust somewhere.

God’s Word, is His wonderful gift to His people. It reveals God to us. We know Him primarily through getting His Word into us and it doing its supernatural work of mind renewal via the Holy Spirit. It is sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the division of soul and spirit. It is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12) Through this process, our sanctification, Christians are transformed from flesh driven, selfish, self-centered, baby Christians to mature, spirit-filled, mature Christians. These mature Christians take on God’s character. Godly character is marked by the very nature of Christ that we see in Scripture. That character, all by God’s grace, is expressed in many facets all with their source in Love.

“Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 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.” Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” (Romans 13:8-10 ESV)

The Greek word that is translated as “owe” here means to be under obligation to someone else. Christians are commanded to love others. That is our obligation. (John 13:34,35; 1 Corinthians 14:1; Philippians 1:9; Colossians 3:14; 1 Thessalonians 4:9; 1 Timothy 2:15; Hebrews 6:10; 1 Peter 1:22; 1 Peter 4:8; 1 John 2:10; 1 John 3:23; 1 John 4:7,21; Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:27,35; Luke 6:28, 34 Romans 12:14, 20; Galatians 6:10; 1 Thessalonians 5:15) What does it mean that Christians who do love others, even the unlovely, have fulfilled the law? Christ fulfilled the law and when believers are Christ-like they too fulfill it in that they do not violate any part of God’s law regarding interpersonal relationships because true love does no wrong to others.

“Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” (Romans 13:11-14 ESV)

The Greek word for time here refers to a period or era or age. In this evil age believers must not be apathetic or dull to the things of God nor should they be tolerant that which is evil being called good while that that is good being called evil. This age is rapidly approaching its end. The closer we come to the end of this age the more this trait becomes manifest. Christians are called to not be conformed to this world, but rather to be transformed by the renewal of their minds. (Romans 12:2) By becoming Spirit-filled, Christians walk in the light. Their godly, Christ-like character is marked by love for others, moral character, and spiritual acumen. They have put on the Lord Jesus Christ and are in the process of crucifying their flesh and submitting their wills to the Lord in all things.

Please do not be discouraged in the comparison of your walk with these standards. All of us are in process. The tragedy is that many believers are still Christian babies. This is a call to become the spirit-filled believer who is actively pursuing God and His ways in all areas of their lives. We know that this process starts with becoming a living sacrifice who is not conformed to this world. From there we proceed through tests and trials and mind renewal to become those who walk in the light instead of the darkness of this flesh bound world. Every day we live in our lives is one day closer to the day when our salvation will be fulfilled in our glorified bodies to be with our Lord forever. If that is our treasure rather than self-gratification we will do these things and cooperate with God in our sanctification to become fruitful disciples this side of eternity who bring our Heavenly Father glory.

The Marks of Such as Believe in Christ Romans 14:1-13 Part 6

Do Not Pass Judgment on One Another

“As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.
One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”
So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.” (Romans 14:1-13 ESV)

When I encounter a believer who is legalistic, no matter how well versed they are on the Biblical passages they specialize in, I know I am dealing with someone who is spiritually immature. The more mature we become in our sanctification the more Christlike we become and that means we do not pass judgment on those who do not understand the Law of Liberty.

“The diversity of the church displays Christ’s power to bring together dissimilar people in genuine unity. Yet Satan often works on men’s unredeemed flesh to create division and threaten that unity. The threat to unity Paul addresses in this passage arises when mature (strong) believers–both Jews and Gentiles–conflict with immature (weak) believers. The strong Jewish believers understood their freedom in Christ and realized the ceremonial requirements of the Mosaic law were no longer binding. The mature Gentiles understood that idols are not gods and, therefore, that they could eat meat that had been offered to them. But in both cases the weaker brothers’ consciences were troubled, and they were even tempted to violate their consciences (a bad thing to train oneself to do), become more legalistic under the feelings of guilt, or even to sin. Knowing that the mature Jews and Gentiles would be able to understand these struggles, Paul addresses most of his comments to them.” – John MacArthur

“As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.” (Romans 14:1-4 ESV)

The Greek word translated as “welcome” in v1 of this passage refers to personal and willing acceptance of another. Who are the weak the strong are to welcome or receive? This is describing those believers who are unable to let go of the religious ceremonies and rituals of their past. For example, the Jewish believers who were weak in their faith struggled with abandoning the rites and prohibitions of the Old Covenant. Gentiles who were weak in their faith believed that any contact with their old pagan religion, even eating meat sacrificed to idols, was something that would taint them with sin. Quarreling over “opinions” could better be translated as, “for the purpose of passing judgment on his opinions or scruples.” Mature believers must not sit in judgment on those who sincerely struggle with their underdeveloped thoughts that drive them in their weak faith.

Believers strong in their faith, mature believers, had the freedom in Christ to eat meat sacrificed to idols. They knew that an idol was nothing and the meat, being less expensive than regular meat sold at the market, was a bargain. On the other hand, believers weak in their faith would eat only vegetables to avoid eating the meat sacrificed to idols. Notice that Paul does not chide either group. He does not condemn those with freedom nor does he tell the weak to overcome their fears. Instead, he tells the strong to not despise the weak for abstaining and for the weak not to pass judgment on the strong for exercising their freedom. What is important is that it is Christ who evaluates each believer. His judgment does not take into account religious traditions or personal preferences.

“One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.” (Romans 14:5-9 ESV)

The weak or immature Jewish believers felt compelled to observe the Sabbath and other feast days associated with Judaism while the mature Jewish believers knew that that was all fulfilled in Christ. Contrarily, the Gentile immature believers wanted to be separate or set apart from their former idolatry because of the immorality associated with it. The Conscience was given to Man by God. It is the mechanism that warns while responding to the highest standards of moral law in the mind. If we “let our conscience be our guide” we are wise. It is not sensible to train ourselves to ignore its warnings. We should always respond to it wisely. As we mature in our sanctification through mind renewal by being in God’s Word as much as possible, our consciences will be renovated as well. This process will eventually cause the conscience to not alert the mind about non essential things.

The strong believer eats as he pleases and thanks God for the food and the nourishment. On the other hand, the weak believer thanks the Lord in the abstinence. The motive for thanks is the same, therefore, the Lord is blessed. Our walks must become more and more aligned with that which pleases the Lord. Our walks must not be about self. To be self-focused is of the flesh. Believers are called to deny their flesh while living for God in pursuit of His will for our lives. Our Lord died not only to free us from sin, but to enslave us to Himself, to establish Himself as Sovereign over all the saints from the distant past (those with Him now) and those still alive on Earth. (Romans 6:22; Philippians 2:11; 1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14; Revelation 19:16)

“Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”
So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.
Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.” (Romans 14:10-13 ESV)

We must not fall into sin by judging hypocritically. The Judgment seat of God awaits all believers. Every one of us will give an account of himself or herself. The Lord will judge our decisions including how well, or not, we made decisions of conscience. His verdict is all that matters. Instead of judging other believers in matters of conscience we should use our best judgments to help other believers to find the light of God’s truth so they can walk it unashamed. On the other hand, if we do pass judgments as described in this passage we are actually being stumbling blocks that cause others to fall into sin. Since the Judgment Seat awaits, that would not be wise.

Is there a correlation for us in the 21st Century from this passage? Do we have believers who are weak in their faith and other more mature believers? Absolutely! I can think of many examples of believers clinging to “Religion” or “Ritual” or even a certain Bible translation or a denomination while believing that those who are not part of those groups who serve God like they do as being of the Devil. I have also seen mature believers step out of those things and simply pursue God in their freedom while looking down their noses at those still “mired” in their religiosity. Neither group is following Paul’s teaching from this passage. To those who cling to their “religious” things, I say that you must thank God and obey Him in all you do. To those who see these “religious” things as unimportant while walking as living sacrifices, being spirit-filled and obedient in every part of their lives, I say that you too must thank God in your freedom and use your spiritual gifts and wisdom to help others to mature into God’s light as well.