October 1, 2024 - Romans 12-16

Paul writes:  “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” (12:1).  We are to live lives of holiness.  How do we do this?  We have to look back to previous chapters.  We are new creatures with a new and holy Lord. Our problem is that, even as children of God, our lives do not always reflect this reality.  That’s why it’s such good news that this entreaty is set on the foundation already laid out in the letter, i.e., though we are to live holy lives, we do not always do so; nevertheless, “there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (8:1)!  Kind of a must-be-holy-but-we’re-not-holy-but-we-have-the-righteousness-of-another-which-means-no-one-can-make-any-successful-charge-against-us thing.

God has given gifts and, also, one another to help us become more and more like Christ – in dealing with enemies, in loving others, in submitting to the authorities, etc. – and, especially, we have the example of Christ himself.  The gospel, the Savior, the fellowship of the church, spiritual gifts, the Scriptures . . . God has given us all we need in order to grow in the likeness of Christ.  And one day, we’ll actually get there!  “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called,  He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.” (8:29,30).

We are God’s people, the chosen of the Lord,

Born of His Spirit, established by His Word;

Our cornerstone is Christ alone,

And strong in Him we stand:

O let us live transparently

And walk heart to heart and hand in hand.   -- Bryan Jeffery Leech (1976)