| Teacher: Rusty Kennedy Series: Romans (Acts) |
Rusty's Notes | |
- August 22 – Romans 12:1-2 - Transforming of the Mind – Talk about eternal things.
- September 12 – Romans 12:3-8 - We are one body with many gifts.
CHRISTIAN ETHICS
Romans 12:9-21
9 Let love be without hypocrisy.
- Paul then talks about the many dimensions of love as it relates both to our fellow believers and to those people who are outside the Christian Church.
- It talks about relating well both to God and to other people—what some have called an “other-orientation,” that as a believer I am no longer oriented to myself.
- I am oriented toward God and to others as the very mode of my being and decision making.[1]
- ‘Love is not genuine when it leads a person to do something evil or to avoid doing what is right—as defined by God in his Word’ – Douglas Moo.[2]
- Here is the real issue… how do you measure/judge one’s heart?
- What makes one a hypocrite?
- I say one thing but do another.
- Christians (followers of Jesus) have been called hypocrites from day one.
- A follower of Jesus has an assumption that they are going to do exactly what Jesus does.
- That may be the desire of the believer but it doesn’t always occur because we are dealing with our flesh. (not our sinful nature).
- Detest – is this a private or public response?
- As the Spirit leads you.
- I think at one point, it was easy to point out specific things (sin) that I detested and could be vocal about.
- As I get older in my faith, and realize that it is not me that changes other people’s minds, but it is the Holy Spirit.
- I tend to be less public about what I detest… that doesn’t mean I am more accepting or passive.
- I think it has more to do with trusting.
- I will continue to teach Truth from the stage and even my personal conversations.
- But I will trust that the Spirit will lead to repentance through His kindness.
- It is the Spirit’s responsibility to change the mind of other believers.
- Did you ever fight with your siblings?
- Of course you did… but it never changed the fact they are still related to you… they belong to you.
- You may have had to set healthy boundaries with family members… but they are still your family.
- But as you go through trials and loss, you probably cling deeper to your family.
- Paul, is saying the same thing here in the body.
- Love each other deeply… even though we do “goober” things.
- We all do “gooberish” things. But we are all still forgiven and made perfect.
- You’re not going to find a spiritual gift analysis on our web site and a list of church duties.
- There are plenty of ways to serve your brother and sister in this body… but we are good if it is even outside of the body of Christ.
- It is as the Spirit leads you.
- On this day, 16 years ago, the body lost a child named BJ Higgins. He was 15 years old.
- On this day, 3 years ago, the body lost a good man named Todd Dolbeer. He was a vital part of this ministry.
- We have suffered over the years with their loss here on earth but we rejoice to know they are forever home with Jesus.
- So we persistently pray for their families. For their needs and their grief to subside.
- I know the Higgins family shared hope with the Absher family because of their hope in eternity.
- This literally meant to feed one another at your homes.
- Hospitality may be defined as ‘the process by means of which an outsider’s status is changed from stranger to guest’.
- It is not something a person provides for family or friends but for strangers.
- Strangers need hospitality, for otherwise they will be treated as non-human because they are potentially a threat to the community.
- Strangers had no standing in law or custom, and therefore needed a patron in the community they were visiting.[3]
- In a big city, strangers have been vilified.
- We have trained ourselves not to even talk to strangers.
- Isn’t it refreshing when you can have a decent conversation with a stranger?
- In context of today, that has changed with COVID.
- How do you encourage one another in sharing now?
- Paul does not often quote the words of Jesus.
- Indeed, it’s been one of the issues in Pauline scholarship over the years to figure out why Paul does not make more reference to the earthly life of Jesus or to His teaching.
- Paul talks a great deal about Jesus’ death and its significance, about His resurrection, but about His earthly life, Paul is relatively silent.[4]
- Jesus taught the Law… and fulfilled the complete Law.
- Paul encourages to walk by the Spirit.
- In Biblical terms, proud/pride has never been associated with good.
- In society, we have made the word “proud” acceptable and good… especially in light of our family.
- My wife and kids know that I personally refrain from using the word “proud”.
- It takes a little more thought to express my love and admiration for them by not using the word “proud”.
- I have to explain what makes me happy about them.
- Try it sometime.
- This is simply revenge.
- Some people ask the question, “Don’t you just become a door mat?”
- Are we not to stand up for ourselves?
- There is a difference between revenge and healthy boundaries.
- Is it important to you that you don’t come across as soft or a pushover?
- What does it look like when the Spirit causes your emotions not to get ramped up during a disagreement?
- Can you think more rationally (and with love) when you are not letting your emotions control your physical body?
- Breathe… calm down… you can say the same things with no emotion.
- We are living in a world where protests are becoming so emotionally charged that people are actually dying.
- There is evil in this world… it is going to continue to happen.
- There is only one answer to evil… Jesus.
- Try to see the other side of things.
- You don’t have to agree with the other side.
- But you don’t have to be mean either.
If your enemy is hungry, feed him.
If he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
For in so doing
you will be heaping fiery coals on his head. (Proverbs 25:21-22)
- In the Proverbs we have mainly the teaching of Solomon, of course, but Solomon himself apparently had been influenced by wisdom traditions in Egypt—something Old Testament scholars almost universally recognize.
- And we know from archaeological evidence that there was a custom in Egypt according to which someone who wanted to show their repentance or to express their sorrow for something they had done, would carry a tray full of burning coals on their heads.
- That is probably what’s going on in Proverbs 25, and I suspect Paul understands that context and meaning.[5]
- How does that work in this world?
- It’s not up to me to determine.
- All of a sudden we went to thinking about the individual to world peace?
- Next week, Paul gets into the government.
[1] Moo, D. J. (2014). NT331 Book Study: Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[2] Kruse, C. G. (2012). Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (D. A. Carson, Ed.) (p. 475). Cambridge, U.K.; Nottingham, England; Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Apollos.
[3] Kruse, C. G. (2012). Paul’s Letter to the Romans. (D. A. Carson, Ed.) (pp. 478–479). Cambridge, U.K.; Nottingham, England; Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company; Apollos.
[4] Moo, D. J. (2014). NT331 Book Study: Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[5] Moo, D. J. (2014). NT331 Book Study: Paul’s Letter to the Romans. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.
[6] Christian Standard Bible. (2020). (Ro 12:9–21). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
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