The Voice of a Young Woman

Luke 1:46-55

With the celebration of Christmas, we remember events that took place over 2,000 years ago.

For us in the northern hemisphere, this celebration comes at the coldest time of year, when the days are at their shortest and the nights are at their longest. This gives a fitting picture of the world at the time. Spiritual darkness covered the globe. Darkness had been foretold by the prophet Isaiah. In Isaiah 9:2, it says:

The people who walk in darkness will see a great light. For those who live in a land of deep darkness, a light will shine. (Isaiah 9:2 NLT)

Into the darkness that covered the globe, God sent a light. This light is a light to the nations, salvation for the whole world. Isaiah 49:6 says of Him:

You will do more than restore the people of Israel to me. I will make you a light to the Gentiles, and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth. (Isaiah 49:6 NLT)

The nation of Israel has not yet been restored to God. However, He is a light to the Gentiles, and His salvation is proclaimed to the ends of the earth. The celebration of Christmas is evidence of how far and wide the light is proclaimed. Darkness still covers the globe. Many do not believe or accept the light. Of this fact, John 1:5 says:

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. (John 1:5 NLT)

Many voices give testimony to this light. Isaiah gave testimony 700 years before the introduction of the light into the world. Of the many things he said, Isaiah 9:6 stands out.

For a child is born to us, a son is given to us. The government will rest on his shoulders. And he will be called: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. (Isaiah 9:6 NLT)

The Old Testament is full of voices giving testimony to this coming light. The actual account of the coming of this light into the world is told to us in the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. In these accounts, we find the voices of Advent, the voices of those who welcomed our Savior.

These voices are full of praise and wonder at the thing that God has done. These voices are full of good news and rejoicing. They are voices of amazement and thanksgiving. As we consider these voices, we too can join them in praise and thanksgiving. Voices from over 2,000 years ago reach over the centuries to proclaim to us good news of great joy.

Today, we will consider the voice of a young woman. Although she has long since grown old and passed from this earth, her voice still rings with praises for her great God and Savior.

The voice of which I speak is that of Mary, the mother of Jesus. We find the record of her words in Luke 1:46-55.

We join the story when Mary has just been greeted by her cousin Elizabeth. Before the events, we are considering today took place, Mary had been visited by an angel named Gabriel. He told Mary that God had chosen her to give birth to the Messiah, and as evidence offered the fact that Elizabeth, who had been barren, was with child. After the angel spoke to Mary, she traveled to see Elizabeth. Moved by the Holy Spirit, the baby in Elizabeth’s womb leapt when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting.

Luke 1:46-47 says:

Mary responded, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior!” (Luke 1:46-47 NLT)

Her exclamation, “Oh, how my soul praises the Lord,” shows both the depth and magnitude of her praise. Her very soul is moved by gratitude and praise.

As she continues speaking, her pronouncements reflect why such great praise and gratitude flow from her. She starts out with a profoundly personal reason for her great praise. She says:

For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, (Luke 1:48 NLT)

Mary calls herself a “lowly servant girl.” This reflects more than humility. This statement shows her station in life. She was engaged to a man named Joseph, a carpenter. This was no high station. She was not among the social elite. She was not well off, nor was her husband-to-be. If the cat litter needed to be changed, she did it. She was not above feeding the chickens. And, if chicken were on the menu for the evening meal, she quite possibly would have caught, killed and butchered the chicken.

I have it on good authority that Mary’s house was not equipped with a washing machine. Laundry day quite possibly meant Mary spent her day hand washing clothing.

In a world that has deified her and that prays to her, it is possible to forget that she was human, a citizen of the world of her day. This is important for us because most of us are like her. We are not superhuman, godlike or exceptional, except to our children. Most of us have to load our own dishwashers and microwave our own popcorn.

The Bible says:

Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world’s eyes or powerful or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose things that are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important. (1 Corinthians 1:26-28 NLT)

These verses could have Mary’s picture beside them. Even in her lifetime, Mary did not have much of the world’s goods. Her eldest son was crucified on a Roman cross, and she was taken in by one of His disciples. And yet, what she said is true. She said:

For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed. (Luke 1:48 NLT)

From then on, all generations have called her blessed.

I recently saw a billboard that invited me to come to be a student at a particular school and change the world. I wondered about the goal of changing the world. It seems a bit grandiose when I have trouble changing myself. However, consider what God can do. Consider Mary’s praise.

She said:

For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me. He shows mercy from generation to generation to all who fear him. His mighty arm has done tremendous things! He has scattered the proud and haughty ones. He has brought down princes from their thrones and exalted the humble. He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands. He has helped his servant Israel and remembered to be merciful. For he made this promise to our ancestors, to Abraham and his children forever. (Luke 1:49-55 NLT)

She calls God Mighty and Holy. He is the Almighty. He not only is all-powerful, but He is also the source of all power in the Universe. All things have their existence in and through Him. In addition to His power, He is holy. As the Holy One, He is absolutely pure and set apart from all His creation. He is above all things. It is this Holy and Mighty One who is acting on our behalf. Not just ours, but your behalf. In all other aspects of your life you may be only a number or a cog in the machine, but not to God. As Mary says, “He has done great things for me!”

As is evident in what Mary says, God has no use for the proud and haughty. He even brings down princes from their thrones. For Him, the nations are but a drop in the bucket. God is a God who sees and hears. He not only noticed Mary, but He also notices you.

One way we are assured that He notices us is in His constant provision. Mary says, “He has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away with empty hands.” The Lord provides for those whose trust is in Him. We cannot out-give the Lord. If you are not in the habit of giving to the Lord, this is one area where He says to test Him. Every good and perfect gift is from the Lord. He is our provider.

The nature of this is personal. God does great things for you and me. God provides for your every need. He is aware of your condition, be it ever so humble. Jesus used the example of God’s care of sparrows to teach this lesson. He said:

What is the price of two sparrows—one copper coin? But not a single sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it. And the very hairs on your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows. (Matthew 10:29-31 NLT)

You can never be unimportant because God is concerned with and remembers you. The world offers many invitations, like the invitation I saw to choose a school and change the world. Mary received a call from God to be the mother of the Messiah, and God has changed the world. Jesus offers you an invitation today to be His disciple. God has done tremendous things for you, as He did for Mary. He has called you by name and chosen you to be His child. Will you, like Mary, respond by saying, “I am the Lord’s servant”? If you will, your life too will be filled with praise.

Three Rules to Live By

Romans 14:13-23

Three rules to live by does not mean that we are adding laws. Rather, in Romans 14:13-23, Paul is trying to help us understand how we should live as brothers and sisters in the family of God. In Romans 12:1-2, he told us to present our bodies as living sacrifices, and from that point, he has been explaining how to live as living sacrifices. He discusses the Christian’s relationship to government, our unbelieving neighbors and our fellow believers. Romans 14:13-23 is a continuation of his discourse on how we are to relate to our fellow believers.

Verses 1-12 explain that we each answer to God. They conclude this thought and transitions by saying:

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 14:13 ESV)

Paul is concluding his discourse or thoughts on judging by saying “therefore.” He has made his point that we should not judge one another. Each person will give an account of himself or herself to God. Now he is transitioning to a new thought. We should decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother (or sister).

Never is a strong word, and it is used to emphasize the strength of our determination. Our determination to not hurt our brother or sister should be greater than the temptation to judge.

Saying “stop judging” is not enough. We are given something to do in place of judging. We are to replace judging with loving. Not putting a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a fellow believer requires that we 1) are observant and 2) understand our brother or sister. If we are not mindful of our brother or sister, we will not notice what might cause them to stumble, and if we do not seek to understand our brother or sister, we will not know what is a hindrance to them.

In his discussion of this subject in Romans 14:13-23, Paul gives us three rules that if we live by them, will keep us from causing our brother or sister to stumble.

1.       Walk in love.

2.       Pursue peace and building up.

3.       Walk by faith.

Romans 14:13-16 show us that we must walk in love.

We know that if we walk in love, we will fulfill the law. However, love is about more than fulfilling the law. Love compels us to seek the good of our brother or sister.

If we seek good for our brothers and sisters, we must first understand that we are not all in the same place in our faith or walk with the Lord. In verse 14, Paul says:

I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. (Romans 14:14 ESV)

In this verse, we have Paul’s statement that he knows and is persuaded that nothing is unclean in itself. He is our teacher, an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. Even though he says it is not unclean in itself, he makes it clear that it is unclean for the person who thinks it unclean. He had the authority to say, “Grow up and eat it anyway.” But, he didn’t. He recognizes that we are all at different places in our walk.

He lays out a principle, a rule, for us to live by. He says:

For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. (Romans 14:15 ESV)

This runs contrary to our way of thinking. Why should I worry about what grieves my neighbor? That is his problem! Such self-centered eating and doing what we please is not of love. To say, “that is his problem” is to despise or discount the concerns of the other. A lack of concern about what grieves my neighbor likely reflects an attitude of either judging or despising our fellow believer. We either judge or despise our brother or sister, or we walk in love.

How did Jesus view others? The second half of Romans 14:15 answers this question. It says:

By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. (Romans 14:15 ESV)

Jesus loved others enough to die for them. Should we not then love them enough to be concerned about what might cause them spiritual harm? This is much deeper than “what would Jesus do?” This calls us to love like Jesus loved and selflessly give of ourselves for others. It calls on us to be observant when we are around our brothers and sisters, not for the purpose of judging, but rather for the purpose of understanding and accommodating them. This addresses a danger in our fellowship. The danger is that what we know is good can become the thing that destroys a brother or sister. This is why verse 15 says, “By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died.” If we put our freedom before our brother or sister’s conscience, we should remember the warning of Romans 14:16.

So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. (Romans 14:16 ESV)

Paul continues from the principle of love to the idea of peace and building others up.

This is the second rule to live by, and it is found in Romans 14:17-19.

Verse 17 says:

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17 ESV)

What is this kingdom of God that Paul speaks of? Jesus preached a message of repentance saying, “Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17) Jesus is the King of Kings. He brings the kingdom with Him. Therefore, when we accept Christ, we become citizens of His kingdom. This world is divided into two kingdoms. The kingdom of man is under the control of the prince and power of the air. We have Jesus as our King. Philippians 3:19-20 says this about these two kingdoms:

Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, (Philippians 3:19-20 ESV)

Setting our minds on earthly things is a practice of the other kingdom. True religion is not found in rules and restrictions and traditions that have only to do with earthly things. In another place Paul says:

If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— "Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch" (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. (Colossians 2:20-23 ESV)

Judging or despising our brothers and sisters for what they handle, taste or touch should be a warning, a red flag, for us, alerting us to a problem in our religion. Romans 14:17 tells us that the kingdom of God is a matter of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. If we are still more concerned about our food and drink than about righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, then our religion is worse than useless, it is harmful.

Romans 14:18 says:

Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. (Romans 14:18 ESV)

“Whoever thus serves Christ” refers back to righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit are how we serve Christ. This leads to the “so then” of verse 19. Because we serve Christ through “righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,” we are told to pursue peace and mutual upbuilding.

So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. (Romans 14:19 ESV)

Pursuing peace and what makes for building one another up is also consistent with the law of love. Love does no wrong to a neighbor, but instead seeks the neighbor’s good and benefit. Thus, the first two principles work together: 1) walk in love, and 2) pursue peace and mutual upbuilding. The third principle, while consistent with these two, focuses on our relationship with God rather than with our neighbor. Romans 14:20-21 reviews and summarizes the first two principles. Speaking of our relationship with other believers, these verses say:

Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. (Romans 14:20-21 ESV)

The next two verses move from our relationship with other believers to our relationship with God, and in so doing introduce our third rule to live by: walk by faith. Romans 14:22 says:

The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. (Romans 14:22 ESV)

Here, it plainly says to keep the faith you have between yourself and God.

Building each other up does not require correcting everyone’s opinion or that we all agree on the non-essentials. Some things are better kept between one’s self and God. Eating, drinking, your schedule for devotions and prayer, and such things are among those things best kept to one’s self. This does not mean that we cannot share our practices to help or encourage someone. Sharing ideas and practices can be a part of building each other up. However, when our sharing comes from boasting, it is a problem.

Each person’s faith is first and profoundly a personal thing as we each individually grow in a relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. Each person needs to be convinced in his or her own heart as to their daily lives in relation to the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 14:22 says, “Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves.” If our heart condemns us for what we eat, we hurt ourselves if we eat anyway.

When instructing his young disciple, Timothy, Paul stressed the importance of keeping a good conscience. 1 Timothy 1:5 tells us that a good conscience is one of the goals of our instruction. Then, 1 Timothy 1:19 tells us:

holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, (1 Timothy 1:19 ESV)

Rejecting or showing no regard for keeping a good conscience can lead to what is described as a shipwreck. Romans 14:22 gives us an essential element of our happiness when it says, “Blessed is the one...” Blessed is another word for happy. Do you want to be happy? Then, keep a good conscience.

Romans 14:23 warns us that if we doubt when we eat, we are condemned. This is true of any practice. Do you doubt that you are doing right when working on Sunday? Then don’t. Romans 14:23 says:

But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. (Romans 14:23 ESV)

The key here is faith. The way to become convinced in your own heart is through the word of God. Romans 10:17 tells us that faith comes from hearing and hearing through the word of God. If you were raised with taboos that leave you with a guilty conscience, the way to overcome those is not by ignoring your conscience but by being renewed in your heart and mind by the word of God. This is a matter of personal growth. No one can do this for you. Romans 1:17 introduced us to the idea that the righteous live by faith. Living by faith shows in daily life in the choices we make. It seems to me that many throw away their conscience to gain a worldly life that they will only regret in the world to come.

We await a Savior from heaven, and when He comes will we be ready? Living by our three rules will help us be prepared.

1.       Walk in love.

2.       Pursue peace and mutual upbuilding.

3.       Walk by faith.

Another’s Servant

Romans 14:1-12

Certainly, we must be better than other churches.

We teach the Bible. We are free to eat bacon. We can mow our lawns on Sunday. We go to movies, have televisions and have musical instruments in our worship services.

I am picking on a narrow range of topics. Some churches teach that a Christian should not eat certain foods. I like bacon, so I chose bacon as a representative food. Some churches teach that a Christian should not work Sunday, so I chose mowing the lawn as a representative activity.

All Christian churches should teach the Bible. This is taught in both the Old and New Testaments. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 says:

And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. (Deuteronomy 6:6-7 ESV)

And, 2 Timothy 3:16 says:

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, (2 Timothy 3:16 ESV)

When Jesus returned to heaven after making atonement for our sins, He left us with what is known as the great commission. He said:

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20 ESV)

In this commission, He tells us to “teach them to observe all that I have commanded you.” Teaching what He has commanded requires that we teach the Word of God, the Bible. The difficulty comes when we have different understandings of how these commands are to be put into practice.

The Church in Rome was made up of both Jews and Gentiles. For those who grew up in Jewish households, the observation of the Old Testament dietary restrictions and of the Sabbath and feast days would have been ingrained in them from their earliest days. Therefore, for some of these, it was a difficult thing to give up these traditions.

The Apostle Peter had a difficult time giving up these traditions and even argued with God briefly about it. God decided to have Peter share the Gospel with a Gentile named Cornelius. Before telling Peter that He wanted him to go to Cornelius, God gave Peter a vision. A blanket descended from heaven, and it was full of ceremonially unclean animals, animals that an observant Jew would never touch or eat. Then a voice said, get up Peter, kill something and eat it. Acts 10:14-16 tells us:

But Peter said, "By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean." And the voice came to him again a second time, "What God has made clean, do not call common." This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven. (Acts 10:14-16 ESV)

Can you imagine? Peter told God no three times! However, the message was clear. “What God has made clean do not call common.” Having received this message, Peter then went to Cornelius and shared the Gospel with Him, which opened the door of the Gospel to the Gentiles. Even given this, later on, Paul says of Peter:

But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, "If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?" (Galatians 2:11-14 ESV)

Peter had a revelation from God, which led to him becoming the first to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles, and yet even he had difficulty giving up the Jewish traditions and ways. In Galatians, Paul rebuked Peter for sectarianism. However, in His letter to the believers in Rome, He is addressing how we are to treat and live with believers who differ with us in their understanding of how to live the Christian life. He uses as his examples food and days. Some did not eat meat and some observed days, such as the Sabbath.

In Romans 14:3, Paul addresses the two temptations that face us when we differ in our opinions on matters of practice. Romans 14:3 says:

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. (Romans 14:3 ESV)

The two temptations are to despise or to judge. Generally speaking and consistent with the passage, the one who eats will be tempted to despise the one who does not. In other words, if I feel I have freedom in Christ to go to movies and eat popcorn, the temptation will be for me to look down on the one who does not. Or, for another example, if I enjoy musical instruments in worship, the temptation will be for me to look down on the one who does not. Corresponding to this temptation, there is the temptation for those who abstain to judge those who eat. In other words, if I go to the movies and eat popcorn, the one who does not could be tempted to judge my actions as being unbecoming or not fit for a Christian. Or, as in the previous example, the non-instrumental music crowd could be tempted to judge me as unChristian for enjoying instruments in my music.

Paul offers three strong arguments to suggest why we should not despise or judge our fellow believers when they are seeking to serve the Lord the best they know how.

First, he says they are the servants of another.

We find this in Romans 14:4.

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 14:4 ESV)

“Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another?” This implies that the other Christian is the servant of the Lord. He or she is not my servant. He or she is not your servant. He or she is the servant of the Lord.

There are many things that are clearly sin. For example, murder is clearly not a practice fitting for a Christian. Lying, malice, envy, stealing, adultery, sexual immorality, and many such things give us cause to question if the one practicing such things is a servant of the Lord. These are indications that one is not a servant of the Lord.

However, there are many things that one might do as an attempt to obey the Lord about which we might disagree. For example, I have already mentioned music, but what about baptism? One person gets immersed in obedience to the Lord, and another gets sprinkled. Which is right? One person worships on Saturday and does no work on that day, and another worships on Sunday. Which is right?

This is the kind of situation in which it is important to remember that our fellow believer is the servant of the Lord. It does not matter if their practice makes me uncomfortable when they are doing what they are doing to please the Lord.

The first argument that Paul presents as a reason not to despise or judge is that our fellow believer is the servant of another. The second argument is similar.

The second argument is that we all belong to the Lord.

We find this in Romans 14:7-8.

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. (Romans 14:7-8 ESV)

We tend to think that we have the right view. Each of us has our own set of experiences. From these accumulated experiences we learn and grow and develop our own particular view of the world. Becoming proud and puffed up is a danger to all of us in this process. In 1 Corinthians 8:1-2 when dealing with the question of eating certain foods Paul says:

Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that "all of us possess knowledge." This "knowledge" puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. (1 Corinthians 8:1-2 ESV)

This pride in the knowledge that they had gained was a problem in the Corinthian church. This is why Paul had earlier said:

So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, and you are Christ's, and Christ is God's. (1 Corinthians 3:21-23 ESV)

Again in 1 Corinthians 4:7 he says:

For who sees anything different in you? What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it? (1 Corinthians 4:7 ESV)

What I am trying to point out in all these verses is that to judge or look down on a fellow believer because of differing practices is a symptom of the sin of pride. I am the Lord’s, and I answer to the Lord for how I live and serve Him. You are the Lord’s and you answer to the Lord for how you live and serve Him. Where is there room for pride? Are my experiences somehow better or more significant than yours? One grew up observing the Sabbath, and another grew up not observing the Sabbath. Is one better than the other because of how they grew up? Both received their experiences from the Lord and were individually called by Him to serve.

 The second argument against despising or judging our fellow believer is that we all belong to the Lord. The third argument Paul gives is that we each will give an account of ourselves to God.

Romans 14:10 says:

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; (Romans 14:10 ESV)

 We will each stand before the judgment seat of God. When I stand before God, I will not answer for whether my fellow believer used instruments or not. I will answer for my own obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ. My lawyer is Jesus Christ so I will be okay. My fellow believer has the same lawyer so he will be okay. This is why Romans 14:3 says, “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.”

The key to this third argument is found in Romans 14:11.

for it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God." (Romans 14:11 ESV)

“Every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue confess to God.”  In the end, God will be glorified. The call of these three arguments combined is that we should live with the realization that we will each give an account to God for the deeds done in our body.  

The Christian’s Obligation

Romans 13:8-14

We tend to use words like “ought” and “should” and “need” loosely. I ought to call mom, or I ought to go to town, and any number of such statements leave our lips without much thought.

While we use the word “ought” frequently, we are not obligated to do as much as we use the word. How often do you stop yourself and ask, “Why ought I to do this?”

For example, with Thanksgiving coming up, we might hear the words “we ought to cook a turkey.” Really? Are we somehow obligated to cook a turkey because it is Thanksgiving? This “ought” becomes more troublesome when it is “we ought to go to mom’s house because it is Thanksgiving.” We are more likely to have a sense of duty when it comes to the choice of where to go on a holiday. We feel obligated for various reasons when it comes to family ties and relationships.

Obligations also come with our relationships within the Church body. We feel obligated to be good Christians. Our neighbors will have expectations for us as well when they know we are Christians.

I grew up on the farm, and it was quite natural to leave our dogs outside to fend for themselves, even on cold winter nights. Therefore, quite a few years ago, I was surprised to be told by a neighbor that I was unchristian when I left my dog outside.

How do we measure our obligations? What ought we to do as Christians?

Last week in Romans 13:1-7 we considered that we are to be subject to governing authorities. This week we are looking at Romans 13:8-14 and we will be considering our obligations as Christians in the world.

Romans 13:8 introduces the idea of our obligations when it says:

Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. (Romans 13:8 ESV)

This statement “Owe no one anything...” comes after a statement to pay taxes, revenue, respect and honor as required by law. Therefore, we are to keep clear accounts with government and those in authority. If the law requires that we show respect or deference to an authority, we are to show respect and deference. However, as we move from considering government to the consideration of the world around us, the principle involved changes from one of authority to the principle of love.

When it comes to our relationship with those around us in the world, we are to be controlled by the law of love. The text makes it clear why this is. Verse 10 says, “Love does no wrong to a neighbor.”

However, our differing interpretations of what our obligations are and what is right and wrong leads many to errors in judgment.

Look with me at the first commandment listed as being kept under the law of love. Verse 9 lists, “You shall not commit adultery.” This implies that sexual immorality runs contrary to the law of love. However, our world celebrates sexuality as something to be experienced as each person sees fit. In the name of love, couples live together without the covenant of marriage. Consenting adults are free to do as they please and this is accepted even within the Church. Love is twisted to mean something different from the call to owe no one anything but to love one another. Biblical admonitions against sex outside of marriage, fornication, and homosexuality are set aside in the name of love.

God gives us these admonitions in the Bible because He loves us, and His warnings are for our good. All His commands lead to life and blessings. To ignore His commands leads ultimately to death. The law of love demands that we warn people of the danger they are in when they ignore the law of love, and yet our world interprets our warnings as hate speech. We have to be careful. We are not to judge the sinner. As Jesus said, “Judge not, that you be not judged (Matthew 7:10),” and “For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged (Matthew 7:2).” Without judging, we are to warn the sinner of the judgment of God. The Scriptures say:

If I say to the wicked, 'You shall surely die,' and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. (Ezekiel 3:18 ESV)

Love addresses people with respect, compassion, and understanding. Anger, fear, and malice are not usually part of a loving response.

Recognizing what it is we owe and what we do not owe requires discernment, knowledge of the Scriptures and sensitivity to the Holy Spirit. We do not always owe what even we say we ought to do, and sometimes we owe what we would rather not pay. Living in this world, we owe no one anything but to live according to the law of love.

As Christians, we should live according to the law of love. As Christians, we also look forward with expectancy to the return of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is coming back. This truth adds urgency to the necessity of living according to the law of love.

Romans 8:11-14 addresses the expectancy with which Christians should live in this world.

Verse 11 starts with “Besides this.” This refers back to verse 8 that tells us that we must live according to the law of law. Besides this obligation, we know the time. What is the time?

Romans 8:11-12 clarify the time.

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. (Romans 13:11-12)

The day this is talking about is the day of the Lord. Paul spoke of this in Acts 17 when he was addressing the people of Athens. He said:

 “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30-31)

In this case, Paul refers to a day that God has fixed in which He will judge the world. This day of judgment is used as a reason for repentance. If we go back to Romans 13:11, we see the statement, “For salvation is nearer to us now that when we first believed.” That day is drawing ever nearer. It is 2,000 years nearer now than when Romans was written. Romans 13:11 says, “you know the time.”

Do we recognize the signs of the times?

When speaking to the Pharisees and Sadducees of His day, Jesus said:

 “When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.' And in the morning, 'It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.” (Matthew 16:2-3)

Jesus used a number of parables to teach that we always ought to watch and be ready. In Matthew 24:43-44 He says:

“But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” (Matthew 24:43-44)

We should live with the expectancy of Christ’s soon return. We must be ready. We do not know if it will be today, tomorrow or a thousand years from now. Therefore, we must be ready. I know we have been saying this for generations, and most have ceased to take it seriously, and this is precisely what Jesus and Paul are warning us against. Listen to what Paul says:

Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. (Romans 13:13)

It seems hard to believe that Christians are involved in drunkenness and orgies, but some are. We have grown used to immorality and sensuality in the world around us, and we expect quarreling and jealousy. These things are all explicitly listed as things that we should not be involved in, but this is not an exhaustive list. These things are examples of what we should not participate in.

In relation to people, the law of love should govern our attitudes and actions. In relation to our flesh, our expectancy of Christ return should cause us to live godly lives. Romans 13:14 says, “…make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Romans 13:11-14 tell us to do something that is much more important than what we should not be doing. If we learn to do what it tells us to do, it will take care of the list of what we should not be doing.

Two statements are of particular interest in this regard. Romans 13:12 tells us to “put on the armor of light,” and Romans 13:14 tells us to “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ.” This then is the key to living as a servant of Christ in this fallen world. Galatians 5:16 teaches us, “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. This then is the same idea.

Putting on the armor of light echoes what Ephesians 6 tells us about putting on the full armor of God. Ephesians 6:11-18 says:

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. (Ephesians 6:11-18)

The armor of God spoken of represents a mind and heart protected by the word of God and the truth of the Gospel. The helmet of salvation is a mind protected by the truth of the Gospel. The breastplate of righteousness is a heart and conscience protected by a godly life. A life of love will grow out of such a mind and heart. Also, the two complement each other. We cannot have one without the other. One cannot live a life of love and of debauchery at the same time. One cannot put on the Lord Jesus Christ and not live a life of love.

This is who we are to be in a lost a dying world. We are subject to the governing authorities of this world, but we are in truth citizens of a heavenly kingdom and ambassadors of our Lord Jesus Christ. As such, we do not owe anyone anything but to love him or her.