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In our passage this morning, Paul is going to continue to instruct us on how to acceptably practice our liberties in Christ. The theme that arises in the last half of chapter 14 is simply put – “Love trumps liberty.” Love for others and their own spiritual walk with the Lord is always more valuable than the unhindered exercise of our own liberties.
Preached: 4-14-2019
In our passage this morning, Paul is going to take his teaching on non-essentials to an even more practical level. He is going to instruct us on how to acceptably practice our liberties in Christ. The theme that arises in the last half of chapter 14 is simply put – “Love trumps liberty.” Love for others and their own spiritual walk with the Lord is always more valuable than the unhindered exercise of our own liberties. Preached: 4-7-2019
In today’s culture, one of the greatest “sins” anyone could ever commit is judging someone else. Although God considers all sin equally offensive, in the areas of non-essentials, judgment of other believers is considered wrong. So, who gets the right to judge or evaluate believers in these areas, and when will this happen? We learn from today’s passage that the Lord Jesus will do so Himself at the Bema Seat Judgment, where He alone can evaluate NOT only actions, but also heart motives, thinking, and SOURCE.
Preached: 3-31-2019
This week we continue looking at the area of non-essentials and Christian liberty. We will see that what is going on in our thinking, as believers, is much more important than what side of the ISSUE we come down on. A repeated phrase is used six times in verses 6-8 to provide us with a key to our thinking and how we should approach these areas…“to the Lord.” Are our decisions on non-essentials/liberties made with the Lord in mind?
Today, we begin a very important and practical chapter in the Book of Romans – important and practical for daily church life. This chapter involves the area of response to non-essentials (i.e., things not clearly spelled out in the Scriptures) and how we respond to other believers who disagree with us in these areas. What we will see today, and throughout the chapter, is that the ISSUE is never really the ISSUE, but our attitude or response towards others regarding the ISSUE is really the ISSUE.
Paul uses a metaphor in this morning’s passage that we are all familiar with…clothing. On a day to day basis, depending upon our activity, we change our clothing by taking something off and putting something else on. For the believer in Jesus Christ, there is only ONE acceptable outfit! That outfit is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and the believer is to rely upon God’s resources for their daily lives as reflected in the life of Jesus Christ, which the Spirit of God wants to produce in and through us.
“All you need is love” was a song popularized by the Beatles in 1967. Everyone in every culture on earth would pretty much agree with that statement - the world in general, or our country in particular needs more love. But, how does that happen? Just by wanting to love more? Today, we will look at “how” we can love one another and thus fulfill not only society’s laws amongst our fellow citizens, but also the righteousness requirements of God’s laws.
Today, we finish a two part message describing the response of the Christian to Civil Government. Since personal vengeance and retaliation are not for the Christian to engage in (Romans 12:14, 17-21), one of God’s “justice mechanisms” is civil government. As a result of their God-ordained role, Christians should submit to their civil government unless that civil government REQUIRES the believer to disobey God.
Today, we begin a two part message describing the response of the Christian to Civil Government. Since personal vengeance and retaliation are not for the Christian to engage in (Romans 12:14, 17-21), one of God’s “justice mechanisms” is civil government. As a result of their God-ordained role, Christians should submit to their civil government unless that civil government REQUIRES the believer to disobey God.
As we conclude Romans 12 this morning, we actually conclude on a thought unit that was introduced in verse 14. This thought unit (containing verse 14 and verses 17-21) provides instruction on how to deal with difficult people in our lives. How does a Spirit-filled believer, who is reckoning themselves dead to sin and alive to God and presenting their bodies to the Lord respond to people who attempt to injure them in some way? Join us this morning as we explore the mind of God on this matter through the pen of the Apostle Paul.
