Humility and using our gifts.

Romans 12:3

For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

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For the next few verses, Paul is going to explore how we should use our gifts within the church, but to begin on that theme he first commands us to be humble. To not think of ourselves as better than we are.

"For by the grace given me, I say to every one of you" 

Paul begins by being an example of this himself. He is about to tell his reader, and by extension us, to be humble. As a result he starts by saying that it is only by grace that he can say this. Before he was saved, Paul was a pharisee and he made it his business to hunt down Christians and to put them in prison. It is only by God's grace that he was saved from that lifestyle - he was changed from a persecutor of Christians to a missionary and teacher of Christians. It is also God's grace that made him an apostle - he didn't deserve it, but God gave him the necessary spiritual gifts so that he could work in that way. That's why Paul has the right to write this to the churches - God gave him that position of authority. But Paul acknowledges that it was entirely God who put him in that position. It's not based on his own merit.

Paul's words are not only meant for the Christians in Rome. If they applied to "every one of [them]" then and God doesn't change, then they apply to us now as God's people. Do we read the word and apply it to our lives? Do we take it seriously? I find it's so easy not to, but we need to do it.

"Do not think of yourselves more highly then you ought"

We live in a society that bases most of its marketing schemes on making us feel good about ourselves. We live in a society largely based on pride. Therefore, as part of not conforming to the pattern of this world, we need to submit to God and be humble. Instead of being chuffed with ourselves and our talents, we need to give the glory to God for what we do and the gifts he has given to us.

Pride is one of the things I struggle with most in my walk with God. It just kind of creeps in, and I don't realise for a very long time that I'm being proud. I slowly start to look down on others, I slowly start to trust in my own abilities, I slowly start to edge away from God and start looking at myself, enjoying myself instead of enjoying God and contemplating his character. Instead I need to realise how sinful and wretched I am and how much I deserve God's wrath. I need to reflect on myself as God sees me, a sinner who does not deserve grace, but who has received it freely because of God's goodness. Is this a problem you face as well?

"in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you."

I don't entirely understand what Paul means by this, but I've read a few different interpretations. John MacArthur seems to think that faith refers to the amount of gifting we have with which we can serve God. We all have gifts from God to varying degrees, and we need to look at them honestly and humbly to know how we can best serve God with them. That doesn't mean that we ignore or belittle our gifts, it means we use them honestly and we give God the glory, since he gave us the gifts.

"A believer should appraise the gifts God has given him fairly, glorifying God for their bestowal, and then exercise them through dependence upon the Holy Spirit and not in mock humility make light of them. A renewed mind thinks soberly about oneself." (Preceptaustin.org)

 Barnes offers a different idea about this: He says that since faith is key to being a Christian, what Paul means is that we need to measure ourselves by our walk with God. He says:

"we are not to judge of our own characters by wealth, or talent, or learning, but by our attachment to God, and by the influence of faith on our minds."

Application 

• Be humble! We need to realise how wretched and undeserving we are of God's grace to be able to truly understand what he has done for us.  I'm not sure that we will grasp this fully until we go to be with God, but we need to work hard at hating our sin and realising how gracious God is in saving us.
• Have humility when evaluating and using your gifts. God has given us all gifts and we aren't called to hide them or belittle them. We are called to use them as best we can for God, and to give him the praise for them.
• We need to measure ourselves by our walk with God. Regardless of how well or poorly our lives are going, it is our relationship to God and our love for him that matter. Work hard to be walking in obedience and love of God instead of focussing on other things.

I'll probably do another (more topical) post on humility at a later date - it's definitely a topic I need to dwell on more, but I hope those thoughts were helpful.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Nat.

Being transformed by the gospel

Romans 12:2

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

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This verse is attached to the previous one in this post. Within it Paul is explaining how we should act if we are living sacrifices.

Do not conform to the Pattern of this world

The world is full of ideas, values, actions and plans, most of which are built from our sinful hearts and motives. As Christians we shouldn't just be chasing after the new trends, trying to be popular in the world. As churches we shouldn't just be introducing new and exciting things for the sake of getting people in. Some of these things may be good (we'll get to that later), but we shouldn't just do them because they work. We should do them if they fit with God's word and will. 

What are the general patterns of the world at the moment? There are many, but here are three:

• Sex whenever you want with whoever you want. That's what we're told from almost every TV show and through so many other means, and it's how most non-christians live. It isn't how God calls us to live (Hebrews 13:4, 1 Corinthians 6:18-20)
• Selfishness. I'm constantly told that it's all about me. Everything should go how I want. life should be easier for me. No, that's all selfish - but it does make us feel good an thats why its so attractive. God tells us the opposite (Philippians 2:4, Galatians 6:2)
• Science is better then religion. We're told constantly that Science is right and God is wrong. In reality, true science always lines up with the bible. Theories such as evolution are not based on face or experimental method. They're theories based on things that cannot be proven or seen today. God's word is the truth and is useful (2 Timothy 3:16)

We need to stop conforming to the values of the times we live in, and instead we need to be transformed.

Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

The word transformed "implies a radical, thorough, and universal change, both outward and inward." (Clarke). As Christians we should be completely different to those around us in how we think and act, and we should be completely different to how we used to live as non-Christians. The mind means the intellect - it is a choice to follow God and to obey him. 

How are we transformed? 

Well 2 Corinthians 5:17 says:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

If we are Christians, if we have repented of sin and have put our faith in Jesus, then we are new creations. We are changed and we are made alive in Christ instead of dead in sin. That's the start of the transformation process, but we still need to be sanctified - we're still sinful and we still have to work at weeding out sin from our lives.

We do that by knowing God's word and applying it. God's word is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16 again) and if we want to be transformed we need to take it on board. We also need to do this prayerfully, asking God for help and for the Holy Spirit to convict us of areas in our lives that we need to change.

The result is that we will be able to know God's will. His good, pleasing and perfect will. God's desire is for us to obey him - not out of legalism but out of joy and love for him because he has transformed us through Jesus. No, it won't always be easy or enjoyable, but we should find joy in trusting and submitting to God. His will is good - it is good for us and there is no evil in it. It is pleasing - it pleases God and it should please us to do it. Lastly it is perfect - God knows everything and his will is faultless. It is good to follow.

If we are Christians then we have been saved from our sins. We are no longer slaves to it. Instead we are transformed, made new creations and adopted as God's children. If we have been changed, then our lives and minds and hearts should reflect that - we should be looking to God and attached to him instead of the sin and evil in this world which we used to love.

Will you give your entire life to God for him to transform through his word?

The design of this passage is doubtless to produce a spirit that should not find pleasure in the pomp and vanity of the World; and which will regard all vain amusements and gaieties with disgust, and lead the mind to find pleasure in better things. (Barnes)

The Remnant

Romans 11:5

So too, at the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace.

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God always preserves a remnant of his people. That is a truth that is evident throughout the bible - there are always Christians in the world, God always has his people in the world.

When you think about it, that's pretty amazing. Since Adam and Eve, God has always kept some people who love and serve him in the world. He has sustained them and provided enough for them to remain trusting in him and to stay alive.

In this passage in Romans, Paul is speaking specifically about a Jewish remnant, and he gives the example of Elijah from 1 Kings 19:10-18. Elijah says to God that he is the only one left who truly follows God in Israel. God proves him wrong, promising that there were 7000 who had not bowed the knee to Baal.

Likewise, we never know who is one of God's people. When you feel like you're the only Christian out there, then pray, ask for God's help. Yes, it's possible that you are - in that case then you can know that God will sustain you and provide for you as he always has for his people in the past and as he always will in the future. But don't lose hope! God has people serving him who we don't know about - we don't know it all and we need to trust in him.

Paul says that this remnant is chosen by grace. That means that God has saved us entirely by his grace - not by anything we have done. What a wonderful thing that is! We don't have to fear losing our salvation because we have it for free - Jesus died and his death covers all our sin. If we turn to him in repentance and faith then we will be saved, and we will be totally forgiven, even though we still stuff it up. Jesus' sacrifice was big enough to cover all our sin if we are his people. We don't have to fear that we will be 'un-saved'. No one who is truly chosen by God will turn away from him - only those who are faking it or who don't truly understand it will turn away, because they have not been saved by grace.

An interesting parallel to this is found in Genesis 18 when Abraham asks God if he would preserve Sodom and Gomorrah if only 10 righteous people were in it (v32). God removed Lot from that city and destroyed it. God won't destroy the world while his people are in it - I think that means that before God destroys the world he will take his people to be with him. Maybe I'm wrong there - I haven't researched it much at all, but it's an interesting thought.

God preserves a remnant, are you in it?

Who can come before God?

Psalm 24:3-4

Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?
Who may stand in his holy place?
The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not trust in an idol
or swear by a false god.

 Who can come before God? Who can enter his presence? Who can stand before him? The short answer is that none of us can. Our hands are filthy, our hearts certainly aren't pure and we constantly put ourselves before God.

We are sinful, we disobey God and therefore we deserve his wrath. We cannot come before him asking for salvation while we're in this state, and we don't deserve anything except God's wrath. Yet he has made a way for us to be saved. He has provided someone who can enter his presence.

Jesus is God, he is perfect. He has clean hands, he is pure. He did not trust in himself or worship anything other than God (even though Satan tempted him to in Luke 4). He is God and he came to earth as a man, he lived perfectly and he died in our place.

Jesus, the creator of the universe, God the son, equally God along with the Holy Spirit and God the father from all eternity came to earth for our sakes and died in our place. Why? To take our sin, so that whoever turns to him can be entirely forgiven by him. He suffered the wrath that we deserve because he took our sin on himself. He was punished by God even though he was perfect so that he could save us.

So Repent and Believe! Turn to him! Jesus saves, put your faith in him, turn from sin and obey him. Jesus not only died, but he rose again. The wages of sin is death, and he suffered that, but he rose again proving that he had dealt with our sin in full, he had paid the price that we would spend eternity in hell paying. He rose again from the dead and ascended to heaven, and he is with God preparing a place for us.

Jesus has ascended the "mountain of the Lord" and he will return to judge the living and the dead. Everyone who puts their faith in him will be entirely forgiven and will be saved from his wrath. We will spend eternity with him in heaven, enjoying his presence. Anyone ho rejects him will be rejected by him and thrown into hell to suffer God's wrath on that day.

Jesus alone can save. He is the only true God: we need to worship him. He is the one who makes our hands and hearts clean, washing them in his blood so that we are righteous in God's sight. Nothing we can do can add to that or take away from it. Trust in him! Repent and Believe and be encouraged! Stand firm!

Jesus saves. This is love.

Soli Deo Gloria
Nat.

Building our lives on Jesus

Luke 6:46-49

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? As for everyone who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice, I will show you what they are like. They are like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

We cannot come to Jesus and yet not do what he says. Sure, we are 100% saved by grace, but if we are truly saved then we will do what he says. Why's that? Because part of faith is repentance: saying sorry for sins and our rebellion and turning to God and because if we truly love God and trust him we will obey him and put him first. We know a tree is healthy if it produces good fruit. We know a medicine works properly if it does its job and helps heal sickness. We know a Christian by their works, not because their works save them, but because if they are saved they will obey God.

Building our lives on Jesus.

There are two ways to approach our walk with God. The first is like a man who builds his house on the rock. It takes effort, it's inconvenient, but it shows true care and love. If we study God's word and work hard to obey it, it won;t be convenient for us, but it is better. It shows that we genuinely do love God.

The result for the man in the parable is that when the rain and storms come his house remains standing. If we build our lives on Jesus, the rock, focussing on him, working hard to know him, his promises and to obey him then when hard times come, when trials and temptations arise it will be ok. We will rely on God's promises and he will sustain us. This also applies to when Jesus returns and judges the world. If we have based our lives on our faith in him then we will be saved and not condemned (because he has taken our sin and paid the price if we are Christians). Note that it isn't how well he built his house that matters. What matters is that he built it on Jesus. If we live our lives for God's glory and base them on living like Jesus and on God's word then God himself will uphold and sustain us. It'll be harder and less fun and less convenient, but it will last eternally. 

Building our lives on The World.

Obviously the opposite is true for the other man. If we don't truly live for Jesus, but just fake it then it won't stand. God knows who truly trusts in him and who the hypocrites are. You can't fool God, so don't fake it. Don't pretend you're following him if you really aren't. Likewise if we base our lives on things other then Jesus then it won't last. The world is full of things that promise much, but just slide away. Money, friends, family, work and so many other things, which are good blessings from God can become our idols. We base our lives on them and they slip away, leaving us with nothing.

When hard times come the hypocrites, who just follow Jesus because it's easier usually fall away. They find it too hard and don't have God's promises to sustain them. Likewise if we trust in the things of this world then it will all crumble when Christ returns to judge. He alone can save, and therefore everyone who has rejected him is still under God's just and righteous wrath.

The question we have to ask ourselves is this: Do I really trust in God? If so, am I building my life on his word and on his promises? Am I obeying him? We aren't saved by what we do, but if we are saved then we will do good stuff because of it to honour our saviour.