f The Gospel ,s
P|W,ea
Romans 12:1-21
We sow eater the last
?action of Peart letter.
With the Mfeaficent ex
ception of a brief pa usage
in chapter 6, the letter hi*
been miming any admoni
tions about Christian be
havior. That now changes.
Yet admonition .may be
too strong a word. We
should be cautious in our
readiug, for the words
which we read here are
more the pastoral con
cerns of an evangelist than
the strict teachings of a
moralist.
One might even imagine
this chapter and the ones
following coming in
response to someone
saying to Paul, "O.K., you
the way things are, fkea
how do I cope with ihc
broke noes* of Iho .world
Mid the ' over < present
ui aaw thio^
up." The answer begins in
this chapter.
We need to be careful
also that we don't read
into Ihew verses a new
Law. For, some this has
been difficult, for the ver
ses can easily be read as
Law, hearing in them rigid
requirements rather thaa
opportunities for respond
ing to God's call to living
ones life in conformity to
Grace.
They are not rules for
living as much as they are
information about living,
shared with a willing Its-1
(MMVt
Notice that the chapter i*
divided into two parts.
The lint part describes life
at a response to Grace
within the Christian com
munity, the second part
shares the possibilities of
.. ttfc conformed to Grace
within the larger non-Chris
tian community.
Each of these spheres of
activity carries with it an
aura of composure and an
attitude about the effects
jot Grace which lorni the
boundaries of action.
These arc the means to a
Christian life by develop
ing a lifestyle which is con
formed to Grace...yet it is
something more, for it is
not merely a lifestyle but a
thoroughgoing reformation
of ones life.
Life within the com
munity k focused oo the
need for unity, end yet
within that unity there is a
recognition of the diversity
of gifts. The description
of the body parts helps us
see clcady not only the
need for the acceptance of
all parts of the body of
Christ, but also recognize
the necessity for ALL
PARTS...nol just the ones
we represent or the ones
we like. No one is more
important than another,
just as no part of the body
is more important than
another. Therefore wc art
called to live within the
communily like the inter
connected parts of the
body: cooperating with
one another for the benefit
of the whole body, and not
warring with one another.
r
lodcod/ > tlto
part* qf amtbody at war
with dm anothcr..the hand
with the (out, for to
stance..Joem* absurd ,iw*
rather nilly. *
Life outside the com
munity is focused on peace
and rccoociliation. The
member of the body of
Christ is not u> withdraw
from the world, nor are wc
to be conformed to it \
This means that the Chris
tian moves about in the
world, is an active part of
the community in which he
or she lives, but brings to
that activity another set of
values than those which
the community might hold.
They are not bound to
keep up with the latest
fads, but can bring into the
community a different ap
proach to life which is
redemptive. The Christian
I
but islwra'klednMB^end
puttoucw. The Christian
may even be persecuted,
but should not respond in
hostility.
The purpose of the Chris
tian moving out into the
world is to make 'the
Grace of God operative in
God's creation, therefore
every conflict is an oppor
tunity for reconciliation
rather( than punishment.
The saying 'you will heap
; coals of fire upon his head'
is not a punishment, but
rather recalls God's inten
tion that each of us is
purified in the lire..4he
fire burns out the passion
for rebellion. Acts of kind
ness to our enemies ex
lends the opportunity for
God's Grace in the world.
It has been said many
limes before that in
dividual Christians are the
hands and feet of God in
the world, we are also the
visible manefeslalion of
Grace in the manner we
live.
If the world is ever to be
transformed and made
whole again, we are the
avenue for that transforma
tion. Not in our individual
successes, and not in our
triumphs in conflicts with
the world, will it come; but
rather in our behavior as
communities making con
crete the transformation
which comes in living in
the pattern of Grace, and
in the manner in which we
make that Grace real in
the rest of the world.
The Rev. John Robinson
is the Pastor of the New
Hope Presbyterian Chapel
located at 2nd and Jones
Streets in Pembroke.
Come join us for Worship
at a.m. this Sunday!
^ mu
/ /
'> ? ?? j:
GOD'S ETERNAL PURPOSE
Have you ever consid
ered carefully the opening
words of the Bible? "In the
beginning God created the
heaven and the earth."
Why doesn't it simply say '
that God created the uni
verse? Why the heaven
and the earth?
As we go on reading we
find the answer to this
question, for the Bible
clearly teaches that God
has a two-fold purpose; one
having to do with the earth
and the other with heaven.
The former is the subject of
prophecy, while the latter
is the subject of the "mys
tery," or secret, revealed to
and through the Apostle
Paul. (See Acts 3:21; and
cf. Romans 16:25.) The
former concerns Israel and
the nations; the latter "the
Body of Christ," the church
of the heavenly calling.
Some people are sur
prised to learn that there is
not one promise in the
whole Old Testament a
bout going to heaven. The
whole outlook is earthly
there, with Messiah reign
ing as King (Jer. 23:5, et
al). When our Lord ap
peared in the flesh the
angels cried: "Peace on
earth" (Luke 2:14). He
Himself said that "the
meek" should "inherit the
earth" (Matt. 5:5). He
taught His disciples to
pray: "Thy will be done in
earth, as it is in heaven"
(Matt. 6:10). Evan at Pn-:
tecost Pater declared that:
after "the restitution of all;,
things" God would send:!
Jesus back to earth and the:;!
times of refreshing would/4,
"come from the presence of^
the Lord" (Acts 3:19-21).^!
Not until the raising up*?
of Paul do .we learn that*/
now all believers in Christ ?
are "baptised into one body";.;
(I Cor. 12<13), and Colo*-;
sians 1:5, and many otMr'.-'
Pauline passages, speak of;
"the hope which it laid up'j
for you IN HEAVEN" In-*
deed, before God, believers/
are already given a position 1
"in heavenly placet" and dTtf 1;
"blessed with all spiritual:;
blessings in heavenly placet I
in Christ" (Eph. 1:3; 2:4-7). J
The prophecies regard-; *
ing the Kingdom, however,:
will still be fulfilled and;
Christ will reign on earth!
and bring the promised?
"times of refreshing." God!
be thanked that this world:
will not forever be a place of]
war and bloodshed, sick-]
ness and death, misery and
woe. Indeed, at that time.:
heaven and earth will be
opened to each other, and
thus will be fulfilled God's
two-fold purpose: That in
the dispensation of the ful
ness of times He might
gather together in one all
things in Christ, both which
are in heaven, and which
are on earth; even in Him"
(Eph. 1:10).
Your young child may b? able to hold onto a drinking
glass better if you place two tight rubber bands around ?
the glass an inch or so apart. This makes it easier for
little hands to hold.
~? -1. x . l
According to some researchers, celery has negative ?
calories. It takes more calories to eat a piece of celery
than the celery has in it to begin with.
| , ? ?
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