Today’s passage: Romans 13:8-14

Helpful thoughts:

• In accordance with the rest of Scripture, verse 8 does not forbid debt of any kind (e.g. Matthew 5:42).  The idea, as is translated in the NIV, is to not let our debt “remain outstanding.”
• The one indebtedness that we remain under is to love one another.  When we are giving of ourselves sacrificially for the benefit of others, we are fulfilling the Law.
• The call to love in verses 8-10 are seen in stark contrast with the warning and challenge of verses 11-14.
  • When we are busy actively pursuing Jesus Christ and loving other people, it’s hard to get caught up in selfish sin.

Questions to consider:

1. How does the illustration of darkness and light (Night and day) correlate with the reality of our conversion, new life in Christ and future glorification?
2. In what way does love take the sting (Or even the annoyance) out of following laws?  When good and right laws feel like a burden to us, what is revealed about our desires?  How does our love for God and for others change our motivation for our actions?
3. Where does our love come from?  What is the context of the love that fuels us to love others (1 John 4:19)?

Today’s passage: Romans 13:1-7

Helpful thoughts:

• The Apostle Paul wrote this letter to the church in Rome during the early reign of Nero.  He was a persecutor of the church.
  • The end of verse 1 reinforces government’s divine appointment twice (In case the reader doubts?).
• Ultimately, we are to submit to God. Submitting to the authorities He has provided is submitting to Him.  When those authorities are in sin and punish those who would do good and reward those who are doing evil, we need to wisely consider what is said in Acts 4:18-20.
• There are accounts in history of a tax revolt in Rome near the time of the writing of this letter.  Paul tells the Christians in Rome to pay their taxes.
  • Given the nature of the Roman empire, it would be fairly certain those tax moneys were used to do things that Christians would not want to pay for.  This did not stop Paul (Or Jesus) from telling Christians to pay their taxes to the government (Mark 12:17).

Questions to consider:

1. What kinds of laws can you think of that are obviously good laws to follow (e.g. don’t murder, don’t steal, etc.)?  What kinds of laws might you prefer to be different but are not contradictory to scripture (e.g. speed limits, property taxes, etc.)?  What kinds of laws could there be that a Christian would have to break in order to faithfully obey God?
2. What would be the danger in our political environment of elevating governing preferences to the level of obeying/disobeying God?  For instance, you may have a preference on the issue of universal health care, but is that an issue of disobedience to God?  Why or why not?  What is the danger of jumping into any kind of good vs. evil mindset in a two party political system?
3. Beyond just paying our taxes, what are Christians also to give to our governmental leaders (Verse 7)?  How does remembering what kingdom we belong to first help us to show respect to leaders in this country even when we disagree?  Is there any place for a Christian to mock or publicly ridicule a government leader?

Today’s passage: Romans 12:9-21

Helpful thoughts:

• It would be good to read this passage slowly.  Take time to consider each one of these commands.
• The burning coals on the heads of those who do us wrong are not for our enjoyment…they can be used by God to graciously alert others of their sin and judgment if they do not repent.
  • Our greatest desires for our good works and kindness are to glorify God and see other sinners receive His grace in repentance.
  • Far better for your current “enemies” to become your friends and brothers/sisters in Christ.  This is how God treated us in His love through Christ in the gospel.
• When we see evil in this world, we do not have to be overcome by it.  In fact, we are commanded not to be overcome.  It might be tempting to avoid being overcome by hiding in a “safe” place, but the way to overcome is by proactively doing good. (Verse 21)

Questions to consider:

1. What commands stick out the most to you?  Where would you like to grow first/most?
2. How are these commands tied to each other?  Are there any relationships between one set of commands and another?  How would growing in any one of them help you to grow in others?
3. In what areas of life does this passage call on us to act?  In what areas does this passage call on us to wait, be patient, and/or leave it to God?  How could the consistency of this pattern teach us how we are to interact with and think about other people?

Today’s passage: Romans 12:3-8

Helpful thoughts:

• The Bible never tells us to think more highly of ourselves.  It does however tell us to love others and to be humble.
  • This does not mean we are not to be confident.  Humility and “low self-esteem” are not the same thing.  When we know who God is, and we see how He has graciously chosen to use us in His kingdom and for the benefit of the body of Christ, we can serve and love with all confidence and joy.
• God has given us faith (Verse 3) and He has given us gifts to serve (Verse 6).
  • Every member of the church “belongs” to the other members of the church (Verse 5).
  • This is a great reminder for us.  “Church” is a body of believers we all have been equipped to love and serve.  “Church” is not an event to attend.
• There are spiritual gifts listed and there are commands to utilize them with zeal and cheer.  Be encouraged to focus on the doing and the joyful service more than on investigating what gift you have.  You will do the things the Spirit has gifted you to do best as you see needs and start serving others in love.

Questions to consider:

1. How does this passage begin to answer the question of what a living sacrifice and a transforming life looks like from verses 1 & 2?
2. What do you notice about the descriptive words or actions after each listed gifting?  When are our gifts being used or activated?  How should we use them?  What emotions appear to be present in their proper use?
3. In what ways do you think God has used you to love and serve the church?  Don’t just think of “official” church programs…  What about your interactions with people before and after the service, or during the week?  What needs do you see most often and how might you be especially equipped to meet them?

Today’s passage: Romans 12:1-2

Helpful thoughts:

• All of the things we have learned from Romans 1-11 should result in something.  That something is a transformation toward the whole-hearted, whole-life worship of Almighty God.
• This worship is not simply a mental acknowledgement.  What we learn and understand will result in a change, a transformation, in the purpose of our living. (2 Corinthians 5:17)
  • This transformation does not effect only a portion of our lives (Or one morning out of our week), it changes everything.
• God’s will is good, acceptable (Or pleasing), and perfect.

Questions to consider:

1. Why is it only right to want to live a life pleasing to God?  What truths from the first 11 chapters of Romans (Or even simply Romans 11:33-36) encourage you to follow Him?
2. If we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Changing our thinking according to the truth), how would we remain conformed to the world in certain ways?  How do different ways of thinking enter our minds?  Who gives us suggestions on how we should think?  How well do you think you do in running the world’s philosophies through the grid of Scripture…versus running Scripture through the grid of the world’s philosophies?  How would one grow in thinking biblically?
3. If “discerning” God’s will doesn’t mean being able to predict the future (Which it doesn’t), what does it mean?  How does this transformation regarding our thinking impact the way we view the things going on around us every day?  How would the pursuit of God’s will cause us to think more about what we are doing and less about the quality of our circumstances?

Today’s passage: Romans 11:33-36

Helpful thoughts:

• The last three chapters in the book of Romans are some of the hardest in the Bible to wrap our heads around.  Great job working through them and being willing to wrestle with these matters!
• These final verses in chapter 11 remind us of God’s place in everything.  We are His creation and He alone is worthy of all glory!
• The right response to all of the knowledge and understanding obtained from the first eleven chapters in Romans would not be pride.  Our natural response to gaining knowledge that others do not have is to want more and to see ourselves as “above” others.
  • The right response to all the things we have learned is humility.  We see ourselves as even smaller than we thought we were…and see God as even bigger than we thought He was.  And we rest in that truth.

Questions to consider:

1. What are the ways that Paul declares God to be superior to us?  How much superior?  Can we even figure out how much bigger and wiser God is than us?
2. How does our inability to repay God for all He has done give Him still greater glory?  Why would our inability to repay be hard to accept for some (Think…even when we do righteous things after our salvation, those acts are also a result of His grace)?  Why/How does the increase of our understanding and appreciation of His glory give us greater joy?
3. Can you, with the Apostle Paul, say, “Amen” to all of these truths?  Are you resting in God’s complete sovereignty?  Have you put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ alone for your salvation?  How does agreeing that all things are from, through, and to God allow you to simply rest with a thankful, “Amen”?

Today’s passage: Romans 11:25-32

Helpful thoughts:

• Paul uses the word “Mystery” to refer to something the Old Testament did not entirely reveal.  What this passage speaks of is something the Old Testament pointed toward, which is now further clarified.
• The identity of “All Israel” has been debated.
  • It cannot mean every Jew who has ever lived.  This would contradict many other passages in Scripture.
  • It could mean all in Israel who will be saved.
    • And this could include all in Israel who will be saved from the beginning to the end…or it could refer to a future large ingathering of Jewish people at the time of Christ’s return.
  • Others believe it refers to all the Jews and Gentiles who believe.  Using the terms for true spiritual Israel and the Church interchangeably.
    • For what it’s worth, it seems to make the most sense to me that the use of “All Israel” being saved refers to all of Israel who will be saved from beginning to the end.  This would agree in the context with the idea of the “fullness of the Gentiles” coming in.
    • Whichever option proves to be the correct one, faith in Jesus Christ alone will remain the means of our salvation.
• “The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.”  Everyone has been and will be to the glory of God.  Even people’s disobedience is used by God to bring about the obedience of others.

Questions to consider:

1. Why will there be a people in eternity who are without sin and enjoying God forever?  Who has put this plan into motion and who will bring about its fulfilment without fail?
2. What must be true of all of us in order for God to show us mercy?  What are some attributes of God that would be on display even in a perfect, sinless world?  What are some attributes of God we have only know because of the existence of sin?
3. People can tend toward debate and argument over who the “True Israel” is and who the Church is… What parts of that issue are the most important?  If we were to get too involved in arguing with other Christians concerning that issue, what greater priorities might we fail to pursue?

Today’s passage: Romans 11:11-24

Helpful thoughts:

• The salvation of Gentile people in the church age will be used by God to draw more Jewish people to salvation.
  • Paul is looking forward to the day when all the Old Testament saints who are Jews, and all the New Testament saints (Our time) who are Jews are united after Christ’s return and the resurrection.
    • It appears this gathering of saved Jews is the “Full inclusion” and the “Whole lump” he refers to in this passage.
• God has included people from every tribe tongue and nation into His kingdom.  But to start thinking that an earthly kingdom, or bloodline, or family tradition is what saves us, would be to make the same mistake so many from national Israel made.
  • No one goes to heaven because they’re an American from the Midwest who went to a Baptist church their whole life.
  • Salvation is always by grace, through faith, in Christ alone.
• If one generation loses sight of why we are included in God’s Kingdom, the next generation may never hear the truth of the Gospel.  It doesn’t take long.  Church, don’t lose your first love (Revelation 2:4-5).

Questions to consider:

1. How does this passage seem to answer the question about the distinction (Or lack thereof) between Israel and the Church?  In what ways are Israel and the Church the same?  In what ways are Israel and the Church different?
2. In our culture, country and day, what things do you see that appear to be taking precedence in the minds of many Christians and churches over the Gospel, the Great Commission, and the command to seek God’s kingdom first? (This is a struggle for every generation!  What are the main struggles for ours?)  Where is your first citizenship (Philippians 3:20)?  How should this truth actually make us more valuable to our earthly country while also teaching us to prioritize what matters most?
3. If you were to ask the people closest to you, what would they say you are most passionate about?  What things motivate you to action, to speak, to reach out to others to bring about change?  How can you be growing in cultivating the “branches” of the “Olive tree” of God’s kingdom?