Romans 12:9 // Community

Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. (Romans 12:9)

Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee. (Proverbs 3:29)

Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea:
Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul. (Acts 11:29-30; see below for context)

Don't pretend to love. That doesn't mean don't make an effort to show love; we must allow Jesus to teach us to broaden and deepen our love. But it does mean not to affect love beyond our real limits. This is good advice in an age when people try to increase their power by putting on a big show of caring for people that they don't really know and have little relevance to.

But putting that aside, I want to take a practical look at genuine love on a community level.

Proverbs teaches that we have a very practical reason for loving our neighbours; historically they live close by for the sake of security; a city wall, a town watch, these are only available to those who will live peaceably by their neighbours. This tells me that before we pick fights with those who should be our friends, we should try to remember why we are on the same side, and how turning on each other will expose us to great danger.

Men and women absolutely need each other, it is devilish to be disunited and compete or to envy each other.

Different skin colours or ethnic identities are all part of the same human race, to indulge in hatred over historic grievances is to destroy our chances of living in peace and prosperity.

Members of a faith community must find ways to disagree in harmony, and to remember that they agree on the things that really matter, thus to be perfectly united in Christ the Word, the Truth.

As members of a family, faith community or any small tight-knit community, we must look after each other, this is ultimately a matter of life and death. This is not an affirmation of Communism, despite the oft (ab)used "each according to his ability", Communism tries to force fake love of strangers where Christianity teaches genuine love for neighbours, even enemies, in your tiny immediate community. Local churches should be looking out for the welfare of their members, and many do, and we as members should not be too proud to be helped.


Appendix, Context from Acts:

Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only.
And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus.

And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.
Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch.
Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord.
For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.
Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul:
And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.
And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch.
And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world: which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.
Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judaea:
Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul. (Acts 11:19-30)

Romans 12:4-8 // Complementary

For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. (Romans 12:4-8)

Being different is a wonderful thing, we need to have different personal traits and abilities to be more effective as a team than we would be alone, but we must be united in Jesus, the Way and the Truth. Being united in Jesus is more than just sentimental, it must be based on doctrine and discipline, a willingness to not always have things my way.

Romans 12:3 // Inject Confidence

For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. (Romans 12:3)

For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken. (Proverbs 3:26)

Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: (Acts 11:25)

The texts I am up to in my Bible reading build perfectly on this next verse in Romans: We are not to have confidence in ourselves but in what God wants to do through us and equally through those around us, therefore we are willing to temporarily abandon the successful and fulfilling work that we are doing to activate others for ministry.

I want to be very effective in ministry, and the trap for those who manage to be effective is they end up doing everything, since they are the best at everything.

So while it is good to be excellent at what we do, it is better for ministers to generate others who are even better. How is this done?

Inject Confidence: Make sure people know from your attitude towards your own work and from your feedback to them that we do not need to be confident in our own gifts or abilities, but in God's ability to give us the words and deeds to achieve his objectives if we make ourselves available.

Prioritize Multiplication: Be willing to suffer criticism or even loss, because that will happen when you are focusing on activating and training fellow servants. There will be people who complain or maybe even leave church and blame you for not giving them more attention, endure this patiently and keep making disciples. But...

Sow every field: Don't assume that certain people don't have potential to be trained because they are not well known in the church. These are exactly the kind of untapped potential that you need to be activating and empowering, and yet they are the people who are most commonly neglected, they may rarely complain, but left untended they are far less fruitful than they could be. This means visiting people who have been been visited, even if they have no obvious "needs" and are hard to pin down to a date.

Strategize: Spend time working out what a member's untapped potential may be and invite them to get involved in various ministries that may suit them.

Personalize: Discipleship is just blowing hot air without actually coming alongside people, or inviting them to join you in your work.

Romans 12:2 // Transformed!

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Romans 12:2)

But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,
According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.
Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:
For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. (2 Peter 1:2-12)

It was too tempting to put all of 2 Peter 2 into this post, but I had to stop somewhere. We are saved by entering into a covenant relationship with Jesus Christ. Those who refuse to take part in the process that Jesus wants to lead them on, of being restored back to God's image, they go through life without enjoying the fruit of the Spirit or seeing their actions leading to the lives of others changed by Jesus too. They may have been purged from their old sins, but are they clean now? I don't know.

Jesus wants to lead us on a journey to become like Him in character. First we must have faith, then we must begin to form habits of action that are consistent with our high calling, only after this are we ready to expand our knowledge with sanctified critical thinking, knowing the truth will set us free from bondage to sin, and this will give us the integrity to withstand the storms of life. Finally we will be like our Father in heaven, showing mercy to those we would prefer to punish, and we will be free to experience belonging among God's true servants, those who are our most faithful supporters, who we can count on when others disown us. Finally, God imparts to us His divine love, which is not infected with selfishness, but proclaims the truth whatever the cost, exposing the corruption of the society of lies and drawing some who follow the light to come to Jesus, the source.

I believe this process cycles repeatedly, and I'm not dogmatic that various traits may not overlap in their development. But I believe this process of growth exists literally the way Peter describes it.

So choose to spend time with God that you may be like Him. When you do, you will discover His will for you, you will find it to be good for you, remarkably acceptable to you, and perfectly fulfilling without inadequacy. This is not self-help or self-esteem; this is making peace with your maker and thus making peace your reality. You were created to reflect who God is, only by doing this can you find your ultimate life purpose.


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Romans 12:1 // I'm back!

It has been so long since I used this blog! I just started a YouTube channel but it would be good to get more thoughts down in writing, since this blog was once a really good way for me to spend time with God in his word.

I think I'm up to Romans 12 since I discussed the idea of God having a quasi-racist preference for Jews (he doesn't) but didn't get past that in Romans. I also discussed the entire of the Book of Judges, possibly the most nauseating and depressing book in the Bible, and also one that I find profoundly enlightening in exposing the human condition. I have some more recent posts where I seem to have completed a tiny series on Titus, but some posts refer to texts seemingly at random, I think it's time to get back to Romans from where I lost momentum and left off.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (Romans 12:1)

Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord.
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:14-15)

Already I can see that compared to my earlier posts I have a lot to do to get back to the place I once was in terms of my familiarity with the Bible. After a mere two years at Bible College (most seminarians have to endure at least 4), and a year as an associate pastor; I feel the spiritual and biblical brain drain that this causes. I'm not sure I can blame my college, and I can only blame myself for the last year. Although in the case of the college you would think I would learn about the Bible... but they had to make me think about things I wouldn't if left to my own resources, so I can hardly blame them. No, I should really blame myself, but I've strayed to far to do that without assigning some passive blame (i.e. towards God for making us human) to our (fallen?) nature that can only take so much of one thing before starting to become less efficient in processing it.

I guess what I am really thinking is that it is not really possible (or healthy?) for one person to spend such a ridiculous amount of time on religious things while most believers spend almost no time on it, and the lucky few (like me from the previous years' blog posts) have enough time to be spiritual activists while never spending so much time in such things that the spiritual might become mundane.

But I believe God has in fact called me to full-time ministry, and I believe that as I recapture the habits that once fueled me; replacing habits that have been wasting my time, recreation that does not re-create, I will be able to do the varied, interesting, and immersively important calling I have been handed by my Redeemer.

Mark 2:13

13 And he went forth again by the sea side; and all the multitude resorted unto him, and he taught them. 14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the receipt of custom, and said unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him.

Jesus could draw people. How? I don't know. Was it his fame? His wise teaching? His perceptiveness in choosing His target audience?
What I do know is that Jesus draws people, and we must preach Jesus and learn from Jesus.

Titus 3:8-9

Revival: For and Against

That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. (Titus 3:7, 8-9)

Paul gives a resounding affirmation on preaching justification by grace and the inheritance of the hope of eternal life. The preacher is to continually affirm these things. The result of such preaching will be increased love in action in the church. Revival. This is what we need.
What we don't need is study for its own sake. Questions that do not have a practical answer, historical research that does not make a spiritual difference, debates, and trying to set rules that everyone needs to follow all work against revival.