One of the most climactic passages in the Bible (in my opinion) is found near the middle of Paul’s letter to the Romans. Romans
wasn’t the first epistle Paul wrote, but it is definitely regarded as one of the most profound and probably the most referenced defense of the Gospel addressed to believers. One of the important things we gain from reading it is to see how Paul addresses real-life
arguments and misunderstandings of the role of Christ for humanity.
The truth is that we all have things we don’t understand well about what it means to live for Christ. Even Paul and the other
apostles struggled with understanding at times and doing what the good news reveals about God’s will for us and what that means
in everyday life.
The Jews thought they understood being a Jew pretty well. In fact, they took a lot of pride in that idea without realizing what it
all really meant. Eventually, those who were seeking to worship the Father in spirit and in truth realized they would have to change
the way they thought about…everything in order to do the will of the Father.
Being a Jew wasn’t bad, any more than being a Pharisee; it was acting rebellious or hypocritical that was bad. It seemed their titles blinded them from what God was calling them to be. Nothing is different for us. Being an American isn’t bad, any
more than being of a particular race, or having a certain IQ, or earning however much money you earn. It’s thinking differently that is
the real challenge.
God had a very important ritual that He established for those living prior to Christ’s arrival: The Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16).
Atonement just means reparation for a wrong or injury, which in humanity’s case is sin! God was willing to atone (cover over) sin on
our behalf. It was a day that involved many prayers of thanksgiving and sacrifices to demonstrate their understanding of the importance of that event. Sadly, they struggled with really getting it; they hadn’t changed their minds yet!
It took Jesus coming to the earth to model for us how to live, and being willing to be the perfect sacrifice, the lamb who would
take away the sins of the world! Once He lived and was sacrificed for us, this could finally make more sense. The challenge still
remains, though, that we must change the way we think about life and godliness.
Romans 12 highlights many amazing practices that help us in that. “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is
good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to
show hospitality…” (Romans 12:9-13)
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