Romans 12:9-21

I don't know about you, but I hate lists. I know they're necessary, especially when you go to the grocery store and you want to remember all the things you agreed you would pick up. It certainly cuts down on the trips to the store. But lists become most annoying when they are used in such a way as to hold others accountable to the point of being restrictive. They then basically become the rules and the rules turn out to be sacred: no one dare break the rules!

Lists in the bible were not meant to be this way. In fact, the writers of the bible use lists to offer possibilities. The only list that is worth regarding as sacred are the list of ten commandments given to Israel in the desert of Sinai. These were given by God to help Israel see how far they had strayed from God and their relationship with Him. Paul in Romans uses lists much differently. Case in point is the list we find in the passage for this week. The ruling behaviour that accompanies this list is found in verse 9, of chapter 12: "Don't just pretend that you love others. Really love them!" [NLT] Paul goes on then to suggest what this might look like.

When you read the list, it actually reads as a list to motivate one to truly love others. There are 22 separate items on this list: [taken from the NIV]

1. Hate what is evil –cling to what is good
2. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love
3. Honour one another above yourselves
4. Never be lacking in zeal
5. Keep your spiritual fervor in serving the LORD
6. Be joyful in hope
7. Be patient in affliction
8. Be faithful in prayer
9. Share with God’s people who are in need
10. practice hospitality
11. Bless those who persecute you – bless – don’t curse
12. rejoice with those who rejoice
13. mourn with those who mourn
14. Live in harmony with one another
15. Do not be proud
16. Be willing to associate with people of low position.
17. Do not be conceited
18. Do not repay evil for evil.
19. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody
20. Live at peace with everyone [if it is possible as far as it depends on you]
21. Do not take revenge – leave it up to God
22. Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good!

When you read this list you get a feeling that rather than being restrictive, all these items on this list encourage the reader to be free to love and diligent to not allow evil to undermine that love. What this list describes is the life that Jesus lived while on earth and the life He has given us by His Spirit to live today. And by this, we can experience what C. S. Lewis calls a good infection. The very Christ life is made alive in us by God's Spirit so that we can be the true human beings God desires for us to be: His sons and daughters.

Well, when you think of what was going on in the Roman church as Paul is writing this to them some time in the 50s AD, this motivation to love is an attempt on Paul's part for the believers to live with a sense of love toward others and a place of importance for each in the community that centers around Christ. When all people give their lives over to God as living sacrifices, the behaviour of love toward each other is a natural outcome of such commitment and devotion.

In chapter 13, Paul will expand on this expression of love beyond the community of believers to the the community at large.

Questions:

1. What are some items on the list that Paul mentions that resonate with you right now?

2. Take those that resonate and share with your group how they apply to specific situations you are going through.

3. Discuss item 22 of Paul's list - "responding to evil with good" - and the challenges that presents in our world.

Romans 12:1-8

Changing the way we think about life is certainly a challenge when you realize what creatures of habit we are. We tend to do things and see things the same way and over time such ways become part of the fabric of who we are. In this passage, Paul is challenging the Roman believers to think differently. Their pattern of thinking and seeing their world was self-centered and small. They were self-absorbed about who they were and how they needed to behave in order to belong as a believer and follower of Christ.

Up to this point, Paul has been pointing them in a totally different direction. A brief review of the letter of Romans so far shows how Paul leads up to this challenge to the Roman believers to change their thinking:

1. In chapters 1-4, Paul focuses on what the believers "should not boast in." The message of the good news they received is about a crucified Messiah [despised by rulers but cherished by God as an act of love toward humanity]. They should not boast in themselves - their background, blood line, behaviour etc. God has made a way to restore relationship with humanity that has everything to do with Jesus - not human behaviour. In fact, all have fallen short of God's glory but all are made righteous through Jesus. All are children of Abraham - not just the Jews.
2. In chapters 5-8, Paul then focuses on "What to boast in." What we can boast in is what Jesus has done in us. His endurance patience and hope works endurance patience and hope in the human race so that we will not be disappointed about what God has promised. The second Adam has accomplished so much more than the first Adam who plunged humanity into sin. The second Adam has freed us from the slavery of sin so that it is no longer our master. Our master is Jesus and what a master he is because he is more a friend than anything else. When we try to do it our way, sin takes advantage of us but when we do it Jesus' way, we are freed and the Spirit of God works in our lives to draw us near to God and help us live in light of His love. And nothing can separate us from that love!
3. In Chapters 9-11, Paul then answers the question that was looming in the minds of the believers: Will Israel make it in the end? And Paul adamantly emphasizes that "Yes, they will!" Although Jews, for the majority, have not turned to Christ, in the end they will because the Gentiles will return the favour that the Jews gave the Gentiles, of introducing them to the God of the universe who is creator of all. They will respond to Jesus and be grafted back into the tree of humanity. There is no room for arrogance or personal preference because God sees all people as his and the Jews are no exception. They must be careful [Gentiles] to not be arrogant about their response to Christ otherwise they may lose their connection to God.

The pivotal verse that gathers all the thoughts of chapters 1-11 together is chapter 11:32 "For God has imprisoned all people in their disobedience so that He might have mercy on them all." Paul ends chapter 11 by exclaiming, "What a God we serve!" It is through Him that everything exist and everything has been made for!

The only thing left to do on our part as human beings, says Paul in Chapter 12, is to give our lives over to God! Its the reasonable thing to do. It makes sense. When there is a God who goes to the lengths he does for us, the only thing for us to do is to give our lives to Him. As we do that, God's Spirit begins to change the way we view the world and people. Rather than judge and evaluate by placing categories of division, God puts His love in our hearts and we are able to love and embrace those around us. In the passage to come for next week [Romans 12:9-21] Paul will focus on what this looks like. Ultimately, it is the key to pushing back evil in our world - responding to evil with good - the Law of Christ that advances God's Kingdom in this world!

Questions:

1. Do a quick review of the letter of Romans so far. What have been the highlights for you?

2. Think of ways that God has encouraged you by His Spirit to look at the world differently?

3. What is your place in this community? What gifts has God given you that make you a unique contributor to this community?

4. Tell someone about your gifts.

5. Think about how you can use your gifts to advance God's cause in our world?