27 November

Bible in 365 Days                             

Romans 11-13

Romans 11

This discussion now gives rise to a new question, "Did God cast off His people?" They were created a nation in order that through them all the nations should be blessed. Failing to realize the divine intention concerning their own national life, they consequently and necessarily failed to fulfil that intention concerning the nations outside. God, however, does not allow the outside nations to suffer, but in infinite grace works through the fall of His earthly people toward enriching the whole world.

Most carefully and solemnly should the apostle's words be noted, "Behold then the goodness and severity of God." His severity is manifested in cutting off the natural branches because of unbelief. His goodness is evidenced in His reception of the Gentiles on the basis of their belief.

A doxology closes the whole doctrinal statement of the epistle. The outburst of rapturous praise was the result of the Apostle's consciousness of the wonderful victory of God through Christ over all the opposing forces of evil, and His solution in infinite wisdom of the problems that baffle the intellect of man. The notes of the doxology are fist a recognition of the depth of the riches of God's wisdom and knowledge, and then of man's utter inability to understand.

At the close of this section it is important to remember that the only interpretation of the inscrutable wisdom and operation of God is to be found in the revelation of His grace in Jesus, which is the foundation doctrine of the whole epistle.

Romans 12

The word "therefore" links all that is now to be said with everything that has gone before. Because of the grace of God, the believer is called to certain attitudes and actions. The very first of these is personal abandonment to God.

In what sense is it possible to present the body to God? The true ideal is to use it in all its powers according to the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. The spirit is evidently God's. The body, therefore, is presented to God. The mind is thus renewed according to the will of God.

Having declared the true attitude of the Christian life to be sacrifice to the will of God, the apostle now proceeds to show how that sacrifice will be expressed. All of chapters 12 and 13 is really occupied with this subject. Chapter 12 shows the evidence manifested in personal life, and chapter 13 as regards the world.

The first positive proof of abandonment to the will of God is humility. Here, of course, it is spiritual humility. There is always danger that one who has solemnly dedicated everything to God will on that very account become puffed up, and there is no pride more objectionable than spiritual pride.

Humility is manifest in using a gift to fulfil the function of the body rather than to glorify self. Wherever such humility exists genuine love necessarily follows. It is valuable to notice carefully the relation between these personal and relative injunctions concerning love; the first reveals the mind of love; the second, shows the method of love.

Such self-emptied, love-centered devotion to the will of God will alone make possible obedience to what follows.

Romans 13

The Apostle now showed what attitude the believer will take toward the world. The first thing dealt with is submission to authority. These powers are of God. The believer's submission to the will of God is manifested in the world by his obedience to properly constituted authority. The very statement of the case, however, inferentially reveals another side of the question. The believer subjects himself to the power when he fulfils the true intent of his calling and office. Paul's own case will give examples of rebuking rulers.

Again, abandonment to the will of God is evidenced before the world by the discharge of all just debts. This is summed up in the first injunction, "Owe no man anything save to love one another." Always to owe love is to render it impossible to defraud in matters of purity, of life, of property. Thus, as the apostle declares, "Love, therefore, is the fulfilment of the law."

Thus ends the section dealing specifically with the requirement of the Christian's submission to God, personal humility in love, relative submission to love. These are the true credentials of the life abandoned to God in spirit, soul, and body.

The Apostle then declared what is the perpetual incentive to realization of the abandonment of life, in both its inner and its outward manifestations. Darkness is everywhere. The children of the Lord are to walk as in the day, even though as yet the night is round about them. They already feel the breath of the morning moving through the darkness, and, casting off the garments of the night, they are to clothe themselves with the armor of light and watch for the first gleam of the breaking dawn.