Tag: Morning Musings

Morning Musing: Romans 12:3

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“For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Christianity has changed the world many times over. One of the ways it has done this is through its revolution and expansion of virtue. The number of characteristics considered to be virtues and encouraged for its followers to adopt into their own lives was greatly expanded by the teachings of Jesus and His first followers. One of the most radical of these changes was the transformation of one attitude into a virtue that had always been considered a vice. Let’s talk about what it was.

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Morning Musing: Romans 12:2

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“Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Our culture professes to value individualism. We see this in all sorts of advertisements. We are constantly told that our buying this or that product will help us stand out from the pack as different. We are told to embrace our individualism and not be like everyone else. The truth, though, is that our culture only tolerates free expression within a pretty tight worldview range. You can do whatever you want as long as it comes out of and expresses a single set of worldview beliefs. Deviate from that, and there’s going to be trouble. The Gospel, though, is different. And if we are going to embrace it, we’re going to have to be different. Really different. Let’s talk about it.

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Morning Musing: Romans 11:33-36

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“Oh, the depth of the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments and untraceable his ways! ‘For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? And who has ever given to God, that he should be repaid?’ For from him and through him and to him are all things.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Sometimes the right response is praise. The right response to what? Well, all sorts of different things. A really good experience. A really hard experience. A particularly incredible gift. An especially profound idea. That last one is what drives Paul to praise here at the end of Romans 11. Expressions of praise in the Scriptures are always worth pausing to reflect on because the author is saying things about God that are true and worth not only knowing, but celebrating. So, what does Paul have to say about God here? Let’s take a look.

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Morning Musing: Romans 11:30-32

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“As you once disobeyed God but now have received mercy through their disobedience, so they too have now disobeyed, resulting in mercy to you, so that they also may now  receive mercy. For God has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may have mercy on all.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

I want to go back with you one more time to Jesus parable of the wedding feast we talked about a few posts ago in Matthew 22. I think that is the primary inspiration for what Paul has been talking about here at the end of this section of the letter. In that parable, the rejection by one people meant opportunity for another to receive what they had missed. But just because the one people missed it, didn’t mean their chance was gone forever. It just meant they were in the same place everyone else had been. At the end of the day, everyone gets in by the same door: grace. Let’s talk about it.

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Morning Musing: Romans 11:19-22

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“Then you will say, ‘Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.’ True enough; they were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but beware, because if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. Therefore, consider God’s kindness and severity: severity toward those who have fallen but God’s kindness toward you—if you remain in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.” (CSB – Read the chapter)

Recently we talked about a parable Jesus told in Matthew 22 where a king hosted a wedding banquet for his son. The first set of guests composed of his longtime friends didn’t want to come, so he had his servants invite everyone else they could find. Paul was quoting from that idea to explain how the Gospel was offered to the Gentiles. Later in that same parable, one of these second-invitation guests showed up at the party, but is not dressed properly. What happens to him is something Paul has in mind in this next part of his thoughts on the place of the church in light of the Jews’ rejection of the Gospel. Let’s take a look.

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