Tag: Quick Takes

Morning Musings: Romans 13:13

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“Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy.”  (ESV)

Paul plays a mean trick on us here.  He starts listing off sins that those evil people (whoever they happen to be) commit under the cover of darkness.  And right from the start we’re tempted to cheer along with him.  Down with those evil people engaging in orgies!  Down with those drunks who are wrecking their lives and the lives of their families!  Down with those sexually immoral perverts!   Read the rest…

Digging in Deeper: Romans 13:1

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“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities.  For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.”  (ESV)

This is one of the harder things Paul wrote.  The relationship of Christians to the authority of the state has been a stubborn knot to untangle since the beginning.  What does it look like to be subject to governing authorities as one who is chiefly subject to the authority of Christ?  If there is no authority except what has been instituted by God, what do we do about authorities that do not in any way seem to be godly?  Surely there have been authorities in place over the centuries that were not instituted by God…right?   Read the rest…

Morning Musings: Romans 12:9-21

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One of the things every follower of Jesus wants at some point along the journey is a checklist of things that if we do all of these, we will be on the right track in our Christian walk.  Well, here in Romans 12:9-21, Paul offers us about as close to this kind of a list as we will find anywhere in the Scriptures.  This isn’t a list that gets a lot of attention, and it certainly isn’t exhaustive, but it does cover an awful lot of ground.  So here’s my encouragement: Print this list.  Make it a checklist.  Read the rest…

Morning Musings: Romans 12:4-5

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“For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.”  (ESV)

The church was not designed to be an operation of one.  It runs like a human body.  There are many different parts that all play an important role in the proper functioning of the body.  In order for things to work like they should, every part has to play its part.  If you are a part of the body of Christ, you have a role to play.  Absent you playing that role, the whole thing will not work like it should.

Morning Musings: Romans 12:1-2

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“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”  (ESV)

While there have been volumes written on these two verses, these are quick takes and so I have two quick thoughts.   Read the rest…