August 28, 2020
The Believer's Epitaph
Romans 12:9-21
Jon Ellison
Central Truth
The free gift of grace that leads to eternal life flips the paradigm, making rational that which worldly wisdom would call irrational. God is not ripping us off. He's setting us free. Trials and tribulations are promised, but the hope found in grace compels us to live differently.
Key Verse | Romans 12:9
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.
Romans 12:9-21
Marks of the True Christian
9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, 1 12:11 Or fervent in the Spirit serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. 2 12:16 Or give yourselves to humble tasks Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it 3 12:19 Greek give place to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Dive Deeper | Romans 12:9-21
Am I the only one who can confidently say I know every word to multiple songs that preach the exact opposite of this passage? I not only know the words, but regularly jam out in the car to them. As I read this passage, I can't help but think what unpopular song lyrics this passage would make!
Why? Because without Christ, this passage makes no sense. If I'm honest, my natural inclination is to be so busy trying to build up my own kingdom that, frankly, I don't think about "outdo[ing] one another in showing honor" or being "patient in tribulation." And it seems I'd be doing myself a disservice to "bless those who persecute" me or "never avenge" myself. I certainly didn't think about such things before I gave my life to Christ. But the problem with making myself king of my world was that, at the end of the day, I was just an exhausted and lonely ruler over a broken, shattered, and dysfunctional kingdom.
God sent His Son, Jesus, to die a death that we deserved and to atone for our sin, reconciling us to Him. We are heirs of the King of a perfect and eternal kingdom. Because of this, we can stop the constant striving to get ahead. We can love genuinely, humbly putting the needs of others before our own. We can associate with the lowly and live peaceably with all. 1 Peter 2:9 reminds us that we are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession." Further, we are urged "as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul" (1 Peter 2:11). May our epitaphs read that our lives were spent expanding His kingdom and not our own.
Discussion Questions
1. What command in today's passage feels the hardest for you to obey? Why?
2. What are ways that you're still choosing to build your kingdom rather than investing in the heavenly kingdom?
3. Have you experienced times in your life when giving God His rightful seat on the throne has better allowed you to live out these "Marks of the True Christian"?
4. How do you feel you can best remind yourself to live out these traits in a world that oftentimes encourages exactly the opposite behavior?