The Answer Is Grace

Tag: Romans

The Transformed Life of a Disciple

April 1, 2022 /
Maple trees changing colors in fall.
Maple trees in fall. Photo credit: the answer is grace.

In Romans 12:1-15:13 Paul addresses three religious issues with his audience of both Jewish and Gentile believers in the Roman church. These same issues are present in many Christian churches today, so Paul’s advice is applicable for us as well. First, he gives instructions about living a life of sacrifice to the Lord. Second, he gives practical advice on how to live like a disciple. Third, he explains to the Jewish believers that Gentiles are included with the Jews in God’s plan of salvation. Paul spoke directly to the church about his concerns, their failures, and opportunities for improvement in their thinking about and understanding of salvation. The Roman church needed some theological help, which he provided. He was very honest, but loving, in correcting them where they needed it.

Instructions about living a life of sacrifice to the Lord (12:1-8)

Arguably, Paul’s first and second points regarding living a life of sacrifice and how to live like a disciple are closely related and likely difficult to distinguish because, by definition, the life of a disciple is a life of sacrifice to the Lord. However, in the first eight verses of chapter 12, Paul does specifically tell the church “to present your bodies as a living sacrifice.” He then instructs them more specifically on how to do that.

First, it is important to “not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind” so as to discern God’s will (v. 2). How is this accomplished? It is not done completely by our own efforts. It begins with the Holy Spirit’s involvement in helping us change the way we think. When we receive the Holy Spirit, our minds begin a transformation. He helps us change what we desire to expose our minds to (music, movies, books, podcasts, friends, etc.) and how we think. What we consume affects how we think and when we change what we consume, our way of thinking will also shift.

Second, Paul tells them not to think of themselves more highly than they should, but rather “to think with sober judgment.” We are to think of ourselves in a humbler fashion than that of the world. Our culture places value on pride and arrogance, but Paul explains that this should not be the case for the disciple of Christ. We should not elevate ourselves above others, but put others ahead of ourselves. He then uses an analogy comparing the Church to the human body, (this is the same analogy he uses in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27). Just like every human body part has an important function, so does every member of the Church. Everyone has something to contribute. Some contributions are more public or highly praised than others, but they are no more important than the less public or less praised contributions. All contributions from the Body of Christ for the Kingdom are valuable. After the analogy, Paul lists gifts of the Spirit and says those who have such gifts ought to use them with gusto because those gifts have been given for the purpose of building the Kingdom.

Practical advice on how to live like a disciple (12:9-15:3)

Paul uses the majority of 12:1-15:13 to give the Roman church practical advice on how to live like a disciple. We are to love with authenticity (12:9-21). It should come as no surprise this is first in his list under the heading “Marks of the True Christian” (English Standard Version (ESV)) since love is the fulfillment of the Law (13:8-14). Love is also the first item in Paul’s list of Fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. It is through our love that the world will know we are disciples of Christ (John 13:35).

Paul also explains that disciples are to submit to the authorities (13:1-7). God has appointed the authorities to their positions, and a failure to submit to or respect the authority God has put in place would tarnish our witness. Disciples of Christ are to be law-abiding citizens unless the law commands evil and the governing authority expects the Christian to act in a way that is inconsistent with the teachings of Scripture. There are several examples of civil disobedience in the Bible, and I will briefly highlight two of them from the Old Testament. In Exodus 1, the Egyptian Pharaoh commanded the Hebrew midwives to kill all of the male Jewish babies. Instead of obeying Pharaoh, they lied to him and allowed the babies to live. God blessed the midwives, and Moses was one of the babies they spared. In Daniel 3, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow down to King Nebuchadnezzar’s false idol, so he had them thrown into the fiery furnace and God proceeded to save them. They were not harmed in any way despite the flames. Paul’s next point is that disciples are not to judge others (14:1-12).

Reservoir with pine trees in foreground and mountains in background.
Cascade Reservoir. Photo credit: Tessa Mahoney.

In the context of the passage, Some of the Jewish believers thought they should remain kosher, but others disagreed and since this issue is not a moral issue (and Jesus declared all foods clean in Matthew 15:11 and Mark 7:19), Paul told them to decide for themselves. When he says not to judge others, Paul means “mature Christians have a responsibility not to flaunt what they are free to do before God in ways that harm other Christians.”[1] Christians are still to hold one another accountable for sin. The last item Paul lists is that disciples are to live cautiously around others so we don’t cause them to stumble (14:13-23). For example, if you are aware of another believer who is working to overcome an alcohol addiction and you go out to dinner with them, don’t order an alcoholic beverage, because it may tempt them to order one as well. This is a small sacrifice to show love and concern for another believer because “it is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble” (14:21).

Gentiles are included with Jews in salvation (15:4-13)

The apostle Paul wrote this letter to both Jews and Gentiles. One of the purposes of this letter was to address the issue of salvation – who is included? The Jewish believers, being part of God’s chosen people from the beginning, believed they were the only ones who could be saved and that Gentiles were not covered by Jesus’ blood. However, Paul gently corrects them. If we look back at Romans 11:11-24, he explains that the Gentiles have been grafted into salvation with the Jews. Another way to look at it is as adoption. The Jews are God’s original children and the Gentiles have been adopted into the family. They will receive the same love and care as the Jews. They will also receive the same inheritance. In 15:4-13, Paul further explains the Gentiles have been part of the plan since the beginning. In verses 9-12, he quotes four verses from the Old Testament the Jews would have known that point to salvation for the Gentiles: 2 Samuel 22:50, Deuteronomy 32:43, Psalm 117:1, and Isaiah 11:1. Jesus did not pick and choose those for whom he died. Salvation is for all.

Paul’s instructions to the Church are clear. He gives practical instructions for Christian living and discipleship: We are to use the gifts God has given us through his grace (12:4-8), love with authenticity (12:9-21), submit to the authorities (13:1-7), not judge others (14:1-12), and live cautiously around others so we don’t cause them to stumble (14:13-23). Ultimately, we are to live by Christ’s example (15:1-7).

[1] Ted Cabal, ed., The Apologetics Study Bible (Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 2007), 1702.

The Answer is Grace

December 3, 2020 /
Sunset over bluff in winter with evergreen trees in foreground.
Sunset over bluff in winter. Photo credit: the answer is grace.

Grace is what distinguishes Christianity from all other world religions and it never ceases to amaze me. I would like to take a look at how Paul addresses the concept of grace in Romans 5:1-21. As with most of Paul’s writings, there is a lot packed into these 21 verses, so this is by no means intended to be a comprehensive study of the passage, or of grace itself.

Romans 5:1-7

In the first seven verses, Paul explains that through Christ, we access grace through faith. It is through faith in Christ that we are covered by God’s grace. Because of our sin, we are separated from God and our relationship with him is broken. In order to restore that relationship and have reconciliation with God, we need to have faith in Jesus Christ who suffered and died on the cross to provide salvation for us. Jesus is the only one who can bridge the gap between us and God that is caused by our sin. There is nothing we can do by our own efforts to earn God’s grace or to earn salvation. Salvation is the free gift of God when we put our faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8). We are reminded for whom Christ died when we read verses 6 and 7: “Christ died for the ungodly.” The object of God’s love through Christ is the ungodly. We are the object of God’s love even though we are unworthy and do not deserve it. Since we have received God’s love and grace, should we not show that same love and grace to others?

Romans 5:8-11

In the next five verses, verses 8-11, Paul explains that “while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (v. 8). He was willing to save us even though we were sinning and separating ourselves from God! Paul also explains this in Ephesians 2:4-5: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you have been saved.” What if God had looked at us and only seen our sin? What if He only saw the bad in us, and not the good? We would have no hope of salvation. Zero. None. Fortunately, that is not the case, as Jesus states in John 3:16-17: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.” While we were in our sinful state and at enmity with God, he chose to reconcile us, or make us right, with him through Christ.

Reconcile, or katalasso in Greek, means, “the exchange of hostility for a friendly relationship”[1] or “the restoration of a harmonious relationship between two parties.”[2] The use of katalasso with reference to humanity’s relationship with God is unique to Paul’s writings. It is used twice in Romans 5:10 to explain that God reconciled humanity while it was still at enmity with him, and that humanity is saved by the life of Christ after his death. Paul uses it in the next verse as well, as something they have already received from God.

In order for us to be reconciled to God, to exchange our hostility for friendly relationship or to bring us into harmonious relationship with him, requires repentance. Our sin separates us from God and creates a chasm between us and God. God gives us prevenient grace (the grace that “goes before” and enables us to turn to him), but we have to truly repent of our sin before the chasm can close and we have reconciliation with God. We have to acknowledge our sin, ask forgiveness for our sin, and turn away from sin.

Romans 5:12-17

Sunrise over mountains with clouds.
Sunrise over mountains in central ID. Photo credit: Tessa Mahoney.

We must turn to Christ for forgiveness of sin and salvation. There is no other way. In Verses 12-17, Paul reminds us that we are in total depravity because of the Fall of Adam. Sin entered the world through Adam’s sin and sin spread throughout all of humanity. We are made aware of our sin through the Old Testament law, but the law is powerless to save (8:3). However, just as death was brought by one man, grace was also brought by one man. Adam and Christ brought opposite conditions. Adam brought death, but Christ brought salvation. There is a link between Adam’s sin and death for all, but there is also a link between Christ’s death and salvation for all. The link between Christ’s death and salvation for all is grace. Without Christ, our sin brings judgment from God and no forgiveness. With Christ, we are justified and forgiven by grace through faith. Jesus paid the ultimate price by laying down his life for all of humanity.

Romans 5:18-21

In the final verses of chapter 5, verses 18-21, Paul explains that while sin reigned in death, grace abounded where sin increased. There is no limit to God’s grace – it is always sufficient. Theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer distinguishes between two types of grace – cheap grace and costly grace: “Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance…Costly grace is the gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for, the door at which a man must knock.”[3] God’s grace increases where sin increases, however it is cheap grace when we have an attitude of “It’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission,” which Paul addresses in 6:1-2 (“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?”). The kind of grace the Apostle Paul and Bonhoeffer refer to is the grace we seek by following Christ and laying down our lives for him. Costly grace is not taken for granted.

We are changed through grace as God draws us to himself. It is not through laws that we are changed, but through grace. Laws may attempt to force us to be good, but grace makes us want to be good. Grace means that there is nothing we can do by our own power to make God love us more, but it also means that there is nothing we can do that will make God love us less. God loves us, and the grace he extends to us through salvation in Jesus Christ is a gift from him to us. It is up to us to receive it and to live a life worthy of it.

[1] Frederick William Danker, ed., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd Edition (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2000), 521.

[2] Allen C. Myers, ed., The Eerdman’s Bible Dictionary (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1987), 875.

[3] Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship (revised) (New York: MacMillan Publishing Co., Inc., 1976), 47.

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