Romans
11
– 12
Verse 11:18 is something we need to take to heart as we
grow:
It doesn’t give
you license to become proud and self-righteous about the fact that you’ve been
grafted in. If you do boast, remember that the branches do not sustain the
root—it is the system of roots that nourishes and supports you.
Paul is comparing the Gentiles being
joining the family of God’s anointed like grafting a wild olive into a
cultivated one. The major point is don’t get so full of yourself that you are
part of God’s Kingdom, since that same graft could be pruned away. No our focus
should not be on our salvation, but that of others. We need to be adding to the
tree no resting in the comfort of the tree, therefore push pride away.
Pride is a killer in almost everything we
do. Arguments and conflict are almost all the time based in pride of one of the
parties. We “buck up” and ignore what the other party has to say and start to
defend. I hate using the word “defend” since it implies an attack, but when we
are trying to “defend” our point of view, we often attack. So if we all “sucked
it up” and learned to listen with acceptance the world would get along much
better.
Verses 12:1 & 2 really lay out how we
should be as Christians:
1 Brothers
and sisters, in light of all I have shared with you about God’s mercies,
I urge you to offer your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice to God, a
sacred offering that brings Him pleasure; this is your reasonable, essential
worship. 2 Do not allow this world to mold you in its own
image. Instead, be transformed from the inside out by renewing your
mind. As a result, you will be able to discern what God wills and whatever God
finds good, pleasing, and complete.
Does he imply we sacrifice ourselves like
Jesus to die on the cross? No, but we should go way out of our comfort zone in
helping others. Service is not a sacrifice if it’s a social event first. We
really need to take the one line to heart and understand what Paul is saying.
If we sacrifice our bodies, then we are doing as he desires which may lead us
into a very uncomfortable life. But as we see in Paul, we can gain JOY in
suffering!!
Verse 2 reminds me of how we tend to mold
God into our image as some grey haired Adonis that sits on a throne in the sky
sending lightning bolts of justice down. The world has molded God, so can you
imagine how easy it will be to mold you? I can’t say this enough, but pray and
grow from the inside out. The best way is to read your Bible every day. If not
a chapter or section, just pick a verse and learn it in context, but do this
daily!!
After being a Christian for 30 years I can
say one thing, it’s hard to figure out God’s will. Often I miss the 2×4 being
swung at me until it catches the backside of my head. This is one avenue I pray
for daily, is more clear guidance. I can’t say how many times I have bought
lottery tickets being sure it was God prompting me. Never have I won squat and
finally realized that voice in my head is me wanting an easy way out. Paul had
it easy, Jesus appeared before him! We have to pray and hope we can discern
which voice is God and which is our own prideful desires.
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