In today's passage Paul introduces us to one of the most difficult precepts of living life in the new way of the Spirit. It has been my observation that the general tendency among Christians is to adopt an either / or approach to living the Christian life. Either your focus is on what the individual can do through their own hard work: or the focus is more hands off allowing room for the Holy Spirit to work. In chapters 5 - 12 Paul has demonstrated the life in Christ is not either / or; it is both / and.
In chapter six Paul showed how the believer is baptized by the Holy Spirit into the life of Christ. In chapter eight Paul made the case that the Christian is intended by God to live in and through the Holy Spirit. Much of chapter eight illustrates the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. In chapter twelve Paul writes that the believer is transformed by renewing their mind, or changing the way they think. So, which is it? Are we to live in the new way of the Spirit, or by sorting things out by and through our natural intellect? Yes. Not either / or. Rather, it’s both / and.
The Christian life is most assuredly mystical, or spiritual. It is, as Paul writes in Philippians 2:13, God at work within our lives. However, it is also true that in coming to faith in Christ we reach the conclusion that the world's culture has told us a pack of lies about who God is, who we are and who our neighbor is. And, it is coming to believe that God in Christ Jesus is telling us the truth. In chapter twelve Paul using bullet statements to show how to live in the truth of Jesus Christ.
As you seek to grow in grace, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, you will be convinced this is the way God wants you to live. So convinced you exercise your free will and choose to live this way. Then the Holy Spirit empowers you to act on your beliefs. Not either / or; but both / and.
What word or phrase in these verses
attracts your attention?
Reflect on that word or phrase.
What insights come to you?
How does this passage touch your life today?
15-Dec-11 Rom. 13:1-14
No comments:
Post a Comment