ROMANS ROAD
to
RIGHTEOUSNESS |
Romans
1:18-3:20
|
Romans
3:21-5:21 |
Romans
6:1-8:39 |
Romans
9:1-11:36 |
Romans
12:1-16:27 |
|
SIN
|
SALVATION
|
SANCTIFICATION |
SOVEREIGNTY |
SERVICE |
NEED
FOR
SALVATION |
WAY
OF
SALVATION |
LIFE
OF
SALVATION |
SCOPE
OF
SALVATION |
SERVICE
OF
SALVATION |
God's Holiness
In
Condemning
Sin |
God's Grace
In
Justifying
Sinners |
God's Power
In
Sanctifying
Believers |
God's Sovereignty
In
Saving
Jew and Gentile |
Gods Glory
The
Object of
Service |
Deadliness
of Sin |
Design
of Grace |
Demonstration
of Salvation |
|
Power Given
|
Promises
Fulfilled |
Paths Pursued |
Righteousness
Needed |
Righteousness
Credited |
Righteousness
Demonstrated |
Righteousness
Restored to Israel |
Righteousness
Applied |
God's
Righteousness
IN LAW |
God's
Righteousness
IMPUTED |
God's
Righteousness
OBEYED |
God's
Righteousness
IN ELECTION |
God's
Righteousness
DISPLAYED |
|
Slaves to Sin |
Slaves to God |
Slaves Serving
God |
|
Doctrine |
Duty |
|
Life by Faith |
Service by
Faith |
Modified from Irving L.
Jensen's excellent work "Jensen's
Survey of the NT"
FOR THROUGH THE GRACE
(gift) GIVEN TO ME I SAY TO EVERY MAN
(no believer excluded)
AMONG YOU: Lego (1SPAI) gar dia tes charitos tes dotheises (APPFSG)
moi panti to onti (PAPMSD) en humin:
(6-8;
1:5;
15:15,16;
1 Corinthians 3:10;
15:10;
Ephesians 3:2,4,7,8;
4:7-12;
Colossians 1:29;
1 Timothy 1:14;
1 Peter 4:11)
"For" explains
that a proper opinion of oneself (i.e., to not to think more highly)
is the immediate effect of a surrender to God, a non conforming to the
world and a transformation produced by the renewing of our mind. Paul
illustrates in his own person, in giving this advice, the rule he is
laying down for the Church by emphasizing that what is communicating is "through
the grace given" him and therefore without presumption. In addition note
that Paul emphasizes that the truth he is communicating here is is a word
to "every man" -- Everyone in the Body of Christ needs to hear and heed
this message! No exceptions.
What is the "grace given to" Paul?
Paul is alluding to his being an apostle and that this "grace" was only
because God chose him to be an apostle. Paul had nothing to do with it as
he reminded his beloved disciple Timothy in his last known written
communication beginning the letter with acknowledgement that he was...
"Paul, an apostle
of Christ Jesus
by the will of God" (2 Timothy 1:1)
There were surely people associated with Paul who would have loved to have
been an apostle, but God didn’t choose them. He chose Paul, a man who
proved to be a channel through which His grace could bountifully
flow as shown in many of his epistles...
For example, Paul
reminded the Corinthian church that what he did, he did not do in his
strength alone...
But by the grace of God I am
what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain (fruitless
and without effect); but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I,
but the grace of God with me. (1Cor
15:10)
Paul testified in Galatians to the
grace given to him...
(Speaking before the Jewish council at
Jerusalem Paul declared that) He (the same God) who effectually worked
for Peter in his apostleship to the circumcised effectually
worked for me also to the Gentiles, and recognizing the grace
that had been given to me, James and Cephas and John, who were
reputed to be pillars, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of
fellowship, that we might go to the Gentiles, and they to the circumcised.
(Galatians
2:8,9)
To the Ephesians Paul repeatedly
emphasized the grace given to him writing...
2 if indeed you have heard of the
stewardship of God's grace which was given to me for you;
3 that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote
before in brief.
4 And by referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight
into the mystery of Christ,
5 which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it
has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit;
6 to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of
the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the
gospel,
7 of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God's grace
which was given to me according to the working of His power.
8 To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to
preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, (Ephesians
3:2,4,7,8)
Writing to the Colossians of his
great objective to present every man complete (mature, "full grown") in
Christ, he explained that it was...
And for this purpose also I labor (to
the point of weariness), striving (agonizing) according to His power (made
available by His grace which is perfected in weakness), which mightily
works within me (see notes on
Colossians 1:29)
MacArthur explains the preposition "For" this way:
"For" indicates a transition from what the apostle has just
commanded, tying spiritual service to spiritual dedication, the bridge
between them being
spiritual attitude. The Christian’s proper attitude is humility, not to
think more highly of himself than he ought to think. Lack of that
foundational virtue causes many believers to stumble. No matter how well
grounded we may be in God’s Word, how theologically sound we may be, or
how vigorously we may seek to serve Him, our gifts will not operate so
that our lives can be spiritually productive until self is set
aside. From self denial in the spiritual worship of God flows self
surrender to the will of God, and from self surrender flows selfless
service in the work of God." (emphasis added)
How fitting in this
section on SERVICE that Paul begins with acknowledgement of the power for
all God honoring service, God's
grace, ("for through the grace
given to me") a truth he continually reminded the saints of in his
letters (cf
Ro 1:5,15:15-16,1Co 3:10,15:10,Ga 2:8-9,Ep 3:2,7-8,4:7,1Ti 1:14).
Remember that the practical section that follows is not possible apart
from a presentation of ourselves to God (Ro 12:1-2), once and for all and
then each morning for the rest of our life.
Someone has well said that
there are only two kinds of people in the world, those who wake up
in the morning and say, "Good morning, Lord," and those who wake up
in the morning and say, "Good Lord, its morning!"
Let us seek to be
among those who greet the day acknowledging He is Lord of the new day and I
am His
bondservant
ready to do His will. It will make a radical difference in the way we
respond to all the distractions, interruptions, harsh words, unfair
treatment, etc that are part of life.
The evidence of a surrendered life
then is an available body, a willingness to help, to put yourself out, to
be expendable, to respond to the needs God's has placed in your life. The
first place where this service becomes visible is in the church itself --
in the body of Christ. Therefore this section deals with living out the
spiritual gift(s) (see
study of
charisma)
God has given to every believer. However, before Paul gives specific
instructions regarding spiritual gifts he prefaces it with an admonishment
concerning humility, for he is fully aware of pride that is prone to arise
from spiritual giftedness
(1Co
8:2,10:12, Pr 16:18,
Isa 5:21)
Remember also that spiritual giftedness does not necessarily equal
spiritual maturity.
Stedman
prefaces this section on service with this thought
"I
don't think the Christian life is worth a 'snap of the finger' if
something exciting isn't happening from time to time. It really never
begins for us until we begin to see that God intends to work through us
individually, and that, when God is at work, things begin to happen. It
isn't always some spectacular, outward display, but things take place...Once
you discover this, as a result of the availability of the life-changing,
transforming character of Christ dwelling in us, life becomes an exciting
thing. You can hardly sleep at night, at times." The question for each
of us then is " Is there anything you are excited about that God has done
in your life recently?"
NOT TO THINK MORE HIGHLY
OF
HIMSELF THAN HE OUGHT
(dei
= necessary) TO THINK:
me huperphronein (PAN) par o dei (3SPAI) phronein (PAN):
(cf
Ro 11:20,25, Pr 25:27,26:12 Ecc 7:16, Mic 6:8, Lu18:11 //
1Co4:7-8, 2Co12:7, Ga6:3, Php 2:3-8, Jas 4:6,1Pe 5:5,3 Jn 9)
"not to estimate himself above his real
value" (Williams )
Think more highly
(5252)
(huperphroneo from
huperphron =over-proud in turn from
huper
=
above, over +
phroneo
= think) is
used only in this verse and literally means to over think or think above
and so to be haughty.
Alford renders the text, “not to be high-minded above that
which he ought to be minded, but to be so minded as to be sober-minded.”
Or one might render it “I
say to everyone, do not super-think of yourself”. One can clearly see
Paul's emphasis on the mind and specifically in context on what a
renewed mind
looks like
(Ro 12:2).
A believer should
appraise the gifts God has given him fairly, glorifying God for their
bestowal, and then exercise them through dependence upon the Holy Spirit
and not in mock humility make light of them. A renewed mind thinks soberly
about oneself.
An individual with a renewed mind comprehends that he or
she is a member of a body, that every member of that body does not perform
every function but that God gives each believer a specific spiritual gift
("function"). Therefore since we do not all have the same gifts, it
logically follows that we need one another and one another's different
gifts. Thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought to think is a
universal tendency of the human race. Our old Adamic nature loves to
over-think about itSELF.
As Denney notes:
“To himself, every
man is in a sense the most important person in the world, and it always
needs much grace to see what other people are, and to keep a sense of
moral proportion.”
Our tendency to focus on self
is the major cause for the deadly pestilence in the church (and the world)
called "comparisonitis" —the tendency to measure one’s worth
by comparing oneself to others. Do you look down on others and think
highly of yourself because you possess a more "showy" spiritual gift than
they? Paul's antidote for comparisonitis is not to see ourselves as
we stack up against others, but to exercise sound judgment. What needs to
change in your self assessment for you to judge yourself soberly? Jesus
parable in (Lu 18:9-14) illustrates the deadly nature
of comparisonitis and it therefore behooves us to diligently heed
Paul's instruction.
Kent Hughes has these
thoughts on 2 ways high minded thinking is manifest:
"This
can take two classic forms. Primarily it is that of the self-elevating
braggart—the person who tells you how smart he is, how much he has done,
how strong he is, how rich he will be when he gets his big break—legends
in their own mind....The other form of overestimation is more subtle—that
of self-deprecating...those who self-consciously talk about themselves as
if they were nobodies. I remember
Dr. Lloyd-Jones
telling of being at a train station where a man met him and said, “Oh,
Dr. Jones, I am just a chimney sweep in the house of the Lord. Let me
carry your suitcase. I am a nobody, and you are a man of great gifts.”
Dr. Jones saw through the man immediately and did not deal too kindly
with him. When a person acts like this, his expectation is that you will
correct him. “No, no, you are really a great person.” (The way to expose
[him] is to say, “You know, I think you’re right!”)"
Hughes adds
this insightful summary:
The thought chain of Romans is compelling...
| Romans 1:1-11:32 |
Profound
theology |
| Romans 11:33–36
|
Profound doxology |
| Romans 12:1, 2 |
Profound
dedication |
| Romans 12:3ff |
Profound humility
resulting in action |
BUT TO THINK SO AS TO HAVE
SOUND
JUDGMENT:
alla phronein (PAN) eis to sophronein: (TTT
topic on "sobriety")
"but to rate his ability with sober judgment".
(Amplified)
"but try to have a sane estimate of your capabilities."
(Phillips)
Sound judgment
(4993)
(sophroneo
which W E Vine says is from
sozo =
saved, healed, whole + phren =
faculty of perceiving and judging) is a picture literally of a "saved"
mind. (Related topics: in depth study on
sozo; in depth study on related word
sound mind =
sophronismos)
The idea of
sophroneo is to "be in one's right mind"
(2Co 5:13).
Luke
records that after Jesus had entreated the demons out of the demoniac...
the people went out to see what had
happened; and they came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons
had gone out, sitting down at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his
right (sound) mind (sophroneo); and they became frightened.
And those who had seen it reported to them how the man who was
demon-possessed had been made well.
(Lu 8:35-36)
In a nutshell then Paul is advocating sober thought instead of
"super-thought"!.
A T Robertson adds that in a sense
"self conceit is here treated as a
species of insanity."
A right estimate of
oneself will always be a
humble estimate (cf
Ga 6:3-5), a recognition that, in
ourselves, we can do nothing
(Jn 15:5),
but that in Christ we can be used to the glory of God
(Jn 15:8).
In context Paul is addressing one's attitude toward spiritual gifts. He
wants us not to consider our gift to be of greater importance then another
saint's gift but to have a humble attitude, an attitude which when you
know you have it, you have lost it! Humility (TTT,
NTB)
means putting Christ first, others second, and self last ("J.O.Y."
is Jesus, then Others, finally Yourself). Humility (TTT,
NTB)
is a lack of pre-occupation with self.
Sound judgment understands that
"Every
good
thing
given and
every
perfect
gift is from
above,
coming
down from the
Father of
lights, with
whom
there is
no
variation
or
shifting
shadow"
(Js 1:17)
This realization
serves as a corrective against self-complacency and pride. What room for
glorying is there in that which we have received? Such “sober
judgment” not only excludes an exaggerated opinion of oneself, but also
warns us not to underestimate the abilities God has given us. Sometimes a
false modesty may be just as detrimental to the church as pride.
Matthew Henry adds
"We must not say, I am nothing,
therefore I will sit still, and do nothing; but, I am nothing
in myself, and therefore I will lay out myself to the utmost, in the
strength of the grace of Christ." (emphasis added)
Wiersbe adds that
"Each
Christian must know what his spiritual gifts are and what ministry (or
ministries) he is to have in the local church. It is not wrong for a
Christian to recognize gifts in his own life and in the lives of others.
What is wrong is the tendency to have a false evaluation of ourselves.
Nothing causes more damage in a local church than a believer who overrates
himself and tries to perform a ministry that he cannot do. (Sometimes the
opposite is true, and people undervalue themselves. Both attitudes are
wrong.)"
AS GOD HAS ALLOTTED TO EACH A MEASURE OF FAITH:
hekasto os o theos emerisen metron pisteos:
Measure of faith
conveys the truth that each believer can know the limitations of their
gift. God has given the gift and the faith to discern the limits of your
gift.
Allotted (3307)
(merizo
from
meris
= part, portion )meaning to
divide into parts
and so to distribute as in
(1Co 7:17,2Co 10:13)
The Holy Spirit distributes the correct proportion of the spiritual gift
to each believer (1Pe 4:10-11)
so that each may fulfill his or her role in the body of Christ (1Co 12:7,11).
“Faith” in this context does not refer to saving faith, but as
noted above rather the faith to discern the limitation of your gift. Every
believer receives the exact gift and resources he needs to fulfill his
role in the body of Christ.
MacArthur explains it this way:
"In this context, a measure of faith
seems to refer to the correct measure of the spiritual gift and its
operating features that God sovereignly bestows on every believer. Every
believer receives the exact gift and resources best suited to fulfill his
role in the body of Christ....every person has his own special but limited
set of capabilities. Trying to operate outside those capabilities produces
frustration, discouragement, guilt feelings, mediocrity, and ultimate
defeat. We fulfill our calling when we function according to God’s
sovereign design for us."
The noble American preacher and theologian Jonathan Edwards was so fearful
that his personal mannerisms and inflections might interfere with the
power of God’s Word, that he not only read his sermons but often delivered
them almost mechanically. Yet the Holy Spirit strongly used those
messages, and listeners were sometimes so convicted of sin that they
screamed for God’s mercy and tightly gripped their pews for fear of
falling immediately into hell. God was able to use him in such ways
because he lived up to the following resolutions (abbreviated)
that he made early in his ministry:
Resolved, to live with all my might while I do live.
Resolved, never to lose one moment of
time,
to improve it
in the most profitable way I possibly can.
Resolved, never to do anything which
I should despise
or think
meanly of in another.
Resolved, never to do anything out of
revenge.
Resolved, never to do anything which
I should be
afraid to do if it were the last hour of my life.
--Iain H. Murray, Jonathan Edwards: A New Biography |
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