TODAY IN THE WORD

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 8:1-17
This, then, is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.” - Matthew 6:9
TODAY IN THE WORD
A group of children were selected to participate in an eight-year campaign against smoking. At the same time a control group was selected to check the results of the study. The students who participated in the campaign participated in an educational program that exposed them to the dangers of cigarettes. The control group did not. A decade later when the two groups were compared, the results showed that a little over 25 percent of those who went through the anti-smoking campaign smoked regularly—the same as those who did not participate in the program.

Knowing what is good for us is no guarantee that we will act accordingly. In the previous chapter Paul showed that this is certainly true when it comes to God's Law. The law of sin has the power to circumvent our good intentions when it comes to the Law of God. Fortunately, there is a third law, the “law of the Spirit of life” (v. 2). Believers have been given the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit to counteract the sin principle that keeps them from doing the good they want to do.

Christians enjoy a two-fold freedom, first as a result of the death of Christ and second because of the presence of the Holy Spirit. Christ's death has freed us from the condemnation of the law and the dominion of sin. It “condemned sin in sinful man” (v. 3). The indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit gives us the freedom to obey. As the Holy Spirit enables us, we obey God from the heart and keep the true intent of God's Law. We are not bound under the law, but the moral principles of the law are implanted in us by the Spirit.

The Holy Spirit also provides us with assurance that we belong to God. It is only by the Spirit that we are truly able to address God as “Abba,” a word that means “father” (v. 15). Paul describes the Holy Spirit's interaction with our spirit as a kind of call and response in which the Holy Spirit and our own spirit witness together that we are the children of God.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
If someone were to ask you to prove that you are a child of God, what answer would you give? On a sheet of paper, try making a list of all the evidences that you are God's child. Include both objective and subjective proofs.

If you are uncertain whether you can really make such a claim, call gotcha13-NEED HIM. Ask to speak to someone who can tell you how to be certain that you are a child of God.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 8:18-25
For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. - 2 Corinthians 1:5
TODAY IN THE WORD
A seminary student's wife noticed that her husband had a habit of mumbling to himself while on his way to study. “Only three more years to go,” he muttered. The following year she heard him say something similar, “Only two more years to go.” During his junior year, he wandered through the house mumbling, “Only one more year to go.” That student was doing more than merely talking to himself. He was practicing a kind of self-motivation by reminding himself of the outcome of his studies. The trials of study ultimately led to graduation and the achievement of a greater goal—the student's entrance into ministry.

We approach many of the challenges of life this way. The athlete is willing to endure the discomfort of training by focusing on the prize of victory. The employee puts up with the inconvenience of working overtime by looking forward to pay day. The dieter is willing to forego dessert because the goal of losing weight is more inviting. Hope is often the key to discipline when the outcome has greater value than the discomfort required to achieve it.

Today's passage reminds us to approach suffering with the same perspective. It is as if the Apostle had a pair of scales in front of him. On one side he places all “ our present sufferings” and on the other “the glory that will be revealed in us” (v. 18). When they are weighed in the balance, there is no comparison. The weight of suffering seems infinitesimal when contrasted to the glory to come.

The context suggests that the glory spoken of in this verse is not only a glory that is seen by those who belong to Christ but also one that will be displayed by them. Not only are the sons and daughters of God consumed with longing for the coming day of glory, but all of creation is swept up in it as well.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Are there areas in your life where you are practicing delayed gratification? For example, have you been saving money for a special purchase, or studying for a diploma? Approach the suffering that sometimes comes with your commitment to Jesus Christ with the same attitude of hope. God doesn't expect you to enjoy suffering. But you can rejoice in the anticipation of the future, knowing that your present suffering will pale in significance compared to the glory you will share when Christ returns.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 8:26-39
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. - John 14:16
TODAY IN THE WORD
February 14 is widely celebrated as Valentine's Day. The original Saint Valentine was said to have been beheaded on this day by the Roman Emperor Claudius II, also known as Claudius the Cruel. He was executed for secretly performing marriage ceremonies for those whom the emperor had forbidden to wed. The church later named him the patron saint of lovers and assigned him the feast day.

Valentine's Day is a good day to reflect on the ministry of the Holy Spirit, who pours out God's love in our hearts (Rom. 5:5). In today's reading, Paul describes the Holy Spirit's ministry of prayer and reminds his readers of the security that is theirs in Christ. In times of trouble the Holy Spirit helps the believer (v. 26). The only other place this word occurs in the New Testament is in Luke 10:40, when Martha tells Jesus to command her sister Mary to “help” her. It means “to lend a hand” or “to take an interest in” someone.

Although the Holy Spirit's prayers come through loud and clear when they reach the Father's throne, they are silent as far as our own experience is concerned. Paul characterizes the Holy Spirit's prayers as “groans that words cannot express” (v. 26). These deep prayers on our behalf are not heard by the human ear or uttered by a human mouth. How encouraging and sobering to realize that the Holy Spirit prays for us at times when we are completely unaware of it.

God's love for His children is further proven by the control He exercises over their circumstances. Knowing that the Holy Spirit is praying for us is a comfort when we don't know how to pray for ourselves. But knowing that God's hand controls the difficult circumstances that enter our lives is an even greater comfort. God is not attracted to evil nor does He tempt anyone (James 1:13). Yet He does have the power to cause even the evil things that happen to His children to turn out for their good (v. 28).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Paul does not say that everything that happens to the believer is good but that God causes all things to “work together” so that the end result is good. It is equally important to note for whom this is true. It is true only of those who love God and are called according to His purpose. Only those who have faith in Jesus Christ benefit from this ministry of the Holy Spirit and can be sure that everything in our experience will eventually be redeemed for the glory of God.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 9:1-13
Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham. - Galatians 3:7
TODAY IN THE WORD
Jean-Baptiste-Marie Vianney, also known as the curate of Ars, was born in France just prior to the French Revolution. He was appointed curate of Ars-en-Dombes, an obscure village near Lyons. Overwhelmed by the task of shepherding his parish, he tried to resign three times, but continued to serve until his death at the age of 73. In one of his prayers Vianney asked: “My God, grant me the conversion of my parish; I am willing to suffer all my life whatsoever it may please thee to lay upon me; yes even for a hundred years am I prepared to endure the sharpest pains; only let my people be converted. My God, convert my parish.”

The apostle Paul shared a similar passion for the conversion of his people. Although he had been appointed “the apostle to the Gentiles,” he never lost his zeal for reaching those who were the physical descendants of Abraham (11:13). Paul never wavered in his conviction that the gospel was the power of God to save everyone who believed, “first for the Jew, then for the Gentile” (Rom. 1:16). This was reflected in his method of evangelism, often preaching first in the synagogue and then turning to the Gentiles with the gospel (Acts 13:14).

When preaching to the Jews, Paul emphasized the spiritual descent. Abraham's true descendants are those who obtain the promises made to their forefather by faith. Israel was privileged to be the recipient of divine revelation, but that did not guarantee that everyone would respond to it. From the very beginning God emphasized the importance of faith, justifying Abraham by faith and declaring that the just will live by faith (Gen. 15:6, Hab. 2:4). As proof that God did not determine the children of promise merely by physical descent, Paul points to the case of Isaac and Ishmael, as well as to Jacob and Esau. Although all were physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were both chosen by God to receive the promise before they did anything to deserve it (see Gen. 21:12, Mal. 1:2).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The gospel has the power to save Jew and Gentile alike because it is based upon faith. Do not make the mistake that the Jews of Paul's day did by depending on family lineage or religious tradition to give you standing in God's eyes. The fact that you have been gifted with godly parents, have attended church all your life, or even been baptized means nothing without faith in Jesus Christ. The blessing is promised only to those who have faith in God's Son.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 9:14-33
But I trust your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. - Psalm 13:5
TODAY IN THE WORD
“No one who wishes to be thought religious dares simply deny predestination, by which God adopts some to hope of life, and sentences others to eternal death,” John Calvin wrote. While few believers deny that the Bible teaches a doctrine of divine election, Christians are divided about what this means.

The Bible refers to believers as “elect” or “chosen” of God (Col. 3:12; Titus 1:1). This has raised a number of challenging questions. Did God determine in advance who would go to hell as well as who would go to heaven? Did He make His choice based on His foreknowledge of their choices or actions? Part of the truth of this doctrine is that it's not possible to have all our questions about this doctrine answered this side of heaven, but we can be certain of one thing. Divine election is grounded in mercy. Any view that makes salvation dependent on human effort or action robs the gospel of grace.

In today's passage the apostle Paul speaks with equal force both of God's sovereignty and of His mercy. Using the hardening of Pharaoh as an example, Paul seems to say that God's sovereignty extends to the unbeliever as well as the believer. If this were not true, it is doubtful that Paul would have had the confidence to reassure us that God is able to cause all things to work together for good for those who love Him (Rom. 8:28).

Divine sovereignty does not relieve men and women of the responsibility for their actions. We have a good example of this balance in the death of Christ. On the one hand, those who crucified our Lord acted willfully and sinfully. Yet those who crucified the Savior “with the help of wicked men” accomplished all that God's “set purpose and foreknowledge” had determined would take place (Act 2:23).

The apostle Paul saw the biblical doctrine of election as a testimony to God's grace and patience. God shows His mercy toward those who have trusted in Jesus Christ and demonstrates His patience toward those who have not.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The purpose of election, according to John Calvin, is to compel us to look to God's grace to obtain salvation. “No matter how much you toss it about and mull it over,” he writes in the Institutes of the Christian Religion, “you will discover that its final bounds still extend no farther.” Our focus, then, should not be on the secret decrees of God that are hidden to us, but on the mercy that has been clearly displayed through Jesus Christ. Our hope is this: everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Acts 2:21).

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 10:1-21
Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage–with great patience and careful instruction. - 2 Timothy 4:2
TODAY IN THE WORD
According to tradition, when William Carey first proposed the idea of taking the gospel to those who had not yet heard it, a pastor rebuked him. “Young man, sit down,” the pastor is said to have declared. “When God pleases to convert the heathen, He will do it without your aid or mine.”

Such a sentiment may seem like the logical consequence of Paul's teaching on divine sovereignty in the previous chapter. Yet the Apostle would have vehemently rejected this conclusion! It is true that it is God's power that saves. Yet God has chosen to exercise that saving power by using His people to proclaim the gospel. Paul himself was a missionary.

If the theme of the previous chapter was divine sovereignty, the theme of Romans 10 is human responsibility. Where the gospel is concerned, the scope of that responsibility extends to believers and nonbelievers alike. Those who do not know Christ as Savior must “call on the name of the Lord” in order to be saved (v. 13). This does not necessarily mean uttering a formulaic prayer or even praying out loud. It is a matter of recognizing our need for grace and looking to Jesus Christ for forgiveness. Simply hearing the gospel is not enough. Those who hear must respond in faith if they are to receive its benefit.

Paul emphasizes a corollary responsibility. Those who know the gospel have a responsibility to share it with those who do not. Only those who have heard the good news about Jesus Christ will be able to believe and call upon His name. In verses 14 and 15 Paul describes the chain of responsibility God uses to dispense the grace of salvation. Those who have not called upon the Lord must hear in order to believe. Before they can hear, someone must be sent. This is why the church has been charged with the responsibility of making disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:19).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Do you know people who have not yet understood the good news of God's grace? Make a list and begin looking for opportunities to share the gospel with them. One tool that may help you in this task is the booklet entitled Bridge to Life published by NavPress. Practice going through it with a Christian friend and pray together that those on your list would receive the righteousness of faith that comes through hearing the gospel.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 11:1-24
Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.” - 1 Corinthians 1:31
TODAY IN THE WORD
Benjamin Franklin once described a visit he made as a young man to see the Puritan preacher Cotton Mather. Franklin recalled: “He was showing me out of the house, and there was a very low beam near the doorway. I was still talking when Mather began shouting, ”˜Stoop! Stoop!' I didn't understand what he meant and banged my head on the beam. ”˜You're young,' he said, ”˜and have the world before you. Stoop as you go through it, and you will avoid many hard thumps.' That advice has been very useful to me. I avoided many misfortunes by not carrying my head too high in pride.”

Arrogance is not limited to the young. Those who have received God's grace can also suffer from this affliction. Spiritual arrogance is the result of drawing false conclusions about God's dealings in our lives. After the Exodus, Moses warned Israel not to make wrong assumptions about their experience of grace: “The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples” (Deut. 7:7). Israel had been chosen because of God's love.

Paul strikes a similar note in today's passage. He warns the Gentiles who have experienced God's grace through Christ not to jump to conclusions. The fact that they have been chosen to receive mercy does not mean that they are worthy of it. The opposite is true. The experience of grace assumes the need for grace. There would be no mercy without the presence of sin.

In the case of the Gentiles, spiritual pride is doubly foolish. Not only does it fail to appreciate the nature of grace, it misreads God's dealings with Israel. God's apparent rejection of Israel was only temporary. God allowed Israel to stumble so that the Gentiles could hear the gospel—but He has not rejected them. If the Gentile nations have been blessed because of Israel's rejection of the gospel, how much more would the world be blessed by their acceptance?
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Using today's passage as a guide, could you diagnose a bad case of spiritual pride? Read through the text and list the symptoms that signal the presence of this spiritual affliction. What false assumptions do those who are spiritually conceited have? What kind of attitudes and actions do they demonstrate? The purpose of such analysis is not that you will see it in others—but that you will be able to diagnose it in yourself.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 11:25-36
The people of Judah and the people of Israel will be reunited, and they will appoint one leader. - Hosea 1:11
TODAY IN THE WORD
One of hymn writer William Cowper's most famous poems begins, “God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform; He plants His footsteps in the sea, and rides upon the storm.” In today's passage the apostle Paul also speaks of God's ways as a “mystery,” but in a slightly different sense. A mystery in the biblical sense refers to a truth that has been previously hidden but is now revealed.

The “mystery” of Israel's hardening refers to Israel's rejection of Jesus Christ as its Messiah. Although Jesus Christ was sent to the nation of Israel, He was not recognized as their promised deliverer. Luke 19:41-44 describes how Jesus wept over Jerusalem, predicting the city's destruction because it did not recognize the time of God's visitation. Paul picks up this same theme, but provides us with the rest of the story. Israel's hardening was only temporary.

Israel's rejection of her Messiah was both tragic and necessary. It accomplished God's purpose in sending Christ to die and set the stage for the extension of the gospel to the Gentiles. This hardening is only temporary and will last until “the full number of Gentiles has come in” (v. 25). God has not rejected His people Israel. He continues to have a purpose for them and will fulfill all the promises made to Abraham and his descendants.

There have been many revivals down through the ages. The greatest revival yet to come will be the day when Israel as a nation recognizes its Messiah and turns to Jesus Christ for salvation. The hardening and subsequent salvation of Israel is a mystery in both the biblical and the traditional sense. In many ways God's plan for His people Israel is unfathomable. God has revealed His purpose but not His motives. This “mysterious” dimension to God's plan does not cause the Apostle to question but rather compels him to worship. Doxology, not doubt, is the proper response when God moves in a mysterious way “His wonders to perform.”
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
It is no accident that the world's eye is turned toward the Middle East. This part of the world is important, not only for its oil, but also because it is the stage on which the final act of God's redemptive drama will be played out. To learn more about God's plan for Israel in the last days, you may want to read Storm Clouds on the Horizon: Bible Prophecy and the Current Middle East Crisis by Dr. Charles Dyer (Moody Publishers).

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 12:1-8
Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. - Romans 6:12
TODAY IN THE WORD
In his book The Spirit of the Disciplines, author Dallas Willard writes that being created in the image of God means that we have been given a measure of independent power. “Without such power, we absolutely could not resemble God in the close manner he intended, or could we be God's co-workers,” Willard explains. “The locus or depository of this necessary power is the human body.”

In a sense, the human body is our kingdom. It is the domain through which we act upon our desires and exercise the authority of the human will. God's work of redemption will culminate in the resurrection of our physical bodies (see 1 Cor. 15:52; Rev. 20:4-6). It is not surprising, then, that the apostle Paul should describe the offering of our bodies in service to God as an act of worship (Rom. 12:1). Under the law of Moses worshipers brought sacrifices and offerings to the tabernacle and later to the temple. These offerings not only expressed the worshiper's devotion to God, they foreshadowed the offering of Jesus Christ as a sacrifice for sin. Now that Christ has come, offering still has a place in the believer's worship. Those who know Christ as Savior present themselves to God in devoted obedience.

The way that we use our body has important spiritual implications. Scan the magazine rack in the local market and you might think that the primary function of the body is to be displayed. Others live sensual lives, assuming that the only real purpose of the body is to be enjoyed. The extreme measures used to extend life by the medical profession could suggest that the body is primarily something to be preserved, while the use of aborted fetuses in stem cell research implies that it is merely something to be harvested.

The Bible provides us with a balanced, true perspective. The body is not an end in itself. It is not the sum total of a person's existence. But it is important. “The body,” the apostle Paul declares, “is for the Lord” (1 Cor. 6:13).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
On a sheet of paper draw the outline of your hand. When you have finished, make a list of everything you have done with your hands in the last 24 hours. Consider the list prayerfully. Would someone else who read your list say that it reflects someone who has offered his or her body as a living sacrifice to God? If you see actions that you now regret, confess your sin and claim God's forgiveness. Consecrate your whole self to God today.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 12:9-21
Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. - Galatians 6:2
TODAY IN THE WORD
Leonardo da Vinci characterized an arch as consisting of two weaknesses, which leaning against one another make a strength. In some respects this is also a good definition of community. God has designed the church so that its members, though weak individually, would collectively contribute to the strength of the whole. The body of Christ strengthens itself as each part does its work (Eph. 4:16).

Although the church engages in this ministry of mutual edification, the real strength does not come from the members themselves but from Christ. It is because it has been joined to Christ that the body is able to grow. The strength exhibited by the members toward one another is strength that comes from Christ.

In short, we need community. Today's reading lists the characteristics that are to mark the church as it lives and worships in community. (We will explore this theme in detail in our study next month.) On the surface these verses may read like a list of do's and don'ts, but they are far more. The characteristics that Paul describes in this passage are the evidence of God's grace. Jesus said, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). They are also the result of God's grace. Many of the things Paul calls believers to do in these verses are contrary to our nature. We are not normally patient when afflicted. When others persecute us, blessing is not our natural reaction.

The circle of relationships in view in our reading today includes those who are outside the church. Christ has not called the church to isolate itself from the world at large. Believers are sometimes the object of admiration; at other times they are the focus of scorn. Either way, our relationships are to be marked by love, patience, and grace.

Aristides, an apologist who lived in Athens during the second century, wrote a defense of the Christian faith that was delivered to the emperor Hadrian. One of his proofs was summarized in the statement, “Behold! How they love one another.”
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
The things that Paul commands us to do in today's passage are both positive and negative. Paul outlines a number of things we should do and warns of many that we should avoid. Take a sheet of paper and divide it into two columns. At the top of one place the heading: “Do.” At the top of the other place the heading: “Don't.” Read through the passage again and place each command in the appropriate column. Do you recognize these qualities in your own relationships with those in and outside the church?

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 13:1-14
Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men. - 1 Peter 2:13
TODAY IN THE WORD
After King Charles I was overthrown during the English civil war that resulted in the rise to power of Oliver Cromwell, new coins were struck to mark the change in government from a monarchy to a republic. One side of the coin was engraved with the words “God with Us.” On the other side of the coin, the words “The Republic of England” were engraved. A supporter of the defeated king saw one of the new coins and declared: “Quite proper that God and the Republic should be on opposite sides.”

How does God view government? Romans 13:1 says that He establishes the governing authorities. This is a remarkable statement, in view of the context in which it was written. The governing authority in Paul's day was more totalitarian regime than democracy. Paul's admonition that every person, Christian and non-Christian alike, is obliged to submit to the governing authorities is even more remarkable in view of his personal experience. Paul often suffered unjustly at the hands of governing authorities. During his ministry he was flogged, arrested, imprisoned, and eventually he would be executed by Roman officials.

Paul also benefited from the governing authorities. An official in Jerusalem protected the Apostle when a group of zealots plotted to murder him (Acts 23). Paul's appeal to the Caesar probably prolonged his life and ministry for a time, although he was eventually executed by the Roman government (Acts 25:11).

The command to submit does not mean that we blindly obey those who are in authority over us. When Peter and John were commanded by the Sanhedrin not to teach or preach in the name of Jesus, they both refused to comply. “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God,” they replied (Acts 4:18). Such civil disobedience is rarely required. In most cases “rulers hold no terror for those who do right” (v. 3). Despite their problems, Paul recognized the governing authorities of his day as God's servants rather than the church's enemies.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Civil government is not the only authority that God has placed over us. Every day we must deal with many layers of authority. Whether it is the supervisor at work or the teacher in the classroom, our Christian responsibility is to deal respectfully with those that God has placed over us. Their role as God's servants does not mean that they are infallible, only that their authority is derived from Him. They too are answerable to authority and will be held accountable for how they exercise their power.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 14:1-12
So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man. - Acts 24:16
TODAY IN THE WORD
A shoplifter with a guilty conscience sent a letter to a department store and enclosed $100. The letter explained, “I have just become a Christian, and I can't sleep at night because I feel guilty. Here is the $100 I owe you.” He signed the letter and at the bottom added this postscript, “If I still can't sleep, I'll send you the rest.”

Martin Luther King Jr. once declared, “Cowardice asks the question: Is it safe? Consensus asks the question: Is it popular? Conscience asks: Is it right?” The Bible assigns conscience an important role in the Christian life. The Holy Spirit often works through the conscience, either to excuse or to convict. However, this does not mean that the conscience is infallible. Some people have seared their conscience and can no longer distinguish between right and wrong (1 Tim. 4:2). Others, like those described in today's passage, suffer from a “weak” conscience. They feel guilty over actions that aren't inherently sinful.

In the Christian life, the conviction of our conscience should be taken seriously. Not only do we need to be sensitive to the prodding of our own conscience, it is important that we have regard for the conscience of others. Nowhere is this more evident than in the realm of Christian liberty.

For believers in the New Testament era this was reflected in the decision whether or not to eat certain foods. This conflict surfaced in two primary contexts. Some Jews who believed in Jesus continued to recognize the distinction between clean and unclean foods. Others who came from a pagan background felt guilty when faced with the prospect of eating meat that had been sacrificed to an idol. The meat of animals that had been sacrificed in pagan temples was sometimes sold in the market or served at certain festivities, and some from this background found it difficult to separate the meat from this religious context (1 Cor. 8:7).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Conscience is not merely an individual concern—it is a community matter. As believers, we aren't isolated islands unaffected by the needs, concerns, and viewpoints of our brothers and sisters in Christ. We shouldn't be surprised when we don't always agree with other Christians, but we're responsible for whether we handle this disagreement in a way that glorifies God. Ask the Lord to show you where you may need to extend more understanding, love, and grace to someone with a different point of view.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 14:13-23
Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak. - 1 Corinthians 8:9
TODAY IN THE WORD
When Mike saw Ed, a Sunday school teacher, standing in the church foyer wearing a small gold earring, he nearly passed out. The next day he went to the pastor's office and demanded that the church tell Ed to either remove the offensive piece of jewelry or resign as a teacher. A few hours later Ed also showed up at the pastor's office, complaining that Mike was being judgmental and legalistic.

Instead of taking sides in the matter, the pastor asked each man to read Romans 14 and say with which person he identified in the text. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, both saw themselves as the stronger Christian and the other as the “weaker” brother. Yet neither wanted to give in when it came to this dispute. The real problem was not their difference of opinion over the earring but their opinion of one another. Each man felt contempt for the other's view.

How do we know when we should allow someone else's views about what is acceptable limit our freedom? A careful study of today's passage reveals that the parameters are fairly narrow. The decision to limit my freedom in matters not explicitly addressed in Scripture is not based merely on the fact that another person disapproves of my behavior. In many cases such differences are merely matters of taste. Every one is free to act according to their preference.

The limits of another person's conscience become the limits of my own when my exercise of liberty creates a “stumbling” block for someone else. In order for this to happen, the “weaker” believer must be tempted to follow the example of the “stronger” believer and so violate his or her own conscience. In the case described above, Mike never considered wearing an earring himself. He simply did not like the fact that Ed chose to wear one. Disputes over matters of Christian liberty are not often easily resolved because we confuse matters of personal preference with questions about what is “biblical” behavior.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Many of the things over which we have conflicts are in themselves neutral. Like meat that had been sacrificed to idols, “we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do” (1 Cor. 8:.

The real problem is not in what we choose or refuse to eat, listen to, or wear. The problem is our disregard for others. Each needs to view the other through the lens of grace.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 15:1-13
Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. - Colossians 3:13
TODAY IN THE WORD
The “Gloria Patri,” a short hymn sometimes sung as a doxology, concludes, “world without end. Amen.” A little girl who misunderstood the words made up her own slightly altered version and sang, “world with weird men. Amen. Amen.” Her sentiment, though not exactly what the “Gloria Patri” had in mind, accurately reflects the experience of many in the church. Eugene Peterson has written that when we get serious about the Christian life, we usually find ourselves in a place and among people that we find incompatible. “That place and people,” Peterson explains, “is often called a church.”

Life in the body of Christ requires patience. According to today's reading this patience is demonstrated by “bearing with” the failings of the weak (v. 1). Paul goes on to describe how those who are strong in faith should help others who are weak: by pleasing or accommodating the weakness of others. Spiritual maturity is not measured by the amount of liberty we exercise so much as by our capacity to adapt ourselves to the needs of others.

Paul's command raises some obvious questions. How do we know when to draw the line when accommodating others? This command includes an important qualifier—the strong are to accommodate the weak for their own good. The goal is edification. In some cases, accommodation may not achieve this goal.

Paul is a good example. When Peter stopped eating with Gentiles because others considered such relationships to be “unclean,” Paul refused to accommodate such thinking. Correctly recognizing this kind of reasoning as a threat to the gospel, he confronted Peter (Gal. 2:11-14). Yet Paul's general philosophy of ministry was grounded on the principle of pleasing others rather than himself (1 Cor. 10:33). “To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some” (1 Cor. 9:22).
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
In a way, every congregation is its own world of “weird men” and women. Life in the body of Christ requires patience and sacrifice. Who are the people in your congregation that require a measure of extra grace? Perhaps you demonstrate grace by bearing with a musical style that does not reflect your own taste. You may show it by refraining from certain topics or practices in order to make others feel comfortable. When you are tempted to feel impatient, remember that the goal in such sacrifices is to build up your fellow believers.

[Soldier4Christ]

Read: Romans 15:14-22
It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation. - Romans 15:20
TODAY IN THE WORD
James Gilmore was a member of the London Missionary Society who traveled to Mongolia in 1872. When he died 21 years later he had little to show for his effort and could point to only a handful of converts. Still, throughout his life Gilmore was driven by a passion to proclaim Christ to those who had not yet heard of Him. Early in his ministry he wrote these words in his journal: “When shall I be able to speak to the people? O Lord, suggest by the Spirit how I should come among them, and in preparing myself to teach the life and love of Christ Jesus.”

Gilmore's desire echoes Paul's ambition described in today's verse to “preach the gospel where Christ was not known” (v. 20). This vision propelled him into regions where others had not yet attempted to bring the good news. The Apostle describes this as a “priestly duty” and characterizes the Gentiles who respond to his message as “an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit” (v. 16).

When Paul refers to himself as a “minister” in this verse, he is not using the title in the way we often employ it today. We usually reserve the title “minister” for someone who has been formally ordained by the church. A minister often functions as an officer of the church and may have the title “Reverend.” In this passage, Paul refers to himself as a minister in a figurative sense, using a Greek word that was often used to speak of a public officer or servant. He uses the same word in Romans 13:6 to refer to the civil authorities who receive our taxes. Anyone who shares the gospel with others is engaged in “ministry” in this sense of being engaged in service to God.

While some believers have been called to “vocational” or “full-time” ministry, every Christian has been made a steward of the gospel. This is our real vocation, no matter how we may earn our paycheck. We are all ministers of the gospel.
TODAY ALONG THE WAY
Those who see the world through God's eyes will share Paul's passion to see Christ proclaimed where He is not yet known. For a better glimpse of the work that remains to be done, spend some time browsing the World Christian Database, a Web site sponsored by the Center for the Study of Global Christianity at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (www.worldchristiandatabase.org). Ask God to show you how you can be used to extend the gospel to regions where Christ is not yet known.