God Speaks
All God’s People Will Be Saved and Sacrificially Live Out Love in Action
Verse of the Day: Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?” For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the gloty forever! Amen. [Quotes as in the original.] (Romans 11:33-36 NIV 2011)
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We Respond
Romans 11
Reflection: Has God given up on His people? By no means. God has retained and is expanding His remnant, whether they are Jews by heritage or Gentile Christians. As proof, Paul, the author of this letter to Jewish background believers in Rome, listed his Jewish pedigree. The Lord has too much invested in His people to give up on them. He has always preserved a remnant, like the 7,000 who had not submitted to evil forces in Elijah’s day. The free gift of salvation is not by people being good enough but because of their response in faith to God’s kindness expressed in Jesus Christ. At this point in history many people (even God’s special people, the Jews) are sleepwalking through life unable to see, hear, or understand all that God has done for them. Even Moses and King David cautioned people not to let the abundance of God’s blessings lull them into complacency in their relationship with Him. Did God reject the Jews? Of course not. God intended for His offering salvation by faith to Gentiles to cause the Jews to rethink their attitudes and come back to right standing with God through trusting Him again. How wonderful it will be when the Jews come to believe Jesus really is their promised Messiah. Gentile believers must not be proud, but humble, grateful, and careful in how they treat Jews, God’s beloved people, because of His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God only temporarily set aside His work with the Jews in order expand His work on behalf of all people. God has left His people to their sinning until He has drawn to Himself everyone who is willing to receive His mercy and grace.
Consider the following questions regarding Romans 11:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
1. “God has imprisoned everyone [including His chosen people, the Jews, for a time] in disobedience so that He could have mercy on everyone [including the Gentiles].” (Romans 11:32 NLT)
2. People need to know by experience that “everything comes from Him and exists by His power and is untended for His glory. All glory to Him forever! Amen” (Romans 11:36 NLT)
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Romans 11? [I could form no better prayer for this chapter than a modification of verses 33-36 (TLB).] Dear Gracious God, I cannot begin to fathom the depths of Your mercy and grace to the Jews first but also to Gentile believers. Oh, what a wonderful God You are! How great are Your wisdom and knowledge and riches! How impossible it is for us to understand Your decisions and Your methods! For who among us can know Your mind, O Lord? Who knows enough to be Your counselor and guide? And who could ever offer to You, Lord, enough to induce You to act? For everything comes from You alone. Everything lives by Your power, and everything is for Your glory. To You be glory forevermore. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, which one of these He wants you to work on or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Romans 11? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will research a summary of God’s work on behalf of the Jewish people in the Old Testament.
- I will research a summary of God’s work on behalf of the Jews from New Testament times until today.
- I will investigate and decide on which ministry to Jewish people God wants me to support with the time, talents, and treasures He has given me.
- I will pray for the peace of Jerusalem, all of Israel, and individual Jewish people.
Romans 12
Reflection: In chapter 12, the Apostle Paul switches from preaching about all that God is and has done to telling believers in Christ how we ought to behave in response to this salvation He has secured for us. We should live holy lives–wholly dedicated to God. Then we will know that what He wants us to be and do is good, acceptable, and completely satisfying to us. First, we need an accurate and open assessment of ourselves (not puffed up or deflated) in relation to God and other people. We are new, changed people. Believers in Christ belong to and build up each other. We are all on the same team. Every member is essential and equally valuable–no superstars or mere benchwarmers. We have been adopted into the family and kingdom of the kindest, most generous, most forgiving person in existence. We are to faithfully represent Him to other people so that they will come and be adopted by Him as well. This representing God (not relying on our own strength and goodness, but on His flowing out through us) touches every area of human interaction: prophesying (proclaiming the unseen truth about the past, the present and the future); serving others; teaching; preaching God’s word; handling our own or others’ money or possessions; supervising the work of others; comforting, counseling, or advising others; truly caring for others; providing food and/or lodging for strangers; identifying with others in their emotions and circumstances. We should not do these things for show, but sincerely from a heart for God and for people–all people. No virtue signaling, shaming, or canceling. Our objective should be, “Don’t let evil win, but overcome evil with good.”
Consider the following questions regarding Romans 12:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
1. God will avenge whatever evil His people may suffer, either in this life or in the next.
2. The whole chapter centers on how God’s people are to behave.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Romans 12?
Dear Father God, You have made every provision for me to be adopted into Your family through Jesus. You now call and empower me to be an ambassador for Your kingdom. Holy Spirit, please help me to do my part well and give You the credit. Please empower others to do their parts well also and to bring You glory. May Your fingerprints be recognized in every area of life. I look forward to this happening in every tongue, and tribe, and people-group and nation. Then we will have a brand-new world–heaven on earth. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, which one of these He wants you to work on or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Romans 12? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will ask God what special gifts and talents He has placed in my life and how He wants me to use them to bring glory to His name.
- I will ask counselors and/or take inventories to see how I could use these special gifts and talents to earn a living as well as serve people for God’s Kingdom.
- I will take courses or get on-the-job training to strengthen these skills and abilities. I want to strive for excellence, not settle for mediocrity.
- I will look for someone else I can encourage as well, in this area or something else that benefits people and glorifies God.
Romans 13
Reflection: How should people, who have been made citizens of God’s kingdom by faith in Christ, live in regard to the government? We must remember that God is the one who sets up government. When we obey Him, we will obey the government. When we disobey the government, we disobey what God has put in place for our good. When we break the law, we can expect, even fear, punishment. So, we should obey the law to avoid punishment and because we want to do what is right. But what if the law or those enforcing it are wrong (even evil)? Then we have the right and responsibility to depend on God to help us do what we can to change the situation as peacefully and legally as possible. In the process we should: Pay our taxes and our debts. Obey the law of the land. “Show respect for everyone. Love Christians everywhere. Fear God and honor the government.” (1 Peter 2:17 TLB) If we are striving to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength and our neighbor as ourselves, we shouldn’t have trouble keeping any righteous laws. Because the time of Christ’s return is near, we should “[b]e decent and true in everything [we] do so that all can approve [our] behavior.” (Romans 13:13 TLB)
Consider the following questions regarding Romans 13
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
1. God is the one who established government for our good and expects people to obey our government.
2. People are to wear Jesus Christ as they would wear clothing and to love others as they would love themselves.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Romans 13?
Dear Lord God, thank You for being sovereign over everything and the ultimate lawgiver. I thank You for the special place You have for the USA in this world. It was the first nation where the ultimate human authority rests on the people being governed. We are meant to (individually and collectively) turn to You for direction as to who will lead us and what laws are needed to preserve life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all. At this point in history, we need a restoring of truth and trust–in You, in each other, and in governing authorities at all levels (from families to the federal government). Father God, please show me specific ways I can show respect for everyone; love Christians everywhere; fear You and honor the government; and help me to carry it out. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, which one of these He wants you to work on or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Romans 13? With the help of God’s Holy Spirit:
- I will volunteer to help someone become a citizen of God’s kingdom.
- I will volunteer to help someone become a citizen of the USA.
- I will volunteer to use my time, talents, and treasures to help correct some of the laws (local, state, or national) I believe are unscriptural.
- I will ask God to show me ways in which I am unconsciously breaking the law and ask Him to help me to change to consciously upholding the law.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.