April 2, 2018

Instructions From the Book of Romans


I believe all of Scripture is equal in authority and inerrancy, but because God spoke to me first through the book of Romans it has a special place in my heart. I'm reading through it again and thought I'd share the beauty of chapter twelve, verses nine through twenty-one.

"Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.

Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;

not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;

rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;

distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.

Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.

If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.

Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

Therefore

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.

  
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."    
                                                                                                          Romans 12:9-21
 
It's not natural for us to think this way.

Our fallen human nature wants to put self first and defend self all the time. Our nature wants to point to others who we think may need these verses for instruction, but what I've learnt through the years is that God gave His Word for the reader. Whoever is reading it, He wrote it for. God's Word is meant to be taken to heart by the reader.

I love these verses because they are filled with hope. Hope that we can follow after the ways of Christ.

Ponder them. Absorb them. Meditate on them. For they are the words of the living God.


"For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." Romans 15:4

 

22 comments:

  1. Wonderfully true! Thank you.

    "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse."

    This will keep us free.

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  2. Yes, Romans does have some real gems for life in Christ, especially Romans 12:1-2!
    Thank you for that post, it is very encouraging when we know it His Spirit in us that gives us the strength to be able to do these & go against our human nature.

    You're most welcome to drop by for a cup of inspiration.
    Jennifer

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Jennifer, I will stop by soon. : )

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  3. You are so right! It does not come naturally to think this way. May God transform our thinking to His. He made us so we would have to turn to Him in order to do it.

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    1. I agree! "May God transform our thinking to His" Glad you stopped by Alyson.

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  4. Romans is full of so many wise and hopeful words. Thank you for sharing this with us today. God bless!

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  5. What a great word for believers today. So many are set on getting even or just spouting off opinions and not caring about who is listening. The way evil is triumphed over is through GOOD. Let us be those instruments of GOOD today and always! Amen!

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    1. So true! We need His help so desperately. Thanks for stopping by Karen!

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  6. So very true, renewing our minds. We just don't think that way.

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    1. Thankful for the renewing of our minds! Glad you stopped by Rebecca. : )

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  7. God gave His Word to the reader! Love that - all roads point back to my soul, all Roman roads, too!

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    1. Focusing on the Lord and His Word definitely helps us see ourselves and our need for Him. Thanks for stopping by Sue!

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  8. Amen!!! It will surprise many how well helping those who believe are our enemies will turn out. I have made many friends this way and life often goes better. For it is God's love that will help us through the hard times
    come see us at http://shopannies.blogspot.com

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    1. Thanks for stopping by Angie! I'll try to stop by sometime. : )

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  9. I love the book of Romans as well, Cathy! Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful collection of Scriptural highlights from it. They are a great reminder of ways to live well. Thank you for being a part of the Hearth and Soul Link Party.

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  10. I love the picture at the top of this post! It's so beautiful. Thanks for sharing this at Booknificent Thursday on Mommynificent.com!
    Tina

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  11. I do so love the book of Romans! Such a rich book. Great insight here!

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Feel free to leave your own thoughts in the comments. I try to respond to all of them by the end of the week. : )