Love as a Debt   In the latter half of Romans 12 Paul offers a number of characteristics of the love that is intended to characterize those who follow Christ. In the latter half of Romans 13 he takes up the subject of love again, this time providing us with a picture of love. The picture he uses is that of a debt. He tells us in v.8 to “owe no one anything, except to love each other.” So, why woul...  Read More

Resources on God and Government   For this week I simply want to share three resources I found helpful in preparing my sermon for Romans 13:1-7. I will provide the title, author, and a brief description of each: God and Politics (Mark Dever) If I had to recommend one book to buy that will provide you with a thorough but brief treatment of the Bible’s treatment of politics, this would be it. At les...  Read More

Gifts of Grace   In Romans 12:6-8 Paul lists seven spiritual gifts. Though this is not an exhaustive list, it does provide us with an idea of the different ways in which God’s people are gifted. These gifts are one of the best ways that the body of Christ can demonstrate both our unity and diversity, reminding us that all followers of Christ are unified through the same Spirit, but that the Spirit...  Read More

If I am being honest, I would have to confess that I have struggled in the past five months. Really struggled. It is kind of like a weird mixture of wearing shoes that are way too tight and grief. With every step comes the awareness that things are off…and my heart is heavy and feels the loss of meaningful things. In the midst of the struggle and seeking the Lord, I have discovered one of the sour...  Read More

One of the attacks often made on the reliability of the New Testament is that Paul’s teachings differ greatly from the teachings of Jesus. In actuality, many of Paul’s teachings in his letters can be traced back directly to the teachings of Jesus recorded in the gospels, and Romans 12-14 is a great section of scripture to see that. Below I have provided a list (taken from John Stott’s commentary o...  Read More

The "One Another's" of Romans   There are a number of “one another” verses in the New Testament that help us understand how the Lord desires for us to live toward others. Below are nine “one another” verses from Romans that we will be considering over the next few weeks: “Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one ...  Read More