Author: Will

Romans 15:9 – Body Composition

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Romans 15:9 – Body Composition

and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written: “For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, and sing to Your name.”

Truth to Learn

All Christians are members of the same body.

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “Gentiles” is ethnos, which refers to “a group of people belonging together and living together.” In classical Greek this word is also used in reference to a flock of sheep or a swarm of bees. In New Testament Greek (Koinē Greek), however, it generally refers to a race of people and is often translated as “nation.” When used by Jews it almost always refers to the all people who are not Jewish, thus the term “Gentile.”

“Confess” is from exomologeō, which is made up of ek, meaning “out” but used here as an intensifier and homologeō, meaning “to have the same mind about something.” Homologeō is usually translated “confess.” Thus, exomologeō means “to express complete agreement” or “to profess.”

Meaning Explained

Whereas the Jews received the fulfillment of their promises in the incarnation of Jesus Christ and His death on the Cross (see previous verse), we Gentile believers did not have those promises made to us. We have been brought to God through Jesus Christ, not because He was promised to us but because of His mercy in forgiving our sins through the blood of the spotless Lamb of God. As a result of that mercy, we Gentile believers now glorify God. Before we received this mercy, we were unable to glorify God because we did not know Him. But because of His mercy, and through His grace, we are now also partakers of the intimate fellowship with Almighty God, which results in our own proclamation of glory and praise to God.

At this point Paul quotes a passage from the Psalms:

Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the Gentiles, And sing praises to Your name. (Psalms 18:49)

In the Psalms the praises of God come among the Gentiles as well as among the Jews; hence, the Jewish converts in the church in Rome should not look down upon the Gentile converts because God has included both in His family and has made both part of His body and His bride. Paul expresses it this way in his letter to the Ephesians,

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, (Ephesians 2:13-15)

So if God has made the Jewish believers and the Gentile believers one through the blood of Christ, then we should accept each other as fellow heirs and not be concerned that we celebrate this marvelous salvation in different manners.

Application

There is no room for racism or ethnic discrimination among Christians. We are all nothing more than sinners saved by grace, and we are all part of the body of Christ.

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Romans 15:8 – Breaking Old Habits

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Romans 15:8 – Breaking Old Habits

Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers,

Truth to Learn

The bondage of manmade rules and tradition is hard to break.

Behind the Words

“Has become” is translated from the verb ginomai (from which we get our English word generate), meaning “to begin to be, to come into existence, or to become.” It is expressed here in the perfect tense which, in Greek, implies past completed action with an ongoing effect where the emphasis is on the effect.

The word translated “servant” is from the Greek word diakonos which means “one who waits on tables” or “one who serves the needs of others.” This word is often translated as “minister.”

“Confirm” is from the Greek verb bebaioō, meaning “to strengthen, make true, or fulfill.”

Meaning Explained

In this and the following verse Paul will demonstrate to the Christians at Rome why the work of Christ is different, though equally vital, for the Jews and the Gentiles. His purpose, I believe, is to show the Gentile converts in Rome that the Jews have a good reason for wanting to continue to follow the ordinances laid out by the Mosaic Law, and at the same time to show the Jewish converts that the Gentiles have a good reason for not wanting to be bound by those same ordinances.

The first half of this reasoning is contained in the current verse. He says that “Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision.” As mentioned above, the verb “has become” is in the perfect tense, so what Paul is saying is that Jesus Christ became and continues to be one who serves the needs of the Jews with respect to God’s truth.

The way that Jesus has done and continues to do this is by having confirmed, or fulfilled, the promises made to the Jewish fathers. What promises, you say? The promises to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, and others concerning the Messiah’s coming and His being the seed of the woman, and of Abraham, and of David. Jesus perfectly fulfilled all that was promised to the Jewish fathers and, therefore, confirms the truth of God’s promise. In so doing, Jesus demonstrates to the Jewish converts that all that has been written in the Old Testament is truth. This gives the Jewish converts reason to believe in Christ and in all that is said of him in the Old Testament. However, it also gives them reason to want to continue conforming to the requirements of the Law.

Paul has taught that righteousness cannot be obtained by obedience to the Law and the Jewish members of the church at Rome were learning that they couldn’t perfectly keep the requirements of the Law anyway. Nonetheless, it is difficult for anyone who has lived his or her life by a strict set of rules to suddenly stop doing those things to which they have been bound for so long.

Application

Every church has rules or traditions which are not based on what the Word of God teaches. As we learn where the truth of the Bible contradicts these rules and traditions, we will want to change how we act, but it is difficult. Recognizing which of these rules and traditions are contrary to truth is the first step in being set free from them. Are you still in bondage or have you been set free in Christ?

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Romans 15:7 – Filthy Righteousness

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Romans 15:7 – Filthy Righteousness

Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.

Truth to Learn

God freely receives all who come in humble faith.

Behind the Words

“Received” is translated from proslambanō, which is made up of pros, meaning “to or toward” and lambanō, meaning “to take.” Thus, proslambanō literally means “to take to oneself.”

Meaning Explained

In the opening verse of chapter fourteen, Paul began a new subject. He began this treatise with:

Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. (Romans 14:1)

The disputes over doubtful things that Paul warned about had to do specifically with the fact that some church members believed that Christians had to adhere to the dietary restrictions of the Mosaic Law. Others disputed over whether or not we should regard one day of the week as more holy than the rest. Even though Paul has gone to great lengths to show that we should not judge each other based on how we are individually convicted about such minor spiritual matters, it is not until the current verse that he completes the point he began back in Romans 14:1.

God doesn’t receive any one of us based on what we have done or what rules we have established for our lives. He accepts or rejects based on righteousness. He has already taught the Roman Christians that none of us are righteous apart from the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ. In fact, God’s description of our own righteousness is captured by the prophet Isaiah:

But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6a)

Isaiah compares our righteousness to “filthy rags.” That doesn’t seem too bad to us until we look at what he means by “filthy,” which is translated from the Hebrew word ‛iddāh. It refers to the uncleanness of a woman’s menstrual period.

I know that’s kind of a disgusting description to some of us, but it graphically portrays how God views our own personal righteousness. All of our efforts put into obeying the rules, all the good deeds that we do for others, all the sacrifices that we make for God, and all that we give to Him end up looking to Him like stinking, filthy menstrual rags.

And yet, Christ receives all of us who come to Him in humble faith when we confess our sinfulness and need of salvation. At that point God credits us with the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. He turns away no one who comes to Him in humility because He sees Jesus’ righteousness in us. He accepts us immediately and completely with open arms. That, according to Paul in the current verse, is how we are to receive other Christians into our fellowship. We need to be convinced that a new member is genuinely saved, but once we are convinced of that, we are to welcome him or her just as Christ accepted us, to the glory of God!

Application

God doesn’t want your goodness or your gifts. He wants your humble spirit and the recognition that you don’t deserve what He freely offers. Once we recognize how utterly worthless we are to Him and that we bring nothing of worth, then He can use us to bring glory and praise to Himself, and He is worthy!

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Romans 15:6 – The Praising Body

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Romans 15:6 – The Praising Body

that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Truth to Learn

God is worthy of praise from the entire body of Christ.

Behind the Words

The expression “like minded” in verse five is from the Greek phrase to auto phronein. The word phronein is a form of phroneō, which we have seen before meaning “mindedness.” It refers to a state of being (action) as well as a state of mind (thought). Literally we could translate this as “to mind the same thing” or “to have the same thoughts.” So, literally Paul was praying that God would grant that all Christians would have the same thoughts toward one another.

The word translated “one mind” in this verse is homothumadon. This is a compound word made up of homo (from which we get our word homogenized), meaning “all the same” and a form of thumos, meaning “temperament” or “mind.” So we could translate this word as, “unanimous agreement of thought and attitude.”

“Glorify” is from the Greek verb doxadzō, which means “to render glorious.” That is, it means “give someone esteem or honor by putting him into an honorable position or by proclaiming the honor due to his position.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul prayed for the Christians at the church in Rome, and by application for all Christians, that they (we) might be like minded toward one another. This is precisely the type of attitude and action that Paul has been exhorting us to have toward one another.

Now, in the current verse he explains why he is requesting God to give us the ability to have the same thoughts toward one another: “that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify … God.”  Paul knows that the church in which members are all minding the same thing with regard to each other (they are all considering the good of others more than self) will be able to glorify God with unanimous agreement. This type of praise is very pleasing to God.

There are four occurrences of the word “mouth” in the book of Romans. The first was in Romans 3:14 (whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness) referring to the mouth of sinful man which cannot praise God because it is controlled by the unrestrained sin nature. The second was in Romans 3:19 (that every mouth may be stopped) indicating the condemning effect of the Law. Realization that one is guilty before God causes even the most sin-hardened mouth to be silent. The third was in Romans 10:9 (that if you confess with your mouth), which indicates that salvation only comes from confession of the Lordship of Jesus Christ in a believer’s life. And, here, where the mouth is used for corporate praise and glory. The progression is startlingly dramatic as it metaphorically shows the change of a sinner from a self-serving individual into a God serving saint as an integrated member of the body of Christ.

Application

Even more than our individual praise, God is pleased with the corporate praise of a body of believers. Whereas, in the past our mouths brought forth only cursing and bitterness, now they are capable of glorious praise. Let’s give Him the kind of unanimous praise and glory He deserves!

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Romans 15:5 – Brotherly Patience

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Romans 15:5 – Brotherly Patience

Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus,

Truth to Learn

Christians need to be patiently forbearing of each other.

Behind the Words

The word “grant” (actually, “may … grant”) is translated from the verb didomi, meaning “to give.” It is expressed here in the rare optative mood. To put it simplistically, the “mood” of a Greek verb can be seen as representing the distance from reality. The indicative mood indicates action that actually takes place, the subjunctive mood indicates action that could possibly take place, the optative mood indicates action that is probably not taking place, but is wished for or hoped for, and the imperative mood (typically a command) indicates action that is most likely not taking place, but which needs to. Thus, we see from the optative mood of this verb that Paul is expressing hope that God will give to believers the quality of Christ-likeness in our attitudes toward each other.

Meaning Explained

Remember how this current topic of discussion started? It started back in Romans 14:1 where Paul said:

Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.

Paul’s argument has been that we need to accept brothers and sisters in the faith who are not necessarily as spiritually mature as we are. However, our purpose in admitting them should not be to argue with them about spiritual matters of small importance. Paul went on to tell us that some Christians are convicted about strictly following the dietary restrictions of the Old Testament while others feel the freedom in Christ to eat all kinds of foods.

And, rather than brow-beat each other to conform to the same spiritual convictions that we have, we should be tolerant of others and we should not flaunt our freedom in front of them. Instead, we should be forbearing and understanding. We should patiently wait until God convicts them about these minor spiritual truths.

Let me step aside for a moment and caution us that Paul is not talking about matters of central doctrine like the deity of Christ, His virgin birth, the physical reality of the resurrection, or the gift of salvation by grace through faith. These are spiritual truths on which we need to stand firm without accepting any compromise. But, regarding issues of minor spiritual importance, like whether or not we should abstain from certain foods as a matter of religious obedience, or whether we should treat Sundays differently from other days of the week, we need to be patient and forbearing of one another.

As a result, Paul now prays that the very God who is the epitome of patience and forbearance might grant to each of us that same patience when it comes to our dealing with our Christian brothers and sisters. After all, if God through Jesus Christ has been patiently bearing with our spiritual immaturity and stubbornness, then we should exhibit the same thoughts and actions towards other Christians.

Application

We are behaving more Christ-like when we are patient and forgiving of our brothers and sisters in Christ, especially when they have different convictions than we do. Is that how you behave toward your Christian brothers and sisters?

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Romans 15:4 – Heavenly Hope

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Romans 15:4 – Heavenly Hope

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

Truth to Learn

The Old Testament holds many teachings that instruct Christians in how to patiently endure with hope.

Behind the Words

The words “were written before” are translated from prographō, which is made up of pro, meaning “before in time or position” and graphō, meaning “to engrave,” which is an ancient form of writing. Thus, prographō means “to write beforehand.”

“Learning” is from the Greek noun didaskalia, which is derived from the verb didaskō, meaning “to instruct” or “to teach.” So, didaskalia refers to “that which has been taught” or “that which has been learned.”

“Patience” is from hupomonē, which is made up of hupo, meaning “under” or “beneath” and a form of menō, meaning “to remain.” Hupomonē literally means “to remain under.” It is a picture of a beast of burden who remains under a heavy burden. Thus, it means “to patiently endure difficult situations.”

The word “comfort” comes from paraklēsis, which is derived from parakaleō meaning “to call alongside.” It is the word used to describe the Holy Spirit as our “comforter” who is called to our side when we need comfort and strengthening.

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul quoted from Psalms 69:9, which is clearly a Messianic passage referring to the reproachful suffering that Christ endured on our behalf. Apparently, as Paul reflected on this and other Old Testament passages, he recognized that all the Old Testament was written in a manner that expresses Christian principles.

He is not saying that the Old Testament was only, or even primarily, written for Christians. He is saying that all of it is there for our learning. Even though we are no longer under the Law, there is still a wealth of great instruction and exhortation to New Testament believers contained in those writings.

Paul’s key point in this verse is that through the Old Testament, we have hope as we see the patience that was demonstrated by, and comfort that was afforded to, Old Testament saints. And since we know that God does not change, if He provided miraculously for faithful Old Testament saints, then He will also provide for New Testament saints in like manner. As we look at Abraham, Job, David, Moses, Elijah and others, we see that God had a personal, ongoing relationship with them and went to great lengths to nurture their relationships with Him. As their patience in trials grew, so did their reliance on Him, as well as their hope in Him.

Application

Next time you are feeling defeated and spiritually weak, read about what David went through after he defeated Goliath and after Samuel told him that he would be King of Israel. See how he was persecuted by Saul and treated with contempt even when he himself had shown no malice to Saul. David had hope for the future, both earthly and heavenly. Do you?

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Romans 15:3 – Humility Personified

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Romans 15:3 – Humility Personified

For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on Me.”

Truth to Learn

Christ is our supreme example of humility for the sake of others.

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “reproaches” is oneidismos, which is based on the verb oieididzō, meaning “to defame, deride, disparage, or reproach.” In other words, it means to attack with abusive words.

“Fell” is from epipiptō, which is made up of epi, meaning “over or upon” and piptō, meaning “to fall.” Thus, epipiptō, means “to fall upon” or “to land upon.”

Meaning Explained

Paul has been showing us that we ought to consider the wellbeing of others as more important than our own wellbeing. Even as we read through this passage, all of us are at one time or another going to say, or at least think, “But what about me? Don’t I have to take care of myself? I can’t expend all of my energy taking care of others; I need to take care of good old number one!”

I suspect that Paul’s response to that would be that good old number one should always be good old number last! If we take care to always do good and be well pleasing to others, then God will take care of us. (Clearly, we need to ensure that we are taking good physical care of ourselves so we can meet the needs of others.) Paul now gives the supreme example of selfless love and the considering of the welfare of others more than self; that is Jesus Christ Himself. His quote here is from the Psalms.

Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up, And the reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me. (Psalms 69:9)

This entire Psalm is a Messianic psalm. When Christ hung on the cross, in fact before he hung on the cross, while he was going through the illegal mock trials the night before and the morning of his crucifixion, He suffered many reproaches for our sakes. He was beaten in the face with both open hands and closed fists and was spat upon (Matthew 26:67). He had the hairs of his beard plucked out (Isaiah 50:6). He was beaten with the scourge (John 19:1) until his flesh was like bloody hamburger meat! He was mocked and ridiculed (Psalms 22:7, 8; Matthew 27:31; Matthew 27:41-43). And yet, He did not strike out at them nor retaliate in any way. In fact, He remained silent when falsely accused (Matthew 27:12-14; Mark 15:4, 5). Instead of striking back, He took the reproaches which we should have received. God in the flesh took on the reproaches of men so that we sinful men could avoid the reproaches of a righteous God. Truly Christ was more concerned about us than He was about pleasing Himself.

If He was willing to take such abuse for our sakes, then surely we should be willing to subjugate our own desires and pleasures for the sake of our neighbor, shouldn’t we?

Application

Paul has spent a lot of time and effort teaching us how important it is for us to humble ourselves before God and before our fellow Christians. Do you suppose that it might be a good idea for us to learn how to do that?

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Romans 15:2 – Build-up, Not Tear-down

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Romans 15:2 – Build-up, Not Tear-down

Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification.

Truth to Learn

We are to focus on the good of others and on ways to build them up, not on ways to tear them down.

Behind the Words

The word translated “please” is a form of the Greek verb areskō, which means “to make one inclined to or to soften one’s heart towards another.” This particular form of the verb is in the present tense and imperative mood. The imperative mood means that Paul is not simply suggesting that this might be a good idea, rather he is commanding us to do this. Also, according to the Complete Word Study Dictionary, “the present tense denotes intentional, deliberate, and continuous conduct; yet the word involves a relationship prior to behavior. It is actually satisfying or behaving properly toward one with whom one is related.”

“Neighbor” is from the Greek noun plēsion, which is based on the word pelas, meaning “near” or “close to.” Hence, plēsion refers to someone who is physically close to you, that is, your neighbor. Metaphorically, it refers to anyone whom you encounter in your walk through this life.

“Edification” is from oikodomē, which we looked at back in Romans 14:19. It is made up of oikos, meaning “a family dwelling place” and a form of demo, meaning “to build.” Literally, oikodomē means “to build a house.” By application it means “to build-up, physically, emotionally, or spiritually.”

Meaning Explained

We have just been taught that those of us who are strong in our faith need to bear with the weaknesses of those who are less mature in their Christian faith. And, we just saw that the word translated “to bear” means “to lift up” or “to provide support.” Now the Apostle Paul teaches us that we are to please our neighbor for his good, not for our own. This is nearly a restatement of what we were told back in Romans 14:19;

Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.

In that verse Paul emphasized us pursuing the things which produce peace and the things which build-up someone else. In the current verse Paul’s exhortation again includes building up someone else, but it focuses on pleasing our neighbor.

In other words, we are to behave in a particular way to those around us, those whom we encounter in life. We are to treat them in such a way as to make them feel good and warm hearted. If you have ever had a dispute with a next door neighbor or someone with whom you work, then you know how difficult this can be. Paul’s point, however, is that we should constantly be acting in such a way toward those around us that they will be impressed with the way Christians behave.

Application

Yet again, we see that the proper attitude of a follower of Christ is to be focused on the good of others rather than his or her own good. That’s what Jesus’ life was all about. He humbled himself and offered His perfect life on the cross for our sake, not His own. We need to emulate His life. Remember, you may be the only Bible that your neighbor will ever read! Do your neighbors see Jesus Christ in you?

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Romans 15:1 – Strong or Weak

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Romans 15:1 – Strong or Weak

We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

Truth to Learn

The strong in faith are obligated to help the weaker Christian.

Behind the Words

The word translated “strong” is dunatos, meaning “powerful or capable.” It refers to those who have the ability or authority to do something.

“Ought” is from the Greek verb opheilō, meaning “to be indebted.” Metaphorically, it means “to be bound or obligated to perform a duty.” The problem with the English word “ought” is that it is thought of as “we probably should.” The meaning of opheilō, however, is much stronger than that. It is not simply a suggestion, but an obligation.

The word “bear” is the translation of the verb bastadzō, which means “to raise up and put on a pedestal.” By application it means “to lift up and provide support.”

“Scruples” is translated from the Greek word asthenēma, which is from the same root as the verb astheneō, meaning “to be without strength.” The noun form in the current verse refers to “the results of being weak.” As the Complete Word Study Dictionary says, “it refers to the scruples which arise by being weak in the faith.” The problem with this definition is that most of us don’t know what the word “scruples” really means. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition says that the word “scruple” means, “An uneasy feeling arising from conscience or principle that tends to hinder action.”

Meaning Explained

In talking about the scruples of the weak, Paul is referring to the uneasy feelings that those who are weak in faith have when they are presented with a spiritual decision that is beyond their maturity level. Because they are weak in faith, they don’t know what the proper response should be. In a similar situation, mature Christians will tend to err on the conservative side and not do that which they aren’t sure about (as Paul taught in the previous chapter). Those who are weak in the faith, however, are likely to go ahead and do that thing which they aren’t certain about because they don’t know any better.

Those of us who are more mature in our Christian faith should not insist that our weaker brother or sister do something that we know is appropriate and acceptable if they are not convinced it is. Instead, we should, for conscience sake, not do ourselves what our weaker brother thinks is inappropriate or unacceptable. In other words, we should bow our will to theirs instead of pleasing ourselves. It goes back to what Paul said in the previous chapter:

It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak. (Romans 14:21)

If we always have the highest good of our brother or sister in view, then we will always be doing the right thing.

Application

The Christian who is young in the faith often looks to those who are older in the faith to develop his or her walk with the Lord. What kind of an example are you to Christian brothers and sisters around you? Are you lifting them up, or are you dragging them down?

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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Romans 14:23 – Walking By Faith

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Romans 14:23 – Walking By Faith

But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.

Truth to Learn

Listening to the Holy Spirit means walking by faith.

Behind the Words

“Doubts” is translated from the verb diakrinō, made up of dia, denoting separation and krinō, meaning “to judge, distinguish, or decide.” Diakrinō means “to make a distinction between two things.” When expressed in the middle voice, as it is here, it means “to contend with oneself.” That is, “to waver between two points of view” or “to doubt.”

The word “condemned” is from katakrinō, which means “to judge down” or “to judge as guilty.” It is expressed here in the perfect tense, indicating action which was completed in the past but with an ongoing effect, the emphasis being on the ongoing effect.

“Sin” is translated from the Greek noun hamartia. The verb form of this word, hamartanō, means “to miss the mark.” Thus, a sin is something in which God instructs us to do one thing and we do something else (we miss the mark He has set for us).

Meaning Explained

Paul has been talking about decisions that we make regarding the things we have convictions about. In the previous verse he told us that we will be blessed if we allow ourselves to do those things which we are convinced are okay. Now he looks at the other side of the coin. He addresses what happens if we are convicted by the Holy Spirit not to do something but we do it anyway.

He goes back to the example of eating and says, “But he who doubts is condemned if he eats.” If the Holy Spirit and our conscience tell us that it is okay to do something, then it is okay to do it. But, if our conscience is nagging us about something, or if the Holy Spirit will not let us have peace about a potential decision and we go ahead and do it anyway, then our actions will result in sin. The reason, according to Paul, is “because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.” In other words, if we can’t feel complete spiritual peace about something, then we shouldn’t do it. That’s where faith comes into this picture. If it’s what God wants us to do, then we WILL have peace about it. That’s not to say that there won’t be some uncertainty about the future. What we can be sure of, however, is that if we have peace about our decision after we have prayed about it and have earnestly sought God’s direction, then it’s time to move ahead and follow our decision.

If, on the other hand, after we have prayed about the decision, seeking God’s guidance, we still have doubts in our mind as to whether we should do it, then we shouldn’t! In this case the doubts are a product of Holy Spirit conviction.

The key to all this is that we must be submitted to God and we must be committed to doing His will. If this is true and we have earnestly sought God’s guidance, then the lack of doubt is a sign of God’s approval.

Application

This type of behavior requires a level of spiritual maturity that some Christians never achieve because it requires exercising their faith. This is an example of walking by faith, not by sight. It requires the ability to discern between what we want to do and what God wants us to do. Are you willing to submit your will to that of your Heavenly Father and walk by faith?

In God’s service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2011 Will Krause. All rights reserved.

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