Day 344—We are in the LAST month of Bible reading for the year and studying The ACTS of the Apostles with the LETTERS of the Apostles.

Day 344 – Romans 11 – 13 (Israel: remnant & olive tree, a living sacrifice, gifts of Spirit, submission & honor to authorities)

Romans 11.

Still writing about his people, Paul tells the Corinthians that God has not forsaken or rejected Israel. He has kept a remnant (like Paul) for salvation, but the rest have hardened hearts, blind eyes, and deaf ears. They have stumbled on the rock, which is Jesus the Messiah.

Their hardheartedness opened the way for the Gentiles to receive God’s salvation. Paul hopes it will also make them jealous and cause them to return to their God.

Paul also cautions the Gentiles not to become proud, for as God removed some natural branches of the Olive tree, which is Israel, to “graft” them in, He can also remove the grafted branches.

“Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you (Gentiles), provided you continue in His kindness.”  Paul further cautions them, “Lest you be wise in your own eyes, I want you to understand this mystery: a partial hardening has come upon Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles has come in.  And, in this way, all Israel will be saved.”

“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways!”

Romans 12.

Paul then appeals to the Corinthian believers to “present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewable of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Paul tells them that they are ONE body with MANY members who do not have the same function in the body of Christ. He then lists some of the gifts of the Spirit that have been given to them separately. They are to USE them.

• prophecy, in proportion to their faith
• service, in serving one another.
• teaching
• exhorting
• contributing with generosity
• leadership, with zeal
• acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

(Compare these with the gifts mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12 & 14)

The marks of every TRUE CHRISTIAN are:

• genuine love,
• honoring each other,
• fervency in Spirit,
• service to the Lord,
• rejoicing in hope,
• patience in tribulation,
• constancy in prayer,
• generosity in giving,
• showing hospitality,
• living in harmony with each other,
• associating with the lowly,
• repaying no one evil for evil,
• living peaceably with everyone.

All Christians should show these traits.  (Seriously, this list is so good for all of us to ponder!!)

Romans 13,

Paul charges them to “be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist WILL incur judgment.” 

(Whoa, this is absolutely appropriate for today!!)

Rulers are NOT a terror to good conduct, but to bad. If you do wrong…BE AFRAID.  He is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.  PAY YOUR TAXES, for the authorities are ministers of God.  “Pay to all what is owed to them;  TAXES to whom taxes are owed, REVENUE to whom revenue is owed, RESPECT to whom respect is owed, HONOR to whom honor is due.”

OWE NO ONE ANYTHING except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, it fulfills the law.

“The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then, let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and made no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”