{"id":262,"date":"2009-10-29T17:11:25","date_gmt":"2009-10-29T17:11:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/calebripple.com\/blog\/?p=262"},"modified":"2009-10-29T17:11:25","modified_gmt":"2009-10-29T17:11:25","slug":"let-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/calebripple.com\/blog\/let-love\/","title":{"rendered":"Let Love"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"flower\"<\/a><\/p>\n

<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

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<\/div>\n

<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

12.1 <\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I appeal to you therefore brothers, <\/em>by the mercies of God<\/em><\/strong>, to present your bodies…<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

It is by God\u2019s grace and mercy that we can even approach Him.\u00a0 Just think about the Holy of Holies. No one but the High Priest could go beyond the curtain.\u00a0 Jesus Christ is now the High Priest for all who believe (Heb. 4:14) and the work of the cross was successful in that it made the Way for us (Read: Hebrews 10:19-23<\/strong>). <\/span><\/p>\n

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To fully understand Paul\u2019s intentions and thought in writing the statement: by the mercies of God, lets look back a few verses to see in context, what the \u2018therefore\u2019 in 12.1 is there for (if you\u2019ll forgive the pun). <\/span><\/p>\n

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11.32-36<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.\u00a0 Oh the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!\u00a0 How unsearchable are His judgements and how inscrutable His ways! <\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor?<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

You could even go back further and see that Paul is desperately writing to help us understand the magnitude of the mercy of God via the nation of Israel.\u00a0 Look carefully at chapter 11 and you will see phrases like \u2018remnant\u2019, \u2018elect\u2019, \u2018hardened\u2019, blind eyes, deaf ears, \u2018cut off\u2019, \u2018grafted in\u2019, \u2018calling of God\u2019, \u2018consigned\u2019, and \u2018disobedience\u2019.\u00a0 You also should be quick to note the underlying theme: salvation.\u00a0 Paul is revealing God\u2019s mercy! <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

In v.36 we see that God is affirming His supremacy \u2013 from, through, and to Him are ALL things.\u00a0 At the beginning of Romans in chapter 3 (Read: Rom. 3:23-26), Paul makes a statement that is one of the most important that you will find in the entire Bible if that is even possible.\u00a0 Paul says about the cross: \u2018it was to show His righteousness at the present time, so that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus<\/em><\/strong>\u2019 (emphasis mine)<\/em>.\u00a0 God\u2019s own glory is everywhere and is eternally \u201ccontinuing back\u201d to Him.\u00a0 Jesus prayed in John 17: \u2018glorify Me!\u2019, God glorifying God.\u00a0 The glory of the Father is wholly in Christ Jesus (2 Cor. 4:6) and belongs only to God forever. <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

So how then do we present our bodies?<\/strong> <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>12.1<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/em><\/strong>…as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship *or rational service.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Jesus is<\/em><\/strong> the sacrifice and no other sacrifice is necessary (Heb. 9:26) or desired (Heb. 10:5-10); no other sacrifice is acceptable to the Father hence John 14.6<\/strong>: Jesus said to him, \u201cI am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through<\/em><\/strong> me.\u201d(emphasis mine) <\/em>Notice the corresponding terminology.\u00a0 God is Just and the Justifier.\u00a0 Jesus is our High Priest and the spotless Lamb of God \u2013 the sacrifice, offered once and for all.\u00a0 He is the only sacrifice that is eternally sufficient and furthermore He is the resurrection and the life (John 11:25). <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

As we continue on, starting at verse 3 of chapter 12, we see Paul\u2019s appreciation of this gift of grace and how we horizontally walk out this vertical truth. In other words, Paul says here is the practical application of this spiritual reality.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

12.3-13<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgement, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.<\/em> <\/em><\/strong>For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function,\u00a0 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.\u00a0 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them:\u00a0 if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.\u00a0 Let love be genuine.<\/em> <\/em><\/strong>Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.\u00a0 Love one another with brotherly affection. Out do one another in showing honor.\u00a0 Do no be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.\u00a0 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Let love be genuine (or without hypocrisy).\u00a0 Notice what it doesn\u2019t say: make or force or even strive, for love to be genuine.\u00a0 Outside of Christ we are in blatant rebellion, active enemies of God who are working against Him with every breath drawn.\u00a0 Romans 14.23 says \u2018For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.\u2019\u00a0 Our striving, outside of faith, even if we are a believer in Christ, is sinful rebellion against the Holy Spirit, against our new nature.\u00a0 For the believer we may reap wages or consequences for our rebellion or lack of trust but in God\u2019s grace He will not allow us to be utterly lost or forsaken but rather like a loving father, He disciplines those whom He loves and He is faithful and will persevere us to the end.\u00a0 For the non-believer they will eternally incur the wages of their labors (Rom. 6:23, John 15:6).\u00a0 When we<\/em><\/strong> are working we<\/em><\/strong> can expect wages which is death but when we are abiding (trusting) in Christ we can expect fruit which is love (John 15:5). <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

If you haven\u2019t already realized, Paul\u2019s practical application absolutely cannot be accomplished by us, unless it is God who work in us (Phil. 2:13).\u00a0 The moment i try and make love be genuine is the moment that it isn\u2019t.\u00a0 Love will either be genuine or it won\u2019t be love.\u00a0 This is the work of the Holy Spirit in us, the mercies of God.\u00a0 That while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.\u00a0 Now from Him, through, Him and To Him are all things, present your bodies that way! To Him be the glory forever. Amen<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

12.1 I appeal to you therefore brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies… It is by God\u2019s grace and mercy that we can even approach Him.\u00a0 Just think about the Holy of Holies. No one but the High Priest could go beyond the curtain.\u00a0 Jesus Christ is now the High Priest for […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3,4,15],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-262","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christianity","category-church","category-life"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5C2eY-4e","amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/calebripple.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/262","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/calebripple.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/calebripple.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/calebripple.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/calebripple.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=262"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/calebripple.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/262\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/calebripple.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=262"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/calebripple.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=262"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/calebripple.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=262"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}