Steven A. Bush - September 15, 2013
A Romans Twelve-Like Church
In the first eleven chapters of Romans, Paul gives us the great doctrines of our faith, particularly the Gospel. Chapter twelve signals a shift by Paul who now begins to focus on how God's people can apply and embody these great truths. Fully surrendered lives, abandonment of the world's ways, renewed minds, finding and doing God's will, humble personal assessment, faithfully exercising our gifts, rejoicing with those who rejoice and mourning with those who are mourning--all carried out with genuine love towards our brothers and sisters as well as our enemies--these virtues are meant to be the hallmarks of the body of Christ. When the Gospel is declared by a family of believers who demonstrate these reputable Christlike qualities, the Gospel will not be brought into disrepute. Instead, the Gospel will be held out by those who are not merely proclaiming it but by those who have also been visibly impacted by it. A Romans Twelve-Like Church is the kind of church we all want to be a part of and praise be to God, we can be.