The Wise-minded Christian

Paul gives Christians encouragement and direction in Romans 12:3:

For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

When we understand how great our need, and the lengths to which Jesus went to save us, there is nothing left for the believer but to be humble.  Arrogance is simply ridiculous in the life of any follower of Jesus Christ.  In contrast to this, believers are exhorted to think soberly.  Sober thinking in English has come to be associated with not abusing alcohol, but the word Paul used here means more than that.

The Greek word sōphroneō combines the word for wisdom and the word for thinking, or mindset.  The idea is not to be foolish, but rather wise minded in all things.  This wise-mindedness is only available by living in light of our grace given position in Jesus Christ.  While pride will cause us to dare to be stupid, the grace of God gives us humility and wisdom.

Top priorities!

Acts 2:42 gives a picture of the early church as follows:

“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”

These are the priorities of the church in its very first days on earth.  Their pursuit of these things was continual and steadfast – not casual or flippant.  First, they were hearing and applying the apostle’s doctrine or teaching.  These teachings were later written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and preserved in our New Testament.  Second, they were dedicated to fellowship.  The Greek word used here is koinonia and means a vital fellowship based upon something shared – in this case their shared relationship to Jesus Christ.  Third, the “breaking of bread” may mean that they shared meals together, but more likely that they were regularly observing the Lord’s Supper together, as He commanded.  Remembering His death and declaring it until He returns.  Finally, they were dedicated to prayer.  Laying their prayers before the Lord together was a regular habit early church.

These four signs of a healthy church have not changed in 2,000 years.  May every local church be characterized by good Bible Teaching, fellowship around Jesus Christ, The celebration of the Lord’s Supper, and an active corporate prayer life.

The Perfect Picture

Cameras keep getting better and better and now most people have many crystal-clear images of different moments of their lives.  A clear picture makes a big difference!  Why else would we spend so much time creating and acquiring better televisions, monitors and cameras?

The book of Hebrews opens: “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high…”

God reveals Himself to us through nature, through human conscience, and through the Biblical account – but His clearest picture He gave us was in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

If you want a great picture you may need to buy a better camera – but if you want a clear picture of God you need only look to the person of Jesus Christ!

God's "Much More" Kind of Love

Romans 5 solidifies and explains God’s message of salvation.  We are told that God, motivated by love, seeing our helpless situation, paid our penalty in Christ.  But Romans 5 doesn’t stop with the believer’s salvation – we are said now to be in the “much more” care of God.  Five statements tell us that there is so much more to God’s salvation than an escape from our due punishment.

•       Romans 5:9 - Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.

Romans 5:9 tells us that not only are we forgiven we are sure to be saved from God’s wrath that is to come upon the world.

•       Romans 5:10 - For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

Romans 5:10 makes it clear that Christ’s death reconciled us to God and Christ’s resurrection is a guarantee of our salvation’s future consummation.

•       Romans 5:15 - But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.

Romans 5:15 tells us that God’s grace of salvation in Christ is more powerful to save than Adam’s sin was to condemn.

•       Romans 5:17 - For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:17 promises that every believer in Christ, far more than just being saved, WILL reign with Him, by His grace.

•       Romans 5:20 - The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more...

And Romans 5:20 tells us that where sin abounds, grace “much more” abounds – literally – Grace “super abounds” to break the power of sin in the believer’s life with God’s grace and forgiveness.

May we each live in an ever-growing understanding of this “much more” care of God for us.