Romans 12:3-12

How can a person have “sober judgment” about himself, and what relationship does this have with the close community described in this passage? – We can have sober judgment about ourselves by receiving objective truth about ourselves which we ourselves are unable to see.  We are blind to many aspects of ourselves because we are simply unaware, and because we are reluctant to squarely face areas that are too unpleasant for us.  These objective truths must come from outside of us, from people who know us well.  This is where we need the close community.  We need people who have plenty of opportunities to observe objective truths about me.  We need people who can see my life over long period of time, observe my way of life, and communicate truth to us.  However, this must be done in the context of loving relationships.  Without it, because of the twistedness in us caused by sin, we can receive difficult truths as attacks on us even when it’s spoken out genuine concern.  We need to be assured that truth is being spoken to us because it really matters for our lives and for our relationships with others.  Also, without being in a close community, people can withhold truth from us.  Sometimes it’s not easy speaking truth to others because there is no guarantee that it will be received well.  In such situations, it would be tempting to withhold the full truth.  We need a close, loving community that cares enough to tell whole truth because it’s essential for close community.

Identify points of contrast between Genesis 4’s description of Cain and his descendants as a picture of life falling apart outside of God, and the picture presented here of the community made possible by the reversal of sin’s ravages.  – In Genesis 4, Cain and his descendants became more and more isolated, living life by self and for self.  It began with Cain’s jealousy and murderous thoughts towards his brother.  Then he became afraid of others that they might treat him the same way he treated his brother.  He physically retreated and isolated himself when he built a city to protect himself.  His descendants sought significance and meaning in life through their own accomplishments.  In such a way of life, any situation where others can potentially make demands on us becomes a threat.  Any time we have to divert resources from ourselves to someone else, we become unsettled.  It’s a life of continuous anxiety.  In the course of such life, even the ‘joy’ that people experience is so isolated and alone, and that is no joy, for it cannot be shared with anyone else.  In the community of faith, where relationships matter a lot, a reversal is possible.  Because we are one body and each member belongs to all the others, we cannot disregard others in our decisions and actions.  The moment we cut off ourselves from others, we see detrimental effects on the health and strength of the body.  If we pursue our own agenda, that’s terribly deflating for others who want to build this community up to what it was supposed to be.  What we do inevitably affects the rest of the body, since we are connected.  In this community, as we allow the needs of others to make demands on us, we can begin to chip away at this isolated life.  We begin to taste the fulfillment of serving others, the joy of being a blessing to them in some way.  We also begin to experience the freedom that comes with releasing the grip on our lives.  However, for me to experience this reversal, I must battle the Cain within me, which says, “Do what you have to do, but save a part of yourself for yourself, pace yourself.” These are words that lead to no benefit for anybody – walls go up around me, and there is no connection with others, no life.   I must uproot the Cain in me by affirming and embracing my role in this community.  I must commit to respond to the needs by making sure I give my fully, as described by these words in verse 8 – generously, diligently, cheerfully.

Submitted by Jeannie Lee, Gracepoint Berkeley:

Romans 12:4-5 (Friday’s DT)

⁴ Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

One of the things that hit me from this week was from Romans 12:4-5, verses I had memorized years ago in Survival Kit 1.  The thing that always challenges me about these verses is the phrase, “each member belongs to all the others.” Each time I read these verses, I have to pause and think about how much am I living these verses out.  We live in a close-knit community and are often praised for how close we are, how we are actively trying to live out the Acts 2 fellowship; our fellowships are named a2f and Koinonia (greek for fellowship). If each member belongs to all the others, that means I belong to my brothers and sisters, including my time, my energy, my house, my children, and that they belong to me, meaning I’d better know what their needs are, and I’d better be owning them. I had to examine myself to see how much I actually take ownership over and also how much I allow others to take ownership over my life, and commit once again to personally own my younger brothers and sisters, not to be afraid of speaking the truth in love, not being afraid to bring up uncomfortable issues if need be, not being afraid to impose myself on them, whether it be for a meal, or to talk, or to impose myself to be a listening ear, to probe more deeply when necessary; there are many ways others can belong to me and I can belong to others.

Another point that stuck out to me this week was Tuesday’s DT on Matthew and Ephesians.  One of the questions was, “What is the foundation of the church, according to the Matthew and Ephesians passages?” And my answer was, the confession of the saints that Jesus is Savior and Lord, those who gather in the name of Jesus, and the foundation of the apostles and prophets.  The Ephesians 4 passage also ended with, “¹⁶ From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” I thought about each person’s role in the building up of the church, how each part needs to strive to attain to unity in the faith, in the knowledge of the Son of God, and to continually grow, so that the body would be a living vibrant active community of faith.  I see so many people who tragically are stuck in a “little old me” mentality, thinking that, “What can I do anyway,” “I can’t contribute much,” or “I’m not needed,” “No one will even notice if I’m not there,” when it clearly says, each part needs to do its work, and that we are all members of God’s household! And that we are being built together, to achieve unity and to grow together! What an amazing picture! There is no time or room to remain in insecurity or to have a “little old me” complex. We need to be the church that advances upon the gates of Hades! I committed again through these passages and DTs to be someone who helps to hold together the body, and to look for ways to build it up, rather than to be disjointed and remain in unfruitful isolated thoughts.

Submitted by Ander Chen, Gracepoint Berkeley

These passages about the church are also necessarily about each Christian.  Read each passage, and reflect on God’s vision regarding how Christian life is to be lived out. What do each of these passages tell me about myself?  What is my response to this?

What the passages say to me is that as a Christian, I need to be a more prayerful person and ask God, lean on God, entrusting him with my life and ministry and not trying to rely on myself and what qualities I think I may have (Matt 18:19-20). Im reminded that I am apart of God’s household and so my life must be set apart from the world, in: lifestyle, attitude, outlook, where my focus lies, what I value and treasure, and what drives me in my life. Others should be able to see my life and notice that difference and through my life I am to be a priest, someone who who shares the gospel with others (Eph2:19-20). It also tells me that God has prepared me for works of service so that the church, the body of Christ may be built up (Eph 4) and that I am to be a minister, a servant to others and not myself and in order to train and teach others i need to continually mature in my faith and understanding of God through his word, reflection and in loving others.

As I read this description of the church and of a Christian, I realize how short I still fall in all of these ways. Therefore, I want to commit to praying a lot more this semester, especially as I feel anxious in ministering to the junior class, with so many new people and so many things to get caught up on, more than ever do I feel inadequate and need to life and entrust them to God in prayer. I’m also reminded that my own life and values need to be constantly shaped and reformed so that my life can honor God. That I personally need to continue to grow in my understanding of God, and my own relationship with God needs to deepen. The world and its values of success, independence, and personal achievement still weight heavily in my mind and I need to do the hard work of reversing these ideas and values. It also means that my own struggles with my sin of lust, with my selfishness and pride needs to be confronted each day and confessed to God. My response to the fact that im a minister is that I need to be faithful to this calling God has given me. To not let up but dive in, take hold of the people God has given to me and not let my fears and insecurities of failing paralyze me but to trust God and go and start loving/ministering to the guys God has given me. There is nothing else for me to do but just dive in and get to know these junior guys. I’ve been tasked with the high calling of loving them, discipling them and coloring them and I just need to start and trust God with the rest. I need to pray for them, help them to grow and love them as I did my previous guys. I know God has taken me out of my comfort zone and for that I am thankful. I pray that my heart and capacity can be stretched and I want to respond with just doing God’s work and not stopping.

Summarize the message of these texts regarding a Christian’s life.  What are Christians called to do and not do because of this identity?

As Christians we are called to be separated from the world, to not conform to their ways, not to be yoked together with unbelievers, not to be partners with them and do things in darkness, not to love the world or anything in the world, not to be friends with the world, and not to have our minds on earthly things and thus become enemies of God.  These are all the things these passages tell us not to do.    These texts tell us to live distinct lives from that of the world, to be the salt, the light in order that our difference can attract people of this world.  We are to expose their darkness with our light and show our good deeds so that it can result in the people of this world praising God.  We are to find out what pleases God and live by it.

What question about Christian life does this answer, or what commonly-held misunderstanding about Christian life might this clarify?

These passages bring to mind the phrase “in the world but not of the world”, as that is what I am called to do.  These passages make it very clear that we are called to be so different from the rest of the world as we are put in stark contrast with clear words like “darkness” versus “light”, “wickedness” versus “righteousness”.  And there are sharp words used against those who love the world, such as “adulterous”, “hatred”, “enemy”, etc.  These clear distinctives leave little room for people who say things like we need to be more like the world so that we can reach out to the world, who take verses like 1 Corinthians 9:20 – “To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law.” – out of context as a justification for living a compromised, secular life.    At the same time I think these passages answer the question of WHY we have to live such different lives and be so “weird” and not do what we consider to be the “norm” by worldly standards.  In this context, it shows us that we’re not to be weird just for the sake of being weird and different, but it’s because there’s a mission behind it all, which is to turn people of the darkness into the same light that we have found, to do good deeds so that it can result in people of this world praising God.   I think a lot of times we have this misconception of Christian life as just full of dos and donts.  And without understanding the heart of it, it can sound like drudgery, who would want to succumb to such restrictions in your life.  But it makes sense in the context of embracing your identity.  When I got married, I embraced my identity as a wife and didn’t think twice about the dos and donts of marriage, how I’m now restricted and there are things that I cannot do as a married person.  Those were minor and irrelevant in the context of my new identity and mission of loving my husband and treasuring this relationship.  In the same way, when I fully embrace my identity as a Christian and embrace God’s mission to bring others into the same light that I have found, I don’t have to think twice about the dos and donts that are entailed in this relationship. They suddenly seem obvious and something that of course I should submit to and not think twice about in the greater plan of bringing others out of the darkness into God’s marvelous light.    In light of all of this, one point for me to reflect on is how different am I from the world?  Am I living a life that is in stark contrast with the “norm” out there – in terms of how I spend my money (for selfish purposes or others), how I spend my time (consumed in media and personal comfort or serving and loving others and being in God’s word), how I view others (consumed with just my nuclear family or increasing my sphere of concern), etc.  In addition, I need to work on fully embracing the great mission that God has given me and let that shape all of my values and direction of my life.

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Submitted by Jacob Chang, Gracepoint Berkeley

Summarize the message of these texts regarding a Christian’s life.  What are Christians called to do and not do because of this identity?

Christians are called to be distinct from the culture they live in.  The purpose of this distinction is so that the world will see the distinction and glorify God.  This distinction is not a matter of preference.  A Christian is supposed to have a relationship with the living God and this is incompatible with living for things of this world.  The passages make clear that being a friend of the world is equivalent to being an enemy of God.  Christians are specifically called to find out what pleases God, to test and approve his will, and that goes hand in hand with stepping out of the world, not loving the world, etc.  It’s not a suggestion or recommendation; it’s a statement of fact.  You can’t please God and chase after things of the world at the same time.

What question about Christian life does this answer, or what commonly-held misunderstanding about Christian life might this clarify?

These passages clarify the commonly held misunderstanding that God is interested in giving us worldly success or material blessings, and that these are a sign of his favor.  God specifically tells us not to love the world or anything in the world, and that anyone who does love the world does not have the love of the Father.  Since experiencing God’s love is the best thing for us, it is inconsistent to think that God would want to give us worldly success or material blessings (things of this world), which could hinder us from experiencing his love.  This is a warning I need to remember, especially when I come upon a material blessing, such as a promotion or a raise.  It is not necessarily a blessing and may very well become a curse if it causes my heart to become a little less dependent on God.

Matthew 13:1-23

Which soil would be an apt description of my spiritual condition today? As I think about my spiritual condition today, I think it’s between the thorn phase and good soil.  Having just come back from the Riverside mission trip, God really softened my heart and opened my eyes to see and ears to hear many things He was trying to communicate to me.  I was reminded of the incredible responsibility I have as a bearer of the Gospel, and how this really is the most precious thing I have been given.  I also was challenged about my role to be Ezekiel on the college campuses.  As the devotions were so fitting during the mission trip, God reminded me that I need to prophesy His words to the valley of dry bones on college campuses, especially the UT campus which is where God has currently place me.  Even with all these meaningful, personal experience from just this past week,  I already do sense Satan at work to try and filter my heart.  He is trying to make my heart filled with all types of thorns and rocks already.  The everyday responsibilities at work, the burdens of parenthood, the upcoming retreat and semester.  He is trying to make me filled with all kinds of worries and anxieties.  And so I’m reminded today of the fragile nature of my own heart, of the difficult work it is to try and have a fertile heart.  With the retreat coming up for Austin next weekend, I know that I need to be vigilant to keep things from cluttering or hardening my heart, so that God’s word can take root in my life.

The rocky soil is actually a reference to a type of shallow soil not uncommon in that area that had a thin layer of rock underneath it.  Thus, the roots could not penetrate deeper into the soil.  Given the link between having no root, and falling away when troubles or persecutions come, what might be some layers of rock that keep the gospel at a shallow level in my life?

The thin layers of rock that have the ability to keep the gospel at a shallow level in my life are my own pride and arrogance.  To think that I’m okay with myself, and that I have it together is something I’m constantly reminding myself against, because my tendency is to think I can get make it my own way just fine, which I know to be far from the truth, yet this is the insanity of my pride.  Pride is a monster that will continue to be something I battle against perhaps for the rest of my life.  Though it may not be so visible, not something I easily see everyday, the reality is that it resides in my heart.  It is there, and I would be foolish to think that it’s not there.  Another layer of rock is my family ,and my responsibilities of being a husband and father of two kids.  There are many aspects of family life that can keep the Gospel at a shallow level in my life.  For one, there are responsibilities of parenting that take their physical and emotional toll.  And when this happens, it can cause me to be lazy in my walk with God.  It can cause me to be mechanical in the way I approach my devotions and ministry.  Rather than spend quality time dwelling on what God may be trying to say to me, I’ll have a hurried approach, wanting to just get through and complete the questions.  This approach is pharisaic, merely something that I can potentially get proud about doing.  Yet the main purpose of the devotions, to get me closer in my relationship with God, will be unmet.

Our church is doing our daily devotions through one or more chapters of Scripture a day, so that we have a chance to meditate on scripture more deeply and thoroughly. The goal is to read the scripture, memorize key verses or passages, and reflect on the passage through daily journaling and prayer. Download the new DT schedule or download the Devotional Questions for the Gospel of Matthew.