Comments on: Word, Spirit, Gospel and Mission (Part 11)

By: Oscar

Oscar — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 18:01:13 +0000

I was walking down the street yesterday thinking about Romans 14 when I had the same thought! And I realized that in wanting to do things differently I’m becoming the very thing I’m criticizing. Lord have mercy.

By: James Kim

James Kim — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 03:11:29 +0000

Thanks Joe for another wonderful blog. It is amazing to know that God’s desire to show mercy to all (Rom 11:32). I like an analogy that a man is hanging in the cliff by a string of iron chains. How many loosened string of chains (how many sins) are required for this man to fall down the cliff? Obviously the answer is either one string or many loosened strings at the same time. Before the holy God, both the Jews and the Gentiles fall short of the glory of God and they are under the righteous judgment of God. But only by the grace of God, he opened a way for anyone to come to the cross of Jesus and be saved.
Galatians 6:13 says, “Not even those who are circumcised obey the lawâ€”” As you said, those who rely on the laws are weak, but those who have true freedom in Jesus is strong. In other words, those who tried to keep many rules and laws (before people) and then feel safe (before God) are weak because these things are relatively easy. But those who live by the Spirit and obey the leading of the Spirit (I am exaggerating let’s say 24 hours seven days a week) is much harder.
Because God’s desire was to show mercy to all, (all men of all nations, billions of people in the world), those who have privilege (all Christians) also have responsibility for our neighbors in a humble and loving way.

By: Ben Toh

Ben Toh — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 17:28:44 +0000

Yup, I agree. If a free style younger brother, regardess of American or Korean, criticizes a legalistic older brother, whether American or Korean, then the free style younger brother immediately becomes the legalistic older brother exactly! Yikes. How desperately do we always need Jesus, and Jesus only.

By: Joe

Joe — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 17:21:12 +0000

Ben, thanks for your kind words. It’s good to know that some people are addicted to reading these, because I am addicted to writing them.

When I discussed this with someone in our church, she told me that whenever she hears “Jew” and “Gentile” in the NT, her mind immediately associates them with “Korean” and “American.” That may be a useful comparison, but I would strongly caution anyone from making too strong an association there. It’s more accurate to say that Koreans and Americans are two different types of Gentiles with radically different history, language, values, culture understanding and conscience. Either one could point a finger at the other and say, “I’m strong, you’re weak.” Either one could say to the other, “You’re being legalistic; I’m being true to the gospel.”

What we should mainly take away from this, I believe, are Paul’s admonitions to love one another, to refrain from judging one another, and to understand that neither one has the right to dominate the other, because every single one of us is here only by grace. We have to stringently avoid any tendency to think that we, either individually or as a group, are any better than any other Christians or any nonbelievers; the moment we think we are better is the moment we ourselves risk being cut off (11:22).

By: Ben Toh

Ben Toh — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 17:02:04 +0000

Thanks, Joe. Your posts are quite addicting, but in a good sense. I just want more and more of God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and to somehow communicate and appropriate His Beauty in my heart and in this world of woe and troubles and ugliness, including troubles and conflicts in the church.

Surely, to deeply realize God’s divine election humbles us to the very depths (because I’m so horribly bad), and gives us unbelievable boldness and confidence (because Jesus still loves me!) at the very same time.

The problem of Jew and Gentile seems to be the perpetual problem of moral and immoral, disciplined and lazy, conservative and liberal, senior and junior, older and younger, older brother and younger brother (Luke 15), who came first and who came later, missionary and indigenous people, etc.

For some reason, the “Jew” always feels superior to those “lawless disgusting free style Gentiles,” while the Gentiles can’t stand those “smug and bigoted self-righteous Jews.” Surely, only the grace of Jesus can enable us to love each other in the church, that will always have both “Jews and Gentiles.”

Thanks again for a short and sweet and sweeping overview of Romans, which is quite refreshing.

By: david bychkov

david bychkov — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 16:05:41 +0000

Thank you Joe for the nice outline of Romans. God’s election is really great doctrine which makes anyone before God nothing just humble. And what about those, who accepted it and understand it correctly (like Paul did), it makes them nothing but humble before all the people as well. There is nothing to be proud about, just God’s grace and all. If someone is pride because of his election his understanding of it is really wrong. What about me I really love this doctrine because it brings glory just to God.