168 Singularity

168_Singularity

Romans 12:1-21

LIVING SACRIFICES TO GOD

1 I beseech (To call alongside to help, Jesus said beseech as “comforter”, in reference to the Holy Spirit.) you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, (We must respond by offering ourselves for the purpose of the doxology of praise by Paul.) that you present, your bodies a living sacrifice, (Under God’s control, for those in Christ, the only acceptable worship is to offer themselves completely to the Lord, the believer’s yet unredeemed body can and must be yielded to Him as an act of righteousness. Under the old covenant OT sacrifices are to no effect because of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice.) holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. (Logic, considering all the spiritual riches believers enjoy solely as the fruit of God’s mercies, they owe God the highest form of service.)

2 And do not be conformed to this world, (The age, referring to the system of beliefs, values, or the spirit of the age – at any current time in the World. [What is the current zeitgeist, do you know? Or is it polymorphic, and local by way of devolution, evolving into natural forms? (AB) ]This sum of contemporary thinking and values forms the moral atmosphere of our world and is always dominated by Satan.) but be transformed (Metamorphosis, a change in outward appearance, Christs, and believer’s daily transfiguration.) by the renewing of your mind, (This can only occur as the Holy Spirit changes our thinking through consistent study and meditation of scripture.) that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Holy living of which God approves, borrowed from the purity of sacrificial animals in the OT.)

SERVE GOD WITH SPIRITUAL GIFTS

3 For I say, through the grace (The divine.) 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, (Humility.) as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. (The correct proportion of the spiritual gift, or supernatural endowment and ability. Faithful Stewardship by the Holy Spirit, every believer receives the exact gift and resources he needs to fulfil his role in the body of Christ.)

4 For as we have many members (Just as in the natural body, God has given Christ a body of unified diversity.) in one body, but all the members do not have one function,

5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.

6 Having then gifts differing gifts (The emphasis not on believer’s identifying their gift perfectly, but of faithfully using the unique enablement God has given each. [Mine are Architecture, Drawing and Writing - (AB)].) according to the grace that is given to us, (The undeserved gift is sovereignly chosen apart from personal merit; in the specific way it is and the spiritual results.) let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy (Speaking forth, this is not about future prediction, but to speak the truth of God; non-revelatory: the proclamation of God, and revelatory words to strengthen and encourage the hearers.) in proportion to our faith; (The preacher must preach what the apostles delivered in the gospel, not opinion.)

7 or ministry, (From the same word as deacon or deaconess, refers to those who serve, in every kind of practical help.) let us use it in our ministering; (The two lists differ so they are like a perfect palette of colours, from which God selects to blend a perfect hue, for each disciple’s life - (Believer in God, Jesus Christ our Lord.)) he who teaches, in teaching; (The ability to interpret, clarify, and systematise, one must explain God’s truth clearly. Pastors must have the gift of teaching. Many qualified laymen may also show the gift for public proclamation.)

8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; (The gift which effectively calls others to obey and follow God’s truth. It may be used negatively to admonish and correct regarding sin; or positively to encourage, comfort and strengthen struggling believers.) he who gives, (The sacrificial sharing and giving of one’s resources and self to meet the needs of others.) with liberality; (Simplicity, single-mindedness, and open-hearted generosity, not for recognition, but to glorify God.) he who leads, (Standing before, or administrations: to guide. It derives from the person who steers a ship, in the NT it relates to someone who guides a home or church. Pastors should exercise this gift, but it is not exclusive to them.) with diligence; he who shows mercy, (One who actively shows sympathy and sensitivity, to those in suffering and sorrow; to lessen their afflictions, as exhortation.) with cheerfulness. (This is so, that the gift of mercy becomes a genuine help. Including duties to family, others and those who consider us enemies.)

BEHAVE LIKE A CHRISTIAN

9 Let love (The supreme NT virtue to fulfil another’s needs.) be without hypocrisy. (Christian love is to be shown purely without self-centredness or guile.) Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.

10 Be kindly affectionate (To be devoted to other Christians without attractiveness or desirability, then we can be recognised in Christ.) to one another with brotherly love, in honour giving preference (To show genuine appreciation and admiration for fellow believers by putting them first.) to one another;

11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, (To boil in spirit, to produce adequate and productive energy, but not to be out of control.) serving the Lord;

12 rejoicing in hope, (Christ’s return and our ultimate redemption.) patient (Perseverance.) in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;

13 distributing (Commonality, partnership or mutual sharing, examples are fellowship and communion.) to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. (Pursuing the love of strangers, not merely entertaining one’s friends. Early believers often opened their homes to travellers. A comprehensive list of traits that characterise the spirit-filled life. They come again under four categories by Paul: 1) personal duties, 2) family duties, 3) duties to others, and 4) duties to those who consider us enemies.)

14 Bless those who persecute you; (Treat enemies as if they were your friends.) bless and do not curse.

15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep (To be glad in the blessings, honour and welfare of others, no matter what one’s own situation, and to be compassionate to the hardships of others.) with those who weep.

16 Be of the same mind toward one another. (To be impartial.) Do not set your mind on high things but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. (To be haughty, with self-seeking pride, not to be superior.)

17 Repay no one evil for evil. (An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth from the OT, was never to be applied, but to enforce good conduct among people.) Have regard for good things (Christians are to respect what is intrinsically proper and honest. “Good” also carries the idea of visibly and having the right behaviour.) in the sight of all men.

18 If it is possible, (We should do everything possible to make peace, with others but it depends on their attitude and behaviours.) as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.

19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, Vengeance (Divine retribution.) is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

20 Therefore

          “If your enemy is hungry, feed him.

          If he is thirsty, give him a drink.

          For in so doing you will heap

                   Coals of fire on his head.” (An ancient Egyptian custom, that someone who wanted to show contrition, carried a pan of hot coals on their head. The burning coals showed the pain and guilt. When believers lovingly help their enemies, it should bring shame to such people for their hate and animosity.)

21 Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good. [i]

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One can appreciate beauty and excellence, but must not be tempted by the flesh, for there is a mind behind it. One that may be very fragile in trusting another until common ground is found.

What a person thinks about God’s word, in reality, reflects what a person thinks about God. So, the scripture makes self-compassionate demands on its readers. But those demands are not a negation but a duty of God’s authority to the Maker and King.

To plant a church is to follow the brotherhood and sisterhood into eternity of building the rock and spreading the gospel. When Solomon built his temple, it was in the finest wood and blue and purple and gold and crimson, but he was not robed in gold himself. (2Chronicles 2:1-16). From the heart comes Christ and within the heart lives the Son and Holy Spirit, while Abba sits on high in the sky. Abba lets us go to our own demands, but teaches us to be as him, weary of trouble and wrath. To protect us as Jesus and to heal our hearts, as the Holy Spirit. The three combined are in us. In the Soul of the Spirit.

“Self-compassion is to be warm hearted and understanding to the self. Rather than ignoring pain or creating self-criticism. The imperfect is inevitable, but we aspire to God’s vision of perfection as we grow. So, sympathise with kindness and greater emotional equanimity is experienced. But there is a shared human experience of suffering, by both internal and external factors, by God we overcome these. And so we must become less judgemental. A balanced approach to our negative emotions and feelings are neither expressed nor exaggerated. We need equilibrium to compare our experiences to others suffering. So, observe negativity with openness and clarity, held in mindful awareness. Be non-judgemental and observe things as they are. Not to be over-identified with thoughts and feelings, swept up by negative reactivity.”[ii]

You need to communicate - infatuation is making up something in your head. In my presumed capriciousness there is nothing wrong with living out a future dream in the eyes of the beholder yearning for a pretty face and façade to be just as wise and meaningful underneath in the honest hope you will be a couple comforted by a longing look at each other. Smile.

Love AB x

“The age of Singularity”, “The age of Nature “.

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[i] MacArthur, John, The MacArthur Study Bible NKJV, 2nd Edition, Copyright 2019, Thomas Nelson, Publisher, All, rights Reserved.

 [ii] Neff, Kristin, Self-Compassion, https://self-compassion.org/the-three-elements-of-self-compassion-2/ , Center for Mindful Self Compassion, USA, 2021, Copyright.