devotional

Romans 12:20-21 To the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Last time, we looked at God’s command that we not only avoid counter-attacking our enemies, but that we meet their needs. Did you identify an “enemy” to show God’s love to? Did you find a new appreciation for the love that God displayed for us, dying for us while we were still hostile toward Him? How has that changed you?

Now let’s take a look at the reasons for this command that Paul cites. First, because “by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” And we say “great, so if I really want to get him, I should be kind, then he’ll really feel bad.” NO, that’s the wrong idea—or at least the wrong motive.

In The Bible Knowledge Commentary (p.490), Walvoord and Zuck suggest that the burning coals on his head “may refer to a ritual in Egypt in which a person showed his repentance by carrying a pan of burning charcoal on his head. Helping rather than cursing an enemy may cause him to be ashamed and penitent.”

Of course God’s desire is that we do this not to make them feel bad and see how bad they really are, but rather in the hopes of repentance and real reconciliation, just as God longs to see all come to repentance.

Paul goes on to say, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” While it is easy to think that we are the good guys and they are the bad guys and we overcome them by doing good to them, that is not a biblical perspective. Ephesians 6:11-12 tells us we “wrestle not against flesh and blood” but against the spiritual forces of evil. So by doing good to them, not only do we increase the opportunity for the other to see God’s love and truly repent, but we also overcome evil in us. Sin desires to master us and can do so when we hold anger, bitterness and vengeance in our hearts. Even if we don’t act out on the anger, it will eat us alive and “give a foothold to the devil” (Ephesians 4:26-27).

Has Satan gained a foothold in your life with any unresolved anger or bitterness? Do you hope for real repentance and reconciliation with your enemy or are you waiting for them to get what they are due? Allow God to cleanse you from any remaining bitterness. And we’ll repeat the challenge from the last devotional for you to take the next step:

Who has been treating you like an enemy that you need to ask God to reshape your heart toward? Pray right now and ask God to do so. Ask Him to provide you with an opportunity to show His love to that “enemy”. What could you do to meet their physical or emotional needs and in doing so begin to touch their spiritual needs? And as you realize how hard this is, take some time to worship God for His incredible love toward us that moved Him to die for us while we were still “alienated and hostile” toward God (Colossians 1:21).

Submitted by church staff members Rachel Byler, Connie Brinton, Jeanine Tobolski and George May

Romans 12:20-21 To the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Paul draws these words from Proverbs 25:21-22, applying these instructions to someone who has already done what they could to “live at peace” with another (v.18), and has chosen to let God handle the offense instead of taking vengeance themselves (v.19). Quite frankly, we feel pretty proud of ourselves when we can be wronged and we control ourselves and not lash out in response. But this passage commands much more than that.

We are commanded to feed our hungry enemy and give our thirsty enemy something to drink! Did I just say that? Perhaps we should just offer them food and drink if they choose to repent. After all, they will just keep on treating us as enemies so why should we feed them?

Look at it again. It says “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink”. This is not just talking about physical food and drink, though it certainly might include that. It also means meeting their needs, physically, emotionally, spiritually, etc.

There is nothing in our old nature that would ever want to do such a thing. As in all sanctification, unless we submit ourselves to the spirit of God, asking Him to form His heart in us toward that enemy, we will not be able to obey this command from the heart.

It seems to us that God is after a transformation of our hearts that doesn’t stop when we can rein in our wrong reactions. No, God wants our hearts to be like His, moving toward our enemies with love – just as He did with us!

Who has been treating you like an enemy that you need to ask God to reshape your heart toward? Pray right now and ask God to do so. Ask Him to provide you with an opportunity to show His love to that “enemy”. What could you do to meet their physical or emotional needs and in doing so begin to touch their spiritual needs? And as you realize how hard this is, take some time to worship God for His incredible love toward us that moved Him to die for us while we were still “alienated and hostile” toward God (Colossians 1:21).

Submitted by church staff members Rachel Byler, Connie Brinton, Jeanine Tobolski and George May

Romans 12:16
“Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.”

In this verse, Paul identifies pride as a significant obstruction to unity. When we take a me-centered approach to our relationships, decisions, conflict, and total life circumstances, we inflate our opinions as truth while deflating the wisdom or input that can come from others. After so many interactions like this, our pride severs the links of unity.

What is Paul’s prescription for pride? He exhorts us to relate to “the lowly.” Depending on the reading of the text, it can mean to commit ourselves to humble tasks or to make a regular practice to relate to the downtrodden.

In other words, as we humbly accept “lowly” assignments as outlets of service to God’s glory rather than insults to our self-perceived social rank, and as we associate and love those regardless of their lot in life, we lessen the reasons to be wise in our own eyes.

Consider asking the Lord to show where your areas of pride dwell. Ask the Holy Spirit to change those parts of you and to teach you how you can walk in humility so that your Heavenly Father may be honored and the unity of the saints can be preserved.

Brian Fisher, Calvary Missionary, Missions Intern

As I was reading in Romans, Romans 12:12 really touched me as I struggle with the cancer and its many different aspects. It really changes your life and makes you stop and put things in perspective!

Romans 12:12: “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”

“Rejoicing in hope”: my hope is in Jesus Christ and what He has done for me and for each one of us. We should all be looking forward to that wonderful day when we will see him face-to-face. My future is in His hands, what a comforting thought!

“be patient in tribulation”: God is sovereign and His timing is perfect. “Be still and know that I am God.”

“be constant in prayer.”: our lifeline to God is through our prayers. I must be more disciplined and fervent in my prayer life.

We thank the Lord for each of you and rejoice that you are willing to support and encourage us by your thoughts, prayers and actions.

Terri Kauffman, Deacon

Romans 12:9-13 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. (ESV)

The characteristics which Paul lists in these verses are not natural to us. In fact, they are just the opposite of our natural responses—just as presenting our bodies as an "acceptable sacrifice" (Romans 12:1) is not natural. However, in and of ourselves, we are not acceptable to Him.

We cannot live out any of the characteristics Paul describes without our total reliance upon God. We cannot do it on our own. Paul relates to this in Romans 7:15 – "for I do not understand my own actions. for I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate"

The only way we can effectively do any of this is through the "genuine love" of the Lord Jesus Christ -love without hypocrisy, sincere love—given to us through the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The love of Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit will enable us to develop the remaining characteristics Paul mentions and make us effective servants of the Lord.

Mae McCaskey, ABF Teacher

Romans 12:6-8 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. (ESV)

Can believers be advocates of the philosophy, “Unity in diversity”? If applied to the body of Christ, as expressed in Romans 12:6-8, they can.

Paul teaches that believers are wired with different charismata (gifts) as a result of God’s charis (grace). All believers are beneficiaries of God’s giftings, given uniquely to each member of the body so that there can be a rich tapestry of diversity within unity.

Needs within the church are ever-present, and certain times demand that we respond to these needs whether or not we are gifted in the area of need. However, God has graced us with special gifts, which when are expressed intentionally and regularly, can be a fabulous act of worship to Him and a benefit to the body of Christ.

The key is that gifts must be used!

If you don’t know how God has gifted you, contact the Community Life team for help in understanding more about your spiritual shape.

If you know how God has gifted you, ask Him to provide clear opportunities for you today to utilize your gift for the glory of His Name and the blessing of His Bride.

Brian Fisher (Calvary Missionary, Missions Intern)

Romans 12:2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (ESV)

We cannot renew our minds without the Word.

We cannot renew our minds without reflecting on the Word.

We will not change without the word and reflection on the Word.

But some would say “I find that my mind and memory don’t work as well as they used to. I can’t remember as easily and I can’t keep track of details as quickly as I once did.”

But just like any other muscle, we can exercise our brains, our minds and memories.

The more we tell a story, the easier it is to recall the details.

The more we sing a song, the easier it is to recall the words.

The more we quote a verse, the easier and more naturally we use it.

It may not be easy, but it will be productive.

And even if we can’t memorize every word, the more we rehearse a verse, the more we meditate on the message of a passage the more likely we are to live its truth.

There is no short cut. It takes time. It takes purposefulness. It takes quite or at least less noise.

So mediate on God’s Word—exercise your mind, develop your memory, be transformed.

Pastor Steve Kilgore

Romans 12:1-2 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. (ESV)

My children used to listen to a song that had a line that said, “Bullfrogs and butterflies, they’ve both been born again.” That line came from the fact that both had been transformed, changed from one form to another. Just as caterpillars go through a metamorphosis to become butterflies, we also should be changing. In fact, Paul, in Romans 12:2 uses the term from which we get our word metamorphosis to talk about the transformation that God desires in our lives. As followers of Christ, that change is not exterior, like with the butterfly, but is related to our character.

What I find interesting in Romans 12:2 is the method by which that change takes place. Paul states that spiritual transformation takes place “by the renewal of your mind.” There is an old computer acronym, GIGO, which means “garbage in, garbage out.” It refers to the data fed to the computer. If the data given to the computer is bad, the output of the computer will also be unusable. I have never heard the converse, “good in, good out,” but computers also work by that definition of the acronym. Our minds are more than computers, but GIGO holds true for us as much as for computers.

We live in a media saturated society. Someone recently quoted me the statistic that information is doubling every 18 months. Thus, if our minds are going to be renewed in the direction in which God wants them to go, and with all that is potentially bombarding our brains, we need to be selective about what we allow into them.

In light of that, take some time to think about the messages you are receiving today from TV, movies, magazines, billboards, songs and messages on the radio, conversations with family and friends and at the office, etc. Are those messages renewing your mind so that you are being transformed, or are they causing you to “be conformed to this world”? Remember, GIGO is true, but only you can decided what kind of “G” goes in, whether garbage or good.

Gordon Gregory, ABF Teacher

Romans 11:33-36
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
“For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?”
“Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?”
For from him and through him and to him are all things.
To him be glory forever. Amen. (ESV)

Who has known the mind of the Lord?
     We study the Word.
          We learn and learn and forget.
          We feel we are experts and yet . . .
          The depths of His plan,
          And the breadth of its span
          Are beyond us; we can’t comprehend it.

Who has been His counselor?
     We make our plans.
          We employ great strategic insights.
          We feel our decisions are right.
          But then, who are we?
          Minor fish in the sea,
          When we consider God’s wisdom and might.

Who is owed anything by God?
     We try to earn God’s favor.
          When we do such good things for Him,
          We might think we’re entitled to win.
          We want great success,
          Health, wealth, happiness.
          We forget that it’s all about Him.

We cannot comprehend His greatness.
     We should offer whole self to Him.
          God is the source of all things.
          Praise and glory forever we bring.
          All things happen through Him.
          All things end up in Him.
          He is the all-sovereign King!

Elsie Bush (ABF Member, Missionary)

God is . . .

All-powerful but not capricious
Eternal and transcendent yet compassionate and concerned
Unchanging and infinite yet reveals Himself in simplicity
Incomprehensible yet knowable though indefinable

Holy, unique and distinct but not distant, but only approachable on His terms
Independent, self-existent with the desire to bless man by seeking and allowing worship
The greatest gift He can give us is the ability/right to worship Him in intimate relationship

Purposeful not manipulated by outside motives, what He does is always eternally just, right and good

Omnipresent therefore available
Omniscient therefore never surprised
Righteous yet merciful
Just yet graceful
Good not corrupt or corruptible and incapable of erring
Loving and therefore giving what is best and needed, but wise not always giving us what we want

All-sufficient, needs nothing but desires our all
All-glorious, most perfect, most awesome yet stoops down to relate to man and share His likeness and image
All-knowing and wants to be known

© Stephen C. Kilgore 2007