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All On the Altar

Studying the Bible and sharing nuggets of truth with others is extremely rewarding. One of the greatest feelings you can know comes from seeing someone’s eyes widen with understanding as you explain God’s word to them. You feel that your efforts are making a difference in another person’s life as they grow to more deeply appreciate the Lord’s message.

But, if that is as far as it goes, your tuition wasn’t worth much. Head knowledge is fine, but if that knowledge never makes it beyond the brain and into the hands, the feet, and the heart, then it really benefits no one. Putting the knowledge of God into practice is the only way to truly grow in him, and it’s the only way to gauge the success of a Bible class, sermon, or personal study.

When I began preaching in 1990, my wife and I decided that my sermons wouldn’t mean much if they didn’t contain any application — they had to be practical as well as truthful. That’s not so simple. It’s pretty easy to lecture for twenty minutes on something you’ve prepared. We’ve probably all given at least one speech in school, and though some may find it nerve wracking, talking about something that interests us comes naturally. But giving the listener the tools to take that information and use it today, in his current circumstances, is a bit harder.

The apostle Paul, however, not only wrote truth, but provided instructions so that that truth could be useful to his readers. Paul desired that the recipients of his letters live changed lives. While that takes root in their faith in Christ and their acceptance of his grace, those deep theological ideas would only manifest in people living as Christians, not just claiming the name of Jesus.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul delved deeply into the theology of the incarnation, faith, grace, sin, and redemption. The first eleven chapters will challenge your mind and require you to put forth some serious mental effort to understand the depths of God’s love. But the apostle wasn’t content to leave the Roman reader with grand ideas. In chapter twelve, he begins to demonstrate exactly how to apply these things to each person’s daily life, and live that theology as a parent, a student, an employee, or a member of the community. We’re human, so we need to know how to bring godliness into our human relationships. Paul takes us there.

Over the coming weeks, we will study Romans 12:1 through 15:13. We will take a look at how to apply Jesus’ teaching to everyday life. Our goal is to recognize where we need to change, and adopt the habits and behaviors that reflect the Spirit’s indwelling.

But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, and the joy He bestows,
Are for those who will trust and obey.

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