The objective of this lesson: to focus on surrendering to God in exalting God as the primary motive for our obedience when called upon to behave in ways that go against our inclinations.

Paul asked the Christians in Rome to behave in some ways that were strange to their world and different to Rome's social expectations. He asked them to be living sacrifices who did not conform to the lifestyle and values around them. He asked them to use their abilities to serve others committed to Christ. He asked them to establish a genuine sense of community among themselves. He asked them not to take revenge for unjust treatment, but confidently to understand that evil was defeated by doing good. He asked them to respect the authority of a pagan government and show respect for pagan officials. He asked for an extraordinary commitment to the ethical value of love.

If our motive in obedience in difficult behavior uses "what seems desirable to me" as the primary standard in deciding what "I" or "we" should do, we only obey ourselves. If our primary motive in obedience in difficult behavior uses God's will and purpose as the standard, we surrender to God's will rather than elevating our opinions. It is easy to obediently surrender to things we agree with. It is hard to obediently surrender to things we disagree with. Caution: beware of making hardship a criteria for obedience! Merely because something is hard does not mean it is God's will! Yielding to the difficult is good if the difficult is not an artificial measurement of God's standards.

The immediate question had to be, "Why should we act in those ways?" Jewish Christians were accustomed to being different from the non-Jewish world. Yet, were they requested to be different from the Jewish community by accepting gentile believers in Christ, gentile believers who were not Jewish proselytes? "Paul, are you sure about your request?" Were they to serve Christians who are not Jews? Were they to create a sense of community with people who are not Jews? "Paul, are you sure about your requests?" Were they to obey the laws of an idolatrous government? Were they to respect idolatrous officials? Were they to love gentiles? "Paul, are you sure about your requests?"

The first question when a difficult surrender is stated is, "Why should we do that?" This question is frequently followed by the statement, "That does not make sense!" meaning it does not "make sense to me" in this trying circumstance.

The issue stated simply is found in this question: Why do Christians conduct themselves by values that are strikingly different from their society? What Paul suggested certainly was not easy! For most people, it is difficult to be radically different from the society around them. Christians were not [are not] "anti-social." They just lived [live] by a different set of values. However, the question remains: Why?

Always, in every age, the simplest action is to conform to social standards. Some examples: [for the older] not smoking tobacco, sexual abstinence; [for now] getting drunk; the recreational use of drugs; sexual activity; refusing the responsibilities of community in devotion to God; minimizing the importance of personal influence or example; etc. Do not allow the class to be consumed with someone's pet peeve.

Please note Paul's reasons given in today's text. (1) God's purposes are closer to accomplishment than they ever have been. (2) Accept the challenge to live your life in the "light" of nearness to God's purposes instead of the darkness created by the absence of God. (3) The objective of the Christian is to be "Christ-like" rather than "world-like." Christians live for something more important than physical desires.

Please note Paul's primary motives for accepting a difficult lifestyle were God-centered, not "me" centered. This is one reason why it is essential for a person to be converted to God through Christ instead of being converted to an institution. In today's American society, it is fairly easy to reject the "rules" of an institution. It is much more difficult to reject the standards of a person who is important to the individual. In this society, it often is easy to rebel against "the rules of the church," but much more difficult to rebel against the "person" of God. There is a critical difference between "doing something for the church" [as church is viewed by many American Christians today] and "doing something for God." Often the generational differences are quite evident in that critical difference. Wise is the eldership that recognizes and understands that difference!

As you consider that list, note the emphasis is on God's objectives in Jesus Christ, not "my" objectives in "my" physical existence. Obviously, the focus of the text is on the eyes of faith rather than the eyes of the physical. That is an extremely demanding way to look at life, events, and desires! Our present existence is primarily physical. We live in a physical world. We live in a society that stresses the pleasures of the physical. Most of our desires are motivated by physical ambitions. Yet, Paul said to them (1) that is the incorrect focus for the Christian because (2) something more important than the physical exists in human reality.

One of the most difficult realizations and understandings to communicate to American Christians today is that the spiritual is as real as the physical. The average American is surrounded in virtually every aspect of daily life with stress on the value of physical desires. To most Americans, it is challenging to realize that something more important than physical desires exist.

God's purposes were closer than ever before. Our strong temptation is to look back, make a "then" and "now" comparison, and respond by saying, "Yeah! Sure! Two thousand years have passed and Jesus has not returned." Paul's comparison was not our typical "then" and "now" comparison common in the evaluations of history. His comparison was more "a world without God" to a "world in which God has a kingdom" [a people willingly ruled by God]. The world from the time of failure in Eden to the flood was increasingly a God-less world. The world from Noah to Abraham was a God-less world. The world from Abraham to Christ was a God-less world. It was not God-less in the sense that God was absent. It was God-less in the sense that the world (1) rejected the involvement/activity of God and (2) resisted rather than cooperated with God.

Make a serious effort to introduce your students to the contrast in the simple comparison of "then and now" and the complex comparison of "the world without God's leadership versus the world with God's leadership." Do not allow your students to accept the myth that if we follow God's leadership, everything will be okay physically. God's kingdom came into existence in this world through blood and suffering. Blood and suffering were an early part of spreading God's kingdom. As long as the war between good and evil exists, blood and suffering will be a part of advancing and sustaining God's rule in God's kingdom.

If that idea seems objectionable to you, consider Deuteronomy 7:6, 7 and 9:4, 5. Note Deuteronomy 5:29. Particularly pay attention to (1) Israel's resistance to God, (2) the fact that God did the choosing, and (3) the significant role the wickedness of the peoples in Canaan played in God's actions.

There is a significant difference between willingly, by choice surrendering to God and tolerating God through some form of external control. Surrendering to God involves the internal force of faith. Tolerating God involves external force of the fear of consequences.

Today's Christian is often so aware of biblical history that they think it represents the majority of history. Ancient Israel frequently struggled with God! They were not the kingdom God hoped for (Exodus 19:5, 6)! Israel was a tiny nation (Deuteronomy 7:7)! If every ancient Israelite [which was never the case] had totally, obediently surrendered to God, only a distinct minority would have followed Him.

God's laws to Israel were an attempt to lead Israel away from what was commonplace in their world to a relationship with God. Israel represented what was typical of lifestyles in their world only when they abandoned relationship with God. Rarely did Israel realize how much God loved them (Hosea 11:5-11; 7:1, 2; 6:4-11). Though they were a huge disappoint to God, (a) God did not abandon them, and (b) the peoples surrounding them were even worse.

The vision of God was of a universal kingdom composed of all people, both Jewish and non-Jewish. Look at Genesis 12:3; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14; Acts 3:25; and Galatians 3:8. Note the intent of God in Genesis was to bring a blessing to all families or nations on earth. Note the statements in Acts and Galatians understand this was God's intent. The concept of the church [the "called out"] in the New Testament is an international group of people who belong to God and accept His leadership by a faith in Jesus Christ that willingly surrenders to God's purposes and leadership.

In every age, religious people make a horrible mistake when they conclude (a) only they are important to God, and (b) God is totally pleased if only He has "them." God is a universal God. As the universal God, He has a deep, abiding interest in all people, all nations. Christians compose God's international kingdom, and an international kingdom is God's interest and intent.

Accept the challenge to live in the "light." That which God announced to Abraham and intended through Abraham's descendants was, as Paul wrote, becoming reality. God paid the price for universal redemption in Jesus' death. He wanted Christians in Rome to understand, whether they were Jewish or former idol worshippers, God was in them partially achieving His objective. Their existence was a living demonstration of God's concern for the redemption of "all families [nations] of the earth."

People have the choice of knowing where they are going [walking in the light--remember they basically depended on the sun for light and truly realized how critical light was] instead of being forced to live in the handicap of darkness. God is the source of light in a world that, for centuries, struggled with lifestyles conceived in and perpetuated by the darkness produced by the control of evil.

Be Christ-like, not world-like. The behavior of the Christians in Rome was to signal that a new day had arrived. The behavior of the darkness was in no way appropriate for God's new day.

Christians behave differently because they nurture their relationship with God.

For Thought and Discussion

1. What request did Paul make of Christians in Rome?

   He asked them to live in ways that were strange to their society and world.

2. What was likely the immediate question?

   "Why should we act in those ways?"

3. What was the challenge to Jewish Christians?

   Jews in Jewish communities were accustomed to being different to non-Jews. The challenge confronting Jewish Christians was found in accepting into a community relationship gentiles who were not proselytes but who also placed faith in Jesus Christ.

4. What question reveals the issue?

   Why do Christians conduct themselves by values that are strikingly different from their society?

5. What 3 reasons for different behavior did Paul give in today's text?
   1. God's purposes are closer to accomplishment than ever before.

   2. Accept the challenge to "live in the light" of God's purposes instead of living in the darkness created by an absence of God.

   3. The Christian objective is to be Christ-like rather than world-like.

6. What is and is not the emphasis in that list?

   The emphasis is on God's objectives in Jesus Christ. It is not on "my" objectives in "my" physical existence.

7. What is our strong temptation?

   Our strong temptation is to make a historical "then and now" comparison rather than a more complex "world without God/world with God's kingdom" comparison.

8. Discuss Paul's comparison.

   In the discussion, the primary understanding should be this: there is a distinct difference in a world that abandons God and a world that looks to God for leadership.

9. How is today's Christian often deceived regarding the ancient world?

   Many Christians hold the concept that ancient Israel at its best was typical of behavior/lifestyles in the ancient world.

10. What was God's vision?

    God's vision was a universal kingdom composed of all people.

Link to Student Guide Lesson 8

Copyright © 2006
David Chadwell & West-Ark Church of Christ

previous lesson | table of contents | next lesson