Good morning. We are back
in Romans. A verse that is hard to obey: never pay back evil for evil to
anyone. Ouch! We oh so want to get payback. We have to follow this advice:
never take your own revenge, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is
written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord. He can do
a much better job than we can. It just seems that He is too slow sometimes.
Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it
depends on you, be at peace with all men. It should not be our fault if we are
not at peace with someone. However that does not mean that we compromise just
to keep the peace. We have to be firm in our beliefs. Just because we are
peaceful does not mean that they will be peaceful. Do not be overcome by evil,
but overcome evil with good. The light always overcomes the dark. Paul then
talks about subjection to governing authorities; obeying; paying taxes; etc.
Render to all what is due them. And then a verse we all need to observe: owe
nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has
fulfilled the law. All of the Commandments are summed up in this saying,
"you shall love your neighbor as yourself". Love does no wrong to a
neighbor; love therefore is the fulfillment of the law. Love is all you need,
Love; love is all you need. And this do, knowing the time that it is already
the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than
when we believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is at hand. Let us
therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. And
finally: we should put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the
flesh. Father continue to heal the reader. Give him/her Your guidance and
protection from all harm. Help him/her to walk in love continually.
Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me
Good morning. Paul then gives a list of a lot of things that he has gone through as an apostle. I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. There could be many people that you listen to either in church or through the Internet or other means; but there was only one person (as a general rule it was a person) that lead you to Christ. Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me. He was saying that just like a child imitates his or her father, they were to imitate him. He says that again seven chapters later. Since it is easy to forget some things about people we have not seen in a while, Paul says that he sent Timothy to them to remind them of his ways which are in Christ, just as he taught everywhere in every church. Some have become arrogant, as though I were not coming to you. I shall find ou...
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