Think wisely according to the measure of your faith

[瑤翰 김요한]

Think wisely according to the measure of your faith (Romans 12:3-13)

The word faith means to believe and hope.

However, the question is whether you know how far you can believe and where your hopes begin.

While explaining the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, Peter recalled Joel's prophecy and presented David's faith as a model. Instead of telling people to believe in Jesus, believe in his blood, or look to the cross, Peter declared ,Repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for forgiveness of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38)

This principle is valid yesterday, today and always.

Then, he strongly testify that  like David,  we always put the Lord sitting on the throne in front of us,  if we call on the name of the Lord, we will be saved.

If you do so, you will be saved in this corrupt generation (Acts 2:40).

The corrupt generation at that time was Judaism.

Where is the corrupt generation of our time?

Faith has principles.

God justifies us through faith in the grace given by the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Holy Spirit comes upon his faith's righteousness and allows him to know the truth, so he looks to the Lord.

If faith and  hope are not fused, the words heard will not unity. (Hebrews 4:2)

If faith and  hope are not unify, the words heard will not share. (Hebrews 4:2)

What this means is that faith becomes reality of things hoped for. (Hebrews 11:1)

There are people who claim that they saw or heard  illusion or  dream, and that it is real, but that is nothing more than sleep talk.

I watched a discussion program before and someone said, 'I saw it, but did you see it?' When he asked, no one answered.

This is the corrupt generation that does not know the principles of faith and hope, and instead puts on expository sermons or QTs and talk shows that weave impressive words into a bouquet and tell them in an entertaining way.

Romans 12:3-13 is the standard by which we can discern God’s good, pleasing, and perfect will.

And for Christians, this is a lesson for themselves.

If those who have fulfilled Romans 1-8 make up their minds to do what these words say, the ability to do so will be revealed through Christ.

This is the principle of works by faith.

When faith is alive and righteousness of God is revealed, the Holy Spirit works according to the righteousness of God, so we take the trouble of working according to the work of the One who works in us according to the amount or gift of the faith.(Colossians 1:29)

If you do not follow these principles of faith, you will end up living a life of fun, enjoying a biblical talk show.

Q. Why does he tell us to think soberly according to the measure of our faith?

“For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among  you,  not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith.”(Romans 12:3)

A. It is best to use the command in the sentence as the topic.

Thinking wisely according to the measure of faith is the principle of a holy living sacrifice.

‘every man that is among  you’ is a general term for the saints in Christ, meaning each person within you, that is, those who belong into you.

Because salvation extends to the 2nd person , if you can hear that title, you can be confident that you are God's children chosen in Christ.

However, if this statement sounds uncomfortable, there is a problem.

Some people ask, "Why not them?". Like Judas...(John 14:22)

People like this are people who use others to blame them for what is wrong with themself.

Therefore, when the Bible says ‘you’, you should hear it as a word spoken to yourself.

If you are protesting against God’s unfairness while speaking in the third person as ‘them’, this is a big problem.

They are on the same level as the disciples who did not receive the Holy Spirit.

There is a measure of faith that God has given to each person.

We must think wisely according to the measure of our faith.

If you received five talents, leave five, if you received two talents, leave two, and if you received one, leave only one, which is 100 points.

When he says it is the measure of faith, he means that the amount is different for each person.

So, the measure of faith given to each person is different and the gifts are different.

It is not about who is better or worse, but each person is given a different measure of faith and gift to serve and edify the church, the body of Christ.

Q. Why do we need to be conscious of each other as members in one body?

“For as we have many members in one body, and all members  have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.” (Romans 12:4-5)

A. Because we must not go beyond the boundaries of the members of the body.

Hands cannot function as feet, and feet cannot function as hands.

Although the members are attached to one body, they are for the benefit of other members.

That's why he says we became members of body one of another.

This is not about the superiority or inferiority of the members, but about their functions and roles.

The evidence of a person who has received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and is in Christ is  consciousness of the members of body.

If there are two conjoined twins or one, but he hit one  one's head and another do not feel the same pain, they are separate and need surgery to separate them.

Q. How should we use the gifts we have received according to grace?

“Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teach, on teaching; Or he that exhort, on exhortation: he that give, let him do it with simplicity; he that rule, with diligence; he that show mercy, with cheerfulness.. “(Romans 12:6-8)

A. Even if you have a gift, you must know it as the Lord's and serve.

What the Lord have given is mine, but it is Lord's and mine.

Because prophecy is the word of salvation that will  be fulfilled in Christ.

For salvation, the words of Christ must be fulfilled , and because  progress is made in salvation, the words become prophecy.

However, you steal or borrow from others', then you must not talk about it carelessly.

You must testify according to your experience of the Word applied to you.

In this era, the Bible has been completed, so there are no more prophets.

However, the whole earth is filled with witnesses who prophesy the word of the Lord by the Spirit of the Lord.

We must be careful not to go beyond the bounds of our own faiths, experience others' indirectly, and then force them on others.

Those who have properly received the Lord Jesus Christ, that is, those who have met him, are clear about the measure of faith they have received and their gifts.

And you can discern what you can do and what is beyond your limits.

Q. Why are there no lies in love?

  “Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good” (Romans 12:9)

A. Lies cannot exist together in love.

You can't say you love someone and run a talk show by editing other people's stories.

If you have love, you have it, and if you don't have it, it doesn't exist.

There is no need to dress up as hypocrisy because you are not under judgement.

So Paul says, belong to good and become united with good.

It means to glue yourself to  goodness.

So, “Be kindly affectioned  one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.” (Romans 12:10-11)

‘Fervent in spirit’, If you are in the Holy Spirit, zeal cannot help but arise.

That is why people of the Holy Spirit is said to have four good qualities: happy, faithful, busy, pretty.

Zeal is the heart of God (Isaiah 9:7). It is a problem if Christians do not have passion.

So the person of Christ is always busy.

He is busy because of other people.

As the saying goes, a person who has a lot to do is a blessing in itself.

Q. What is the attitude required to offer a holy living sacrifice?

  “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality” (Romans 12:12-13)

A. As a living person, you must always activate your spirit.

Dead to sin and alive in Christ, according to the atoning grace of Christ, we rejoice that we will attain the glorious freedom of the Son of God.

We must always look for  the Lord based on faith, strive to pray of approaching to the throne of God, and do not let our hands become short-handed in sharing, and we must be especially good at showing hospitality.

At that time, strangers were guests spreading the gospel.

Just as Abraham was a person with a corresponding blessing and received the angel and treated him well, receiving the Isaac's annunciation, Christians have already been blessed enough to show hospitality, so they share hospitality with others.

That is why it is said that sinners are selfish, but righteous people are altruistic.

Written by Ptr. Yohan Kim.

Translated by  Nancy Chung

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