Random Romans

(Romans 6:13) - “Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness.”

Interpretation -The Greek word “paristemi” is translated “yield ye”, “yield”, “ye yield”, and “ye have yielded” in Romans 6. However, I find its translation, “present”, in Romans 12:1 most helpful in discerning the meaning of this passage. In Romans 12 one is instructed to “present your bodies a living sacrifice…unto God.” Thus I could read Romans 6:13, “Neither present your members as instruments [weapons] of unrighteousness unto sin: but present yourselves unto God...as instruments [weapons] of righteousness unto God.” When we present our members we are placing our members at one’s disposal wilfully. We are placing a weapon, ourselves, in the hands of God or Satan. There is no other option.

Application - yielding or presenting my members as instruments or weapons of unrighteousness is acting or speaking in unrighteous, sinful ways. I make myself an instrument or weapon of unrighteousness by wilfully disobeying the clear teachings of the Bible, thus living for society, self, and Satan. If I want to present myself as an instrument or weapon in the hands of God I must live for the Saviour. This means reading and meditating on the Word of God, an active prayer life, and participation in the House of God.

(Romans 10:13-17)  13 "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed ? and howshall they believe in him of whom they have not heard ? and how shall they hearwithout a preacher ?

15 And how shall they preach , except they be sent ? as it is written , Howbeautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring gladtidings of good things!

16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith , Lord, who hathbelieved our report? {our report: Gr. the hearing of us?} {report: or, preaching?}

17 So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

Interpretation – Salvation is open to all who call on the name of the Lord. Romans 10:8-10 gives further explanation as to what this call is to be, a call on God from a heart of faith in the risen Saviour.

Application – The application the Apostle Paul lays out in this passage is where my conviction comes in. The lost must cry out in faith to Jesus Christ if they are to be saved from their sins. In order to do this they must hear the Word of God preached. However, this cannot occur unless a God sent man preaches the Word of God. This truth is graciously illustrated for us in Acts 8: 26-40. God sent Phillip to the Ethiopian Eunuch to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Phillip opened up the Word of God and preached it to a willing listener who was gloriously saved by grace through faith. We must become more like Jesus and less like ourselves. 

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Holiness, Humility, and Hunger

The call of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel can be summarised by three words: Holiness, Humility, and Hunger. Let me explain.

            Isaiah received his call in the year King Uzziah died.  However, he had to sort out something first, holiness. Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up. He saw the glory of God’s holiness coupled with the abject humility of the attending angels. Its clear Isaiah was under no illusions of any righteousness of his own when he said, “Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips” (Isaiah 6:5). Personal holiness would be critical to Isaiah as he was dealing with wicked King Ahaz and a wicked nation Judah.  Isaiah was purified before he was sent. God had done all he could in his vineyard and yet it brought forth wild grapes. Judah would be called on to make a judgment between a Holy God and an unholy Israel.

            Jeremiah was called of God in the days of Josiah and Jehoiakim. Like Isaiah Jeremiah experienced visions during his call. But they were not on the scale of Isaiah’s vision by a long chalk. Jeremiah would have to depend completely on the Lord for his protection, as he would suffer for the Lord. Complete dependence requires complete humility. Although a young man, God reassures Jeremiah that he was God’s man before he was even born. This must have helped Jeremiah in the dark days. God’s people were still in a rebellious state when Jeremiah was called. Under King Josiah revival broke out, but only temporarily.

            Ezekiel’s call is the most fantastic in my opinion. He saw things right out of the Book of Revelation. “Four living creatures…. they had the likeness of man” with four faces, four wings, and their feet were like that of a calf’s foot. (Ezekiel 1:5-6) It gets stranger indeed. Like Isaiah, Ezekiel also saw the glory of the Lord. In Chapter 2 a roll of a book is laid before Ezekiel and he is instructed to eat it. He is then instructed to speak to the house of Israel in chapter 3. Hunger for God’s Word was a part of His call, in a manner of speaking.

            All three prophets saw visions of various types. All three were living in dark spiritual days. Holiness is heard loudest in Isaiah’s call, Humility in Jeremiah’s, and Hunger in Ezekiel’s.