Romans 12 Heaping Coals<br />ローマ書12 炭火を積む

Therefore...Paul is very logical in his argument and requires you to keep track of his argument thus far.

Romans 12:1-2

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercies...

Therefore: because of all that Paul has said in the preceding chapters, he wants now to urge his listeners to...

Brothers: includes male and female, all those who share in the same faith in Jesus.

Mercies: plural, see all the ways that God has shown you his mercy.

Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice...

Bodies: denotes all our being, our physical body but also our minds for from the mind comes our actions.

Living sacrifice: sacrifices were dead and you want them to be otherwise they might crawl off the altar like we often do.

Do not...but...

It is important to know what to say no to before we can say yes to something.

The present age...

There were 2 ages, the present age and the age to come.  The present age was filled with sickness and death, while the future age was the age when all things will be restored to the way things were supposed to be.  Jesus on the cross ushered in the future age into the present.

Romans 12:3-13

1. Unity in faith: we all share the same faith.

2. Love: this faith is expressed in love for each other.

3. Gifts: love, grace, forgiveness is the environment where we are then able to test our gifts, skills, talents.

4. Be real, be serious: go for it and don't fake it.

Romans 12:14-21

Forgiveness: hallmark of the Christian faith, as we have been justified, as we are now in a right standing with God, as we have been forgiven of all the wrongs we have done toward God, we too now must be a vessel for forgiveness to take place.

But not only to forgive but to actually do good to those who hurt you.

In doing so we heap burning coals on their heads: by doing good, we are then in a position to bring others to remorse and repentance.