Romans 12:12-13

Characteristics of Christian Conversion: Part 2

[1] a godly priority of praise (12a)

[2] a godly patience in pain (12b)

[3] a godly posture of prayer (12c)

[4] a godly provision for people (13)

[1] a godly priority of praise (12a)

Three mutually building commands. Literally, the text reads as such “in hope, rejoice, in tribulation, endure, in prayer, persevere.”

[I]“In hope rejoice.”

To rejoice is to be in a state of well-being, or happiness. It is one who can say, it is well with my soul. And it is done so in the hope of redemption and glorification.

This is grounded in the gift of faith.

Hebrews 11:1–2“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation.”

Horatio Spafford was a man who had genuine, confident faith, and whose hope led to rejoicing. Spafford is known for writing the hymn “It Is Well With My Soul.” Beautiful hymn, and I know we have talked about his life before. After losing money to investments and a fire, he sent his four daughters (12, 7, 4, and 18mo), and wife to England from the states. The ship they were on sank and all three girls died. The wife was the only one who survived and sent a telegram that their daughters had died.

As Horatio traveled to England to meet his wife he wrote the great hymn. Listen to the hope and rejoicing Horatio had while writing this hymn and passing over the site where 226 people had died. “And Lord haste the day, when the faith shall be sight, The clouds be rolled back as a scroll; The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend, Even so, it is well with my soul.”

Brothers and sisters, that is rejoicing in hope. And here’s the thing, Horatio was not some freshly anointed prophet, or anything special. He was just like you and me, a broken Christian redeemed by the blood of Christ. The same Spirit that gave him hope lives in you right now. In hope, rejoice. A grounded hope.

[2] a godly patience in pain (12b)

[II] “In tribulation, be patient”

Tribulation is in relation to the present time, not a future time of tribulation as in the “end times.” Tribulation is something every Christian faces. It is a trouble that inflicts distress, oppression, affliction, tribulation

Patience is to maintain a belief or course of action in the face of opposition, stand one’s ground, hold out, endure

It is to hold the line. Think of the great battles of ancient warfare where holding the line meant you dig deep into the dirt and push in against the tribulation, or enemy soldiers.

James 1:12“Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”

Reasons for being patient in our tribulation.

2 Corinthians 1:4“who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

2 Corinthians 4:17“For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,”

Rejoicing is grounded in the work of Jesus Christ

Romans 5:2–4 “Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,”

Rejoicing looks forward to the glory to come.

Romans 8:23–24“And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees?”

Romans 8:30“And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.”

[3] a godly posture of prayer (12c)

Constant - to be busily engaged or devoted to a particular action. In this case, it is a reference to praying.

It was the attitude of the church in the Book of Acts 1:14 “All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.” And later, it was the attitude of the ministers in Acts 6:4“But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.””

I want to spend extra time on the doctrine of prayer as it seems to be one of the lost disciplines of the Christian life.

[DOCTRINE] - PRAYER

Prayer is an internal and external act. It bolsters our faith internally, and gives praise to God externally. It is also a horizontal and vertical act. We pray on behalf of each other (horizontal). How many of you have been blessed by knowing God’s people are praying for you? In the same way, it is a prayer to God (vertical).

Our prayers to God are aided by the Spirit. Romans 8:26–27“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”

Likewise our prayers to God are reinforced by the Son. Romans 8:34“Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.”

Finally, our prayers are heard by God the Father. 1 John 5:14–15“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”

[APPLICATION] - Elements of prayer.

Use 1. Prayer takes practice. It is a spiritual discipline that needs to be done. We have to have theology undergirding our prayer lives. Jesus as our High Priest is making intercession and praying on our behalf. We do not have to be pretty, or Puritan-esque in our prayers; rather, we need to set aside time to do it.

Use 2. Prayer takes persistence. It is something that needs to be done daily. Jesus even tells us to pray “give us this day our daily bread.” Are you starting your mornings asking God for your portion of bread to get you through the day? Or is prayer treated like the emergency fire alarm in a building, you only pull on it when something happens. Here Paul’s admonition:

Colossians 4:2“Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.”

1 Thessalonians 5:17“pray without ceasing,”

3. Use 3. Prayer takes prioritizing. Again, it is something we begin and end our days with. We all deal with various trials and tribulations, yet we need to be pupils of prayer.

Jesus Himself prayed to God the Father. Hebrews 5:7“In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.”

Philippians 4:6–7 “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

And this is for everyone sitting in the pews, this is not just for elders, or pastors, or church leaders. Boys and girls, this is for you. You need to start the discipline of godly prayer, now. When you immerse yourself in the presence of God through prayer, the challenges of life will seem like small drops of rain in a hail storm.

Parents, husbands, wives, and so on, you should be praying for your kids. It takes prioritizing. What is more important, the spiritual welfare of your children or watching football all weekend? What will matter when your sons and daughters are attacked when they go to college and secular schools, your knowledge of sports, crafts, t.v. shows, movies, and so on? Or, will it be their spiritual resolve knowing their parents are beside them, praying for them?

Even you singles, students, are you building these disciplines in your lives? You cannot think you will be able to mortify sin by mere behavioral modification. You need to be on your knees in prayer.

4. Use 4. Prayer provides perseverance. When we pray, we know God answers according to His Will, and therefore it gives us a fresh grace of His persevering love.

James 5:15–16“And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.”

Know this, Jesus is actively praying for you. All of you.

Be the Christian you were called to be. One who has … [1] a genuine love (v. 9), [2] a gratifying love (v. 10), [3] a godly zeal (v. 11), [4] a grounded hope (v. 12), [5] a generous giving (v. 13)

[4] a godly provision for people (13)

[v. 13]

Again, the literal sense is highlighting the action first. “The needs of the saints, contribute … hospitality, pursue it.”

Needs is a reference to the various tangible things people need in this life.

Fellow church members are to share in, or contribute in those various needs. The word for fellowship, koinoneo, is at the root of contribution.

This was lived out practically in the church’s life during Paul’s ministry. In 2 Corinthians 8:1–4 he admonishes the churches who have been generous for the needs of the church. He says, “We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part. For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord, begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints—”

Obviously, the text points that the saints, meaning those who have received the saving grace of God, are the ones who should be recipients of the various contributions. However, the general mindset of Christians should be to give to others willingly.

Paul reminds us in Galatians 6:10 “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” We are to extend grace and love to everyone but especially to those in the church.

And because of this, we receive blessings from God as well. Hebrews 6:10 “For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.”

At the same time, we are to be generous to those around us.

Hebrews 13:2 “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”

Hebrews 13:16 “Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”

1 John 3:17 “But if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?”

[APPLICATION]

Use 1. Generous giving places you in the lives of other believers.

You do not have to financially give every second of your lives. You can give yourselves as a servant of Christ to brothers and sisters in the church by showing hospitality.

Do you want to know how to be comforted? Invite people over to your house. You will find out very quickly that you have a lot more in common with your brothers and sisters to your left and right. And invite those over who cannot repay. This is showing an element of generosity, freely giving to others as you have been given a great salvation.

Use 2. Generous giving enhances the work of the church.

CFC is not a prosperity false-gospel church. We don’t want your money to buy airplanes, yachts, or mansions. Your giving goes directly to the ministries of the church. And yes, ministry costs money. I am fully aware money is one of the most sensitive topics to bring up because the likes of Joel Osteen and Kenneth Copeland have made a mockery and abuse of true generosity, by fleecing the flock.

Giving generously enables the church to provide more outreach, to continue the weekly ministry of the word, to allow for outings and events to sharpen the minds of believers, and to open the door to support missionaries.

All of it is for the glory of God and His kingdom. It is not my kingdom, it is not MMIs kingdom, it is not the PCAs kingdom, it is not the church officers’ kingdom, but God’s kingdom we are supporting.

[CONCLUSION]

We see that Paul as inspired and guided by the Holy Spirit is giving us tangible marks of true Christian behavior. This is not a legalistic checklist, nor is it a perfected list that we will all do, it is a progressive, enduring work.

Yet we need to be reminded that absolutely none of this is possible apart from Jesus Christ. Remember the Gospel as the backdrop of genuine Christian character.