August 4.Romans 13. Mary Waltermire

Clothed in Christ, Live in Love

We cannot discuss Romans 13 without stepping back to chapter 12 and identifying who is being spoken to. “I urge you brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices” (Rom 12:1). Paul is speaking to both the Jews returning from their exile from Rome and the Gentile converts who remained in Rome. You can imagine the challenges that would occur when the Law-abiding Jewish believers return to a church made up mostly of Gentile believers who did not have the Law. What is Paul really addressing here? 

At first glance it looks like taxes, murder, adultery, and coveting. The Jews and the Gentiles no doubt had different struggles. They had different experiences and different backgrounds. Yet Paul's call is the same for the believers in Rome and for us today. It is the call to partner with God and not to live for ourselves.  

In view of God's mercy, we are called in verse 14 to clothe ourselves with Christ and not to think about how to gratify the flesh. It's easy to read “flesh” and think of sexual sins, but the word for flesh is so much more. 

The Greek word is sarx (σάρξ, Strong’s #4561), and refers to our animal nature, our temptation to live by instinct/animal instinct/desires and not choice. It is choosing to ignore God’s calling to be partners together in the Gospel and to seek out singular gratification in whatever way it may manifest itself.  

For a Jew who had been living by the Law, it would be easy to look down on the Gentiles as those without the Law, but isn't living by instinct so much more? Don't we give in to the instinct of self-preservation instead of trusting in God? What about coveting what we don't have and living without gratitude? Pride? Self-righteousness? We don't steal; we borrow without asking. We deserve it; it's our right, and no one can tell me what to do. We cast judgement on others, all the while missing our own heart! 

The call here is for each of us to clothe ourselves in Christ, to literally sink in to Christ. With love, we master our sarx, and lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters and even our enemies. All of this in view of God’s mercy. We love because He loved us. Paul calls us brother and sisters, Jews and Gentiles, to let go of ourselves and return to God’s story, remember His mercy, and to live in love!