Study Notes: Romans 15

In the well known Broadway show "My Fair Lady", which is based on the play "Pygmalion" by George Bernard Shaw, there is a line that goes like this:

"The Lord above made man to help his neighbor,
No matter where, on land or sea of foam.
The Lord above made man to help his neighbor, but
With a little bit of luck,
With a little bit of luck,
When he comes around you won't be home."

Then there are the lines ia a song that says:
"Oh! what a beautiful morning!
Oh! what a beautiful day!
I've got a beautiful feeling,
Everything's going my way."

We live in a selfish world and selfishness is the principle mark of the human race. The words I, me, my, and myself appear more than forty times in Ecclesiastes 2:1–11! This says a lot about the lifestyle that the writer was pursuing. He seems to have been focused on the gratification and glorification of himself.
Does this self-centered outlook sound familiar? Many people today are using their skills to attain a lifestyle that is built around their own comforts and convenience. The needs of others hardly matter to them.
But Ecclesiastes shows that this approach to living is ultimately empty, futile, and passing; it is “vanity and grasping for the wind” (Eccl. 2:11).
Is there a better way? Yes, the book goes on to say that real value in life can be found in fearing God (Eccl. 12:13) and honoring Him in the simple, basic “stuff” of life, such as work and family (Eccl. 2:24; 3:22; 5:18–19; 8:15).
One way to evaluate ourselves in this regard is to ask: In the midst of all our pursuits, whose life is enhanced by what we are about? If the only answer is “me,” then we are already on the perilous road of self-indulgence.

Have we forgotten the contrast between the selfishness of human nature and the selfless attitude of Jesus Christ? The greek word ego is translated as "self". To be selfish therefore is to be egotistical. But in verse 3 of the 15th chapter of Romans we are told that Christ did not please himself. This is a very different humanity that is so prevalent in our society today. Most people today have this "Get-Out-Of-My-Way" attitude that nowhere resembles the example of the scripture of Phil. 2:5 ("Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus...").

So, what does selfishness do for a person. Well, it will cause him to crucify the Lord. Take a look at Psalm 69. This psalm is one of the great messianic psalms. With Jesus in mind, this psalm shows that he was denied and slandered by his enemies, estranged from his own brothers, made a proverb by the people, critized by the rulers, and was the theme of obscene songs by drunkards. This psalm shows the kind of abuse we should be willing to endure for God and others....not the kind of abuse we so often dish out.

To persuade people of their sin is not difficult. Almost everybody will admit that at some time they have done something wrong. But Christianity is not concerned with showing that people sin. Christianity is concerned with persuading people under judgment how radically serious sin is. The issue is theonomy, the law and rule of God, against autonomy, self-rule. Every sin, no matter how slight, manifests a gut-level drive for autonomy. The revolt against God’s rule began in the Garden of Eden and has continued ever since. No one is exempt and even our best deeds are tainted by impure motives and selfishness. Selfishness is one of the greatest sins as it is a sin of unbelief.

See you Sunday!

Rick