By Not Known
As we continue our study on Romans, one of the most challenging yet relevant book of the Bible, we will find ourselves knocked off our pedestal and truly humbled to be obedient to serving our sovereign God. It not only points us to the assurance of salvation but also to fully understand what being a Christian truly mean. It is never just about salvation or privileges of being believers, it is all about who God is and what He wants us to do as His children. It is all about serving the sovereign King and the Creator of the universe. So what does being a child of God really means?
Romans 12 gives us a hint to that. There are three basic components of being a R12 Christian.
1. When we come before God, the first pre-requisite is that we must surrender. There has to be a complete understanding of what giving
up and giving in really means. There must be no holding back, no keeping something for ourselves, no hiding of any sort before the
Almighty God. This is really what worship requires of us. When we come to worship God and we try to hide things from Him or to keep
some for ourselves, we missed the entire essence of worship. When we gather as a body, this same attitude must carry. Like marriage, the two has become one. In worship services, all the different individuals come together as one to worship. It is why when it says, when one
suffers, all suffer together. When one rejoices, all rejoice together. When there is hiding even in one, the whole suffers. Let’s all examine our hearts together as we gather in worship.
2. When R12 Christians gather, it involves experiencing authentic biblical community with one another. Whether we are in small groups, or just talking around with each other after services, or huddle in groups to pray for one another, it is because there is a sense of identity. That
identity centres on Christ who holds us together as one and who connects us as one. That connection spurs us into actions, in acts of
ministry and service either to one another or with people whom we come into contact with in the society we live in. These small groups
are platforms and launchpads to show the authenticity of the reality of Christ in our lives. These communities in action are proofs of who we are.
3. Living a R12 life also involves us serving not just within the family of God but also others locally and globally. There’s nothing more fulfilling than to be involved in ministry, outreach and service on both the personal level as well as the corporate level to go beyond ourselves in the name of God to express God’s love to the world.
When we live out the R12 life, the world will be attracted to us and they would want to know more about the Christ we profess and many more will be led to Him personally. The issue is: do we know this R12 life and are we living it as worshippers at ORPC?
Peter Poon