09 The Book of Romans-The Gospel Manifesto-Unity How to Get Along with One Another

The Gospel Manifesto in the Book of Romans

Pt. 8: Engaging My Culture

By Louie Marsh, 6-15-2025

 

Intro: 50 Years & Counting then 5 pictures about changing culture.

 

1) I engage my culture by overcoming evil by DOING GOOD.

 

¹⁴  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. ¹⁵  Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. ¹⁶  Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. ¹⁷  Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. ¹⁸  If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. ¹⁹  Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” ²⁰  To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” ²¹  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12:14-21 (ESV)

 

· I respond to cultural rejection by HELPING THOSE  who hurt me.

 

¹⁴  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.

¹⁷  Repay no one evil for evil,

¹⁹  Beloved, never avenge yourselves

²⁰  To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink

²¹  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good

 

·  RESIST the temptation to always cheer people up.

 

¹⁵  Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

 

· I focus on lifting up others NOT MYSELF.

 

. ¹⁶  Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.

 

· I leave the bringing of justice to GOD.

 

²⁰  To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” ²¹  Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good

 

2) I engage my culture by UNDERSTANDING authority.

 

¹  Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. ²  Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. ³  For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, ⁴  for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. ⁵  Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. ⁶  For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. ⁷  Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. Romans 13:1-7 (ESV)

 

· God instituted authority to stop ANARCHY.

 

· I must obey the authorities UNTIL & UNLESS they contradict God’s Word.

 

¹⁸  So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹  But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, ²⁰  for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” Acts 4:18-20 (ESV)

 

· Yes, this includes NOT CHEATING on my taxes.

 

3) I engage my culture by living a life of LOVE.

 

⁸  Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. ⁹  For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁰  Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Romans 13:8-10 (ESV)

 

· Get & stay out of debt ASAP so you’ll be free to serve God.

 

· The moral/sexual law of God is fulfilled by RESPECTING others.

 

4) I engage my culture by ACTING  like Jesus not them.

 

¹¹  Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. ¹²  The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. ¹³  Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. ¹⁴  But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. Romans 13:11-14 (ESV)