All this week on Things Unseen, we've been taking a helicopter ride over Paul's letter to the Romans, and today we've come to the final section, chapters 12 through 16.

So far, we've seen Paul expound, first of all, that righteousness is lacking in Gentile

and Jew, and then second, that righteousness is provided for us in Jesus Christ, and thirdly,

that God's righteousness has been established in both Jew and Gentile in his providential ways in history.

And now in these closing chapters, he wants to teach us how righteousness is realized in the lives

of Christian believers, how it's applied. In other words, he's now answering the question,

how does this gospel work out in our lives, not least in the capital city of the Roman Empire? Well, everyone who has

ever benefited from the ministry of Ligonier knows the significance of Romans 12 verses 1 and 2.

The gospel transforms us as we yield ourselves to the Lord

without reservation, because our minds are renewed through it by the truth of the gospel. It's in

this way that we learn to understand and discern the will of the Lord, and then our lives begin to manifest

the righteousness to which we are called.

I think we can summarize Romans 12 through 16 by saying it teaches us about the application of

righteousness in a series of concentric circles. First of all, in the different spheres in which we live the Christian life. We learn,

personally and individually, to have a sober estimate of our gifts, and then we use them

for the blessing of others, chapter 12 verses 1 through 8. And the way we engage in personal

relationships with others then begins to change wonderfully.

Chapter 12 verses 9 through 21.

We're called to a sincere love, love literally that isn't hypocritical, that doesn't pretend.

And yet not a weak kind of love, because this love doesn't tolerate evil, and it has a gritty

stickability, as well as a wonderful freedom from self-interest.

This kind of love, says Paul, is manifested in our reactions as well as in our actions.

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