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 Ligonia knows the significance

of Romans 12 versus 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 lies 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 versus 1 through 8.

And the way we engage in personal relationships with others then begins to change wonderfully,

...