Ruminating on ROMANS! (Some Thoughts on Paul’s Great Epistle) #38 “Critical Imperatives for the Christ-Follower” (A Study of Romans 12) Part 10

Many of you know that my New Jersey friend Frank and I are reading through God’s Word together (described here). We’re now in the book of Romans and are reading chapter 12 each day this week.I count 24 injunctions or commands or imperatives for the believer here in Romans 12. I’m aware that the expression “critical imperative” is redundant, but I think it’s useful for what we see here in this great chapter. Let’s continue our multipart study by looking at verse 11.

We’ve seen that the believer is to offer his body as a living sacrifice, not to conform to the pattern of this world, to be transformed by the renewing of his mind, to think of himself with sober judgment, to use his gifts to build up the body of Christ, to hate as God hates, to be devoted to the body in love, to honor one another beyond yourselves, and to keep one’s spiritual fervor!

The tenth critical imperative is —10. Believers are TO BE JOYFUL IN HOPE! (v. 12)

I don’t know about you, but a joyful Christian is an arresting advertisement for the gospel! And we are to be “joyful in hope.” What does that mean? Our present circumstances do not necessarily give us joy. Nor does thinking about our past, especially our failures, provide us happiness. Our JOY is in the Lord and in what He is going to do in the future! Ours is a hope-starved world. Although some may suffer from biological or chemical depression, the normal Christian life is to be one of JOY!

Today’s Challenge: Would you describe yourself as a JOYFUL follower of Jesus? What is producing JOY in you? Is it your JOY in the HOPE of God using you in this world?