Chapter # 14 Paragraph # 2 Study # 9
July 4, 2021
Humble, Texas
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Thesis: The Kingdom of The God functions by the "slavery" of the Christ's bondslaves.
Introduction: In our last study, we considered that The Kingdom of The God is a result of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. That ministry is the production of "righteous behavior" so that "peace" consequently reigns in the Kingdom with the ultimate result that everyone "rejoices with joy unspeakable and full of glory". That is how Paul presents his main interest through his chiastic structure in words.
The study before us this evening is a restatement of Paul's fixation upon the Holy Spirit's production of that "righteousness, peace, and joy". The restatement consists of a focus upon the most fundamental characteristic of the relationship between the People of The Kingdom and the King of The Kingdom.
- I. The Most Fundamental Characteristic Of The Relationship Between The People Of The Kingdom And The King Of The Kingdom.
- A. There are many characterizations of the relationship between God and His people in the pages of the Bible that each have their own "point".
- B. But, in respect to the pernicious nature of the problem in Romans 14, there is one such characterization: that of The King and His slaves.
- 1. The underlying problem in Romans 14 is the desire to be the "master of others", not the "slave of others".
- a. This underwrites both the superiority complex of those in this chapter who treat their "diseased brethren" with contempt and the reactionary judge complex of those who are so treated.
- b. This is also Paul's main point in the corollary text of Romans 16:18 where those causing dissension over non-issues are motivated by their innermost longing to be "masters" rather than "slaves".
- 2. This characterization is deliberate because of the Luciferian rebellion over the issues involved in this corrupt longing.
- a. "Sin" got its beginning, in the beginning, when Lucifer became dissatisfied with his privileged position as a "primary slave" under the Throne of God (Isaiah 14:13-14).
- b. "Sin" was transmitted to humanity, according to Genesis 3 by the temptation to "be as Elohim".
- 3. This characterization is critical because of how the deceit of 16:18 is pictured in 14:18.
- a. Paul says in 16:18 that the deceivers use smooth and flattering speech.
- b. In chapter 14 the words of "smooth and flattering speech" are "Grace" on one hand, and "Law" on the other, both of which are attempts to justify oneself and criticize others on the basis of "words" of God twisted in deceit.
- c. The horror of this reality is that the most critical concepts of God's words are precisely the words which the deceivers twist, as Peter says, to their own destruction (2 Peter 3:15-16).
- 4. This characterization is fundamental because it is the only real solution to the underlying problem.
- a. Because "being a slave" to another/others is so repugnant to all sinners, the only real solution to "sinning" so that "righteousness, peace, and joy" are completely nullified is to embrace the reality of creation.
- 1) That it is repugnant is indisputable from all of the history of conflict upon the earth and it heaven, and especially from the latter day developments in American history.
- a) All sin, in heaven and upon earth, is rooted in the rebellion against "being under the thumb of someone else".
- b) American history began, in a very real sense, with the all pervasive rebellion of Patrick Henry's "give me liberty or give me death", and the present outcome is nothing more or less than the culmination of this refusal to serve others as evidenced by such things as abortion and lawlessness as well as the twisting of "Christianity" into "the moral majority".
- 2) That the solution is an embrace of the reality of creation is also clear.
- a) According to Paul in this verse, both God and men "appreciate" a clear-cut "slavery-service" to The Christ.
- i. This means that men agree with God that "slavery" is a very good "good" when "others" practice the reality (the "pinch" is when those "men" realize that they are to be the "others" who practice the reality).
- ii. It is the utmost hypocrisy to appreciate the service of others while refusing to practice service to others.
- iii. That most men despise hypocrisy (in others) is the utmost self-condemnation.
- b) Creation reality means that The King created the people of His kingdom so that they can never rise above their "creature-hood".
- i. "Creature-hood" automatically means "slavery" but not in a negative sense.
- ii. Being a "slave to righteousness" means being a "slave" to the peace and joy of others: this is not an evil thing.
- iii. This reality is revealed by the fact that the "slavery" to one's own ambition that produces conflict and deep grief is universally recognized as an evil when it is seen "in others".
- c) Thus, since every created thing is a "slave" to the "good" of others, we might as well embrace the concept with our hearts.
- d) It is helpful to realize that God is the ultimate "slave" so that He is not requiring of us what He is unwilling to be/do Himself.
