A Plan of Salvation so Beautiful and so Complete

In the Letter to the Romans, in chapter 12, the apostle Paul gives us a series of teachings about the duties of a Christian, a believer’s conduct in daily life, and what congregational life should be like: how we should relate to one another, what the foundations of our daily conduct should be, and how we should exemplify the conduct of a person mature in the faith.

The apostle Paul says in Romans 12:1: “Therefore, brothers, I urge you by the mercies of God to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, which is your reasonable worship.” This is a somewhat complex passage, a somewhat complex text, although at first glance we can also understand what the apostle Paul means; but it has other levels of depth as well.

We begin by noticing that the verse says, “therefore.” The apostle Paul is speaking about something he has already addressed, and what he is saying now is simply the practical conclusion of what he has just declared. If we go to Romans chapter 11, we find that the apostle Paul has been speaking about the plan of salvation that God has been carrying out through the centuries, and how God has taken into account all the different aspects of that wonderful and complex plan, which includes all humanity.

Let us remember that the Epistle, the Letter to the Romans, is a largely theological letter. It is a letter full of profound teachings in which the apostle Paul takes the time to develop the plan of salvation, to consider the different elements of the human race, and to show how God has related to the human race through the centuries, bringing it to the point of Christ Jesus. It includes the Greeks and Gentiles from different countries; it includes the Jews—all humanity.

And what stands out about the Letter to the Romans is its complexity, its theological depth. But then the apostle Paul, as he often does in many of his letters, moves in its final part into a discussion, let us say, a reflection of a practical, down-to-earth kind that has to do with everyday life. In other words, Paul does not simply remain in the stratosphere of theological reflection; he also turns to practical matters, because, after all, the Gospel is about conduct, life, behavior, our relationship with God, and our relationships with others.

So that is why, from chapter 12 to the end of the Letter to the Romans, the apostle Paul will speak more about practical things, about matters of conduct in the Christian life.

So, chapter 11 is a chapter in which Paul relates how meticulous God is, how attentive He is to every detail. Paul speaks of how God has prepared one thing for the Gentiles and another for the Jews, and how, at the end of all these things, God will take all those different elements and unite them into one.

And then, at the end of chapter 11, the apostle Paul, suddenly contemplating the complexity and beauty of God’s saving plan, says in verse 33 of Romans 11: “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and inscrutable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor? Or who has first given to Him, that he should be repaid? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen.”

Then, in chapter 12, he seems to pause and reflect for a moment, and says: Wow, in view of God’s greatness and His complex, carefully worked-out plan, what should our conduct be? How should we walk and behave, and relate to one another, in light of this marvelous plan God has devised?

So that is why chapter 12 is a natural division, because Paul says here: Well, because of the care God has taken to prepare such a beautiful and complete plan of salvation, brothers, you must do the following things. In other words, do not underestimate the greatness of that plan. That God, who has taken such care to form such a complete plan, must be regarded with great respect, with great reverence.

The beauty and sublimity, so to speak, of God’s revelation in His dealings with human beings are so great, His holiness and His wisdom so perfect, that we believers, Paul says, can do no less than conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of that great plan.

Do you know that when you or I violate the holiness of the Christian life and behave in ways unworthy of a child of God, we are doing a great injustice to that marvelous plan of salvation God has devised? We are neglecting a salvation as great as the one God has worked out.

And Paul says that in another passage, though I cannot remember right now where it is found. He says: How will we obtain forgiveness and mercy if we neglect so great a salvation, if we scorn all the work God has undertaken to work out His saving plan through Christ Jesus? God’s plan is so marvelous, so perfect, that we children of God can do no less than conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of that marvelous plan.

So one of the reasons we must live a life different from the world’s is simply that we are part of an economy, part of a marvelously profound, intricate, carefully considered, systematic plan that God has devised with the utmost attention. Therefore, we must do justice to that plan by taking it seriously and living up to it, in accordance with its holiness and the holiness of the God who devised it.

So we will continue speaking about this subject. In the meantime, I bless you in the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, and until our next meditation, God bless you.