This is a sermon I preached on January 19, 2025.
Romans 12:14-13:14
When a person becomes a follower of Christ, something significant happens—an undeniable transformation. Paul spends the first eleven chapters of Romans explaining the seriousness of sin, the salvation that Christ brings, and the incredible work Jesus does in a believer’s life.
Romans 12 shifts from theology to practice, showing how believers should live in response to God’s mercy. Paul has already discussed love and unity in the church (Romans 12:3-13), but what about those outside the church? How should Christians interact with a world that often opposes them?
Jesus set the standard:
“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:43-44, KJV).
This radically different way of treating people goes against human nature. In many cultures, it is natural to love those who love you and to seek revenge on those who harm you. But Jesus calls His followers to something higher.
The Church’s Influence on Culture
We often take for granted the way things are in our culture, assuming that the values and practices we hold dear are simply “natural” or inherent to human society. However, this familiarity can blind us to their origins and the profound influence of Christian values on our way of life.
Christian values didn’t immediately erase these historical realities, but they gradually challenged and transformed them. Concepts of human dignity, charity, forgiveness, and equality spread through the witness of Christians living out their faith, often at great personal cost.
Take, for example, our modern notions of compassion and human dignity. These principles are so ingrained in our culture that we rarely question their origins. However, they are not universal to all societies and historical contexts. Much of what we call “moral” today emerged through the transformative influence of Christianity over centuries.
Universal Human Rights
The belief that all humans have inherent worth comes directly from the biblical teaching that every person is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). In contrast, ancient Greek philosophy often limited human value to elite classes, excluding women, slaves, and the poor from intellectual and political life.
The End of Gladiatorial Games
In Roman society, the public killing of humans for entertainment was commonplace. However, early Christians opposed this practice, condemning it as inhumane. Their persistent efforts contributed to the eventual decline of the games in the 5th century.
Equality of Women
Ancient cultures often treated women as property with few rights or protections. The Bible challenged these norms. Paul declared, “There is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28, KJV). While cultural changes took time, Christian teachings laid the foundation for movements toward gender equality.
Opposition to Infanticide
In ancient Canaanite and other pagan religions, child sacrifice was a common practice, particularly to appease gods like Molech. The Bible explicitly condemns this (Leviticus 18:21). In ancient Rome, unwanted infants—especially girls and those with disabilities—were often abandoned to die. Christians actively rescued these children, opposing infanticide and promoting the sanctity of life.
The Abolition of Slavery
Slavery was a cornerstone of the Greco-Roman economy. While early Christians did not have the political power to abolish it, their teachings planted the seeds for future change. In later centuries, Christian abolitionists like William Wilberforce fought against slavery, believing it contradicted the biblical truth that all people are equal in God’s sight.
Charity and Social Welfare
The idea of caring for the poor was not a societal norm in ancient civilizations. Greek and Roman charity was often limited to elite benefactors aiding their own social class. However, Christians, following Christ’s command to care for “the least of these” (Matthew 25:40, KJV), created the first hospitals, orphanages, and relief organizations. In India, the caste system dehumanized those deemed “untouchables,” relegating them to lives of hardship and exclusion. Christian missionaries later challenged this system. Christian reformers in 19th-century England fought to protect children from exploitation, inspired by Jesus’ teaching to care for children (Matthew 19:14).
Modern institutions like the Red Cross, Salvation Army, and World Vision trace their roots to Christian efforts to care for the needy, inspired by the teachings of Christ to help “the least of these” (Matthew 25:40). Others motivated by their Christian faith, spearheaded the movement to treat prisoners with dignity and to provide rehabilitation rather than mere punishment. Christian organizations often lead in providing aid during crises across the nation and world.
Forgiveness and Justice
Before Christianity, revenge and retribution were widely accepted as virtues. The idea that forgiveness is strength, rather than weakness, comes directly from Christ’s teaching:
“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you” (Matthew 6:14, KJV).
This principle has influenced legal systems, social reconciliation efforts, and movements which emphasized healing over vengeance.
The Danger of Forgetting Our Roots
Many of the values we cherish today—compassion, human rights, and equality—are assumed to be self-evident. However, these values are not universal; they were shaped by the influence of Christianity. Without a biblical worldview, societies risk losing these moral foundations.
The world has become Christian, and it is forgetting that it has become Christian. If we forget where our values come from, we may soon find ourselves living in a world that no longer upholds them.
Living a Transformed Life
Romans 13:8-10 is the climax of Paul’s teaching on how believers should live:
“Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law” (Romans 13:8, KJV).
We are indebted to love others because Christ first loved us. Paul teaches that the commandments are summed up in this: “Love thy neighbour as thyself” (Romans 13:9, KJV).
Loving God and others is not merely a suggestion—it is the defining mark of a true Christian. It is easy to claim faith, but Paul makes it clear:
- Love must be practical
- Love must be sacrificial
- Love must reflect Christ’s light in a dark world
The world is watching. In an age where selfishness and division are rampant, will we live radically different lives that reflect Christ’s love?
Jeremy Kamer Ministries 