Paul always wished “grace and peace” to the people receiving his letters.

And no wonder! Because whether you’re enduring the Power of Sin in the Twenty-First Century, or enduring the Power of Sin in the First Century, you need grace and peace.

For example, when Paul wrote “[t]o all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people”, he said, “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 1:7).

Why did the people in Rome—and in the United States today—need grace and peace? The Power of Sin. (Romans 3:9).

Paul used the word “grace” about 20 times in his letter to the churches in Rome.

He told those who are called to be God’s holy people about the amazing grace that justifies us freely. (Romans 3:24).

He told those who are called to be God’s holy people about the amazing grace that gives us a life of righteousness. (Romans 5:17).

He told those who are called to be God’s holy people about the amazing grace—the amazing love—that makes us “more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37).

Why?

Because “neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39).

Obviously, such amazing grace gives us peace.

How?

Our response to God’s amazing grace. Our response to God’s amazing gift of love that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Paul wrote to the Romans: “I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy [—in view of God’s amazing grace—] to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” (Romans 12:1-2).

And what is this good, pleasing and perfect will of “[t]he God of peace”? (Romans 15:33).

We should sacrifice ourselves and renew our minds to transform our lives, our families, our nations, and our civilizations so that:

—none of us thinks more highly of ourselves than we should (Romans 12:3);

—all of us work together as one body (Romans 12:4-5);

—all of us cherish each other as different parts of the same body with different gifts and roles (Romans 12:5-8);

—all of us love sincerely (Romans 12:9);

—all of us hate what is evil (Romans 12:9);

—all of us cling to what is good (Romans 12:9).

These virtues were difficult to practice for those living in the Roman Empire. And these virtues are difficult to practice for those living in the United States today.

But Paul also urged them—and us—to practice virtues that were directly contrary to the warlike, dominating culture that lay at the heart of the powerful, rich empire of Rome—and that are directly contrary to the warlike, dominating culture that lies at the heart of the powerful, rich “empire” of the United States.

Paul urged “all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be his holy people” (Romans 1:7) to stop conforming to the pattern of the world—to stop conforming to the pattern of the Empire of Rome and the pattern of the “empire” of the United States.

Instead, they—and those called to be God’s holy people in the United States—need to transform lives, families, empires, and civilizations by renewing minds.

Instead, they—and those called to be God’s holy people in the United States—need to transform lives, families, empires, and civilizations by overcoming the Power of Sin with the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

For God’s good, pleasing and perfect will is:

—“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse” (Romans 12:14);

—“Live in harmony with one another” (Romans 12:16);

—“Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position” (Romans 12:16);

—“Do not be conceited” (Romans 12:16);

—“Do not repay evil for evil” (Romans 12:17);

—“Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone” (Romans 12:17);

—“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18);

—“Do not take revenge” (Romans 12:19);

—“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).

What are such transforming persons, families, nations, and civilizations becoming like?

They are becoming like my Vision of America. They are becoming like the ideal America that was first discovered in the hearts of Abraham, Moses and Abraham.

They are no longer conforming to the world, but are offering themselves as living sacrifices.

They are renewing minds.

They are transforming Humanity into Promised Lands where people, families, nations, and civilizations:

—bless ALL people;

—set ALL people free by overcoming ALL pharaohs; and

—help ALL hurting people, including those people who they were taught to hate, despise or fear because of their religion, nationality or ancestry.

In all these things, we are becoming more than conquerors through the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:37-39).

READ MORE

To learn more about grace and peace, please read my blogs “Grace and Peace—Galatians”, “Grace and Peace—Thessalonians”, and “Grace and Peace—Corinthians”.

To compare the flawed United States with the ideal America, please read my blog “The ‘United States’ Compared to ‘America’”.

To compare flawed nationalism with ideal patriotism, please read my blog “Nationalism Is Patriotism Gone Astray”.

To understand the need to transform the United States into America, please read “Racism Is America Gone Astray” and “The 500-Year Marathon To Overcome Racism”.

To understand why my Vision of America is needed to heal the divisions in the United States, please read my blogs “Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address—Unifying Americans”, “Overcoming Divisions”, and “We Need Inspiring Visions of a Bright Future. Why?”.