Romans Part 34

In Romans 12, Paul shifts from explaining the incredible scope of God's plan and mercy to giving practical instruction about how Christians should live right now. Verse 1 begins with powerful encouragement given everything Paul has explained so far: 

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice." 

This sacrifice sounds extensive, and it is. It is reasonable given the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made to make it possible. It is the proper response to the mercy He has already shown us. It is our duty.  

A sacrifice offered to God must be without spot, as 2 Peter 3:14 also emphasizes. Psalm 110:3 describes God's people as offering themselves freely in the day of His power, showing that this offering is not something God forces upon us. We willingly give ourselves to Him, but that willing surrender is still required if we desire the gift of eternal life and the opportunity to become sons and daughters in God's family.

Verse 2 tells us to 

“be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” 

We cannot come into God's Church and remain the same. The Christian life requires change. The Holy Spirit works in us over time to transform our character and make us more like God, but we must actively submit ourselves to that process. God does not drag us unwillingly into obedience. We must choose to be led by His Spirit. Romans 8:5 tells us to set our minds on the things of the Spirit, and this way of living happens one step at a time. Transformation does not happen accidentally. It requires an intentional decision every day to follow God's way.

In verse 3, Paul connects this transformation with humility. God's calling should never give us an inflated view of ourselves. Romans 11:18 has already warned us not to boast, and 1 Corinthians 1:26 reminds us that God has not called people because they were inherently better, wiser, or more impressive than everyone else. We were not called because of who we are or because we had somehow earned God's attention by diligently seeking Him. Even if we had been searching for God before He revealed Himself to us, that would not have earned us a place in His Church. We have His Spirit now because God chose to call us at this point in His plan and brought us out of darkness.

That should produce humility rather than pride. There are many people in the world who genuinely desire to follow God and are doing the best they can with what they understand, yet God has not opened their minds to His truth at this time. Their opportunity will come according to God's plan, including through the resurrection. Ultimately, God will invite everyone to come out of darkness. We should therefore be deeply thankful that we have been given understanding now. What an incredible blessing it is to understand God's truth and have His Spirit working with us today!  

This instruction about humility is especially important because it establishes the attitude we need for all the practical Christian living principles Paul gives throughout the rest of the chapter.

Verses 4–8 give us a snapshot that closely parallels Paul's discussion of the Body of Christ in 1 Corinthians 12. The similarities provide further evidence of the unity of Paul's teaching throughout his letters. Paul explains that just as a human body has many members with different functions, the Body of Christ is made up of many individual members with different roles and gifts. We cannot isolate ourselves from the rest of the Body and expect to fulfill God's purpose for us. We need a personal relationship with God, but we also need relationships with other members of the Body of Christ.

Fellowship is therefore essential. Regularly gathering with a congregation for worship is an important part of Christian life. The disruption caused by the COVID pandemic made this more difficult for many people, and every person's circumstances are different, but we should be careful not to allow temporary circumstances to cause permanent spiritual isolation. If you have drifted away from fellowship, reconnect. God commands a holy convocation on the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week, and one of the purposes of that gathering is to edify, encourage, comfort, serve, and love one another. It has never been easier to isolate ourselves from other believers, but that does not mean isolation is healthy for us spiritually.

Verses 6 through 8 explain that every member has something unique to contribute. Ecclesiastes 9:10 says, 

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might." 

God gives different gifts and abilities to different people, but they are all intended to be used in faith and love for the benefit of the whole body. A spiritual gift is most effectively exercised when we are participating within the Body. It is difficult to serve, encourage, teach, give, or exercise any other spiritual gift when we have separated ourselves from God's people. Ideally, we should be regularly involved with the same congregation and establish a spiritual home where we can serve and build relationships with the people God has placed around us. Ephesians 4 has much to say about this topic.  

There is an important change of emphasis taking place here in Romans. Paul has spent much of the letter explaining the grand arc of God's plan for mankind, including God's calling, the resurrection, the Kingdom of God, and the future reconciliation of humanity. Now he turns from the great vision of God's future to the practical Christian life we are called to live today. This is the part of God's plan we are currently living in. We should approach our walk with the zeal and enthusiasm that the vision of our future inspires in us. Paul first discusses the individual roles and gifts that members have within the Body, but he then begins giving instructions that apply to everyone.  

Verses 9 and 10 begin listing qualities that every Christian should strive to develop. We are to genuinely hate what is evil and genuinely love what is good. This cannot be something we do only through our words. Our love for good must be shown in how we live. Paul then says that we should be "kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love" and should give preference to one another in honor. The ESV captures the thought beautifully with the phrase, "Outdo one another in showing honor." Christian love is therefore active and selfless. We should not be competing to receive recognition but competing to show honor to others. This is the kind of transformed life that naturally flows from understanding and responding to the mercy of God.

Epistles of Paul is a course taught at ABC by Mr. Steve Myers. Recordings from the 2023–2024 class year are available on the ABC website.

UYA Team | uya@ucg.org  

United Young Adults (UYA) primarily serves the 18–32-year age group for the United Church of God. There are three main areas of contribution to the lives of young adults: Promoting Spiritual Growth, Developing Meaningful Relationships and Making the Most of Your Talents. The Know Your Sword series is a daily expository message introducing God’s Word from a trusted perspective.