[𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘴𝘰 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘎𝘖𝘋 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘫𝘰𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘪𝘳 𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘬𝘭𝘺 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘺 𝘢 𝘧𝘦𝘸 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘰. 𝘞𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘡𝘰𝘰𝘮 𝘰𝘯 𝘛𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘌𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘶𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦, “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘴”, 𝘣𝘺 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘮 𝘔𝘢𝘤𝘋𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘥. 𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘗𝘢𝘶𝘭’𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘦.]

The Gospel Coalition beautifully stated the placement of Romans 12 in the narrative of Paul’s full letter to a fledgling church comprised of believers from such varied backgrounds:

“In Romans 12, Paul begins his practical instructions for holy living.  Romans 12:1-13:14 is the “then” to the preceding chapters’ “if”.  If this glorious gospel is true, then here is how believers should live in glad response.

Out of GOD’s love, He saved us.  Out of our salvation, we love others.  

Walking in the confidence and humility of the gospel, we can love our neighbors well and submit ourselves to the whole of the body of CHRIST, providing a visible picture of the reconciling work of CHRIST’s cross.  This witness commends the gospel to those outside the church.”

So, how did Paul encourage believers to live in response to the gospel, because of all GOD has done for them (12:1)?

• To offer their bodies as living sacrifices to GOD, a form of spiritual worship acceptable and pleasing to Him (12:1)
• To NOT copy the behavior and customs of this world (12:2)
• To let GOD transform them into new people by changing the way they think (12:2)
• To learn GOD’s will for them, which is good, pleasing, and perfect (12:2)
• To stay honest and humble, measuring themselves by faith from GOD (12:3)

The Gospel Coalition expounded on these thoughts in this way:

“Paul points to a fuller dimension of worship in Romans 12:1 [than mere singing], when he appeals to his readers to present their very bodies in an act of worship.  He calls them to become living sacrifices, which is their “spiritual worship”.

What does this mean?  To be a living sacrifice is to live in such a way of openness and availability and abandon to GOD’s will that it reflects how much we are trusting the loving sacrifice of JESUS.

What Paul champions is the spirit of alien residency that dates back to GOD’s calling Abraham out of the nations to establish His covenant with one nation among the nations (Genesis 17) and carries over into JESUS’ teaching to His disciples on being a city on a hill (Matt 5:14).  

Believers are pilgrims in this world.  While one day this earth will be restored to its Edenic glory, the presence of sin and Satan in the meantime must make us ever mindful that “our citizenship is in heaven” (Phil 3:20).”

In our Emmaus study, William MacDonald added these poignant thoughts (pp 119-120):

“Total commitment [to GOD] is our “spiritual worship” in this sense: if the Son of GOD has died for me, then the least I can do is live for Him.  

When we come to the kingdom of GOD, we should abandon the thought patterns and lifestyles of the world (the society or system that humanity has built in order to make themselves happy without GOD).  

The world has its own politics, art, music, religion, amusements, thought patterns, and lifestyles, and it seeks to get everyone to conform to its culture and customs.   It hates nonconformists like CHRIST and His followers.

CHRIST died to deliver us from this world.  The world is crucified to us and we are crucified to the world.  It would be absolute disloyalty to the LORD for believers to love the world.  Anyone who loves the world is an enemy of GOD.  Believers are not of the world any more than CHRIST is of the world. 

We should be transformed by the renewing of our minds, which means that we should think the way GOD thinks as revealed in the Bible.  Then we can experience the direct guidance of GOD in our lives.  We will find that instead of being distasteful and hard, His will is good and acceptable and perfect (12:2).

Here we find three keys for knowing GOD’s will: (1) a yielded body, (2) a separated life, and (3) a transformed mind.”

.   .   .

Paul continued his challenge to the Roman believers using the picture of a human body (12:4-5): “Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with CHRIST’s body.  We are many parts of one body and we all belong to each other.”

He explained that GOD graciously gives each of us our own part to play, our own special ability to contribute.  Each part is unique and equally vital to the health and growth of the whole.  Paul encouraged believers to recognize the gifts given to them by GOD and to use them well, to fulfill their potential as GOD enables them, to serve the rest of the body of CHRIST.

Mr. MacDonald described the gifts mentioned in Romans 12 in this way (p 121):

• A prophet (12:6) is a spokesman for GOD, declaring the word of the LORD.  A prophet today is simply one who declares the mind of GOD as it has been revealed in the Bible.  
• The person who has the gift of ministry (12:7) has a servant-heart.  He sees opportunities to be of service and seizes them.  
• The teacher (12:7) is one who is able to explain the written Word of GOD and apply it to the hearts of his hearers.  
• Exhortation (12:8) is the gift of stirring up the saints to resist every form of evil and to press on to new achievement for CHRIST in holiness and service.  
• The gift of giving (12:8) is the divine endowment that inclines and empowers a person to be aware of needs and to help meet them, with liberality.  
• The gift of ruling (12:8) is almost certainly connected with the work of elders in a local church.  The elder is an under-shepherd who stands out in front of the flock and leads with care and diligence.  
• The gift of mercy (12:8) is the supernatural capacity and talent of aiding those who are in distress, with cheerfulness.
• Whatever our gift is, we should give ourselves to it wholeheartedly.

I really appreciated the Gospel Coalition’s comments about how our GOD-given gifts create CHRIST-centered harmony within the church:

“Paul touches on some of the ways in which the Holy Spirit gifts us in GOD’s grace for ministry to each other in the building up of the church.  Paul’s primary points in this passage are: (1) what GOD establishes in life He will equip for growth, and (2) as people of all tongues, tribes, and nations are united in CHRIST, we have the spiritual tools we need to live in CHRIST-centered harmony and power.  Everyone plays a part, and nobody is the hero or star of the church except JESUS Himself.  We are all in service to Him.”

.   .   .

In the remainder of chapter 12, Paul detailed the traits and endeavors that should characterize believers who are growing in the grace of our LORD JESUS, being transformed by His Spirit to reflect the heart of GOD as they interact with one another and with the world around them:

• don’t just pretend to love others, really love them (12:9)
• hate what is wrong; hold tightly to what is good (12:9)
• love each other with genuine affection; take delight in honoring each other (12:10)
• never be lazy; work hard and serve the LORD enthusiastically (12:11)
• rejoice in confident hope; be patient in trouble; keep praying (12:12)
• be ready to help GOD’s people in need; always be eager to practice hospitality (12:13)
• bless those who persecute you; don’t curse them but pray that GOD will bless them (12:14)
• be happy with those who are happy; weep with those who weep (12:15)
• live in harmony with each other; don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people; don’t think you know it all (12:16)
• never pay back evil with more evil (12:17)
• do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable (12:17)
• do all you can to live in peace with everyone (12:18)
• never take revenge; leave that to the righteous anger of GOD (12:19)
• instead, provide food or drink to enemies who are hungry or thirsty (12:20)
• don’t let evil conquer you; conquer evil by doing good (12:21)

I found Mr. MacDonald’s comments about this section very helpful and encouraging (pp 122-123):

“Needy saints are everywhere.  True body-life means sharing with those who are in need (12:13).  Hospitality is a lost art.  When we entertain GOD’s children, it is the same as if we were entertaining the LORD Himself.  Our homes should be like the home in Bethany where JESUS loved to be.

We are called to show kindness toward our persecutors instead of retaliation (12:14).  It requires divine life to repay unkindness and injury with a courtesy.  The natural response is to curse and seek revenge.  Empathy is the capacity for sharing vicariously the feeling and emotions of others (12:15).  Our tendency is to be envious when others rejoice, and to pass by when they mourn.  GOD’s way is to enter into the joys and sorrows of those around us.

Christians should not be needlessly provocative or contentious.  The righteousness of GOD is not worked out by belligerence and wrath.  We should love peace, make peace, and be at peace (12:18).

Delight in vengeance should have no place in the lives of the redeemed.  Instead, they should act honorably in the face of abuse and injury, as in all circumstances of life.  Vengeance in GOD’s prerogative.  We should not interfere with what is His right.  He will repay at the proper time and in the proper manner.  

Christianity goes beyond nonresistance to active benevolence (12:20).  It does not destroy its enemies by violence but converts them by love.  To heap live coals on a person’s head means to make him ashamed of his hostility by surprising him with unconventional kindness.

George Washington Carver once said, “I will never let another man ruin my life by making me hate him.”  He would not allow evil to conquer him (12:21).  Evil can be overpowered with good.  This is a weapon we should use more frequently.”

 .   .   .

By GOD’s grace and creative power, CHRIST’s body is beautifully diverse and immensely talented.  What an amazing opportunity He offers us to serve one another, to be blessed and built up by one another, to discover together what is honorable and pleasing in His sight.  

As we offer all of ourselves, in wholehearted devotion to the One who gave everything for us, what a privilege to lift one another up to Him in prayer and lift Him up to one another in praise and encouragement!

May we grow to reflect our Father’s heart in such a way that faith in His Son is contagious!  May others be drawn to know Him, to trust Him, and to offer their lives to serve Him too.

Now may the GOD of peace – who brought up from the dead our LORD JESUS, the great Shepherd of the sheep – equip you with all you need for doing His will.  May He produce in you, through the power of JESUS CHRIST, every good thing that is pleasing to Him. 

(Hebrews 13:20-21, NLT)

RESOURCES:

“The Letter to the ROMANS,” by William MacDonald, Emmaus Worldwide, 2020, Revised 2023.

The Bible Project, video summary of the book of Romans, Parts 1 & 2.

https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/romans-1-4/

https://bibleproject.com/explore/video/romans-5-16/

“Knowing the Bible: Romans”, by Jared C. Wilson, The Gospel Coalition,  thegospelcoalition.org .