Romans 12:1-21
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect [Romans 12:1-3].
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
This passage is a turning point in the letter to the Romans. Up until now, the letter has been primarily theoretical and theological, detailing the immeasurable mercies of God. The rest of the letter turns personal and practical: toward the sort of life the mercies of God direct us.
Every invitation calls for an appropriate response. If I am invited to a person’s home for dinner, I could respond by rejecting or accepting the invitation. Even in accepting the invitation, an appropriate response is called for. It would be inappropriate to try to pay the host for dinner, or to show up hours late, drunk, or underdressed. Our appropriate response to the invitation does not take away from the graciousness of the invitation itself. As we have seen, in the case of our salvation the invitation is entirely undeserved. So what response is appropriate?
The appropriate response that the gospel calls us to is for us to turn our lives over to God as an act of worship. This is a measured, considered response to Jesus Christ, in which we recognize his Lordship over us. Just as Jesus acted as a priest, presenting Himself as a sacrificial lamb on our behalf, we now are called to act as priests in response, presenting ourselves to God to be used by Him - not in death, but in life.
When we come to Christ by presenting ourselves to Him in this way, God begins his work of transformation in us. Up until this point, all of us have more or less followed the conventional wisdom of the world around us - either that of the broader culture or of a particular sub-culture to which we identify. In coming to Christ, however, we find that much of the conventional wisdom we built our lives upon has led us away from God. Thus, much of our old ways of thinking must be reappraised in light of God and his revelation to us. As we continue to read, study, and obey the Scriptures with a humble heart, the Holy Spirit will enact a work of transformation in us, producing more and more confidence in God and His will for us.
For example, the conventional wisdom of this world might be to avoid one’s enemies. In some situations, we would even be tempted to retaliate against our enemies. Yet the gospel teaches us to love, bless and even feed our enemies, for we can trust God to judge our enemies with severe justice. To be honest, the first time I bless someone who seeks my pain, I may not fully trust the Lord’s will, yet as I test the Lord’s ways I find that His ways are truly good, acceptable and perfect.
- Have you prayerfully and thoughtfully presented your life to God as a response to His mercies? If not, what is still holding you back? Would you do so now?
- Read over what this passage has to say about self-image, service, love, prayer, generosity, and blessing one’s enemies. How do you already see that the gospel challenges the conventional wisdom of the culture with which you have thus far identified yourself?
- Will you commit yourself to continue studying the Scripture with a humble attitude, open to the Holy Spirit’s work of transformation in your life?
- Notice that this passage speaks of using our gifts to love and serve other members of the body of Christ. The Christian life is not meant to be lived alone. If you are not involved in a community of other believers, please seek out a local church that loves Jesus and humbly seeks to follow the scriptures.
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