God put Adam and Eve in the Garden of perfection, complete with all they could ever need, including God Himself. There was the tree of Tree of life as well as a tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God set mankind a life designed for them by their creator. When Eve saw the tree of knowledge of good and evil, she decided she knew better what life should be like. She effectively rejected the life God gave her to choose what He had not given her.
There is a way that seems right to a man but its end is the way of death. (Prov 14:12)
Eve was sure she knew all she needed to know. After all, the fruit right before her was pleasing to her eyes. It was good for food and it was going to make her wiser. How could that be bad? Not to mention, the serpent suggested she was missing out on something good. To top it off, Adam didn't say anything. He didn't try to stop her. She thought she was choosing a better life. In reality, she chose death. It wasn't the quick death of judgment. It was the slow life of suffering; of walking through a sin damaged world. To feel your body fail, to feel pain, hunger, shame, humiliation and so much more. The biggest lost was God. Where was He? Didn't He care anymore?
Adam joined her, apparently agreeing with her assessment. Surely this woman knew best, didn't she? Adam and Eve were set out into a world of thorns and hard work; pain and suffering; headed toward a godless eternity.
At creation, in the garden of God, the default position for man was God's life in paradise. All of mankind fell in the garden and the default position is death. Man is born with the proclivity to seek his own ways, to define life his and live it as he saw fit. Man was in bondage to sin and death. The story of the bible is God working out His plan to redeem man from that bondage and restore them to real life.
Moses delivered a month of sermons to the Israelites before he turned them over to Joshua to enter the Promised land. In Deuteronomy 30 he laid out a similar situation to the Israelites.
19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live; 20 that you may love the Lord your God, that you may obey His voice, and that you may cling to Him, for He is your life and the length of your days; and that you may dwell in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them."[1]
The bible is full of examples of the choice set before man; life or death. Man keeps trying to choose life hiss way, apart from God. (Deuteronomy 30:18-20)
Even Jesus, when tempted in the wilderness, had to make a choice. The devil offered him a throne and world to rule. It was a choice that would keep Him from the cross. His life, in obedience to the Father, headed to an awful death on the cross. The bible is replete with examples of the choice of life and death. Can we learn from all these examples? Can we follow a call to life, even one that doesn't look as appealing as the alternative? Isn't this real life, one that is rewarding and full; complete with joy and contentment? Even in the face of the worst circumstances, we can know our life is His life. Its in His hands and even when this life ends, we'll live on in eternity with Him.
As we begin Romans 12, we'll find that Paul used these first 11 chapters to examine justification and discover God's love and mercy for His creation. It is the life He called us to, but it must be on His terms. When we come by faith and embrace this life, we find a love that is unexplainable; a bond that is unbreakable. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. Paul previewed a life that is of God, through Him and to Him. He spoke of a depth of riches, of wisdom and knowledge, the totality of which is unsearchable, unknowable to our human minds. Paul brings us to a choice in chapter 12. If we've really chosen life in Him, we ought to go all the way in. Our flesh want to keep one foot safely in world, anchored in a safe place where we rule and reign. Like Moses offered the Israelites life and death, Paul brings us to a place where he offers life and death.
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The study of Romans is a spiritual journey. Paul started that Journey by showing every believer the wrath of God and how that wrath abides on each of us, without exception. The reason for this is that we've all sinned and fall short of God's perfect standard. That's the bad news and it doesn't get any worse than that; our Creator, the God that gave us life and breath and the one that will judge us has a standard of righteousness and we have no ability to live up to that standard.
The good news is that the same God who created us and will judge us has also made a way for us. He said the just shall live by faith; this is faith alone in Christ alone. It has nothing to do with our works or heritage or anything else. We are justified by Christ and because of that we are at peace with God. His wrath no longer abides in is. There is now therefore no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. Not only that but we are sons and daughters of the Most High God and nothing can separate us from the love of God found in Jesus.
In the outline of this spiritual journey, we see God's love and mercy; the degree and depth of which we can't comprehend. How are we to understand a mercy extended to those who have always treated God as an enemy? The knowledge of these things gives us some level of comprehension, or at least respect.
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Chapter 12
I. Right view of our self (v. 3)
II. Right view of others believers (vv. 4, 5)
III. Right view of our gifts (vv. 6–8)
Romans 12:1-2
Therefore, Beseech, His Mercies
Paul pled his case to the Roman church by bringing them through 11 chapters and delivering them to the key place, a point of decision by saying 'therefore'. It's as though he were saying because of all we learn we are brought here, to this point, to now make it personal; make it our own and respond. He started with, "I beseech you." The Greek word translated to 'urge' or 'beseech' is parakaleo. This is 'to come along side to help' and it's interesting that this is a very close cousin to the word 'paraklete'. This is the word Jesus used to speak about the comforter He would send or the Holy Spirit. The 'beseech you' we see in the New King James is an urging. The NASB actually starts this verse with 'therefore, I urge you."
Paul in essence sums up the first 11 chapters by calling all that's brought them to this place as 'the mercies of God'. Just a glance back at a few of the concepts reminds us of the undeserved kindness of God.
- God's wrath abides on the unrighteous.
- We are the unrighteous.
- We've all sinned and fall short
- He is just – there's judgment coming
- There is only one way to salvation, Faith.
- Justified by faith, dead to sin, alive in Christ
- There is no special deal for the Jews
- God makes no distinction of race, creed, color or anything else.
- There is then no Condemnation
- We are debtors, obligated to the live by the Spirit as Sons & Daughters.
- God's judgments are unsearchable, a depth of riches.
In the light and the knowledge of the mercy of God, he beseeches the believers to respond. One commentator said a renewed mind is like seeing everything through mercy-colored glasses.
Is it possible for a born-again believer to understand these mercies and not respond? Can we claim salvation, then just get on with their life as if nothing had changed? Paul already told us that 'as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are the sons of God (8:15).
Romans chapters 9-11 were an aside; it was if Paul stopped to answer a few questions after Romans 8. At the end of Romans 8 Paul was persuaded that nothing could separate us from the love of God. As Paul was persuaded, he wanted each of us to be persuaded. Because he was persuaded it moved him; and so, in a similar way, Paul is now urging (beseeching) us to likewise be moved.
Paul is telling these believers in Rome that now all their questions are answered and everyone has a basic understanding of their faith it is time for the next step. Now it is time for living it out. The next step is putting this saving faith to work in each life of the believer. This is like Paul saying you've been watching, studying, asking questions, and sitting on the sidelines for eleven chapters. It's now time to get in the game.
Present Yourself, Reasonable Service
It was normal at the time for a sacrifice to be offered to appease a god or the gods. In this case God himself, Jesus Christ, was the sacrifice that appeased the righteous requirements of God forever. He paid for all sin on the cross. Since that sacrifice was offered on our behalf it is only reasonable and logical that we in turn offer our bodies to Him.
The service Paul speaks to connects to the service of the priests in the temple. The reasonableness of it is 'right thinking' about these things. The word is 'logikos' in the Greek, meaning a reasonable or rational nature. The true sacrifice offered from a right heart was pleasing and acceptable to the Lord. It's just logical.
Paul mentioned the obligation of those walking in the spirit in 8:12. In light of all God has done, there is only one logical response; a sacrifice, an offering to God. But what do we have to give? If God, being God, needs nothing, what could I offer Him?
"We have the idea that we can dedicate our gifts to God. However, you cannot dedicate what is not yours. There is actually only one thing you can dedicate to God, and that is your right to yourself. If you will give God your right to yourself, He will make a holy experiment out of you—and His experiments always succeed. The one true mark of a saint of God is the inner creativity that flows from being totally surrendered to Jesus Christ" (Oswald Chambers My Utmost, June 13).
God desires your love, your will and obedience. This is to lay down all your desires and the sinful rebellious life. Instead of speaking of our desires, wants and rights as humans; we begin to speak of obligation and commitment in the context of love and thankfulness.
14 I will pay my vows to the Lord
Now in the presence of all His people.
15 Precious in the sight of the Lord
Is the death of His saints.
16 O Lord, truly I am Your servant;
I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant;
You have loosed my bonds.
17 I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving,
And will call upon the name of the Lord. (Psalm 116:14-17)
Leviticus 7 speaks to us of the peace offering. It was an animal sacrifice, the sprinkling of blood. It was eating the meat of the sacrifice in fellowship with the Lord. The old man in us would rather just offer the sacrifice of an animal than die to ourself. We remember in Psalm 51 it says:
For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise. (Psalm 51:16-17)
To present ourselves is to make ourself an offering; available to Him, for His use at any time. Someone once said, as believers, we are coins in the pocket of God to be spent however He sees fit. That frankly scares most of us, but it shouldn't. If God chooses to have you preach the gospel in a foreign country for the remainder of your life or have you surrender your life today for the gospel, He will give you the grace to do it well and glorify Him. It is us that put limitations on what we will allow God to do with our life, He doesn't put limitation on any life. Read the hall of faith in Hebrews 11, these were far from well equipped, confident super believers!
Paul calls us to this presentation of ourselves; these hands and feet, this mind and heart that once served sin, is now yours oh God! Paul touched on this very thought earlier back in Romans 6 when he began to move us from justification to sanctification; he said:
12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.
By Him, we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ. Through Him, and only through Him, we suddenly become holy and acceptable to God because our sins are forgiven. We are cleansed. Because of this tremendous act it is our reasonable response to offer our bodies in service to Him as a living sacrifice.
Death before sacrifice, before holiness.
There was always death before a sacrifice. The same holds true here. First, the death of Christ brought you to receive these tremendous mercies. We then die to our self, our desires, our right to reign our life; all that was purchased by Christ. We are bondslaves to Him; we have not vote, we offer no advice. These things then allow us to choose life. As Christ was the only sacrifice to then experience life; we follow Him to life from death to become a living sacrifice.
When Isaac was on the altar in obedience to God, he was as good as dead when God released him and provided another. We are Isaac; as good as dead but another took our place on the altar that we might live. Because we are in Christ, we can live. We come to the altar alive and we not only get to stay alive, we get to have real life and eternal life. Christ lives in and through us. We have become the temple of God. As such, we are to daily lay aside our own desires and offer ourselves to God. This is an act of worship and the right response to what He has done for us.
"I know not your gods. Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, is my God. Beat, tear or burn me, and if my words offend you, cut out my tongue; every part of my body is ready when God calls for it as a sacrifice." (Theodore of Heraclea, a Christian martyr from Pontus who died around a.d. 306) (Ward, p. 26).
Romans 12:2
Not conformed
I heard the testimony of a young lady today. It was the common story of young girl experiencing pain and shame from abuse and sin within the family. She quit high school and entered a life of alcohol, drugs and crime. Before she was twenty-two, she was sentenced to prison for forty plus years. As she began her sentence, she sobered up for the first time in many years. She picked up a bible out of boredom and began to read. It meant nothing to her and she didn't understand it. One day she heard a prison missionary sing of the Holy Spirit. She felt the stirring in her soul and challenged God to reveal Himself to her. He did. When she picked up the bible again, she said it suddenly began to make sense. It was meaningful, profound and it spoke specifically to her. She didn't realize the Holy Spirit was opening her mind and heart. God saved her and began to transform her life, verse by verse, chapter by chapter. This alcoholic meth addict with multiple felony convictions was so radically changed she was released from prison after 13 years. She quickly discovered how hard life could be with a record. When she turned to God for help with her job, he provided. She is doing well, active in church and ministering to folks who carry the scars and damage of abuse. She has discovered that true worship isn't about songs or liturgy but an hour to hour and day to day devotion to the Lord Jesus. It's presenting herself to Him as a new creature in Christ, created for good works (Eph 2).
This lady knew what it was like to be conformed to the world. She had lived in a bubble, trusting no one, filled with rage and pain. Conforming to the world is fighting with ferocity for your will and way. She didn't care who she hurt along the way. She medicated with alcohol and meth to get through the day. She thought nothing about tomorrow, or any future days, let alone eternity. The enemy doesn't care if you serve yourself from a place of pity, sorrow and pain or from a high and lofty place of arrogance and pride. To serve ourself it to conform to the way of death.
Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; (1 Peter 1:13-14)
Paul urged the church in Rome not be conformed to this world. One doesn't have to decide to conform to the world; it comes very natural to us; conforming to the world is mankind's default position. It's like being pressed into a mold; a mold that changes your mind and character into a pattern called for by this world.
What did that look like in Rome? Roman citizens had many rights, but were rights given, taken and managed by Rome. Different emperors had different agendas and priorities. Once they came to think of themselves as gods, the citizens were at the mercy of the whims of the Caesar. Conforming was complying with Rome without thought of dissent. Conforming was compromising your values, morality and ethics to a godless entity. Conforming looks very similar today. Our government has discovered they're not very efficient at keeping us in line, so they've wear the banks, big business and big pharma like a glove. Conformation of thought is managed by Facebook, YouTube and Twitter algorithms as well as indoctrinating our youth in their agendas.
The default of our flesh and carnal nature is to bow to these external pressures of the world; to preserve self, not rock the boat or stand out in a crowd. There is company if conformity and safety when hidden in a crowd. Without thought, effort or our knowledge it is happening, we can be completely conformed to this world and it will seem like the most logical and reasonable action. And that would be true for the unbeliever, for those not justified.
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. (1 John 2:15-17)
However, God's word tells us that the truly logical and reasonable response for those justified in Christ to present yourself as a living sacrifice, inviting a transformation from the inside out. The world system would say, "Sacrifice? What do you mean sacrifice?" The world attempts to convince us of our own goodness, our own righteousness and that we don't need God, let alone any thought of sacrifice. The world wants to reward us with all the fine things we deserve in all our supposed goodness. The world offers mankind a temporary distraction so they won't notice their wretchedness, so they can forget the wrath that abides against them. There is no thought God's judgment.
This is who we were. It truly is miraculous that God saved us out of this place.
Be Ye Transformed
Instead of being conformed to the World, Paul expresses the obligation to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. What is God's perfect will for your life? It is that you be changed, renewed, sanctified. Your thoughts will be new, your reasoning fresh and understanding of His desire for your life will be clear. The idea of being 'proof' is the idea of providing proof of authenticity; a renewed mind is the mark of an authentic, born-again believer. The testimonies of this work by God's hand are endless; God really made sure to remove all doubts. He can renew any mind; drugged, damaged, scarred and on and on. Your mind can be renewed. The word used for 'mind' is our mental state, values, feelings and disposition. As we present ourselves to God, we avail ourselves to this transformation. This word translated to transformation is metamorphoo. This is where we get the word metamorphosis or a change from the inside out.
This word, metamorphoo, was translated to transfiguration in Matthew 17:2 or Mark 9:2 when Jesus was transfigured. We get a real sense of the radical change that will happen to us over time.
He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. (Matthew 17:2)
He was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them. (Mark 9:2-3)
This transformation happens when we have a renewal or renovation of the mind. This renovation is an ongoing effort by the Holy Spirit. This renovation starts by willingly presenting ourselves to Him. It's turning our back on the worlds system and worldview and reporting to God for our renovation. We first reject the world, then this change happens in our mind and it manifests itself in our thoughts and actions.
I picture this like a young hippie stepping off the bus as he reports for Marine boot camp. He's about to get remade; before the renovation could begin, the old stuff had to be stripped away. The Christian that steps forward for renewal might bring the baggage of sin and shame; emotional scars, guilt and sorrows. The regrets are bound up tight so as to never fall away. God begins to peal away all the trash we bring; day by day, monthly by month and year to year. Across a lifetime, we glance back and barely recognize the old man you left behind because you've become a new person in Christ. God spends so much time, particularly at the beginning, convincing us that this is the real deal, we really are loved unconditionally, forever. All the while, the enemy will work to convince you it's a farce and that you can't be renewed and made into something precious and beautiful for the kingdom.
Proving the good and acceptable; The ongoing Presentation
We are loved by God. It's so utterly incredible, we are often in danger of letting it go to our head. Satan doesn't care what ditch you fall in. If he can't force you into the ditch of the unlovable, he'll push you toward the ditch of arrogance of divine privilege. There is a balance to be maintained.
God had mercy on us and saved us by his grace. If we don't remember where we came from and what we were without Christ, we will then also forget the right response. To present ourselves as living sacrifice isn't a one-time act, it is ongoing; daily, hourly and sometimes minute by minute putting ourselves in His hands because it is a right response to what he has done for us.
Our tendency is to attempt a onetime gift in response to God's work; as if by our gift, we could repay Him. We are more comfortable with that. We don't like owing anyone! Our flesh and pride desires independence. However, God doesn't want us to write him a fat check or dedicate a time or phase of our life. He doesn't need anything we have. Instead, He wants our hearts, committed out of love and gratitude because He loves us.
Romans 12:3
Check your ego at the door (or leave it in your old life)
Paul had the authority of apostleship given to him by the Lord. Yet, Paul said it was through the grace given him that he offered this precept. Because he received 'unmerited favor', that is grace; he could speak to the humility one should feel as a believer. No one should get cocky in their Christian walk. We should be very sober in our thoughts about ourselves. I think this is a reminder to not forget where you came from and where you were headed. When we came to God, we brought nothing to the relationship but sin, shame, a rebellious heart and broken life. We came to Him in genuine confession without hat in our hat. We found that when we arrived at the end of our rope, God was there. This is where we ought to live.
The beauty of His grace ought to remind us how unworthy we were; a thought we ought to never let fade into the past. If we have a sound understanding of Him and a sober understanding of ourself, we'll never fail to view the chasm He crossed. There is no much we deserve, none of it good. God can build a life-long walk of faith on a foundation of humility because it is built on His grace and not anything about you.
The more faith God gives us the more we realize how little we can accomplish on our own. Then humility is a natural progression as we grow in our faith.
Humility isn't thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less. (Ken Blanchard)
As we grow, our view and understanding of God gets higher. We come to a fuller understanding of his holiness. And as we do, we also come to a better understanding of how we have fallen so short. We continue to get a better understanding of the gap that lies between God's holiness and our fallen nature. Then we more fully appreciate how Christ bridged that gap for us.
Paul has us check our humility because he is getting ready to talk about spiritual gifts. This is a place where we can begin to think more highly of our self than we should if our heart and mind isn't right. Now that we are sufficiently humbled, we can move on to verse 4.
Romans 12:4-5
Embrace the gift given you (primary function)
Among our obligation to Christ is our obligation to the body of Christ. It is reasonable and right to serve the one body, that is the church or the body of Christ. Not everyone has the same function within that body, yet everyone has a function. We are many individuals, with individual gifts and faith and spiritual maturity. We are diverse, yet members of one another. I am amazed to see some that, for a variety of reasons, some members never function within the church body. The reasons range from 'too busy' to 'I don't know what my gift is'. Some have spent their entire life waiting for their gift to be revealed to them. Those that remain on the sideline think they are playing it safe and reason that it's okay. On the sidelines, you won't be embarrassed in any way or have to deal with any feelings of inadequacy. They feel successful in hiding among others; they don't realize it is a simple matter of pride and preservation of the flesh that keeps them from a closer relationship to Christ. They simply don't present themselves and are not a living sacrifice; and in doing so, they've made a choice. They more closely resemble a dead sacrifice.
To remain separate from the body and not in service is a matter of concern.
- This is an unreasonable response.
- It could be that you don't understand the mercies of chapters 1-11
- Jesus is a living sacrifice; these actions are a refusal to be like Jesus
- Being unholy, not set apart, is being unacceptable to God
- You are disobedient
- Whether on purpose or not.
- Ignorance is a confession of the failure, not an excuse.
- You aren't proving out the perfect will of God.
- It's a 'good enough' mentality.
- Disregard for the health (or completeness) of the body (focused on self).
- A body requires all parts to function.
- People want, need, and require the function of that body.
- Then, often withhold, or just not show up to hold up their end of the bargain.
- Being conformed to the world obstructs transformation.
- More worried about participating in 'my rights'.
- More concerned about how many Facebook friends I have.
- Committed more to chasing the gods of this world.
- You may not be born again.
- Or, at best, if you are born again, you are not walking in faith.
- You are missing out on a huge blessing of doing the things God called you to.
- Life!
If you want to do Christianity on your terms, you're not following Christ, your just playing religion. Paul is describing a committed, sacrificed life of a follower and disciple. Paul called for sober thought. God has given you a measure of faith as it pertains to the gifts. Your spiritual gift is given to you by God to fill a need, for His purpose and for the purpose of the church. The gift isn't to serve you or even please you. It isn't for you to choose who is worthy of your gift. We are to function actively within a body.
We have to at least wonder if this was being said to the Romans because some had placed higher value on themselves or others with certain gifts. There is at least some thought that the Jewish Christians were looking down on the gentile Christians. Paul pleads humility and shows this church unity in diversity.
Romans 12:6-8
Do it, and do it well.
Paul lists 8 gifts here: prophecy, faith, ministry, teaching, exhortation, giving, leadership and mercy. These are spiritual tools of born-again believers. As we are transformed, we are transformed by the grace of God. According to that grace and as we grow in holiness the Holy Spirit gives us Spiritual gifts. These gifts are used to edify and serve within the body of Christ. Each person should discover their gift, or gifts, and serve in that capacity within the body. It's not unusual to have multiple gifts, but all have a gift that is more prominent than any other. We all have a function but we don't all have the same function and each of us has great value to the body. When that happens, we become a very functional body of believers. When the parts come together, we begin to look like the body. We will resemble Christ.
(Criticism is not a gift; gossip isn't the gift of communication; 'one-upanship' is not a gift)
The list of gifts is partial. Paul isn't presenting a study on the gifts, but an exhortation to be active in that gift, whatever it is. Your gift may not be flashy or even visible to the rest of the body; that should not matter. Your gift likely requires an act of faith. You don't feel adequate, equipped, qualified, etc. There is no greater joy or contentment (in a dark and bleak world), than when we step in faith, trust the Holy Spirit and exercise our gift.
How do you know what your gift is? I suggest the following:
- Avail yourself to learning.
- Truly present yourself to Him and ask the Holy Spirit to show you.
- Then, pay attention, pray through it. You'll likely find it is something He has already given you a passion for.
- It not like a graduation ceremony; it won't be handed to you on a golden platter. It will come to your heart as a need and thoughts as need that must be filled. For example:
- You'll be broken hearted over someone's broken heart; you need to weep with them.
- You'll see prayer needs and you will earnestly pray with someone and for someone.
- You'll see a financial need and know you can fill that need.
- You see the lost and broken and want to give them hope and see them forgiven.
- What breaks your heart and tugs at your spirit?
- Confess to God that you need Him to operate in any gift. Give that inadequacy to the Holy Spirit? That's His function, He wants you to do this with Him. He is the source and sustenance from which to operate.
- Take a step in a 'Just do it' mentality.
- Be open and honest, even to the point of telling someone you feel gifted, called and yet inadequate. Let them know you are trusting the Holy Spirit.
- Lives will be changed.
- You will be changed.
- God will be glorified.
When you operate in that gift, you will experience a joy and contentment never previously experienced. It is not to say, there are no frustrations or disappointments, but you will see God's hand at work in and around you, in the midst of this dark and fallen world. In addition, I think we develop a drive, or the Holy Spirit drives us, to continue to grow our gift and use of it. We'll look back one day and see where we came from. While we won't arrive at any spiritual high ground, we'll see a life, holy and set apart, transformed, sacrificial; acceptable to God and proof of God's presence and work. You will be an example of God's perfect will for your life.
Romans 12:9
What does this inner transformation look like on the outside? How does this new sacrificial life, presented to Him, walk it out day to day?
Agape without Hypocrisy
Our love is supposed to be without hypocrisy. Agape love is not a feeling or emotion, it is actionable. It is unconditional live. For agape to be sincere, it must move us to action. If it is not sincere, it probably isn't love anyway; proving that hypocritical love isn't love at all.
If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
(1 john 4:20-21)
Authentic love will be a love that serves and sacrifices. The compassion of authentic love will move us to cling to the good in the midst of evil; and moves us to abhor the evil that causes so much damage among men.
Romans 12:10-13
A Familial Love
A transformed life is also characterized by brotherly love. This is the word 'philadelphia'. This is the natural affection of those who are siblings. Those in the body are siblings of the Heavenly Father. The word translated to 'kindly affectionate' means a family love. My sons fought with each other often. Within the home, they didn't always appear to have brotherly love. Yet, out in the world, if one were threatened in some way, the other felt the same threat and responded. Each was the greatest defender of the other.
Paul displays this love as one giving preference to one another. This is to set aside my wants or needs to serve my brother or sister. The ESV translated this:
Outdo one another in showing honor.
This is to be done with eagerness, not lagging, hoping someone else will serve or address the need and you won't have to. This reminds me of the TV commercial of T-Rex at the table in a restaurant; trying to reach for the bill, but his arms were conveniently too short. The other person reached for the bill and got it first. We are to reach for that need sincerely and do so 'fervent in spirit.' To be fervent is the picture of boiling; we are to be inflamed and attentive to the needs of others. This is similar to Peter's summary:
Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.[2]
We are to love and serve from a basis of hope, rejoicing and persevering. This is more contagious than any virus. Your hope and joy moves others to hope and joy. This is particularly important in the face of tribulation. Likewise, a depressed, joyless and hopeless Christian is not a reflection of the One we proclaim and is truly a sad sight.
The life of a believer is bathed in prayer. I remain amazed at believers who throw the word around to so many, yet show so little evidence of actually praying. We speak of prayer lists, yet I rarely ever see anyone documented the needs for which to prayer. It has mostly just become part of our language.
Finally, this love meets the needs of others. This is making our resources available to those in need, even to the extent of opening your home to others. In our day and age, we must point out that this speaks of 'needs'. I've so often run into those who show up at the church, having never met them, demand something, as if entitled to it. They even quote bible verses in hope of the church distributing money to them.
The life Paul speaks of begins with love; all those other things are subcategories of love. Maybe if you get the love part right the rest just sort of follows. If your love of the Lord is genuine and your response to the love and grace is genuine, this is what it looks like on the outside.
Romans 12:14-16
It just keeps getting harder, doesn't it? We know we will be persecuted and that seems bad enough. But now we have to refrain from cursing those who persecute us and we're supposed to bless them. Think about how that should take place in your life. This isn't easy to do.
A soft answer turns away wrath,
But a harsh word stirs up anger.
2The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly,
But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness. (Proverbs 15:1-2)
Our flesh rises up quickly to defend itself, to preserve our pride and destroy any challenges. Before we know it, we've acted, condescended, put someone in their place, hurt them with words that can't be unheard. And we feel justified because they hurt us first. If the other person takes the same attitude, each side keeps escalating their response, treating the other like an enemy they hate. The bible teaches us to diffuse this before it starts, to rise above this.
This isn't saying we have to take a beating and learn to like it. It just means we shouldn't have a hateful or hate filled attitude toward anyone. We are to be considerate of others feelings. They persecute because they see us as a threat to them. We can't prove them correct. With the heart of a servant, we worry about others more than ourselves. Consider what the other person is going through or has gone through. It may be an unbeliever trying to find their way in a hate filled world. It may be another believer stinging from pain or sorrow. The truth is, we never know what others are dealing with. We are to consider them, not make matters worse.
We are called to rejoice with those rejoicing and cry with those who are mourning. We are to treat each other with respect and maintain a humble dignity since you have to be of the mind of Christ, representing Him. We can't be conceited, acting as though we belong to some club that only the really good folks get to belong to. We are instructed to live in harmony. This is to keep in mind, we are operating within an eternal perspective to a lost world. We know something they don't, with a desire to share it.
We are to refrain from being high-minded and to associate with the 'humble'. The word refers to those of low status or indistinguishable in the culture, possible due to the inability to cope. We are not to look over people and fail to recognize they have faces, names and they are also created in the image of God.
"God resists the proud,
But gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6)
James uses the same word for humble here; those that receive grace. In another place, the word is translated as 'downcast' or those that receive God's comforting. The way we look at others is an indication of the state of our renewed mind.
Do not be wise in your own eyes;
Fear the Lord and depart from evil.
8It will be health to your flesh,
And strength to your bones. (Proverbs 3:7)
Romans 12:17-21
Evil will be done to us, that is a given. We are not to repay it. Many of those Christians in Rome would live to experience the hatred of Nero and other emperors as they exercised their own brand of evil on them. Having evil acted on you is not a license to be hateful to others. To repay evil is to act in a way that is even more evil; people are watching how we respond. Displaying a renewed mind and transformed life is to be Christlike and leaves no room to try and 'out evil' someone. To act evil against evil is to be overcome by it. We are to overcome evil with good. We remember the words of Jesus.
38 "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' 39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away. (Matthew 5:38-42)
Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 "Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5:9-12)
The Lord is just and much better at justice than we are. His justice is righteous while our form of justice becomes revenge born of hatred and is sin. Paul quotes Deuteronomy to make His point:
35 Vengeance is Mine, and recompense;
Their foot shall slip in due time;
For the day of their calamity is at hand,
And the things to come hasten upon them.' (Deuteronomy 32:35)
A right response allows God to work in the heart of an enemy. In your right actions and response, you heap coals on that person's head. This 'heaping coals of fire on his head' could mean several things.
- It might mean our kindness creates a burning conviction in them (burning of shame).
- Possibly a reference to an act of friendship giving our fire to the neighbor down the road.
- There was also an Egyptian tradition of carrying a pan of burning charcoal on your head as an act of repentance.
Whatever the source of the saying, the meaning is similar. It forces that enemy to look at their evil actions against your kindness. In causing that reflection, maybe the result will be the destruction of an enemy by making them our friend. Evil is then overcome with good; which is far better than fostering our own evil to be wicked and distribute our own vengeance.
Evil will come our way. We are to make sure no blame can be put before us. We are not to instigate conflict or perpetuate it. We have a knack for deception in this area. When we are wronged, we view our retribution as justified. When we've been wronged, our tendency is to act in evil ways to harm another and tell ourselves it was right to do so, when we know in our heart it is not. We will suffer in this life. We were purchased by Christ and we must trust Him with the entirety of our life. The bible doesn't authorize us to inflict suffering on others if we've been wronged. When we do so, we become the evil it speaks against.
It wasn't that long ago, there was a fad in Christianity; WWJD or 'What would Jesus do?' Like all fads, it got a little strange at times, but the idea is timeless. This is the heart Paul desires of those in Rome and for us. Our view of God is transformed, our self is transformed, our view and actions toward others is radically transformed. We are simply to act toward others as Jesus did toward us. This is what a transformed life looks like.
13 For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. 14 For in fact the body is not one member but many. (1 Cor 12:13-14)
28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. (Gal 3:28-29)
At the end of the Civil war, there were many that wanted those of the south punished and destroyed. Hatred was carried like a badge that became a weapon to smash and thrash any southerner in an instant. This was extended to any sympathizer. While the war ended, the lines were still drawn. The nation desperately needed a peacemaker.
The Civil War had just ended, and the opportunistic scalawags were busy lording it over their fellow Southerners. A hot-blooded contingency of die-hard former rebels gained an audience with President Lincoln. His gentle, friendly manner soon thawed the ice, and the Southerners left with a new respect for their old foe. A northern congressman approached the president and criticized him for "befriending the enemy," suggesting that instead of befriending them he should have had them shot for the traitors they were. Lincoln smiled and replied, "Am I not destroying my enemies by making them my friends?"533[3]
Lincoln was committed to his belief. He did not live long after the war, the prevalent hatred claimed his life. While he was quickly gone, his words and kindness live on, even today (thought they are not as widely taught). He was committed to peace, there was no turning back.
As God has done a work in your heart and continues to do so, is there evidence you have burned the ships? Is it clear you have no desire to return to the old life and are committed to the new walk in Christ?
Right thinking of the renewed & transformed:
- Of self
- Of others
- Of our gifts
- Of enemies & persecutors
- Of our government & leaders (coming in chapter 13)
©2008, 2014, 2021 Doug Ford, Calvary Chapel Sweetwater
[1] The New King James Version. (1982). (Dt 30:18–20). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
[2] The New King James Version (1 Pe 2:17). (1982). Thomas Nelson.
[3] Michael P. Green. (2000). 1500 illustrations for biblical preaching (p. 157). Baker Books.
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