Romans 12 - Living as Christians

 

There is so much in this chapter – like every chapter in Romans.  Many sermons and comments can be made on each verse which would make this post tooooo long so I will try my best to hit some of the important lessons.  Paul has taught us biblical doctrines in the previous chapters, but now he’s teaching us how to live by those standards.

Romans 12:1-8 – Living Sacrifices

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.” – Rom. 12:1.

Paul tells us practical ways to live by God’s biblical doctrine.  We first need to totally commit ourselves to God, because we have experienced His mercy.  He showed us that we are all hopeless and lost in sin.  He showed that no one is righteous and no one does good.  But because of God’s mercies, He has given us Jesus on the cross, who died for all sinners.  We all deserve His judgment, but if we call on His Name we will be forgiven and saved.  That’s His great mercy.  He tells us that we cannot understand God or know His mind.  We can never repay Him.  All things are from Him, through Him, and to Him.

Proper response to receiving God’s mercy is to give yourself totally to Him out of gratitude.  You have to do this yourself.  No one can do it for you.  You have to make the decision to give yourself completely to God. 

How has God shown you mercy?

What is your response to God’s mercy?

The “bodies” refer to the total person.  That includes our physical bodies, our minds, our tongues, our hands, our feet, our hearts, our eyes and our ears. 

This sacrifice is living holy and doing what is acceptable to God.  He is not talking about death as our sacrifice, but how we live in this world.  We are to live sacrificing what the world offers.  We are to be holy.  Holy is to be set apart for God.  We are to use our mouths to speak encouraging words and tell others about Christ.  We are to use our hands to give help to others.  We are to use our feet and go where God wants us to go.  We are to worship not in habitual ceremony, but in true praise and thankfulness to God.

How are you using your whole body as a sacrifice?  Do you look at pornography or listen to or tell off color jokes?  Do you use your feet to take the gospel to others?  Do you gossip?  Do you watch TV and movies that use foul language and has nudity and sexual content?  Do you dress appropriately? 

Principle:  Give yourself totally to Him, because you have experienced God’s mercy.

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” – Rom. 12:2

The world tells us to think of ourselves by being proud and independent.  It tells us to think highly of ourselves.  It tells us if we drop the names of famous and important people we know somehow we are better than the average person.  If we come from wealth or have a powerful position, we think in some way it makes us better.

We must change the way we think.  We can renew our mind by loving God with all our heart, soul and mind.  We are not to copy what the world does, because we Christians do not belong to this world.  We are to behave differently than those who are not Christians.  Christians think differently about money and possessions.  We remember that it all belongs to God anyway.  We are more careful about what we watch on TV and what we read.  We listen to the Holy Spirit and let Him guide us.  We pray and study our Bible often.  We want to obey God and do His will.  This doesn’t mean we get it right all the time, but with the help of the Holy Spirit we seek to please God.

How has the world affected your personal life?

Paul says don’t think of yourself more highly than you ought, but think with sober judgment in accordance to the faith God has given you.  Each one of us has one body with many members and these members don’t have the same function.  We in Christ form one body with many different functions.  We all have different gifts.  Some have the give of serving, some to prophesy, some to teach, some encourage, some are generous, some leadership, and some show mercy. (Rom: 12:3-8).

One body refers to all Christians who make up the universal church.  Christians are one body and like the human body we have different members of the body (hands, feet, etc.).  God gave us each a gift.  Some have the gift of prophecy.  Meaning they may receive a message from God and can share it well with others.  Some have the gift of serving.  They are good at serving others and are good at recognizing those in need.  Some are good teachers.  Some are good at encouraging others.  Some are generous sharing their money, time and possessions in a generous way.  Some make excellent leaders.  Some show great mercy and kindness like in the Samaritan story.  Whatever your gift, Paul tells us we are not to be proud.  We are to be grateful and humble and use our gifts.

Principle:  We are to humbly function within the area of our own gifts for the benefit of the whole body.

Romans 12:9-21 – Sincere Love

Here it’s spelled out what God’s good, acceptable, and perfect will looks like.  “Love must be sincere.  Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honor one another above yourselves.  Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.  Share with God’s people who are in need.  Practice hospitality.” – Rom. 12:9-13.

Sincere love is described in 1 Cor. 13:4-7 – “Love is patient, love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 

Which of these is the hardest for you to obey?

We are to keep our “spiritual fervor” when serving the Lord.  What does that mean?  We as believers are to burn with desire to please God and do His will in every possible way.  You get excited about politics and sports don’t you?  So get excited when serving God and doing His work.  Christ’s death on the cross for you should excite you.  Even the fact that nothing can separate us from the love of God should excite and stir your heart!  The fact that He rescued you from eternal fire should excite you!  Don’t be lukewarm, but serve Him fervently.

Where is your passion?  

Is it serving Christ?

Paul says to “practice hospitality”, but what does that actually mean?  We Christians should welcome everyone we meet spending time and energy with them.  Jesus welcomed strangers and outcasts like Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10.  We can greet people and welcome them to church.  We can give people a ride to church or doctor appointments.  Invite someone to a meal in your home or even pay for the meal when eating out.  Use these mealtimes to build relationships.  Many of Jesus’ teachings occurred around meals.  Hospitality shouldn’t be just at Thanksgiving or Christmas, but a constant attitude and practice.  We should be ready to welcome people even strangers.  You never know when you will be entertaining angels.

“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.  Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.  Live in harmony with one another.  Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.  Do not be conceited.” – Rom. 12:14-16.

When trials come, we must have the right attitude.  Rejoice in hope and continue in prayer that will sustain you.  Bless your persecutors and be sympathetic with them in their joys and sorrows.  When wronged by anyone, don’t take revenge, but bless them and pray for them.  This is done so Christ will be glorified as people see Him in you.

Do you sympathize with others in their joys and sorrows?

Paul goes on to say that we are not to repay anyone evil for evil, but to do what is right.  Live in peace with everyone if possible.  Do not take revenge, but leave it for God to deal with.  We are to feed our enemies when they are hungry and thirsty.  Do not be overcome by evil, but with good. (Rom. 12:17-21).

Because of Christ’s self-sacrificing love on the cross, we are to show self-sacrificing, caring commitment by seeking the highest good.  If you are not, you are not obeying God.  We may not like everyone, but we are to love everyone.  To love everyone is to genuinely care for them.  We are not to just avoid evil, but we are to hate evil.  So evaluate whether your attitudes, actions and words are in line with biblical love.

We are to never pay back evil for evil to anyone.  We are to never take revenge.  When someone wrongs us, it wounds our pride and we want to restore our honor.  Revenge doesn’t promote peace, but causes more hostility.  Revenge just keeps the vengeful cycle going.  When we take revenge, we are doing God’s job.  We can’t know the whys and the personal motives behind the person’s action, but God does.  If we let revenge take hold, our emotions get in the way which clouds our judgment.  Only God is the competent Judge.  Revenge is responding to sin with more sin.

When attacked it is natural to want to strike back, but we should respond with love.  This overcomes evil in the person by our good.  There are practical ways to overcome evil with good.  We cannot raise our voice in anger and not argue with others.  We can be kind and patient.  We can be forgiving.  We can pray for that person who is hurting us and pray for ourselves asking God to help us show love qualities to others.

When Paul says we should take thought for “what is right in the eyes of everybody”, he doesn’t mean we should determine our behavior by public opinion.  He means we should think about our testimony, because the world is watching what we do and how we handle situations.

Principle:  Sacrificial, transformed living calls us to love others.

Next time we will study Romans 13.  Have a blessed day and thanks for visiting my site.  Hope to see you here again.  --  I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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Romans 11 – God’s Future Plans

Romans 11:1-10 – The Remnant

Paul tells us that God had wonderful plans for the Jews.  He sent their Messiah, Jesus and offers them grace, salvation, and righteousness.  But the Jews reacted with unbelief and refused to accept Jesus.  It many have seemed that God’s plans failed.  Paul shows that His plans had not failed.  Paul was a Jew, a descendant of Abraham.  He had acted against God, but God forgave him and now he was a Christian.  He reminds the Jews about God’s answer to Elijah when he thought he was the only Jews still loyal to God.  God told him there were still 7,000 Jews loyal to God, because they had not worshipped the false god Baal.  By God’s grace He chose them.

Paul talks about the group of people who do not believe the gospel.  They are unable to hear or understand it.  He quotes Deut 29:4, Isaiah 29:10, and Psalm 69:22-23.  Their attitudes will cause them great trouble.

Principle:  God has always reserved for Himself a remnant of faithful believers.

When have you felt rejected and how did God encourage you and show you mercy?

Romans 11:11-24 – Gentile Salvation

God was not finished with Israel.  They would suffer because of their unbelief, but He still had a plan for them.  They would again be God’s chosen people, but until then God offers salvation to all who would believe - the Gentiles.  He did this so the Jews would become envious and jealous and they would turn to God.

Paul was talking to the Gentiles and is an apostle to them.  He wanted them to become righteous is by means of faith in Christ.  He hoped this would cause the Jews to want the same faith.  He uses the example of a gardener who uses grafting of branches.   A strong tree doesn’t always bear quality fruit and a weaker tree may not bear much fruit.  By cutting of some of the branches from the strong tree and replacing branches from the weaker tree, they would then have a much better tree.  It would bear much quality fruit.  The Gentiles were like the new branches. 

The holy root is the Old Testament patriarchs.  The natural branches are the Jews.  The broken off branches are many Jews and Gentiles who have not believed in Jesus.  Unbelief cuts them off from the spiritual blessings that belonged to Abraham’s descendants.  Believing Gentiles have entered into those blessings by their faith in Jesus.

 

Principle:  God brought salvation to the Gentiles so as to make Israel envious.

God joined the Gentiles to His people the Jews, but warns the Gentiles that they must not be too proud that they are now a part of God’s family.  He wanted them to have the right attitude.  God didn’t spare the unbelieving Jews (the natural branches) and if the Gentiles don’t continue in faith, God will not spare them either.  If God had removed the Jewish branches, He could also remove them, too.  This doesn’t mean Gentiles can lose our salvation.   God will protect them.  “To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy.” – Jude 24.  We must remain loyal to God.  None of us deserve salvation.  He has given us salvation because of His kindness.

How do you show humility about your salvation?

Romans 11:25-32 – Israel's Future Salvation

Paul doesn’t want them to be ignorant of this mystery so that they may not be conceited.  Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of Gentiles has come in.  Then Paul tells us that all Israel will be saved.  This means once the whole world has heard the gospel and all those that will come to faith in Jesus, then believing Jews will be saved.  That doesn’t mean all dead and living Jews will be saved.  They still have to believe in Jesus.  It just means God will open their eyes and lift the hardening from their hearts so they can believe.  Then God will take away their sins.  There will be many believing Jews - a remnant.

This mystery has been hidden in the past, but now God is revealing it.  The mystery is the plan of God to save the Gentiles and Jews through Israel’s partial hardening.  His gracious plan has always included Jews and Gentiles.

Paul shows us that there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles.  They have all sinned and need to receive God’s salvation.  Paul says all are like prisoners, because they are unable to obey God.  Until they receive God’s salvation, sin controls their lives.  There is only one way to get out of prison and that is through God’s mercy for everyone who trusts Him.  Neither Jews nor Gentiles deserve mercy, but God pours out mercy on both.

Principle:  Believing Jews will be saved because of God’s promises and great mercy.

How is sin controlling your life?

Are you believing and trusting in God?

Romans 11:33-36 – Words of Praise

Paul expresses words of praise because of God’s mercy.  Because of Israel’s disobedience, we (Gentiles) now have received God’s mercy of salvation if we just believe.

“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!  Who has known the mind of the Lord?  Or who has been his counselor?  Who has every given to God, that God should repay him?  For from him and through him and to him are all things.  To him to be glory forever!  Amen.” – Rom. 11:33-36

We can’t imagine the riches of God.  Just look at the oceans and the beaches.   As you go farther out into the water it gets deeper and deeper, but the water only comes so far up on land.  Who could have thought of a plan like God did?  He provided a redeemer, even His own Son.  He knows all things.  He knows each time a sparrow falls.  He knew about 911 and knows all that goes on in the Middle East.  He has a plan so don’t worry about anything.  It’s under control.  He searches our hearts.  He knows about our envy, our fears, and our every thought.  He knows all.  Take time to worship Him. We own Him everything.  Praise Him for it and for the salvation He brings. 

Principle:  Salvation is from God, through God, and for His glory.

How can you truly worship Him? – Praise Him and His character.  Acknowledge His mercy and creation.  Take time to actually worship not just pray.  Meet Him daily at the same time and the same place.  Take your Bible and a note book and expect to hear from Him.  Watch for words that describe God.  Stop and say them back to Him.  Focus on Him and not on yourself.  Confess to Him and thank Him for all He has done.

What thing has God done for you that would cause you to praise Him? 

God knows everything that has happened or will happen in the future.  He’s knows everything about every person and every living thing and every circumstance.  He knows every attitude and secret thought of a person.  He knows who does evil and who does good.  He knows every excuse and every motive.  He knows each need we have the desires of every living thing. 

Principle:  God is far greater than you can ever comprehend and only God is worthy of our praise.

Next time we will study Romans 12.  Have a blessed day and thanks for visiting my site.  Hope to see you here again.  -- I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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Romans 10 – Refusing God’s Righteousness

Romans 10:1-13 – True Righteousness

Paul’s desire and prayer for the Israel was that they be saved.  They were zealous for God, but their zeal was not based on knowledge.  They tried to establish their own righteousness instead of righteousness that comes from God.  They didn’t submit to God’s righteousness.  Christ is the end of the law so there may be righteousness for all who believe. (Rom. 10:1-4).

Paul was a Jew and was very concerned for his people.  They were religious people, but missed salvation.  They wanted to please God but didn’t know how.  They thought they had to obey all their laws and were fanatics about it.  They even came up with many extra laws to live by.  Their rules had rules.  They were all about good works and thought works would make them righteous.  They were wrong. 

Who has God called you to pray for?

No one can earn a right relationship with God by their works.  The only way to have that right relationship is to believe in Jesus.  The purpose of the law is to show people their sin and that they need faith in Him.  Jesus’ death was the perfect sacrifice for sin.  Through belief and His blood we are made righteous before God.

Paul goes on to explain that Moses described the way to righteousness was not by the law.  It is by faith.  If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  It is with your heart that you believe and are justified and with your mouth that you confess and are saved.  Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.  There is no difference between Jew and Gentile.  It is the same Lord who blesses all who call on Him and will be saved. (Rom 10:5-13).

No one can obey the law perfectly, but we can have a relationship with God.  We don’t achieve this by our own efforts, but need to believe His message in our hearts.  We need to recognize that we cannot save ourselves.  To be saved we are to confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord.  To be saved by faith, we must truly believe in Jesus as the risen Savior and Lord. 

Principle:  True faith confesses openly that Jesus is the risen Lord and Savior.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that because you are a good person, you are saved.  If that were so, why would Jesus have to die that horrible death?

Romans 10:14-21 – Excuses

Paul describes the steps to believing in Jesus.  Preachers are sent out, they preach, people hear, people believe and then they call on the Lord.  This is good news, but not all Israelites accepted this good news.  Isaiah says faith comes from hearing the message that is through the Word of Christ.  Paul asked if they didn’t hear or understand.  Isaiah boldly says, yes they did. (Rom. 10:14-21).

Hearing is listening or giving attention to something, but taking no action.  Understanding is knowing or comprehending something, but taking no action.  Believing is being persuaded of the truth with full confidence and then taking action.  It’s like telling a child to pick up his toys.  He hears and understands you, but takes no action by do it.

Faith comes from the message heard from the Word of Christ.  We need to stay in God’s Word daily and let Him teach and guide us.  “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” – 2 Tim. 3:16.  How else can we hear?  Just carrying our Bible to church without opening it and reading it just won’t work.  To know what God says you have to actually read His Word.

Principle:  Faith comes from hearing and believing God’s Word.

How often do you read you Bible?

Where and to whom is God calling you to share the gospel?

Some people don’t respond to the good news when they hear it.  They may not believe it because it’s too simple.  Maybe they are too independent or self-righteous and think they don’t need God in their life.  Some may think they are just too busy right now and they will have plenty of time later in life.  They may not believe because they don’t really understand.  It was like this in Isaiah’s day as it is today.

Some people believe in the myth of evolution, but not Jesus.  I think intelligent people latch onto this belief because it gives them an escape from the uncomfortable truth that God created the heavens and the earth (Gen. 1:1).  There is no debate of this truth and you had better get reconciled with your Creator before you meet Him at judgment.

If you don’t believe, what is your excuse?

Are you ready to meet your Creator?

God sends out messengers and is ready to forgive any sinner who will receive His grace.  Jesus paid the price and provided us a pardon.  He chose you to believe in Him way before you your born.  It’s up to you to choose to believe in Him or not.  You cannot blame God for not choosing you.  If you have not repented of your sins and believed in Jesus as your Savior, your sinful unbelief is totally your own fault.  Unbelief is from a disobedient, hardened heart that loves sin more that it loves God. 

Christians are called to share the gospel.  We are His messengers.  We are to share the truth about God and Jesus.  We are to share the truth about sin.  We are also to share that a response is required.  It may be scary to share the gospel and we may not always say the right thing, but what is not right is not sharing.  What is right is to be obedient to God’s call to share.

Principle:  Those who reject the gospel cannot blame God, but are responsible for their own actions at the judgment.

What is your response to the greatest news in the World?

Next time we will study Romans 11.  Have a blessed day and thanks for visiting my site.  Hope to see you here again.  --  I encourage you to trust in Jesus.

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