Free Bible Commentary
“Romans 12:1-21”
Categories: Romans“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
“For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.
“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,’ says the Lord. ‘BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
---End of Scripture verses---
Chapter 12 marks a major transition in Paul’s letter to the Christians in Rome. He has essentially written a major treatise about faith up until this point. From chapter 12 onward he tells us how our faith in Christ should prompt us to live. He has belabored the point that we are saved by God’s grace through faith and not by works of law. But when we get to chapter 12 he shows us that God’s grace demands a transformed life just the same. In chapter 6 he told us that when we were baptized for the remission of our past sins that we were to arise and walk in newness of life. In chapter 12 he shows us what this new, sanctified life should look like, practically speaking, on a day to day basis.
Paul tells us in verse 1 that we are to present our “bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God.” In chapter 7 we read of the conflict that exists between our minds and our “flesh” and that the “members” of our bodies have a tendency to betray us at any given moment (6:21-25). But even though our bodies have not been renewed as our spirits have, we must make every effort to offer them up, along with their sinful lusts and desires, as sacrifices to God. Unlike the sacrificial system under which physical Israel served God, where the bodies of animals were killed and sacrificed; we offer our bodies up as a “living” sacrifice. We need to put to “death the deeds of the body” (8:13), so that our living bodies can be used to serve God and advance His will.
We must not be CON-formed to the world, but TRANS-formed by the word (verse 2). As living sacrifices that have been transformed by God’s grace through His perfect revelation, we are to humble ourselves in His presence and in our service to our fellowman (verses 3-8). We are to love each other, sincerely from the heart and mind, clinging to that which is good and abhorring that which is evil (verse 9). We are to serve God and man diligently, fervently, devotedly, generously, hospitably (verses 10-13). We are to even love those who do not love us, people that would count us as their enemies (verse 14), resisting the urge to retaliate against them when they do us wrong (verses 17-2).
It is clear to see how different the worldview is that God wants for His people compared to the way that the average person living outside of Christ views reality. Only a mind truly transformed by God’s word and love and grace can ever hope to aspire to reach such lofty spiritual heights. But if we are really serious about overwhelmingly conquering the evil that is in the world around us and that dwells within us, we can only hope to do so by godly living through a regenerated mind. Evil can only be overcome by good (verse 21).
Sound, biblical doctrine (Romans 1-11) + Transformed, godly living (Romans 12-15) = Victory in Jesus!
Please read Romans 13:1-14 for tomorrow.
Have a godly day!
- Louie Taylor
