The Good News! Digesting the Book of Romans

Question of the Day:  What is one word that describes you?


Today we take a huge shift in Romans.  Up to this point Paul is talking about theory.  From this point on it is the life application of the Good News.  Or you could say, so far we have been told what Jesus has done for us and now he shifts to our response.  It is important to remember that for the past 11 chapters we have been feasting on the grace of Jesus Christ.  Paul has reminded us of what he has done and how it is all about what He has done. Hopefully we have gotten it. Have you?

Chapter:
1. Who do you belong to?
2. Who leads you to repentance?
3. You are justified freely by whose grace?
4. It is our faith in who that saves us?
5. Who died for us?
6. The gift of God is eternal life in who?
7. You died to the law through the body of?
8. Therefore there is no condemnation for those who are in?
9. If we rely on our own righteousness the stumbling block will be?
10. Everyone who calls on whose name will be saved?
11. To him be the glory forever!

Do you see a pattern here?

Jesus is everything.  When we really get that and really believe what should our response be?
That is answered by Paul in the rest of Romans.

Here is the important thing to remember.  If you don't really understand and believe the first 11 chapters, start those over again!  It is so important. If you start diving into chapter 12-16 without really KNOWING Jesus Christ, accepting by faith His gift, the rest will fall flat!  Or the rest becomes our feeble attempt at acting like someone who has accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior, instead of our response to this beautiful relationship.

So Paul starts chapter 12 with, "Therefore."

READ:  Romans 12: 1-2

A Living Sacrifice

12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Because of what Jesus has done for you!  Because of HIS mercy, we can give it all up for Him!

What does it mean to give your body as a living sacrifice?

Is this limited to the health message?

Is this about eating the right things, exercising, etc.?

Whatever and however it is, it is extremely important since this is our true and proper worship...

In the message this passage reads, 

"So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you."

How are our minds renewed?

What has God been putting on your heart?

I know God is desiring to move you, to change you, but we too often don't listen... we might hear but we don't act.

Or we hear what the world is telling us and we keep ourselves very busy trying to "transform" into what we think we are supposed to be, instead of surrendering to God and letting Him transform us.

The beauty in all this is that our desires, our will, our mind can be changed into the will of God!

I love this Ellen White quote, "But the infinite sacrifice of God in giving Jesus, His beloved Son, to become a sacrifice for sin, enables Him to say, without violating one principle of His government: "Yield yourself up to Me; give Me that will; take it from the control of Satan, and I will take possession of it; then I can work in you to will and to do of My good pleasure." When He gives you the mind of Christ, your will becomes as His will, and your character is transformed to be like Christ's character.--5T 515 (1889)."

This is what this first passage in Romans 12 is talking about.  Because of what Christ has done, we can turn it all over to Christ and Satan doesn't reign in our hearts and minds any more!

READ: Romans 12: 3

Humble Service in the Body of Christ

3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

Before we move on I want us to read this verse in the message! 

"3 I’m speaking to you out of deep gratitude for all that God has given me, and especially as I have responsibilities in relation to you. Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it’s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him."

Let's continue on...

Romans 12: 4-8

 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your[a]faith;

In the message it reads...

"4-6 In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we’re talking about is Christ’s body of chosen people. Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of his body. But as a chopped-off finger or cut-off toe we wouldn’t amount to much, would we? So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ’s body, let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t."

There are two beautiful parts to this!

1. If we are apart of the body of Christ, if we are cut off from him we are nothing.  There for all our "worth,"  comes only from HIM!

2. I love the last sentence in the message..."let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pridefully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren't."  

Be YOU!

How would you be different if you really gave it all up to God and were fully content being who he created you to be!

Are you really fully content with you?

Is that hard to take?

Maybe you think if you are content being you, that you won't continue to grow?

Maybe if you are content with your strengths, your contribution to society will seem less significant than those you admire around you?

Maybe you just really want to be a hand instead of a foot?

I would like to propose that the world says, "If you strive hard enough you can be anything you want to be."

Jesus says, "Come to me, give it all up for me and if you are a foot, you will be the most amazing foot anyone could ever imagine and wow the places I will take you!"

Paul continues....

 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead,[b] do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

What are you called to do?

Do you remember back in the first chapter, we talked about Paul's declaration of who he is?  

We must know who we are!

We must know who we are because of what Christ has done!

We must know what he has called us to do!

We must know what he has gifted us with.

If you can't answer those questions, then how do we find the answers?

1. Surrender yourself to God.  Be a living sacrifice.  That is a daily prayer. A practiced state of mind.  It is remembering where he has brought you.  

2. Time in His word. Time developing the epignosis relationship with Jesus. To know Him will be the best way to know you!

3. Step out in faith and try some things.  If you believe you are meant to do something that you aren't currently doing, then.... step out and in faith and start doing.  You may learn that you were hearing wrong, or you may have your calling affirmed. 

4. Talk with your pastor, talk with a trusted friend. Sometimes others see in us our gifts and talents better than we do.  But don't get caught up in what others think to the point that you forget about the opinion of Jesus.  Talking and getting Godly counsel can help, but it is only one tool that God can use. 

Why must we know these things?

I love the song, Live Like your Loved.  The words express, what I believe this chapter is saying.  To live like you are loved, to live knowing what Jesus has done for you, and what he has called you to is to live free.  Free of fear, free of hesitancy. Free to radically live for him.  It may be quiet or loud, teaching or supporting but you will be free to live. 

Can you imagine what a church would look like if everyone in it knew who they were and were doing what they were called to do with joy?

To live like your loved is to live like this....

Love in Action

9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[c] Do not be conceited.

17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,”[d] says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
    if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”[e]

21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

In the message it reads...

9-10 Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love deeply; practice playing second fiddle.

11-13 Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.

14-16 Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down. Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great somebody.

17-19 Don’t hit back; discover beauty in everyone. If you’ve got it in you, get along with everybody. Don’t insist on getting even; that’s not for you to do. “I’ll do the judging,” says God. “I’ll take care of it.”

20-21 Our Scriptures tell us that if you see your enemy hungry, go buy that person lunch, or if he’s thirsty, get him a drink. Your generosity will surprise him with goodness. Don’t let evil get the best of you; get the best of evil by doing good.

Living like you are loved is to live free from guilt and shame, to love others.  Guilt and shame handicaps us.  It keeps our focus on our sinfulness instead of on the grace and mercy that we are covered with.  It keeps our focus away from God and the mission He has put before us.  It keeps us from focusing on others and loving those around us the way we should.  This whole last section is rich with how we love those around us! How we serve them, and show them the love of Jesus! 

Sometimes there is stuff, ick, yuck, that stands in our way.  Today, put it down.  Give it to Jesus.  Let his mercy, his grace free you to live loved, live free.  That freedom and that love will, WILL propel you to serve those around you!

LIVE LOVED!!!