Romans 12:1-21

One of the most important questions that we can ask ourselves as we study God’s Word is: “So what?”  Paul has taught us some of the most amazing and profound doctrines in all of Scripture in these first 12 chapters of Romans.  Paul now turns to the application of these truths as well as the implications that these truths have on our day to day lives.  These are the commands of Scripture that ought to dictate how those who have been justified by faith should now live.

SERVE ONE ANOTHER: Since we have been transformed by the power of Christ, we should now offer our lives and all of our talents as a sacrifice on the altar of God to serve one another.  Christ has purified our sins and now we must work together to bring about the holiness of the body of Christ with which we are now associated.  The spirit gives us gifts, not so that we can be proud and draw attention to ourselves, but that we might humbly serve one another.  The Christian life was never meant to be walked in solitude.  In fact, it is impossible for us as believers to fulfill God’s will in our lives alone and apart from one another.  God calls us to serve Him by serving one another with the gifts that He has granted us.  When we neglect to exercise these gifts in this way, we fail to offer our bodies as living sacrifices to God.  We fail to glorify God for His great salvation and we revert to the idolatry of “self worship.”

LOVE ONE ANOTHER: The body of Christ ought to be a place where profound love is practiced by all of its members.  We are to demonstrate our love and thanksgiving to God by loving each other.  Kindness and tenderness as well as deep affection should be the way that we as believers relate with one another.  In both good times and bad we always stand with one another to either help carry the trials or help celebrate the victories.  This is not a conditional or a meaningless love.  It is a firm, abiding and very practical love that springs into action wherever and whenever it is needed.  We pray for one another, we meet one another’s needs and we welcome one another into our homes so that we might enjoy each other’s company and encourage each other to walk in obedience to the Word of God.  This is how the church family should be described all over the world.  If that is not the case, than something is wrong and we must work diligently to fix it.

FORGIVE ONE ANOTHER: The rottenness of the sin nature has not changed.  It no longer has absolute power and reign over our lives, but it still can mess things up very quickly.  Since that is the case, it is inevitable that we will offend one another and even sin against one another.  When that happens, we are called upon to demonstrate love and forgiveness.  The reality is that we live in a sin cursed world and we will often be attacked by unbelievers who want to harm us and hinder the work of the kingdom.  When this happens, God calls us to forgive instead of seek for revenge.  Too often we see believers standing up for their rights against one another and against unbelievers.  We exercise what we think is our “right to fight,” but in so doing, we fail to trust and honor Christ.  When we are offended, forgiveness is the path that we are called to walk.  We can trust God to make it right.  The peace that we forfeit by seeking revenge is far more valuable that the pleasure that seeking revenge might bring.