Romans - Chapter 12
12:1-8 Considering our values
Now the Apostle Paul asks his readers to do some realistic consideration of how they have applied spiritual truth to their lives. He seems to be asking them to show their devotion to the truth of the gospel by presenting their bodies clearly and in doing so, to refuse to conform to the world.
Prior to this chapter, Paul has shown how important is the sacrifice of Jesus as the means of reconciliation between God and man. Now as a response, Paul says that the believer should offer his own body to the Lord out of appreciation and celebration. This sacrifice is to be quite different. It will be a “living” sacrifice as opposite to the usual understanding of sacrifice where the one doing the sacrificing dies. Paul has also in previous chapters shown the body to be the agent of sin but now he teaches that it is to become an instrument of holiness, which would be acceptable and pleasing to the Father.
Here the message is that when one is fully surrendered to God, that surrender is shown by the degree to which the believer stays in the world without being trapped by it and without being a more faithful witness to it than to the Lord. The result of such living is put very simply. We will “prove what is good and acceptable” by our lives. Paul says that those who do so will find in their own experience the reality of the will of God.
He reminds the Christians in Rome that they must be careful in the evaluation of their own lives. This evaluation will come from a renewed mind which will reconsider the place of their lives in the believing community (the church). Paul is teaching that this effort brings a life in a new relation to the Lord. In order to have this new relation, each believer must develop their relationship with each other. The place where these relationships operate is the assembly of believers, our local church. Such a dedication recognizes that the believer considers the value of being a part of the body of Christ above other values. This special life means the members are not only members of the body of Christ but also are members of one another.
The grace that brings salvation through faith also brings gifts to each believer. While he does not detail these gifts, he does seem to say that these gifts are to be used for the body of Christ and to fail to use the gifts lessens our dedication.
12:9-21 Good and evil.
Each believer is required to make a decision as to good and evil and should decide on the side of good and should oppose evil.
This decision removes from the believer the natural human inclination to repay evil with evil. This different attitude is the product of a renewed mind and Paul describes it in verse 9 as “love without dissimulation” (which is hypocrisy).
To combat evil with good is to love genuinely which shows that the mind is renewed and reflects the mind of God. The attitude inside the fellowship of believers should show this characteristic. Where love is expressed as being willing to recognize this need, it becomes harder for evil to gain victory. Evil can only be banished from the fellowship when it is clearly overcome with good, a genuine love shown by actions and attitudes.
The resources given by God to each believer can be used for either good or evil, and it is important that our use of our resources be used to reflect God's glory and for no other purpose. Our stewardship must be considered as necessary to demonstrate the positive values that we are showing in our fellowship. Resources are to be shared in gladness. We should remember that Paul is addressing infant home churches here who are truly opening homes to the Spirit of God in their sharing.
When the community is operating properly, the potential for evil, division, and conflict is avoided by the blessing of cooperation through love.
Evil will persist as Satan continues to bring trials toward the believer and the assembly. But believers are not free to use the everyday response of getting even with those who bring evil. There must be a better response, one of spiritual goodness and we must not repay evil for evil. Dealing with these hardships can be among the most serious Christian challenge. Steps should be taken to live in peace with everyone. We are responsible for our own actions, not for the actions of others. While evil should be punished, we must remember that we are not made the punishers. A renewed mind responding in this renewed way will repay evil with good and in doing so may be able to bring “coals of fire” upon the head of the one bringing the evil.
There is special tenderness in Paul's reminder of how we are to live and respond. The true basis of this new way of life as described by Paul is the example Jesus set for us by the life He lived. While we are not divine and our human reaction may not always be as gentle as His, our goal is to become more Christlike. This goal is more important than all others in the process of our sanctification (having our human will bent closer and closer to His will).
