Called to New Life In Christ - Romans 12:1-8

Introduction/Seeing the Need

The early Christians in Rome, especially the ones who were born and raised Jewish, knew the route to God’s favor went, in part, through the sacrificial system. If they wanted to find the path to the eternal peace, they had to follow the Law to the letter. But now Paul said that everything had changed. We are the sacrifices. Glorifying God looks like conforming to the mind of Jesus of Nazareth.

Paul always understood (1)the church had its roots in the synagogue, (2) the gospel had its basis in the Jewish Scriptures, and (3) Jesus was the Messiah the Jews had long awaited. These three facts could not be ignored. The issue Paul confronted was how the Christians of Jewish background could welcome Christians of Gentile background as full-fledged members of the body of Christ.

Transformed Person -

Romans 12:1–2 NRSV

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Paul has just completed three chapters of discussion regarding the disappointing lack of faith in Jesus Christ among most of his fellow Jews. With the striking phrase “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters,” he connects what is about to follow with the doctrinal truths of those prior chapters. The word in the original language translated urge points to a desire that is stronger than a mere request but not as strong as an outright command. Compliance with the desire Paul is about to express should be motivated in view of God’s mercy rather than by obligation to obey a command of one in greater authority.

Here is Paul’s desire. But without doubt, a living sacrifice is a contradiction in terms for both Jews and Gentiles. Each group is familiar with the distinctives of the sacrificial system of its own past, of course. But one thing those systems have in common is the slaughter of animals. A sacrifice isn’t a sacrifice if it’s still living.

Having caught his readers attention with this seeming paradox, Paul proceeds to stress the nature of such a sacrifice. The concepts of justification and sanctification are important to consider. To be justified is to be pronounced in right standing before God; Jesus’ death in payment of sin’s penalty makes this possible. To be sanctified speaks to holiness, consecration, being set apart for sacred use. The work of Christ sanctifies us initially; the Holy Spirit works to separate us from sin for the rest of our earthly lives. A holy sacrifice is a pleasing sacrifice.

How will you know when you have become a living sacrifice? What will you do to be this?

This summary phrase is rich with significance. The two Greek terms behind the translation have a range of meanings, depending on context. The first term, which is translated proper, is the basis for the English word “logic.” Thus it speaks to something that is reasonable and rational. The use of the second term, translated “worship,” can be compared with its use in ; ; and , . These contexts connect the ideas of service and worship. The sense is that of serving God with worship in an ordered and well-thought-out manner. We serve God when we worship, but we also worship God when we properly serve him. These are inseparable for Paul.

In verse 2, Paul’s admonition for self-sacrifice resulting in worshipful service is accomplished in two ways. First, is the renewing of your mind. For Paul, this is a departure from conformity to the world. We are called to be renewed by being transformed. The word being translated is the basis for our word metamorphosis. It points to a complete, radical change, a change contrasted with the patterns and desires of the world.

This is not wholly of our doing, for Paul does not command us to transform ourselves. We are changed through the work of the Holy Spirit, the great sanctifier and transformer of men and women. As we find sinful ways more repugnant and God’s ways more appealing we are being transformed.

Transformed Congregation -

Romans 12:3–8 NRSV

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members, and not all the members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver, in generosity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.

Keeping in mind the Roman church may have had some recent leadership turmoil, Paul lays down some ways for that church to conquer their strife. First must come individual self-examination. For someone to think “of yourself more highly than you ought” is a key ingredient of a recipe for disaster. Deuling personalities are often at the root of church conflict. We don’t just have to be right; we must win. Whether this resulted in a crisis when leaders of Jewish background returned to the church and desired to regain the upper hand, we don’t know. But the story is far too familiar for many church leaders.

Paul knows this is touchy, so he speaks by the grace given to him. He is plenty blunt, though, in asking for sober thinking. His readers must sober up from their ego binge. This gives us some questions for today. Can you evaluate your motives in conflict objectively and soberly? Are you acting in the best interests of the church or according to your own desire? Paul reminds us that everyone is on an equal footing here, for they have whatever faith God has distributed to each of them. No one in the church has a relationship with God that is more important or privileged than anyone else.

In verse 4 & 5, equality in God’s eyes does not mean uniformity in service, however. Paul echoes the language of , a text that some Christians in Rome may be familiar with. His point in that text is the same here: we have both unity and variety in the body of Christ. We are united as in Christ we .... form one body, and each member is in this one body. Even so, there is variety in function. The word being translated that way is elsewhere rendered as what a person “has done”, “action”, and “practices”. Thus the idea is not one of position or rank, but of differing abilities of service.

When Paul speaks of members, he is using an analogy to refer to body parts such as arms, legs, etc. In English we see this idea when we say a body has been dismembered, meaning its parts have bee divided. Here there is no splitting of parts, for each member belongs to all the others. It is one body made up of very different parts. It is one Christ, one church, with many members.

When are some ways your church can affirm differences among individual members while maintaining an overall spirit of unity? What would indicate that unity was being stressed at the expense of individual differences or vice versa?

In verses 6-8, Paul now addresses the difference in functions as gifts from God. Given according to God’s grace, they are true gifts, not payment or reward for work. Therefore, the nature of each person’s gift is determined by God. The differences are intentional, provided for the body of Christ according to the church’s needs and God’s plans.

The first gift Paul mentions is prophesying, an esteemed gift in the first-century church. Prophesying is done by prophets, individuals entrusted by God to speak publicly on his behalf, even in the face of opposition. To exercise the gift of prophecy in accordance with the prophet’s faith surely means that both the giving and receiving of prophetic word is an act of faith. But some commentators suggest that there is more to it here. They propose that the phrase in accordance with your faith is best understood as “according to the analogy of faith.”

Those proposing this understanding of the phrase point out that the analogy of faith helps us clarify less clear teachings and doctrines with those that are clearer and explained more fully in Scripture. Thus, Paul is thought to be giving a subtle warning to aspiring prophets in the church: their prophetic words should be measured against the well-understood doctrines of the church.

In this “analogy of faith” sense, prophecy in the church is not for the purpose of innovation but for reinforcement. That is, it clarifies and applies previous teachings. Under this theory, Paul is seen as having no fear of encouraging any prophets in the church in Rome. The reason is because he believes they will reinforce rather than contradict his teachings.

Serving is focused on helping others, whereas the service/worship mentioned in focuses more on God. Church volunteers who are given tasks involving serving others often burn out quickly. To be a person with a lifelong passion for helping others is truly a gift of God.

This does not excuse any member from refusing to care about others, for we are members of the same body. But this gift does recognize that some Christians are tireless servants who are called to relieve the suffering of others.

In verse 7, teaching is explaining the Scriptures. Christian teaching helps people better understand God, their duty to him, and the nature of their salvation. Jesus saw teaching as an important element to his earthly ministry. To be “able to teach”, but effective teaching requires preparation and study. The gift is in the passion to teach others more about God through an exposition of Scripture. In addition, many experienced teachers can relate instances where their effectiveness in teaching seemed to go beyond their preparation, experiences of spiritual insight sometimes called serendipity. A church without capable teachers is somehow missing out on a vital gift God intentionally gives to the church.

What plan can a church enact to identify and encourage those who have the gift of teaching? Conversely, how can a church deal kindly and appropriately with ineffective teaching?

Paul rounds out his list by moving to four more gifts for the church. The word translated encouragement is elsewhere translated “consolation”, “comfort”, and “exhortation”. But Paul is not speaking merely in the sense of one who empathizes with and comforts those who are suffering. The sense here is more like the coach who pushes an athlete to increase performance to the maximum level.

Most churches need voices that prod complacent member to higher levels of commitment. This can be a discouraging and thankless task. The gift is not just the ability to motivate others. It also the diligence encouragers need to offer a persistent word of higher expectations.

A spiritually gifted giver is not always the person with the most money. Rather, these are the ones who understand the self-sacrifice Paul speaks of in . Some of the best givers in churches may be persons of modest means, yet the amount of money given over their lifetime may be staggering.

To lead implies directing or guiding the actions of others. Church leadership may take on a variety of specific responsibilities, but Paul insists this must be done diligently. As with all of these gifts, this requires ego-suppression and self-sacrifice. Diligence implies patience and attention to details.

The gift of mercy is somewhat related to the gift of giving or the gift of service. The members of a church should well understand the great mercy shown to them through the work of Jesus Christ. All should be merciful, but some are called to shower this mercy on others.

We understand this better when we see Paul expecting mercy to be shown cheerfully. Showing mercy is not to be done grudgingly. Bringing cheer into the life of a discouraged or downtrodden individual may be an expression of mercy all by itself.

What procedure should your church use to energize the members to recognize and use their spiritual gifts?

Conclusion

Two principles seem to present themselves in today’s lesson. First, all the gifts Paul has listed call for sacrifice. How do we become a “living sacrifice”? Paul implies that if happens by the exercise of our spiritual gifts. As we do, we will find ourselves transformed.

But let us not fool ourselves into thinking that we are transformed by our own efforts. We are transformed into a living sacrifice through the work of the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit that gives us the passion and skills for a specific gift or gifts within the church.

This leads to a second great principle: spiritual gifts are all for the unity and benefit of the church. We are not called to prophesy to ourselves, give to ourselves, or show mercy to ourselves. The gifts Paul lists are necessary for the church to be all that Christ intended her to be.

Prayer

Giving God, source of wisdom, in your graciousness, you accept our sacrifice. You renew our minds. We dedicate our whole selves to serving you with the gifts you have given us; help us both to discern and employ the gifts given to us. As we do, transform and renew us through the work of your Spirit. We pray this in the name of Jesus our great example of sacrifice. Amen.