The Gifts of Grace

Introduction:

The letter to the Romans is split up into 3 parts. The first section, chapters 1-8, are teaching us the fundamentals of our faith and the importance of doctrine. Chapters 9-11 pertains to the gospel and Israel, along with the dispensations of God. This morning we are going to be starting the final section, chapters 12-16, where Paul is going to spend the rest of this letter to answer the question, “How should i live out my salvation in light of everything we’ve learned so far?”

Paul is going to teach us our responsibilities towards other believers, our communities, enemies, towards the government, and toward our weakest brothers and sisters.

Recap:

v 1) A living sacrifice

Paul pleads to the Christians in Rome and for us today to take seriously what he is about to talk about.

It is Paul’s patter to begin a letter with a strong doctrinal section and follow through with exhortations to live our lives for Christ. and here Paul begs Christians to live in a certain way in light of what God did for them.

We need to live for Christ because of the mercy shown to us by God. We have seen these mercies from chapter 1 through chapter 11.

The real mind blowing truth is that we are only able to offer ourselves to God as He works His mercy in us. Essentially God commanded us to do this, and He makes it possible for us to do it also.

We can see throughout other religions, people are prone to sacrifice in order to obtain mercy, but biblical faith teaches that the divine mercy provides the foundation of sacrifice.

Mercy: Is not getting the punishment you rightfully deserve.

And in this first verse it is describing the character of God towards us.

Think of all the mercies of God Paul has explained to us thus far:

Justification from the guilt and penalty of sin.

Adoption in Jesus and identification with Christ.

Placed under grace, no law.

Giving the Holy Spirit to within us.

Promise of help in all affliction.

Assurance of a standing in God’s election.

Confidence of coming glory.

Confidence of never being separated from the love of God.

Confidence in God’s continued faithfulness.

In light of all of this mercy- past, present, future- Paul shares with us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice. This should call to mind priestly service. Spiritually speaking, our bodies are brought to God’s altar.

When we are talking about our bodies it is best if we understand that here it is referencing our entire being. That would mean our spirit, soul, flesh, and mind. Every part of us, and we give ourselves completely to God.

God wants you, not just your works. You may do all kinds of work for God, but never give Him your self.

This was probably very foreign to the ancient Greek. They never thought of presenting their bodies to God. They thought the body was so unspiritual that God didn’t care about it. Paul tells us differently.

1 Corinthians 6:20 ESV

20 for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

First century people, both Jew and pagans, knew first hand what sacrifice was all about. and to beg that they make themselves a living sacrifice was a striking image.

They were and us are called to lay aside our personal interests or well-being for the sake of another and in this case God, in service to Him.

You see when we offer our body, God intends it to be consecrated and acceptable sacrifice. The standard for sacrifices made to God under the New Covenant are not any less than the Old Covenant standard.

Every OT sacrifice had to be holy and acceptable to God:

Leviticus 1:10 ESV

10 “If his gift for a burnt offering is from the flock, from the sheep or goats, he shall bring a male without blemish,

Deuteronomy 15:21 ESV

21 But if it has any blemish, if it is lame or blind or has any serious blemish whatever, you shall not sacrifice it to the Lord your God.

Paul certainly has a burnt offering in mind. With a burnt offering it was the entire sacrifice that was given to the Lord. In some sacrifices, the one offering the sacrifice and the priest shared in some of the meal, but never in the burnt offering. It was given entirely to God.

Spiritual worship can also be translated reasonable service. As believers and priests, we do not come to God with the bodies of slain animals but with the spiritual sacrifice of yielded lives.

What is our reasonable service? I’m not trying to guilt trip you into serving the Lord, but so often we take a retirement approach to the things of God especially ministry.

Total commitment is our reasonable service. “But Thomas… You don’t understand, it didn’t go well,” or “I don’t have time to,” “I’m too busy,” “That’s not my calling/ gift.”

Family… It is our reasonable service in the sense: if the Son of God has died for me, then the LEAST I can do is live for Him.

“If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for him.” -C.T. Studd

“Love so amazing, so divine, demands my heart, my life, my all.” - Isaac Watts’ “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”

Family we are to offer to Him our service:

Romans 15:16 ESV

16 to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the offering of the Gentiles may be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.

Our praise:

Hebrews 13:15 ESV

15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.

And our possessions:

Hebrews 13:16 ESV

16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

v 2) Transformation> conformity

Here in verse two, “world” literally means age, and this warns us that the popular culture and manner of thinking is in rebellion against God.

This age has been built in order to make man happy without God. It is a kingdom that is antagonistic to God. The ruler and leader of this group is none other than Satan.

All unconverted people are his (satan’s) subjects. He seeks to attract and hold people through:

1 John 2:16 ESV

16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

The world has its own politics, art, music, religion, amusements, thought- patterns, and lifestyles, and it seeks to get everyone to conform to its culture and customs. But wait there’s more… It hates nonconformists- like us.

Christ died to deliver us from this world. The world is dead to us and we are dead to it. It is absolutely disloyal for us to love the world. Anyone who loves the world is an enemy of God. God has now called us to not only be dead to the world separated from it, we should be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Calling us to think the way God thinks, as revealed in the Bible.

The battle ground between conformity and transformation is within the mind. As Christians we must think differently.

Transformed: metamorphoo, and it describes metamorphosis. The same word is used to describe Jesus in His transfiguration in:

Mark 9:2–3 ESV

2 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them.

the only other place Paul uses this word for transformed is in:

2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV

18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

As we are transformed on the inside, the proof is evident on the outside, as others can discern what is the will of God, by your action that are good and acceptable and perfect.

What Paul is explaining here is how to live out the will of God for your lives. If you want to know what His will for you is here you go.

Keep in mind the rich mercy of God to you in your past, present, and future. (By the mercies of God)

As an act of intelligent worship, decide to yield your entire self to Him. (Present your bodies as a living sacrifice)

Resist conformity to the thoughts and actions of this world. (Do not be conformed)

Focus on God’s word and fellowship with Him. (Be transformed by the renewal of your mind)

If you apply these truths to your life you will be in the will of God.

Family you may know what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect, but at the end of the day you can’t prove it in your life apart from the transforming work of the Holy Spirit.

Serving with spiritual gifts.

v 3)Humble living is a must

Paul is going to speak about how we should exercise spiritual gifts in the body of Christ, yet a warning about humility is in order.

First there is nothing in the gospel that would encourage anyone to have a superiority complex. We should never have exaggerated ideas of our own importance.

Secondly we should’t be envious of others. Realizing that each person is unique and that we all have an important function to do for Jesus.

We should be stoked that we have a place in God’s plan, and we should seek to exercise our gifts with all the strength that God supplies.

vv 4-5) Unity and diversity

The church is a unified whole, yet it is important to note that we are distinct within that one body. You see when it comes to the body of Christ there is unity but not uniformity.

Much like the our bodies have many members, and each member has a unique role to play. The health and welfare of the body depends on the proper function of each member.

What verse 5 tells us is that there is unity (one body), diversity (many), and interdependency (members of one another).

Why is that important to know? Any gifts we have are not for selfish use or display but for the good of the church. No gift is self-sufficient and none is unnecessary.

vv 6-8) How to use the gifts of grace

We are now getting into Paul’s instructions for the use of certain gifts. The list here does not cover all the gifts; I believe that Paul is being suggestive rather than exhaustive. People have made a list containing somewhere in the ballpark of 21-22 gifts. Eph have 5, 1 Cor 12 17 spiritual gifts.

When it comes to the spiritual gifts they are not given based on merit, but because God chooses to give them.

Spiritual gifts are given at the discretion of the Holy Spirit:

1 Corinthians 12:11 ESV

11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.

Now we come to seven Spiritual Gifts of grace. Prophecy, service, exhortation, giving, leading, and mercy.

[Example] the bike: A parable.

There is a boy who wants to learn how to ride a bike, but doesn’t know how and doesn’t own a bike.

The leader: Rallies the others gifts to best help this boy. Placing each person in their proper role.

The giver: buys the boy the bike wraps it up leaving on the boys front door usually anonymously.

The server: Is excited for the boy and having all the right tools helps him put the bike together.

The teacher: Not only teaches the boy how to ride the bike but also describes how it works too. Giving him way more information then he really needs.

The exhorter: Once the body is ready to get onto the bike he is running along side holding the back of the bike seat. Shouting encouragements, and eventually lets go so the boy can ride the bike on his own.

The Prophet and the merciful: As one would expect, the boy is a natural and is riding his new bike like a champ. However the boy gets distracted and… runs into the side of a van.

The prophet with love corrects the error, by not paying attention to where he was going the boy found himself all banged up and injured. But lets him know that his bike riding days are far from over.

The merciful runs over to the boy with a band-aid and aids the boy in his distress.

It is important to understand the you probably won’t just have one of these gifts but will use all of them as we live life together. Just as you might listen to two pastors with the gift of teaching on this passage of scripture, you’ll get two different sermons. The same truth, but different flavors.

Prophecy: God may give us something to say to an individual or the church body that stretches our faith. If we can’t prophecy in faith and trust that God has really spoken to us, we should keep our mouth shut.

We are reminded that prophecy, in the biblical sense, isn’t only about fore-telling, in a predictive sense. It is more accurately forth-telling the heart and mind of God, which may or may not include a predictive aspect.

“In proportion to our (the) faith” is most likely referring to the accepted orthodoxy held among believers.

Serving: Some translations have this as ministry and it really means the same thing. Because it is a broader picture of serving in practical ways, and Paul sees this as an important ministry given from the Holy Spirit.

The important takeaway with this gift is that the servant has a servants-heart. They see opportunities to be of service and seizes them.

Teacher: is one who is able to explain the world of God and apply it to the heart of their hearers. It has in mind instruction.

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Exhortation: encourages people to practice what they have been taught. Stirring up the family to stay away from every form of evil and to press onward towards sanctification in Christ.

Those who are taught but not exhorted become constipated sheep, or fat sheep, that only take in and never live the Christian life. Those who are exhorted but not taught become excited and active, but have no depth or understanding to what they do and will burn out quickly or will work in the wrong ways.

Giving: This refers to someone who is a channel through whom God provides resources for His body. This is a divine endowment which inclines and empowers a person to be aware of needs and to help meet them and it needs to be done generously

Leading: This is certainly connected with leaders within the body of Christ. It is so easy for leaders to become discouraged and feel like giving up, but they must have zeal. And that means to do ones best. After all these are the ones that usually stand out in front of the flock pointing people in the direction of Jesus our Lord.

Mercy: This gift is the supernatural capacity and talent of aiding those who are in distress. Those who have this gift should exercise it with cheerfulness. Well of course, we should all show mercy and do it cheerfully.

“When my mother became old and needed someone to care for her, my husband and I invited her to come and live with us. I did all I could to make her comfortable. I cooked for her, did her washing, took her out in the car, and generally cared for all her needs. But while I was going through the motions outwardly, I was unhappy inside. Subconsciously I resented the interruption of our usual schedule. Sometimes my mother would say to me, ‘You never smile anymore. Why don’t you ever smile?’ You see, I was showing mercy, but I wasn’t doing it with cheerfulness.”

MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 1730). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

Marks of the True Christian

vv 9-13) Relating to the family

[9]Paul now lists some characteristics that every believer needs to develop in their dealings with other Christians and unbelievers.

Genuine love: The love you show others cannot be a mask, it needs to be sincere. This is that agape love, sacrificial.

We should also abhor all forms of evil and cling to everything that is good.

[10]Love here in verse 10 is not Agape but philostorgos which means being affectionate, devoted, loving dearly.

We should prefer to see others honored rather than ourselves.

[11]As believer we are not only called to be hospitable and to have good manners but we are also called to hard work. The church is no place for laziness.

[12]When we go through tribulations it does not excuse a lack of love in the body of Christ or a lack of willingness todo His work.

That is why Paul tells us to be patient in tribulations. In the best of time and the worst of time we are to give Jesus are all. Rejoicing in hope. patient in difficult times, and being constant in prayer.

[13] One of the true marks of the believer is through their love. And here the greek word for “hospitality” is literally translated “love for strangers.” In addition, “seek” is a strong word too. And it can be translated as “persecute, press forward.”

This means we are to “pursue” after people we don’t know with hospitality. Teaching us that love is both an action and an emotion. We need to choose to love those around us.

v 14) Relating to those outside the family

In regards to our enemies we cannot have bitterness or a hateful attitude towards anyone.

This is yet another mark of the true believer because, to repay kindness to those who might persecute us is nothing but the divine life of Jesus within us. After all the natural response is to curse and retaliate.

vv 15-21) How to get along with people

[15] Empathy is the capacity for sharing vicariously the feelings and emotions of others. Our tendency is to be jealous when others rejoice, and to pass by when they mourn. God’s way is to enter the joys and sorrows of those around us.

[16] Living in harmony with people is going to take work, don’t expect to be a master at it right away. And again Paul warns us about the sin of pride and being puffed up. Associate with the humble, the greatest example of humility is Jesus. Look for those people to surround yourself with.

[17-19] Repaying someone evil for evil is a common practice in the world. Yet this delight for vengeance shouldn’t be apart of our lives as God’s redeemed. When faced in those irritating or difficult situations we are to be honorable.

As Christians we shouldn’t be needlessly provocative or contentious. [[Example]] Christian band.

James 1:19–20 ESV

19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

We should love peace, make peace, and be at peace. When we have offended others, or when someone has offended us, we should strive for a peaceful resolution. Notice that scripture says, “if possible.” Meaning that it indicates that it may not always be possible.

After all vengeance belongs to God and it is His prerogative. We cannot interfere with what is His right. He will repay at the proper time and in the proper manner.

“God has long ago settled the whole matter about exacting justice from wrongdoers. Not one of them will escape. Perfect justice will be done in every case and will be done perfectly. If any of us interfered, it would be the height of presumption.” -Lenski

[20] This is what makes Christianity so incredibly powerful. Christianity does not destroy its enemies with violence but converts them with love. We are to feed our hungry enemies and satisfy their thirst.

When we talk about heaping coals I believe there are two possibilities of what this means.

It could refer to a burning conviction that our kindness places on our enemy.

Or, some think it refers to the practice of lending coals from a fire to help a neighbor start their own- an appreciated act of kindness

[21] This one verse sums up this chapter rather nicely. We are not to be conformed to this world. We are to be lights pointing people to Jesus through the way we live and speak.

Now the real challenge begins and here it is family...

Go live this out.

Numbers 6:24–26 ESV

24 The Lord bless you and keep you; 25 the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; 26 the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.