Saved to Serve

Romans 12:1–8 ESV

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, 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 renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he 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 the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

“The Sermon in a Sentence”

Christians are saved to serve. All Christians need to be involved in serving God. Some do become involved in His work, but only half-heartedly. Eccles. 9:10. When one becomes involved in God’s work, he/she has a great impact on others.

The Application of Salvation

Romans 1. Among Believers (12:1–21)

The “therefore” in v. 1 refers back not simply to the previous argument about God’s mercy in bringing salvation to Jew and Gentile but to everything that Paul had been teaching from the beginning of the epistle. It marks the transition from the theology of God’s redemptive act in Christ Jesus to the ethical expectations that flow logically from that theological base. We come now to what is usually called the “practical” section of Romans.

The practical, however, must of necessity rest upon a solid theological foundation. Otherwise it is little more than advice about how to get along in a religious community. If God had not done what he did for us, there would be no compelling reason why we should now do what he says. The dynamic of God’s ethical instruction arises from its logical and necessary relationship to who he is and what he has done on our behalf. Many of the living religions have an ethical code that uplifts and inspires. Only the Christian faith, rooted as it is in a supernatural act that took place in history (the incarnation, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ), has the ultimate moral authority as well as the effective power to transform human life according to the divine intention. So Christian ethics are practical specifically because they do not stand alone but emerge as unavoidable implications of an established theological base. Theology in isolation promotes a barren intellectualism. Ethics apart from a theological base is impotent to achieve its goals.

“Serving involves available and voluntary surrender”

“If you practice surrender, then you can participate in serving him.” Paul provides practical application for our salvation by claiming that we do not belong to ourselves (1 Cor. 6:19) . The call from Paul is not to a life of comfort, but a life of servitude. Paul’s call is a call to consecration with the challenge to be holy, which is the only acceptable offering to God.

Romans 1. Among Believers (12:1–21)

C. E. B. Cranfield says that it is a technical term for Christian exhortation, which he defines as “the earnest appeal, based on the gospel, to those who are already believers to live consistently with the gospel they have received.”

Romans 1. Among Believers (12:1–21)

The metaphor in the verse has as its setting the sacrificial system of the Old Testament. Believers are exhorted to “make a decisive dedication” (Berkeley) of themselves as worshipers stepping forward to place their offerings on the altar. Holiness of life rarely progresses apart from deliberative acts of the will. While sanctification is gradual in the sense that it continues throughout life, each advance depends upon a decision of the will. That the sacrifice is “living” reflects the voluntary nature of the act. F. F. Bruce comments that “the sacrifices of the new order do not consist in taking the lives of others, like the ancient animal sacrifices, but in giving one’s own.” Such sacrifices are “holy and pleasing to God.” They are worthy of his acceptance. The possibility of bringing pleasure to God provides a powerful motivation for complete surrender of self.

Romans 1. Among Believers (12:1–21)

Paul said that the offering of one’s body as a living sacrifice is a “spiritual act of worship.” This expression has been variously translated as “spiritual service, reasonable worship, rational service,” and so on. Perhaps the best paraphrase is that of Knox, “This is the worship due from you as rational creatures.”9 In view of God’s acts of mercy it is entirely fitting that we commit ourselves without reservation to him. To teach that accepting the free gift of God’s grace does not necessarily involve a moral obligation on our part is a heresy of gigantic proportions. The popular cliche “He is Lord of all or not Lord at all” is absolutely right.

Romans (1. Among Believers (12:1–21))

If v. 1 speaks of a specific act in which we offer ourselves to God, v. 2 tells us of two ongoing activities that carry out the intention of the living sacrifice. The first is negative; the second, positive. Believers are no longer to conform themselves to the present age (cf. 1 Pet 1:14) . As citizens of heaven (Phil 3:20) we are to “set [our] minds on things above, not on earthly things (Col 3:2). Paul reminded the Galatians that the present age is evil (Gal 1:4). It cannot, and must not, serve as a model for Christian living. Its values and goals are antithetical to growth in holiness. The church should stand out from the world as a demonstration of God’s intention for the human race. To be culturally identified with the world is to place the church at risk. Believers are to be salt and light (Matt 5:13–14), purifying and enlightening contemporary culture.Rather than allowing the world to “squeeze you into its own mold” (Phillips), Paul told believers to be “transformed by the renewing of your minds.” From without there is a continuing pressure to adopt the customs and mind-set of the world in which we live. Although that influence must be rejected, that alone will never create the kind of change God has in mind for his followers. Real and lasting change comes from within. We must “let ourselves be transformed.” The verb occurs in two other settings in the New Testament. First is Mark 9:2 (Matt 17:2), where Jesus is said to have been “transfigured” before his three disciples. Next is 2 Cor 3:18, where Paul taught that believers, as they behold the glory of the Lord, are being “transformed” into his likeness. The transformation of which Paul spoke in Rom 12:2 is not a change effected from without but a radical reorientation that begins deep within the human heart.A renewed mind is concerned with those issues of life that are of lasting importance. By nature our thoughts tend to dwell on the ephemeral. But that which passes quickly is normally inconsequential. As Paul said in another place, “What is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Cor 4:18). The mind renewed enables us to discern the will of God. Released from the control of the world around us, we can come to know what God has in mind for us. We will find that his will is “good, pleasing and perfect.” It is good because it brings about moral and spiritual growth. It is pleasing to God because it is an expression of his nature. It is perfect in that no one could possibly improve on what God desires to happen.

A Serving Christian has a real grasp of who they are, and they respect everyone places in the kingdom

Paul was fully aware of the devastating consequences of pride in any group of believers. So he cautioned the Christians at Rome not to think of themselves more highly than they ought (v. 3), reminded them that they were all members of the one body (vv. 4–5), and encouraged them to utilize their individual gifts for the benefit of the entire church (vv. 6–8). Paul offered these instructions in virtue of the office he himself held. His appointment as an apostle was a special act of divine favor. He called on his readers not to entertain an inflated view of their own importance. Rather, they should model the humility that places the rights and welfare of others above their own (cf. Phil 2:3). As J. Denney writes: “To himself, every man is in a sense the most important person in the world, and it always needs much grace to see what other people are, and to keep a sense of moral proportion.” That they were to think of themselves with “sober judgment” (v. 3) suggests how out of touch with reality were their opinions of themselves. Since the metaphor suggests intoxication, one might say they were in danger of becoming “egoholics!”

A Serving Christian has a work unique for every believer.

Romans (1. Among Believers (12:1–21))

To each member of the church in Rome, God had given a measure of faith (cf. 1 Cor 12:11; Eph 4:7) . Paul reminded them that as the physical body is made up of many members performing various functions, so also in Christ the many members form one body (cf. 1 Cor 12:12–31; Eph 4:25). Unity in diversity is the theme that runs through this section. This unity, however, which is spiritual, was only possible because the members were “in Christ,” that is, joined by faith they had become a part of the body of Christ. Since they were all members of one body, it follows that “each member belong[ed] to all the others” (v. 5). The Christian faith is essentially a corporate experience. Although each member has come to faith by a separate and individual act of faith, the believing community lives out its Christian experience in fellowship with one another. John Donne’s “No man is an island” is true of the church of Jesus Christ. “Lone Ranger Christianity” is a contradiction in terms.The gift each believer has received is the result of the gracious outpouring of God’s blessing on the church (v. 6). Berger writes: “The various charismata are understood as concrete manifestations of the one grace bestowed on all.” Paul mentioned seven different gifts and showed how they were to be exercised (cf. 1 Pet 4:10). First is the gift of prophecy. The New Testament prophet was a person who spoke for God.22 According to Eph 4:11 prophets served together with apostles, evangelists, pastors, and teachers in the preparation of God’s people for service. Each prophet is to speak in proportion to the gift he has received. If a person’s gift is practical service, then that person is to serve (v. 7). Since the English term “deacon” comes from this Greek word group, many relate the admonition to the care of any kind of practical need that might surface in the membership. Murray refers it to the ministry of the Word.25The next two gifts mentioned are teaching and encouraging. Teaching was an ancient and honorable profession in the Jewish culture. In the New Testament world teaching was primarily but not exclusively moral instruction. In 1 Cor 12:28 Paul assigned a place of importance to teachers right after apostles and prophets. If teaching is your gift, then teach. If teaching provides guidance for what people ought to do, encouragement helps them achieve it. If a person’s gift is contributing to the needs of others, then generosity is what is called for. As Paul taught elsewhere, giving is not to be done reluctantly or under compulsion; God loves the cheerful giver (2 Cor 9:7).Another gift of God’s grace is leadership. Leaders are to carry out their responsibility with diligence. Although leadership in the contemporary world is often seen as the fruit of ambition, persistence, and good fortune (cf. Matt 8:9), biblical leadership is essentially a service carried out for the benefit of others. The final gift mentioned is showing mercy. This would include such helpful activities as feeding the hungry, caring for the sick, and caring for the aging. These are to be done cheerfully. The afflicted have troubles of their own. They have no need of “helpers” who carry out their obligation as if they were great crushing burdens.

Sermon in a Sentence Close

Every child of God has a place in God’s work. No one can do your job—you can’t do anyone else’s job. In God’s work, no job is small. Some jobs may seem more important than others, but in the sight of God, all work is important. Every worker is important to His work. Be faithful where God has placed you. Use your talent for His honor and glory.