A Living Sacrifice, The Body Of Christ

INTRO

Although Paul had never been to Rome, he wrote this letter to pour into those believers. In Romans 12—16, “Paul explains in great detail how believers are to practically live out the theological truths that come from Romans 1—11. God has graciously given believers so much that Paul exhorts them to respond in grateful obedience.”¹ Can we obey what we know to be true? In this section, Paul walked them through the process of how they could get through life. When you walk out these truths, then Christ will be with you every step of the way.

TEACHING

Romans 12:1: Wiersbe said the first two verses in this chapter address our relationship to God.² This applies to all believers, both men and women. The word “urge” can also be translated as “beseech,” and means “to crawl alongside to help.”³ MacArthur said, “Under the Old Covenant, God accepted the sacrifices of dead animals. But because of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice, the Old Testament sacrifices are no longer of any effect.”⁴ Now we present our bodies—not literally putting ourselves on an altar to die—but offering ourselves completely to the Lord. How do we do that? Living sacrifice means that it is ongoing—wherever I go, wherever I’m breathing, whatever I’m looking at or hearing, I’m giving everything to bring glory to Him without holding anything back. Scripture says that is holy and pleasing to the Lord. MacArthur continues, “Under God’s control, the believers’ yet-unredeemed body can and must be yielded to Him as an instrument of righteousness.”⁵ This is our ‘spiritual worship” (v 1).

Romans 12:2: If we’re going to be a living sacrifice to the Lord, then we can’t be conformed to this age, this culture, or the customs of this time. Instead, we have to be transformed by the Word of God. We do this so when we come into an environment, we can discern what is good, pleasing, and the perfect will of God. The Word of God will renew your mind so when you come into an environment, the Holy Spirit will give you the gift of discernment so you can discern what you should be doing for the Lord. MacArthur said Paul’s letter implied these believers were already being conformed to the Roman environment and were not being transformed by the renewing of their minds; Paul wanted them to stop giving into the values of the worldly age.⁶ If people went into your house or into your car, would they see that you reflect the world or the Lord? The word “transform” means “metamorphosis” and “connotes a change in outward appearance.”⁷

Romans 12:3-16: According to Wiersbe, because we have a relationship with the Lord, these verses address our relationship to other believers.⁸ Verse 3 warns believers against elevating themselves above others. Jesus never did this, and neither should we. Instead, we should think sensibly about each other because each person can make a difference for the kingdom of God. This measure of faith is not saving faith, but according to MacArthur is “the correct proportion of the spiritual gift—or supernatural endowment and ability—the Holy Spirit gives each believer so he may fulfill his role in the body of Christ.”⁹ The measure of faith given to each believer may be different, but it is the amount needed to fulfill our role. Verses 4-5 describe the way believers work together as the body of Christ to fulfill God’s purposes. Verses 6-8 describe the different gifts God has given to believers so each can contribute to the kingdom of God. MacArthur says prophecy could mean “speaking forth.”¹⁰

Every believer has a unique role. We need people who can serve, who can teach, and who can give a prophetic word: 1 Corinthians 14:3 says people who prophesy “speaks to people for edification, encouragement, and consolation.” Those three things are the guardrails for people who prophesy. The gift of exhortation calls others to obey and to follow God’s truth. It may be used to warn or correct somebody regarding their sin. The gift of giving is not cheap, not tight, and does not give with stipulations or strings. When you give, you give with generosity and praise to the Lord. The gift of leading means “standing before.”¹¹ Paul called this the gift of administration to describe someone who guides or steers the ship. As MacArthur said, “In the New Testament, this word is used to describe leadership in the home and in the church.”¹² Showing mercy means you actually care about people, and you do so cheerfully. We need all of these parts of the body of Christ. There is not one that is better than another.

Verse 9 points out we can’t fake any of this. Verse 10 tells us to show love and honor to one another. Verse 11 tells us to serve the Lord diligently and to be fervent in spirit, or “‘to boil in spirit.’ This phrase suggests having plenty of heat to produce adequate, productive energy, but not so much heat that one goes out of control.”¹³ Verses 12-17 are talking about unity.

When you realize that in unity, we need each other, we realize there is not one part more important than another. The body of Christ needs all of these parts. The American church needs to embrace in humility that it’s all about the Head—Jesus Christ.

Romans 12:17-21: Wiersbe says these verses describe our relationship to our enemies.¹⁴.

CLOSING

Nelson’s Commentary uses a funny phrase, “comparison-itis,” to describe our tendency to compare ourselves with others. We do this when we think they are more valuable than us, when we think they are better than us, or we are better than them.¹⁵ Instead of looking at others, the better question is to ask how God views us. When we do this, then no one else defines us— instead, God defines us. We are defined by renewing our minds in Christ and walking out the will of the Father. When we do that, we can express His gifts.