Romans 12

I read an article recently that referenced Romans 12. That article left me kind of wondering how the author came to the conclusions they did but it also left me thinking about Romans 12.

In that article the author asked some questions along the lines of…

If the world treasures things…do we?

If the world see’s something as okay…do we?

If the world loves it…do we?

It leaves me thinking…do we? There are so many things, so many places where something is accepted or seen as normal simply because it’s what is accepted. When I first became a parent I did a lot of things without thinking, things that I’d always done in my life so I just continued those things with my children. It wasn’t until I’d been a parent for quite a few years that I started questioning whether or not some of those things were something I really wanted to teach my children.

As a Christian my life is so different from what most people see as normal that my sister has said I make things harder than they have to be because there’s so much I want no part of. What she doesn’t understand is that my life isn’t hard. Not for me. Giving up all those sinful things was the easy way. It was much easier than continuing to allow them in my life because sin hurts my heart, hurts my soul. Staying away from those things brings peace, contentment, and joy. It’s not hard, it’s easy.

But it isn’t that way for so many ‘Christians’ today. Christianity can’t even agree on how to be ‘Christians’ so how can any ‘Christian’ figure out what is acceptable and what isn’t. I’ve read that divorce is higher among ‘Christians’ than it is among those that aren’t ‘Christian’. ‘Christians’ are homosexuals. ‘Christians’ have abortions.

And because those ‘Christians’ accept so much of what the world sees as being good there are some that are left asking ‘if the world is okay with it…are we?’

As I read that article I found it sad and encouraged at the same time. Christians shouldn’t need to ask those kinds of questions. And yet they do. Even true regenerate Christians are presented with so much in our world that sometimes we have to really use discernment to know whether or not it’s acceptable in the Lord’s eyes.

I picked up a book not that long ago because the title caught my attention. It was about the doctrine of election. As I lifted it off the shelf I thought I might have found a book that I would and could enjoy. Only it wound up presenting four different views on the doctrine of election. It wasn’t just scripturally based as I had hoped. I had to use discernment as I looked through it to figure out if it was a book that I should read. I put it back.

Movies come out that claim to be Christian and yet so much discernment is needed to see if it’s truly okay. I don’t ask myself ‘if the world loves it…do we?’ but the need to discern things is there. The need to be careful not to let influences that don’t need to be in our lives is there.

I wasn’t sure I saw the connection that the author of the article I was reading made to Romans 12. In fact the author really didn’t make any connection beyond stating a reference to Romans 12. But when looking at Romans 12 I could see the connection that the author of that article failed to make.

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.

In the first verse alone there is plenty of option to ask…Does the world? Do we? Paul is speaking to ‘brothers’, to the elect, to the regenerate. The message, the question, is being given to true born again Christians.

 ² 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.

The next verse gives us more to go on. As true Christians we should be able to discern most things without asking ourselves if they’re okay but when in doubt here’s yet another verse to help us. Is something we are holding, looking at, or thinking about what would be considered conformed to this world? Does it hold with the world’s standards? Does it renew our minds to the Lord’s standards? If we test it can we discern the will of God? Is it good in his eyes? Acceptable? Perfect?

³ 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.

Does something in our life…in our culture…promote the idea of thinking of others more highly than it does the thinking of ourselves or does it encourage us to think of our own desires and needs before those of others? What do we see if we truly look at something soberly, through our faith, and not through the eyes of the flesh?

 ⁴ For as in one body we have many members,^[e] and the members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

I will admit to failing to see a connection between this part and looking at things of the world except maybe in the way we look at each other, rather in the way we look at other believers.

⁶ Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; ⁷ if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; ⁸ the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads,^[f] with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

Do our actions show the depth of our faith? When we do something do we do it in faith? When serving others do we do so with all we have to give them? If we teach do we do it in faith that the Lord is leading what we teach? Do we lean on Him as we instruct others? When we give do we do so generously?

⁹ Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.

Is our love true love? Do we love out of the abundance of our hearts or do we love because it’s expected of us? Do those we encounter, those in our daily lives, feel our love? Do we hate what is evil? Does that hate show? When our children encounter sin do they know that it is something we hate? Do we embrace only the good? Do our children see that in our lives? Do others?

¹⁰ Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

Does the world see this love? Do we feel it or are we simply going through the motions?

¹¹ Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit,^[g] serve the Lord.

Do we serve the Lord in all that we do? Does it show? Do those around us know of our beliefs? How would they describe us if asked to do so?

¹² Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

Do we have hope even when it looks like all hope is lost? Do we become easily angered when things get rough? Do we pray always?

¹³ Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

These are things that are seen rarely in our society….are they seen in us?

¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.

Ohh…that’s a hard one. Do we do it? Do we react differently to persecution in any form than the world does?

¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

Are we happy for others simply because they are happy? Do we hurt for those who hurt?

¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.^[h] Never be wise in your own sight.

The further I go the harder this gets. Do we think we’re better than others or do we see even the most disreputable person as better than we are? I will admit now to having a hard time with this one. Do we see ourselves as wise? Do we see others and ourselves as the world leads us to think of ourselves and those around us or do we see them as instructed in Scripture?

¹⁷ Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.

Do we live…and act…honorably in the sight of everyone? Do we treat someone as they have treated us or do we respond out of the love Christ has put in us? Do we react as the world tells us we should or do we react out of our faith?

¹⁸ If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

This is another one that gets hard. Peace is often hard found with many people. Do we try to find it even in the hard times?

¹⁹ Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it^[i] to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

Do we leave anger and vengeance to the Lord even when we are wronged? Do we leave it to the Lord when our children are wronged?

²⁰ To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”

Could we feed someone that had harmed us or our children? Do we? How do we respond to those that do or say things that hurt us or those closest to us?

 ²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

When we are surrounded with evil…an everyday occurrence in our society…do we hold onto the good and ward off the evil that tries time and again to get the better of us?