Bible Version: New International Version (NIV)
Application Notes: Life Application Study Bible (NIV)
ROMANS 12
A Living Sacrifice
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Humble Service in the Body of Christ
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
Love in Action
9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.
17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Application Notes
12:1-2 God has good, pleasing, and perfect plans for his children. He wants us to be transformed people with renewed minds, living to honour and obey him and to serve others in the name of Jesus. Because he wants only what is best for us and because he gave his Son to make our new life possible, we should joyfully give ourselves as living sacrifices in his service.
12:1 When sacrificing an animal according to God's law, a priest would kill the animal and place it on the altar as an offering to God. Sacrifice was important, but even in the Old Testament, God made it clear that obedience from the heart was much more important (see 1 Samuel 15:22; Psalm 40:6; Amos 5:21-24). God wants us to offer ourselves, not animals, as living sacrifices--daily laying aside our own desires to follow him, putting all our energy and resources at his disposal and trusting him to guide us. We do this out of gratitude that our sins have been forgiven.
12:2 Paul warned Christians about following the selfish and corrupt pattern of this fallen world. Many Christians wisely decide that a large portion of the world's behaviour is off-limits for them. Our refusal to conform to this world, however, must go even deeper than just behaviour and customs--it must be firmly planted in the values rooted in our minds: "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind." It is possible, however, to avoid most worldly customs and still be proud, covetous, selfish, stubborn, and arrogant. Only when the Holy Spirit renews, reeducates, and redirects our minds are we truly transformed (see 8:5).
12:3 Healthy self-esteem is important because some of us think too little of ourselves; on the other hand, some of us overestimate ourselves. Honest and accurate self-evaluation comes by knowing the basis of our self-worth--our identity in Christ. Apart from him, we aren't capable of very much by eternal standards; in him, we are valuable and capable of worthy service. Evaluating yourself by the worldly standards of success and achievement can cause you to think too much about your worth in the eyes of others and thus miss your true value in God's eyes.
12:4-5 Paul uses the concept of the human body to teach how Christians should live and work together. Just as the parts of the body function under the direction of the brain, Christians are to work together under the command and authority of Jesus Christ (see 1 Corinthians 12:12-31; Ephesians 4:1-16).
12:6-8 Look at this list of gifts and imagine the kinds of people who would have each gift. Prophets are often bold and articulate. Servers (those in ministry) are faithful and loyal. Teachers are clear thinkers. Encouragers know how to motivate others. Givers are generous and trusting. Leaders are good organisers and managers. Those who show mercy are caring people who are happy to give their time to others. It would be difficult for one person to embody all these gifts. An assertive prophet would not usually make a good counsellor, and a generous giver might fail as a leader. When you identify your own gifts (and this list is far from complete), ask God and others how you can best use them. At the same time, realise that your gifts can't do the work of the church all alone. Be thankful for people whose gifts are completely different from yours. Let your strengths balance their weaknesses, and be grateful that their abilities make up for your deficiencies. Together you can build Christ's church.
12:6 God gives us gifts so we can build up his church. To use them effectively, we must (1) realise that all gifts and abilities come from God; (2) understand that not everyone has the same gifts; (3) know who we are and what we do best; (4) dedicate our gifts to God's service and not to our personal success; and (5) be willing to utilise our gifts wholeheartedly, not holding back anything from God's service. God's gifts dier in nature, power, and effectiveness according to his wisdom and graciousness, not according to our faith. Our role is to be faithful and to look for ways to serve others using the gifts God has given us.
12:6 The gift of prophecy is not always associated with predicting the future. Often it means faithfully and boldly teaching and preaching God's Word, often alongside a message that applies it to a particular audience (see 1 Corinthians 14:1-3).
12:9-10 Most of us have learned how to be courteous to others-how to speak kindly, avoid hurting people's feelings, and appear to take an interest in them. We may even be skilled in pretending to feel compassion when we hear of others' needs or to become indignant when we learn of injustice. But God calls us to genuine love that goes far beyond pretence and politeness. Genuine love requires concentration and effort. It means helping others become better people. It demands our time, money, and personal involvement. No individual has the capacity to express love to a whole community, but the body of Christ in your town does. Look for people who need your love, and look for ways you and your fellow believers can love your community like Jesus.
12:10 We can honour others in one of two ways. One involves ulterior motives. We may honour our bosses so they will reward us, our employees so they will work harder, the wealthy so they will contribute to our causes, or the powerful so they will use their power for us and not against us. Another way involves God's path of love. As Christians, we honour people because they have been created in God's image, because they are our brothers and sisters in Christ, and because they have a unique contribution to make to Christ's church. Does God's way of honouring others sound too difficult for your competitive nature? Why not try to outdo others in showing honour? Put them first!
12:13 Christian hospitality differs from social entertaining. Entertaining focuses on the host: The home must be spotless; the food must be well prepared and abundant; the host must appear relaxed and good-natured. Hospitality, by contrast, focuses on the guests. Their needs--whether for a place to stay, nourishing food, a listening ear, or acceptance--are the primary concern. Hospitality can happen in a messy home. It can happen around a dinner table where the main dish is canned soup. It can even happen while the host and the guest are doing chores together. Don't hesitate to offer hospitality just because you are too tired, too busy, or not wealthy enough to entertain.
12:16 Many people use their contacts and relationships for selfish ambition. They select people who will help them climb the social ladder. Jesus demonstrated and taught that we should treat all people with respect-those of a different race, those with disabilities, those who are poor, young or old, male or female. We must never consider others as being beneath us in any way. Paul says we need to live in harmony with others and not be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. Are you able to do humble tasks with others? Do you welcome conversation with unattractive, non-prestigious people? Are you willing to befriend newcomers and entry-level people? Or do you relate only to those who will help you get ahead?
12:17-21 These verses summarise the core of Christian living. If we love someone the way Jesus loves us, we will be willing to forgive them. If we have experienced God's grace, we will want to pass it on to others. And remember, grace is undeserved favour. By giving an enemy a drink, we're not excusing their misdeeds. We're recognising them, forgiving them, and loving them in spite of their sins--just as Jesus has done for us.
12:19-21 In this day of lawsuits and incessant demands for legal rights, Paul's command sounds almost impossible. When someone hurts you deeply, instead of giving them what they deserve, Paul says to befriend them. Why does Paul tell us to forgive our enemies? 11) Forgiveness may break a cycle of retaliation and lead to mutual reconciliation. (2) It may make the enemy feel ashamed and change his or her ways. (3) By contrast, repaying evil for evil hurts you just as much as it hurts your enemy. Even if your enemy never repents, forgiving him or her will free you of a heavy load of bitterness.
12:19-21 Forgiveness involves both attitudes and actions. If you find it difficult to feel forgiving toward someone who has hurt you, try responding with kind actions. If appropriate, tell this person that you would like to heal your relationship. Lend a helping hand. Send a gift. Smile at him or her. Often, you will discover, right actions lead to right feelings.
Taken from Life Application Study Bible - Third Edition - (NIV)