Romans 12:1-8
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer 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.
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 measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
Father, please help me to speak your truth with everything I say and help me to say all of this with all your love. May the words I speak help us all to know your truth better, and to show your love better. Show us who we are without you, and how much Christ had done for us. For your name, and your glory. Amen.
Introduction
I love the fund raising chart you have up the back. Has everybody seen it? I love the fact that the picture has a foundation. I know that it’s because you were raising money to build it, but for me as a Civil Engineering student, it’s the most important part of a house! However small and insignificant a foundation may look compared with the rest of the structure, without that foundation the house being built for Hands At Work would not be stable and would not last.
In Shanghai, China, it’s common to see lots of buildings springing up quickly. However, on the 27th of June, residents awoke to an unexpected change of scenery on a construction site. 
Despite the strong construction of the building itself, the foundation was not strong. In the end it doesn't matter how strong the building is if the foundations are not. It will not last.
What I love about Jana’s chart, I love about Romans 12:1-8 as well. Paul does not start of painting a picture of the Christian life and the Christian church without first laying a solid foundation. This foundation is the view of God’s mercy presented in Romans 1 to 11. These chapters show us who we are, who God is, and the certainty of his promises to us. In them, Paul is clearly working to remove any rotting foundation, particularly human pride, from our understanding of how God relates to us. Then he is showing us the sure foundation of Christ’s mercy.
There are a couple of things we can see about ourselves and about our God in Romans 1 to 11;
[i] That we are nothing in ourselves.
Romans 1:18-32 is probably one of the darkest, but most accurate descriptions of the human life without God. Verses 28-32 say “since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.”
This is not describing particularly bad people. How many things from that list could describe you? I encourage you to meditate on that. In preparation for this sermon I looked at what words someone could use to describe me, even if only a little bit, and it broke my heart. On a list of things describing people that do not know God, many of those things describe me. I am in so much need of grace. So I encourage you to spend time here, because it’s easy to skim over and think you are doing fine.
If we are honest, we will recognise that despite all we know about God, we don’t know him or love him as well as we should. “What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one” Romans 3:9-10. We learnt last week that the Pharisees had perfected their outward religion, but Jesus knew their hearts were not right with God. In Matthew 23:27, Jesus says “You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean.”
Paul wants all who read this letter to be clear – we are nothing in ourselves, and are deserving of nothing but death. Romans 6:23 “The wages of sin is death but…” who can finish it? “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 1 to 11 has firstly shown us we are nothing in ourselves, but it also shows us that;
[ii] Christ is everything for us.
Oh to grace how great a debtor, daily I’m constrained to be! Let your goodness, like a fetter, bind my wandering heart to Thee.
This hymn (Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing) teaches and important truth. It is by grace alone that we are saved, and by grace alone that we are kept. All we are and all we have is by the free and undeserved goodness of God. Romans 3:22-25 “There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”
Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Such is the overflow of God’s abundant love. Without God we are nothing in ourselves, but God makes Christ to be for “us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” 1 Corinthians 1:30.
When we clearly see the mercy of God, then we can clearly see everything else by this mercy. Romans 10:13 says “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved”. It is not for “good” people that Jesus died, it was for all people. For those who sinned much, and those who sinned little. For you and for me. All so that we might say, “I am nothing in myself, but God has made Christ everything for me.”
God’s mercy, revealed in Romans 1 to 11, is the foundation of Romans 12:1-8 which we are going to look at this morning. It’s all about God’s mercy, and that is what we will keep coming back to at every point.
The first point we see in Romans 12:1-2 is that;
1. God’s mercy should inform how we live. (v1-2)
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer 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.
Romans 12 verses 1 and 2 is a simple summary of the Christian life. “In view of God’s mercy… be transformed.” In view of the immense gravity of what Christ has done by dying in your place, allow yourself to be changed by this love. True Christianity is not outward changes working their way in, but inward changes working their way out. We cannot be satisfied with being whitewashed tombs. Beautiful singing and well run programmes are not indicative of living Christians. Our hearts must be right in the sight God, and only his mercy can transform us.
1.1 The first statement that Paul makes in verse 1 is, “In view of God's mercy, offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.” As we have just seen from Romans 1 to 11, it is a great thing that God did not leave us alone to be nothing in ourselves. It is so completely amazing and undeserved that Christ would die on the Cross in our place! Love such as this demands a response. The first response Paul shows us is to offer our bodies as living sacrifices.
Romans 6:13 helps us to understand this verse. “Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.” Give yourself to God to live in such a way it shows God’s mercy is your foundation. Offer the parts of your body as instruments of righteousness – live holy, set apart for God and pleasing to God. This is your spiritual act of worship. That last phrase could also be translated “reasonable service”. In light of what Christ has done by offering his life for your own, the only reasonable thing we can do is offer our lives. Love sincerely, because you are sincerely loved.
1.2 Verse 2 begins with two encouragements for us. “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” The first is a challenge for us not to conform to the pattern of this world. This world wants you to take your mind off thinking Christ is everything. You can almost hear the advertising jingles telling you to conform. “You’re worth it.” or “You can do it”. We have already seen these are lies. Grace is undeserved and salvation cannot be earnt by works! You are nothing in yourself, Christ is everything.
1.3 The second encouragement is to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. We learnt in Romans 1:28 that people who have not retained the knowledge of God, which describes all of us, have been given over to a depraved mind. In order for us not to conform any longer to the pattern of this world, our minds must be renewed. The motivation for offering our bodies is the mercy of God, “as those who have been brought from death to life”. The motivation for renewing our minds is similarly the mercy of God; Colossians 3:1-2 “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” Since you have been raised with Christ, purely by mercy, set your heart and your mind on him.
If a depraved mind comes from not knowing God, then a renewed mind is the result of knowing God. As I said earlier, I was convicted in preparing for this sermon that I could be described quite accurately by a list about people who do not know God. Ultimately, I need to know God more. The best means for the end of renewing my mind is to read the Bible and pray. However, as I am sure we are all painfully aware, simple reading and praying is not enough. It is sometimes easy to meet with God in his Word, and sometimes it is hard. Do not, and I am speaking much to myself, be satisfied without meeting with God every day. Earnestly seek for his mercy presented in his Word to transform you from the inside out, making you more like Jesus.
1.4 Verse 2 finishes with the statement “Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” The conclusion of verses 1 and 2 is that when we submit ourselves to the mercy of God to be renewed, we can test and approve the will of God. Romans 8:5 is helpful for us to understand this verse. “Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires.”
This idea is a combination of the three ideas we have come across so far in verses 1 and 2. In view of God’s mercy, offer your bodies as living sacrifices. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Set your minds on Jesus, and live in submission to him and you will be able to test and approve what the Spirit desires (God’s will). The more we see of Jesus the more we see what God’s will is. We are nothing in ourselves, and we cannot do God’s will by ourselves. Christ is everything for us.
Paul begins Romans 12 by showing us the mercy of God should inform how we live. This means our view of God’s mercy will direct how we use our bodies and our minds. Paul continues this in verses 3-5 to show us secondly that:
2. God’s mercy should inform how we think of ourselves. (v3-5)
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 measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
As we have already seen, Paul is removing any ground for pride in our relationship with God, and settling us on the foundation of his mercy. Here he continues to do this, but also seeks to remove any ground for pride in our relationships with others as well.
2.1 Paul directs us, on the ground of the grace given him, to not think too highly of ourselves. The Message version of the bible puts verse three in this way: “Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it's important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him.”
Do not think more highly of yourself than you ought. You do not know the heart and faith of others. Make sure you know yours. Remember the mercy of God and what it has done in you. It is God who defines us, his Son that redeems us, his Spirit that guides us and his grace that fills us. We have nothing in ourselves and therefore we cannot boast of anything but Christ. To see ourselves this way is to see ourselves with renewed minds.
2.2 We are not to flatter ourselves. Neither are we to think ourselves useless. Instead we are to think of ourselves with sober judgement. Matthew Henry, in his commentary on Romans 12 says “We must not say, I am nothing, therefore I will sit still, and do nothing; but, I am nothing in myself, and therefore I will lay out myself to the utmost, in the strength of the grace of Christ.” This is the sober judgement we need to have. And do you see how this relates to verse 1? In view of God’s mercy, offer your bodies as living sacrifices. Lay yourself out to the utmost in the strength of the grace of Christ.
2.3 And who should you lay yourself out for? Verses 4 and 5 say “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” Paul calls upon a well used analogy of anatomy to remind us that this grace is for others and not just for us. Just as Christ’s grace is so much bigger than yourself, so you also are called by grace to something much bigger than just yourself.
“In Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” That is an amazing statement. Each member belongs to all the others. Paul gives an example just a little bit further. Romans 12:15-16 says “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.” Romans 11:25 “Do not be conceited”. Romans 12:3 “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought”. Romans 12:16 “Do not be proud, do not be conceited”. Paul is clear in his intention. You are part of the body of Christ, you are not Christ yourself. You are nothing in yourself, but Christ is everything.
Pride is the problem of all men. Pride can express itself directly, or it can masquerade as humility. Another commentator, Anders Nygren says of Romans 12, “Both carnal pride, which thinks of itself more highly than is proper, and a false humility, which hides it’s talent, are equally reprehensible.” As part of Australian culture, we tend to go down the path of false humility. The more we can put down our skills and abilities, the better we are accepted. It’s still pride though.
We are all naturally as full of pride as the Pharisees who loved seats of honour and recognition more than helping people to follow the Law. When I think of pride, I have an image in my head from when I was in Greece last year. One night I went to a church where there was a wedding on. At the end of the service, the rather round head priest walked down the aisle with his arm resting on his belly holding out his hand for people to kiss a ring on his finger.
Although that is an extreme example, we are all inclined by our sinful nature to want to be like that. To want recognition. Paul is reminding us – do not conform to the pattern of this world. You are all a part of the body of Christ. By grace, we who were nothing in ourselves are called to life together, do not be proud or conceited but lay yourself out to the utmost in the strength of the grace of Christ!
This brings us to our third point. We have seen from Romans 12:1-2 that God’s mercy should inform the way we live, how we use our bodies and minds. Verses 3-5 showed us that God’s mercy should inform the way we think of ourselves. Not as better or worse than you are, but as a useful part of the body of Christ.
Finally, Romans 12:6-8 shows us that;
3. God’s mercy should inform how we use our gifts. (v6-8)
We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
Paul, in Romans 12, has encouraged us to leave behind any trace of pride within our relationship with God and within our relationship together and stand on the firm foundation of God’s mercy. It may seem that from the beginning of verse 6 gifts differ depending on the amount of grace we have. However it appears that he means to make the point that gifts differ but the grace remains the same for all. This would also make sense in respect to the body analogy he just used. “One body in Christ, but not all members have the same function.”
Romans 12:6-8 has a simple message – you have been given a gift by God’s great grace, use it in a way that shows God’s grace is great! The list of gifts is also quite simple, but beautiful. Prophesy, serving, teaching, encouraging, contributing to others needs, leadership and showing mercy. Prophesy could be a little confusing. I am inclined to agree with John Wesley who says that it just means expounding the word of God. It makes sense in the context of the other amazing, but not extraordinary gifts.
Anders Nygren, who I quoted earlier continues on to say, “When God bestows a gift, even though it be small, it is His will that it be used in His service for the building up of the body of Christ (Eph. 4:12)”. In Ephesians 4:12-13 Paul explains various gifts were given “to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”
The gifts listed in Romans seem pretty basic to church life, and church leaders should be trying really hard to provide an environment where these graces can flourish. However, we should not get too concerned with what our particular gifts are. 1 Corinthians 14:3 says the one who prophesies should do it to build up and encourage. Titus 1:9 says elders should exhort (encourage) in sound teaching. Encouraging overlaps with both prophesy and teaching. There are many more examples of overlap we could go to as well, but I will press on.
Every Christian should aim to be encouraging, and generous, and showing mercy. Everyone can teach, everyone can explain the bible to someone, and whether you realise it or not you are leading someone who sees your example. It is my opinion that all these gifts are for all Christians. However, some people will be better bible expounders, better servers, teachers, contributors, encouragers, leaders, or mercy showers. We should be on the look out for these people and look for ways to free them up to use their gifts better. Programmes should be run by gifted people, and not people run by the programmes.
All this serves to show us the simple truth; we are nothing in ourselves, but that Christ is everything for us. In view of God’s mercy, raising us from death to life with Christ Jesus, we are called to offer our whole lives, body and mind, to him. This means that we should be willing to use our gifts to benefit the body of Christ, our brothers and sisters for whom Christ has also died. Knowing that in some sense Christians should have all the gifts listed here, are you aware of certain ones you are better at? If not, ask and pray for God to reveal it to you. If you are aware, let us use those gifts to build each other up and display how great God’s mercy truly is.
Conclusion
From Romans 1 to 11 Paul has shown us who we are, we are all sinners deserving the wages of death (Romans 6:23). We have seen who God is. He is the kind of God who, out of the overflow of his love, would send his Son to die in our place, even while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). And we have seen that his promises to us are certain. All who have faith in Jesus are justified freely by his grace (Romans 3:24). As the Scripture says “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).
We are nothing in ourselves, and therefore to base our lives on the ground of human pride is to be on rotting ground that will not last for a second on the day of judgement. Paul has shown us that the only solid ground is standing on the foundation of God’s mercy for us in Christ. So we should;
1. Allow God’s mercy to shape the way we live.
2. Allow God’s mercy to shape the way we think about yourself.
3. Allow God’s mercy to direct how we use your gifts.
Do you remember the building in Shanghai?
It’s foundation failed while the building was still under construction. It happened at 5:30AM on the 27th of June this year. One construction worker was killed. Now what if this didn’t occur until next year? At 5:30AM these apartments would be filled with people and this accident would have been much worse. The building looked strong, but the foundations were not. Oh, how many Christians and churches have worked so hard on perfecting their outward religion that they neglected their foundation and so they did not last. Do not let this happen to you!
