I have been working on my analysis of Romans 12 and I have finally finished it.
I wish to share them with you all.
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Paul is talking to the Church here but I think we can look at this from a personal level as well.
out of all the things Christ did for me, the least that I can do for him is to live exclusively for him. help me Lord to do your will in all things. use me mightily for your glory.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
I remind myself that I was bought with a price and so I wish to do all that I can to honor my Lord and my savior Jesus Christ. I do not want to be conformed to the ways of this world instead, I wish to be conformed, yes transformed by the renewing of my mind through Christ Jesus. help me Lord to remember that I yes even I was bought with a price. help me Lord to honor you and to reverently fear you.
3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
As we were bought with a price by the one who is exalted on high, let us remember that he and he alone is worthy of our praise. We are nothing more than little specs of dust compared to Christ but yet, Christ loves the specs of dust.
4:5 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
we are all valued in the eyes of God. Me personally, I thank him every day that he has saved me. That he has seen the value in me. Even though I might not have seen the value in myself, Christ has seen it in me and has seen beyond my tiny mind and has saved a wretch like me.
6:8 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
I wonder where music would fall into these categories if at all? Hmm. now that's worth pondering. out of all of my studies of the gifts of the spirit, I have never seen music listed yet I have often times wondered if and where it would fall into the gifts of the spirit? perhaps evangelism or Exhortation as it is certainly a means of exulting the Lord God. Either way, I know God has given me the calling of sharing his gospel through music. And so, I pray that I am able to do as such in a manner that is effective in reaching the unsaved with the gospel that saves.
9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Lord teach me to love more authentically.
when I think of love, I see Christ. he gave of himself and today as believers, I believe we should be doing the same. giving of ourselves just as Christ gave of himself. a love that knows no bounds, that knows no limit, that is without end, amen.
10:13 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another;
Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit serving the Lord;
Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
as I ponder this passage, I am reminded of the story Jesus told about a guy who came to his friend asking for a jacket. it's late at night so the guy says that he should come back tomorrow yet Jesus says why do that when you have it today? lend or give it today less the one in need cries out to the Lord against you. we should give when we can instead of when it's convenient for us.
14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
often times, our gut reaction when feeling persecuted is to lash out yet Paul tells us something totally different. actually, so does Jesus. the words Jesus says are blessed are the persecuted which reminds me of the be attitudes found in the book of Matthew.
15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
Jesus tells us that if a soldier tells us to walk a mile with him, quietly walk 2 miles. if a brother or sister is happy, we should be happy along with them yet if he or she is sad, we are to be sad with them. it's not a fake happiness or sadness instead we should actually be able to relate to them and in a sense, place ourselves in their shoes. another way of putting that is to walk a mile in their shoes. Jesus related to those who he helped. it was authentic. we need to show that same authenticity to our brothers and sisters in the faith. yet we are to do the same when it comes to the nonbelievers. many christians are great at showing love to believers but when it comes to the nonbeliever, they want nothing to do with them. this shouldn't be and frankly, it breaks my heart.
God oh God, don't ever let me fall into that trap. let me show love to both the believer and nonbeliever alike.
16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. as I look at this passage, I am reminded of the believer who talks about hell but who won't talk about heaven on the street corner. they believe they are going to heaven yet they tell others they are going to hell. talk about a conceited view point.
I'm sure I've been there and done that. sometimes I think when we're on fire for Christ we turn people off not because we're on fire but because we don't take the excitement that's in side of us do to the good news of the gospel and do to our recognizing of what Christ did for us at Calvary, we miss out on how to share that with others. Lord don't let me fall into the trap of being Luke warm. I want to be on fire for you oh Lord but I also want to share your love with others. let me be your light in this world of darkness.
17:18 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
Repaying evil with evil is how the world does their goings on. The thought is that if somebody did something bad to me, I should do the same to them however, the Bible says something totally different. Do not repay evil with evil instead, show love, show kindness, show humility, be at peace as the old saying, you reap what you sow comes to mind. If we claim to be followers of Christ, another way of looking at that is being ambassadors of Christ, then we must also live by example. It is not enough just to preach a sermon on the love of Christ, we must also live out that love. After all, what is the point of saying that you are a believer if you’re not willing to live by it? What is the point of saying that you are a believer if you are not willing to die for that for which you claim to believe in? In the eyes of the world you can claim to believe in something yet not stand firmly by it. This is a deceptive tactic of the devil. If you claim to believe in something strongly, you must also be willing to live for that for which you claim to believe and die for which you claim to believe and it can’t just be in word, when push comes to shove, it must also be in action. Or another way of putting that, in deed.
19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
I believe that we must be willing to lay down our prejudices against somebody and love them regardless of what they have done to us. For this I believe is the true love of Christ. Paul states in first Corinthian‘s chapter 13 that love does not keep a record of the wrongs committed. Let us love and move past the bad choices and let us love one another as Christ first loved us.
20:21 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
In a previous passage, I wrote that we must do good onto those who do wrong on to us. Now I know that this is not something that is readily excepted by the standards as dictated by the world. However, a believer in Christ does not live by the dictates of this world. We live by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. Let us remember that the trials, struggles, etc. etc. are all fleeting compared to the love of our Lord and our Savior, Jesus the Christ, the anointed one, our blessed Messiah.
To the one reading this entry wondering why I wrote this in such a way, this is simply my personal reflections on Romans Chapter 12. This is not posted to presume a particular theology and or doctrine rather, it's posted for the edification/building up of the Church as a hole. If you have thoughts on Romans Chapter 12, I want to hear them.
In Christ's service
Timothy