notes by Rhyne Putman

Living Sacrifices
Romans 12

So far…

The Book of Romans is about the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD. 

·        Romans 1:1-17 declares that God is righteous

·        Romans 1:18-3 states that man is in need of God’s righteousness

·        Romans 4-6 speaks about how God gives us His righteousness. 

·        Romans 7-8 talks about the work of God’s righteousness in us.

·        Romans 9-11 talks about God’s plan for giving us His righteousness and making us His people.

·        Romans 12-15 tells us how to apply that newfound righteousness to our everyday lives. 

True Worship

What is true worship? 

“Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”

Romans 12:1 (NASB Update)

What does it mean to be a living sacrifice? 

·        Under the New Covenant, animal sacrifice is out, and now God desires us to live out lives sacrificed to His purposes.

·        We are to be holy because God is. (Leviticus 11:45, 1 Peter 1:16)

·        “Spiritual service”—The word usage of “spiritual” (logikos) here literally means “informed”, “intelligent”, and “being understood.” 

·        We surrender our lives with the mind and will with the informed decision of sacrifice.[1] 

How do we find ourselves conforming to the pattern of this world? 

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Romans 12:2 (NASB Update)

One Body, Many Parts

“For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.”

Romans 12:3-5 (NASB Update)

“Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”

Romans 12:6-7 (NASB Update)

True Love Is Now

“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality.”

Romans 12:9-13 (NASB Update)

·        True love is expressed in action, not just mere words. 

·        True love is something we’re supposed to be devoted to, whether we feel like it or not.

Sometimes, it’s just hard to love some people.  Whether they are mean, abusive, conniving, or just annoying, we are to love them.  Love isn’t grounded in feelings.  That’s not Biblical love.  You can show me no place in scripture that says to love people because that’s the way you feel.  God doesn’t say, “Husbands love your wives if they stay attractive, clean the house well, and keep your fire lit.”  No, He says, “Love your wives just as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her.”[2]  Do you think Jesus felt like carrying a cross up Calvary?  No… His love was grounded in action.  This is what the Scripture means when it says be DEVOTED in love.  I will make a commitment to love even the unlovable because why?  Because Jesus did so. 

·        True love minded people love others more than themselves, giving preference to others. 

·        True love is the only way we can serve the Lord. 

·        True love is love in and out of the good times. 

·        True love is devoted to prayer. 

“Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.”

Romans 12:15-16 (NASB Update)

·        We are by nature superficial, loving only the people the world would love. 

·        God calls us to go against that nature by being “of the same mind toward one another” and to “associate with the lowly.” 

Vengeance is the Lord’s Business

Rich Mullins once said, “I know that ‘Vengeance is mine, sayeth the LORD,’ but I just love to be about my Father’s business.” 

“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.”

Romans 12:14 (NASB Update)

“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you…”

Matthew 5:44 (KJV)

This goes against everything we believe in our nature.  In his book on Forgiveness, R.T. Kendall writes, “Total forgiveness is painful.  It hurts when we kiss revenge good-bye.  It hurts to think that the person is getting away with what they did and nobody else will ever find out. But when we know fully what they did, and accept in our hearts that they will be blessed without any consequences for their wrong, we cross over into a supernatural realm.  We begin to be a little more like Jesus, to change into the image of Christ.”[3] 

“Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,’[4] says the Lord. ‘BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.’[5] Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Romans 12:17-21 (NASB Update)

·        By nature, we cry out for revenge.  Yet God has called us to “bless those who persecute us.” 

·        God will repay the wrongs done to us, guaranteed.  We’ve got to have faith that God will do so, in His timing, but we’ve got to let it go into His hands.

Dr. Kendall continues, “…It is still very hard to forgive those who have hurt us directly, especially when they do not feel the slightest twinge of conscience.  If our offender would put on sackcloth and ashes as a show of repentance, it would be much easier to forgive them.”[6]

·        Those people who wronged you being repentant and returning to God is a much more satisfying solution than repayment of their crimes. 

·        Being like Jesus, the only thing that can truly satisfy our souls, means forgiving and letting go, even if they are never repentant.

·        We are forgiven in accordance with how we forgive.  (Matthew 6:15)

“Release them, and YOU will be set free.”

R.T. Kendall, Total Forgiveness