Living sacrifices
12
📚Therefore, brethren, because of the mercies of God, I plead with you to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.12:1 Paul has concluded the doctrinal part of this letter. He has shown that all are sinners and deserve nothing but God’s anger, and he has revealed something of the greatness of God’s mercy. From here on to the end of this letter he writes of the practical daily life that believers should live because God has been merciful to them. What good is all the wonderful truth revealed in chapters 1–11 to those who read it but remain unchanged and disobedient to it?
The first thing we must all do, of course, is to give ourselves completely to God. In Old Testament days priests in Israel offered animal sacrifices which were slain. Now believers – the priests of the New Testament (Rev 1:6; 1 Pet 2:5, 9; Heb 13:15-16) – must offer a living sacrifice, their own bodies for God to use for His glory (Rom 6:13, 19; 1 Cor 6:13, 19, 20). This is the sort of worship God wants, not mere words. This kind of sacrifice is “holy” and “acceptable” to Him.⚜
2 📚And do not be conformed to this world 📖, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.
Using abilities
3 📚For by the grace given to me, I say to everyone who is among you, one should not think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but should think soberly, according to the measure of faith God has distributed to each one.
12:3 2 Cor 10:12; Gal 6:3. Paul begins here to speak of the transformed lives believers should live. Notice that he begins with their minds, specifically with their thoughts about themselves. Observe, too, that God may give more faith to some than to others (1 Cor 12:9).⚜
4 📚For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same function, 5 📚so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and each one a member belonging to every other. 6 📚Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, if the gift is prophecy 📖, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7 📚or if it is serving, let him be active in serving; or he who teaches, let him be active in teaching; 8 📚or he who exhorts, let him exhort; he who gives, let him do it generously; he who leads, let him do it with diligence; he who shows mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
12:4-8 Believers are united by God’s Spirit to form one spiritual “body”. See John 17:21-23; 1 Cor 12:12-13; Eph 4:15-16; 5:23. In this spiritual body each believer belongs to all the others (v 5), and God has given each person one or more talents (“gifts”) or abilities so that he or she can be of use to others in the body. Each person should find out what his ability is and use it for God’s glory and for the good of others. See 1 Cor 12:7-11, 27-31; Eph 4:11-13.⚜
A life of love, joy, unity, humility and peace
9 📚Let love be without hypocrisy 📖. Hate 📖 what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 📚Be devoted to one another in brotherly love, in the matter of honour put others above yourself.
How believers should live in the light of the gospel
11 📚Do not be backward in zeal, but be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord,
12:11 1 Cor 15:58; Titus 2:14. If we love God as we ought we will be zealous in His service. In fact, our love for Him will be revealed by what we do for His sake, not by what we say. Compare John 2:17.⚜
12 📚rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, persevering in prayer, 13 📚distributing 📖 to the needs of the saints, eager to show hospitality 📖.
14 📚Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 📚Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
12:15 1 Cor 12:25-27; Gal 6:2. Believers are not to be hard, cold and selfish but must share in the joys and sorrows of others.⚜
16 📚Be harmonious in your thoughts toward one another. Do not think highly of yourself, but associate with men in low positions. Do not think you are a wise one.
12:16 Acts 4:32; Eph 4:2-3. Pride, conceit, and exalting oneself over others disturb the harmony and unity of believers. In Christ those in low positions and in high places are all one and should act like it – Acts 6:1; 1 Cor 12:13; Gal 3:28. Pride and disunity because of caste, or resulting from pride of positions in society or in the church are abominable to God.⚜
17 📚Do not pay back to anyone evil for evil. Take thought for what is excellent in the sight of all men. 18 📚If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with everyone.
12:17-18 Verse 21; Matt 5:38-41. Believers represent Christ on earth. Good behavior will bring honor to Him, bad behavior will cause Him to be dishonored. Compare Rom 2:24; 1 Pet 2:9; Heb 12:14.⚜
19 📚Dear friends, do not take revenge, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord”.
12:19 Deut 32:35. The desire for revenge is a source of great trouble for individuals, families and nations. It must have no place in the hearts of Christ’s people. Notes at Matt 5:38-44; 2 Thess 1:6-9; Ps 94:1; Num 31:1-3; Nahum 1:2, 7.⚜
20 📚Therefore,
“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
if he is thirsty,
give him something to drink.
For in doing this you will heap coals
of fire on his head”.
12:20 Prov 25:21-22; Luke 6:27-28; 1 Pet 2:21-23. To hurt those who hurt us is to try to overcome evil with evil. It is allowing the evil acts of others to cause us to disobey God’s plain orders and act in an evil way.⚜
21 📚Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
12:9-21 Here is a beautiful picture of the transformed life believers should live. It means showing love toward fellow believers (vs 9,10,13,15,16), toward Christ (vs 11,12), and toward enemies (vs 14,19-21).⚜