Romans 12:3-12

Building a Transformed Life Part 1

When I think of a transformed life serving the body of Christ in humility, I think of my parents. My father has been in the ministry for almost 70 years and my mother has served along side him for over 60. Together, they have served many congregations in several capacities. In each, they served with humility and patience and are living examples of the lessons Paul wanted to teach the church at Rome in this next passage. As the body of Christ, we are called to serve each other in the same humility that I have seen in my father and mother. We are called to lift one another up, exhort each other to continue in the path and not think more highly of ourselves that we ought to. In Romans 12:1-2, Paul gave us a blueprint for the transformed life. In the following verses, he shows us how to put it into action.

Vs 3-5 For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one. Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. 

The first thing we need to do to build a transformed life is heed the warning Paul gives here: don’t think of yourself more highly than you ought. It is a call for humility. He goes on to say: think sensibly. The Greek word for sensibly is sóphroneó, which means having a sober outlook that reflects true balance. When I think of balance, I think of a discus thrower. Their true power comes from great balance. Without the stability that comes with that great balance, they would not be able to harness the power to throw. The word sophroneo comes from two words – soos (safe) and phren (what regulates life – diaphragm). An example of this is a singer who controls the length and quality of their tone with their diaphragm. The diaphragm, by the way, also controls breath and heartbeat which brings control to the whole body. In the same way, sensibility brings control to our spiritual life. It is only through sophroneo that we can bring our spiritual life under the control of the Holy Spirit who empowers us to build a transformed life.

Paul’s example is our own bodies. Just as our bodies have many parts, with many functions, so our spiritual body is one body in Christ, with many members – each with their own function. Each member is just as important and needed as all the others. Paul wrote this to the Corinthian church: “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many,” 1 Corinthians 12:12-14. Because we are all one body, we belong to one another. We cannot dismiss another part of our body and all are equally needed. The transformed life recognizes the importance of the body of Christ and understands that each member is important.

Vs 6-8 According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts: If prophecy, use it according to the standard of one’s faith; if service, in service; if teaching, in teaching; if exhorting, in exhortation; giving, with generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.

As Paul begins his introduction of the gifts, he wants people to understand that giftedness does not equal spiritual maturity, but are given out of grace. In fact, the very word for gifts in this passage is charisma, which means a gift that operates out of grace. These gifts are not given because of anything we do to attain them, they are given to us because of God’s grace. And, they are not given to serve ourselves. These gifts are given for the purpose of serving the body of Christ. Paul then gives us a list of just seven of the many amazing gifts God has given believers. You can find more gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12. So, Paul isn’t giving a definitive list, he wants the church to see ones that can used to best serve the body of Christ. First, we find prophesy or prophéteia, a gift of communicating and enforcing revealed truth. This gift is to be used in accordance with our faith. The actual Greek says in analogia of the faith. Analogia is where we get our word for analogy – a comparison between two things with the purpose of explaining or clarifying a truth. This gift is not a prophetic foretelling, but a prophetic truth telling. Paul cautions that it is to be used within the context of the faith or faith that comes from God. Second, we find the gift of service. The Greek word is diakonia, and is where we get our word for deacon. Deacons were chosen in the early church to be the people who served the congregation. In Acts 6, we find they were chosen to literally serve the tables – diakonein trapezais. These are people gifted to serve other’s needs in the body of Christ. Third and fourth, we find the gifts of teaching and encouragement. Teachers imparts instruction while those who encourage or exhort, practice the instruction and encourage others to do the same. Fifth, Paul instructs those with the gift of giving to give generously. In 2 Corinthians 9:7 Paul says, “Each person should do as he has decided in his heart—not reluctantly or out of necessity, for God loves a cheerful giver.” God gifts people with resources, so they can, in turn, give generously for the service of the body of Christ. Sixth, is the gift of leadership. Paul says, those with this gift must lead with spoude. This word means a diligence with hasty, or abundant, enthusiasm. So, those gifted as leaders need to be conscientious, while enthusiastically conveying the truth of scripture. Finally, we come to those gifted with God’s mercy. They do not just pity others, they also show mercy with a cheerful and willing spirit that brings peace to others.

When we are living a transformed life, we will discover the wonderful gift(s) God gives us, and have a desire to use those gifts to uplift, encourage and serve the body of Christ. We will also realize that others will have gifts we don’t and delight in the coming together of those gifts for the kingdom of God. Next, we find Paul giving us a path to follow to use these gifts effectively. He breaks it down into fifteen different “steps”. In this weeks study, we will go through the first seven.

Vs 9-13 Love must be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good. Show family affection to one another with brotherly love. Outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lack diligence; be fervent in spirit; serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer. Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality.

1. Love Must Be Without Hypocrisy – Just as 1 Corinthians 12 is followed by an entire passage on love, this list of gifts is also followed by a call for love. This time, Paul specifies that love must be without hypocrisy. The word Paul uses for love here is agape, which is God’s love. If we do not love with agape, God’s love, we will never be able to use God’s gifts to serve the body of Christ effectively. Paul follows this up with the phrase without hypocrisy. True agape love cannot exist in the midst of hypocrisy. We can’t pretend to love, or fake our love. God’s gifts do not flow out of anything less than God’s love, because it was out of God’s love that grace and mercy were given to each of us. And, it is out of that same love the gifts are given. Paul is warning the church at Rome, and us, to be a body of Christ that really loves each other the way God loves. To build a transformed life, our foundation must consist of love that only comes from God.

2. Detest Evil; Cling to What is Good – Next, Paul warns us about evil. It’s so easy to allow evil into our lives. It masquerades as light and convinces us that it’s “not so bad”. I once had a professor in college say, “anything we allow in our lives not pleasing to God, is evil.” My professor then encouraged us to look at everything we put into our mind – TV shows we watch, movies we go to, books we read, everything we fill our minds up with. If they do not pass the “would Jesus sit and watch or read them with us” test, then it had to go. He pointed us to Romans 12:2 – Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. This has had a profound influence on my decisions concerning what I choose to watch and read. I find there are so many things we allow in our lives that are not pleasing to God. Paul’s use of the word apostugeó for detest is actually abhor. We are to be disgusted with the evil around us. Instead, Paul says we are to cling to what is good. I love the Greek word for cling – kollaó, meaning glue. A modern take on this would be: we should be totally disgusted with all the evil around us and instead, be super glued to the things that are good! A transformed life only comes when we turn from evil and cling to what is good.

3. Show Family Affection to One Another with Brotherly Love – The word for love here is philadelphia, which is brotherly love. Paul describes our relationship with each other as family. We are brothers and sisters in Christ, and thus, a part of the family of God. We need to treat each other with family affection. I understand family’s can sometimes be messy and not everyone gets along perfectly. I can use my own brother as an example. We may not always agree with each other, but, we love one another and will stick by each other’s side no matter what! I also realize many people come from broken families and have a hard time understanding the concept of a family that has right affection for one another. This is why the family of God is so important. If we truly live out our faith showing right family affection to one another with philadelphia – brotherly love – we will see the amazing difference God can make in our lives and in the lives of those around us. The body of Christ needs to a family that sticks by one another, encourages one another, is accountable to one another and works together. The transformed life is not one we walk alone. I think Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says it best: Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up. Also, if two lie down together, they can keep warm; but how can one person alone keep arm? And if someone overpowers one person, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not easily broken.

4. Outdo One Another In Showing Honor – Paul says it to the church in Philippi this way: Do nothing out of rivalry or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. Everyone should look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others,” Philippians 2:3-4. We are to timé, or value others even more than we value ourselves. In fact, we are to outdo one another in showing honor! One of the things my pastor said a few weeks ago is in order to value others in this way, we must value ourselves as God values us. Not in conceit, but in humility, as people who have received the amazing grace of God. This is why Paul started this section off with do not think of yourselves more highly than you ought. When we honor one another in this way, we will lead others to come into the community of faith. They will see the love we have for one another. When we focus our attention on others instead of ourselves, we begin to show more mercy, more grace and more love. We are on our way to a transformed life!

5. Do Not Lack Diligence; Be Fervent in Spirit; Serve the Lord – The word diligence means a careful and persistent work or effort. The Greek says it more strongly – spoude me okneros, which literally translates having a hasty enthusiasm for not being slothful or troublesome. In other words, we need to avoid, at all cost, causing trouble or being lazy – but – we are to keep our pneumati zeontes – the spirit boiling hot as we serve our master – the Lord. Some of us, including myself, have encountered troublesome people in the church. It isn’t a pleasant experience at all! I find most “troublesome” people act out of selfishness. They want their own way in their time. They are not looking out for the body of Christ. When we are building a transformed life, we can no longer think of ourself. We must have a hasty enthusiasm for not being troublesome. We no longer look only at ourselves, but see the body of Christ as more important.

6. Rejoice in Hope; Be Patient in Affliction; Be Persistent in Prayer – Then, we are to be joyful because of the hope we have in Christ. Hope is the grace He gave in His death on the cross for our salvation. Hope in his promise to be with us always, even to the end of the age. Hope in the fact that Jesus will come again to bring us home. But, while we are here, there will be affliction. Paul encourages us and exhorts us to be patient in the midst of the affliction that will come. Jesus said in John 16:33, “I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.” James reminds us in 1:2-4, “Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.” There will be affliction! There is only one way we can have patience in the midst of affliction- with persistent prayer. We can only navigate our way through this affliction if we keep in constant communication with the One who is always with us – even to the end of the age. He will guide us through the trouble. He will walk with us through the distress. He will never leave us. A transformed life hopes in Christ, and walks with Him daily praying all the way.

7. Share with the saints in their needs; pursue hospitality – Knowing God is with us always, we will be empowered to, like a great hymn I used to sing as a little girl says, serve the Lord with gladness. Here is verse three and the chorus: Serve the Lord with gladness, this shall be our theme, As we walk together in His love supreme: Listening, ever listening for the still, small Voice, His sweet will so precious will be our choice. Serve Him with gladness, enter His courts with song; To our Creator true praises belong: Great is His mercy, wonderful is His Name. We gladly serve Him, His great love proclaim. (written by B. B. McKinney). When we walk with Him daily, we will be open to His leading to serve those in need. We will be expectant, on the lookout for people in need to serve. We will hear His voice leading us so we won’t miss opportunities to bless others. And, we will practice true hospitality.

As an American who grew up in a Baptist church, I understood hospitality as a committee who planned the fellowships for our church. It always had something to do with food and lots of people. I didn’t really come to understand true hospitality until I moved to London and lived in a Turkish area of town. The Greek word for hospitality is philoxenia, which means love of strangers. In that small borough of London, I experienced more hospitality than in all the churches I had been a part of. Complete strangers had me for tea, invited me into their homes, and gave of themselves. But, my most life changing experience happened in Istanbul Turkey with a young woman I met in London (by a miraculous act of God, by they way!). When she moved back to Istanbul, she met her husband and I received an announcement for their upcoming wedding. I wrote her back to let her know I would be coming. She was so excited and told me not to get a hotel, as she would take care of everything. Take care of everything she did! Her finance came to pick me up at the airport, I stayed in her home, sleeping in her bed, and I was treated like one of the family the entire time. Not only was I included in all the pre-wedding festivities, she insisted on paying for me to have my hair done and a manicure with her bridesmaids. Then I stayed with her parents after the wedding, who welcomed me, a complete stranger, as if I had been their friend forever. And to top everything off, her now husband, insisted on taking me back to the airport the day after their wedding. She honored me as a special guest, when most brides would have been quite happy I came, but certainly would not have gone to all that trouble to make me a part of the family! I was, and still am, moved by her love and hospitality. I learned from her, that hospitality means sacrifice, but the blessings received far outweighs any “loss” you may experience. Hospitality is about looking out for the other persons needs more than yourself. It means inviting the stranger in and treating them like family. It will transform your life.

This is the perfect place to stop and dwell on these first seven steps to a transformed life. The main theme I find is love. When we have the love of God in our lives, then we can truly use the gifts He gives us to serve. We can treat others like the family of God, honor one another, show true hospitality, diligently serve the Lord with enthusiasm, be patient in affliction and serve those around us. We remember what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13:13: Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.