Ep. 301. Romans 12 | Holy and Acceptable

EPISODE 301

HOLY AND ACCEPTABLE: ROMANS 12

At this point in the book of Romans, the meat of the theology has been fully developed and walked through. We are now thoroughly convinced that all people, Jews, and Gentiles, are sinners and that all people, Jews, and Gentiles, can come to salvation. We are equally convinced that salvation is a matter of faith, not works. In addition to all that, we now know that the Jews have been hardened so that the Gentiles would come to faith, but that through the faith of the Gentiles, the Jews will be stirred up to jealousy and come to faith as well.

All that having been spoken quite well by Paul, we now land at a place where the application of theology comes into play. "In view of God's mercy (which Paul has just mentioned four times in the eleventh chapter), present your bodies as living sacrifices to God." In other words, when you consider the state of your sinful self, the righteousness of God, saving faith, being made new in Christ, and the mercy lavished on you, live this way.

"By the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think." What a great reminder to the Jews not to be puffed up because to them came the savior and the promises and the prophets. What a great reminder to the Gentiles not to be puffed up because they, over the Jews, have come, in droves, to salvation. After all, "We, though many, are one body in Christ."

Because we all, Jews and Gentiles, are under the same problem of sin and because we all, Jews and Gentiles, have the same means of salvation; let us treat each other with honor, love, and respect.

Romans 12-15 will make some sense without the context of the theology in the first eleven chapters, but we will likely miss the weight of the urging and encouragement Paul lays down for his readers.

ADDITIONAL READING: Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:1-3; 1Peter 1:13-15; Isaiah 55:8-9; Deuteronomy 32:35; Proverbs 25:21-22