It is astounding as we read through this text to notice that the first thing Paul brings up in this practical, exhortational section of his letter to the Romans is the concept of the church as a unified body with various parts. He does much the same thing in Ephesians. It is as if, in Paul’s mind, a Christian must understand the nature of the church and their place in that church before they focus on their own personal labors in obedience and holiness. The fact that Paul makes this concept so prominent means that we should make sure that we rightly understand his thought.
We are part of a larger, unified body (12:3-5)
Paul’s first exhortation to his individual readers is this: “For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned” (12:3). Notice that Paul’s first statement is made to the individuals within the church at Rome. He tells them that they must be careful not to overestimate their value and worth. Upon first glance, this might seem like a call to negative self-esteem or a low view of ourselves, but – in reality, as we read the context – Paul’s exhortation moves from being an individual exhortation to being corporate exhortation. The basis for Paul’s exhortation is the reality he expresses in verses 4-5: that we as individuals are part of a unified body. It is this concept that must be understood in order to understand Paul’s statement in verse 3.
In verses 4-5, Paul writes, “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another” (12:4-5). Here is the foundational part of Paul’s thought. Paul has no category for a Christian apart from the church, and – as a result – a Christian cannot rightly think about themselves in relation to God without thinking about themselves in relation to the church.
So, understanding that, how should we view ourselves in relation to the church? To use Paul’s words, we should not think more highly of ourselves than we ought. To put it another way, we should not fall into the trap of thinking that we ourselves are superior to others, particularly others in the body of Christ – the church. We must not think more highly of ourselves than of others within the church! The reason for this is because each part of that body is vital and necessary for the completion of the whole. If one part is lacking or missing, then every other part of that body is lacking and suffering.
The importance of this reality cannot be overstated. As Christians, we must always keep in the forefront of our minds the reality that we are weak and lacking and incomplete without the rest of the body of Christ. We must never get to the point that we think so highly of ourselves as to think that we are past the point of needing others. Christian maturity is not reaching a point at which others are not needed. Christian maturity is the body as a whole (meaning every part without exception) being more conformed to the image of Christ.
The ramifications of this are many: if you feel that you are doing well and another part is doing poorly, then you are suffering – whether you realize it or not. The Christian walk is about more than your individual, personal holiness. It is about the corporate holiness of the bride of Christ. The body metaphor is beautiful because it perfectly illustrates Paul’s point: the body is made up of almost innumerable individual pieces that can all be identified and studied as individual pieces. But that body is only alive and moving and able to do things if all of those parts work together properly. And all of those parts form one body. This is equally true of the body of Christ.
So, in line with Paul’s thought, let me state clearly to you: do not think of yourself more highly than you ought. You need every other part of this body. You are not an island. And you cannot be complete without the other parts of the body of Christ. Do not look down on or despise other parts because you deem them unimportant. Your judgment of other parts is irrelevant because this is not your body! God has fitted this body together – and each part is necessary (1 Cor. 12).
Every part of the body is gifted and necessary (6-8)
But Paul does not stop by pointing out that every part of the body is intimately related and bound together. He makes clear that every part of that body has a specific function. More specifically, he makes clear that each part is gifted in a particular way. This is something we must not miss: we are not just intimately connected with each other as the body of Christ but each part of that body has a specific role to play. Each part has a specific gift to exercise.
Paul writes, “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness” (12:6-8). We must understand from the beginning that this list is not an exhaustive list of gifts – other gifts are found in 1 Cor. 12 and Eph. 4. Nonetheless, it is a sampling of the gifts that God has given particular people within the body of Christ. And in Paul’s context, his emphasis is not so much on the exact nature of each of these gifts (i.e. what exactly is meant by “prophecy”) as much as it is on his passionate plea that each person use the gifts they have been given. Paul wants each individual reader in the church at Rome to understand that they have been gifted by God for their ministry in the church, and he wants them to exercise those gifts as much as they can in faith.
Much like the first part of this exhortation, this reality is absolutely necessary for us to understand as we think about ourselves in relation to God. We think and talk often about serving God, but we must understand that God has equipped us in particular ways, and we cannot serve God without serving other people. And the best way for us to serve other people is to do the very things that God has gifted us to do. If that is prophecy, then prophesy! If that is teaching, then teach! If that is exhortation, then exhort! The nature of the gift is not as vital as understanding that you are indeed gifted in a particular way and that you are responsible to use that gift for the glory of God. Granted, in order to use the gift, you probably must know what the gift is, but the main point is not the gift itself as much as the building up of the church that inevitably results from the use of that gift.
Again, let me be as explicit as I can: do not think that you have no role or task within the body of Christ. If Paul’s first exhortation was “do not think too highly of yourselves”, this exhortation could be understood as “do not think too low of yourselves.” Every part is necessary and there is no question about that. If you are a Christian, you are gifted in a particular way, and the rest of the body depends on you and your gift for their health, their completeness and their holiness.
With this proper view of ourselves in relation to the larger body of Christ in place, Paul now moves to some specific exhortations to his individual readers. The fact that we are an intimate part of the body of Christ does not mean that we cease to exist as individuals, so Paul now moves into a more specific statement of what attitudes and actions should characterize those who are part of the body of Christ as individuals. In these verses, Paul lays out these practical exhortations in almost rapid-fire form. It does not seem that there is any importance to the order in which these exhortations are given, so – for purposes of clarity – I will divide these exhortations into three general spheres and address each exhortation as it arises in its proper sphere.
We must live rightly in relation to life in general (12:9, 11-12)
The first sphere that seems to be envisioned in this list of exhortations is our relation as individuals to the world in general. There are certain things that should characterize us as Christians in every facet of our life – regardless of what surrounds us or who surrounds us.
The first of these is given in verse 9 as Paul writes, “Let love be genuine.” This statement does not need a lot of exposition because the statement is almost laughable in its clarity. The sentence is not difficult to understand, but its clarity does not lessen its importance. The world as a whole has more than its fill of false love – from salesman to toys guilt-ridden Christians. False love can be smelled out from miles away, and false love accomplishes nothing. That is the reason Paul’s exhortation is so vital. If anyone can truly and genuinely love, it is Christians. We know true love – that Christ died for our sins (Rom. 5:8), and we love because God first loved us (1 Jn. 4:19). We of all people should genuinely love because we of all people have been genuinely loved. We must fight to make sure that we are not simply going through the motions. We must fight for the health of our hearts. If genuine love dies in us, we die as well. Without genuine love, we cannot fulfill even the two greatest commandments – nor any of the other commands that flow from them. Let love be genuine.
Paul goes on in verse 9 to say, “Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.” It is fitting that this statement follows the statement about love, because we might be tempted to picture genuine love as such an unconditional love that it knows no boundaries or absolutes. But such a view of love is not biblical. The same person who is told to genuinely love is also told to abhor what is evil and hold fast to what is good. There is no vagueness about this command. As Christians, our allegiance is clearly defined. We cannot pursue that which is good while simultaneously clinging to that which is evil. We must not seek to serve the Lord while remaining friends with this world. Some have the notion that Christians should never hate anything, but Paul makes clear that Christians should hate what is evil. Again, we must make sure that our heart and our emotions are functioning rightly. There are certain things that we should hate, and if we do not hate them, there is a problem with our hearts. How do we cultivate this attitude? We do so by fervently clinging to what is good. We will not hate what is evil unless we love what is good. And as Christians, we have a responsibility to do both.
Paul goes on to say that we must fight laziness. He writes, “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord” (12:11). These three rapid-fire exhortations seem to go together and the main point is clear. As Christians, we must continually remind ourselves that we have a specific task on this earth – seeking first the kingdom of God. It is our task to make Christ known to the ends of the earth and we should spare no energy in pursuing that reality. We must fight laziness with all that we are, because laziness regarding the things of God is a clear sign that we do not care about those things. We are not lazy when it comes to things we care about. So if we are lazy about the things of God, it is evidence of a lack of care for those things in our hearts. We must fight diligently and fervently. And we must encourage each other do this as well.
The last of these general exhortations is in verse 12 as Paul writes, “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer” (12:12). Again, these exhortations seem to go together, and they relate to the way we live life as we await the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We do not live this life as if there is no end coming. We are not on an ever-repeating circle of life. We are moving inescapably toward one of two things: our certain physical death or the imminent return of Jesus Christ, whichever comes first. And as we move toward that point, we are to rejoice in hope of that glorious day. If you have nothing else to rejoice over, you can rejoice over that coming day of glory if you are Christian. Likewise, we are patient in tribulation – realizing that something better awaits us and realizing that our tribulations are not worth comparing with what is coming. And as we wait with hope and patience – we pray. In fact, Paul tells us to be constant in prayer. It is an essential part of our identity as Christians because it is one of the main ways that we commune with God. It is one of the main ways that we make our requests known to him and walk in personal fellowship with him.
We must live rightly in relation to the body of Christ (10, 13, 15, 16)
There is a second group of exhortations in this section that seem to focus on a different sphere: our specific relationship with the body of Christ. These are specific exhortations to us in regard to the way we treat fellow Christians.
The first of these exhortations flows from one we have already seen as Paul writes, “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor” (12:10). Much like the command to let love be genuine, this is a statement to us that we must genuinely care for other believers. We do not have an option in this arena. We must not seek our own vindication or our own good at the expense of fellow believers. We are to genuinely love them and do whatever we can to esteem them and honor them. This is a natural outcome of esteeming others better than ourselves (Rom. 12:3; Phil. 2). We should genuinely love and honor our fellow believers. And we must understand that this is not some mystical experience. Genuine brotherly love flows from knowledge of one another. We cannot love each other rightly if we do not know each others. So let us get to know one another so we can love one another rightly.
The second exhortation like this comes in verse 13 as Paul says, “Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.” This verse is striking for its exactness. We would all say that Christians should be generous and give to others, but Paul goes so far as to say that Christians should give to meet the needs of other Christians. This does not mean giving to non-Christians is excluded, but it does mean that we have a very real priority to care for the needs of the body of Christ first. It is this exact thought that drives Paul to tell the Galatians, “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:10). There is a priority in our generosity and giving. We are to give to the saints. It must also be pointed out here that needs cannot be met if they are not known. If we have a responsibility to meet needs that means we inherently have a responsibility to let needs be known. As Christians, it is our duty to contribute to the needs of the saints.
Paul also makes clear in verse 13 that we are to “seek to show hospitality.” In context, this exhortation seems to encourage hospitality to the church in particular. This exhortation is striking because it makes the home a primary location for our ministry as Christians. Hospitality is inviting people into your home and spending time with them and providing meals for them. This exhortation makes clear our need to live life together and not just to meet together.
Paul continues in verse 15 by saying, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” Here, again, is an exhortation that is only possible when one person truly loves another person. In our life together as a body, we have had and will have times in which great tragedy strikes. In this body, we have had people lose jobs. We have had people in our midst slandered by others. We have seen children pass away, even in the womb. We have experienced at least some suffering as a corporate body. And one of the clear biblical responses that should come about in these situations is that we as the body of Christ should weep with those who weep. The point in this exhortation is not the weeping or the emotion in and of itself. It is the heart that is so bound together with another that their hurts cause us to heart. On the flip side, when moments of rejoicing come to our body, we as a body should rejoice with those who rejoice. Once again, the focus is not so much on the rejoicing in and of itself but on the unity that causes another person to rejoice that a fellow believer is rejoicing. This is not optional, super-spiritual Christianity – this is an exhortation to all believers. Genuinely love your brothers and sisters to the point that you rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. This is our responsibility to one another.
The final exhortation in this category comes in verse 16 when Paul writes, “Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be conceited” (12:16). This is Paul’s application of a principal that we saw earlier. Within the body of Christ, there are to be no divisions. Within the body of Christ, we are to live in harmony with one another. That is, if there is an issue, it is to be addressed. If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault. If your brother repents, forgive him – and forget about it. But this verse does not speak only about resolving conflict but also about the way we view ourselves and others within the body. We are not to be haughty or consider ourselves better than anyone else in this body. Wealth makes no difference in the body of Christ. Looks make no difference in the body of Christ. Intelligence makes no difference in the body of Christ. The moment that we consider ourselves better than another based on any of those things, we fail to function rightly as the body of Christ. We must not be haughty; we must consider others better than ourselves.
We must live rightly in relation to our enemies (12:14, 17-21)
The final category of exhortations that Paul gives has to do with the way we relate to those who persecute us and are our enemies. Paul has addressed our attitudes toward life in general as well as our attitudes toward fellow Christians, and now he turns his attention to perhaps the most difficult relationships of all – the ones where the other person just does not like us. How are we to live in those relationships? Paul speaks of the answer in our text.
The first thing Paul tells us to do is to fight the urge for revenge and bless them. He writes, “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them….Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all….if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink” (12:14, 17-18, 20a). This exhortation is astounding for the sheer difficulty of it. Our gut instinct is not to seek to bless those who do wrong to us, but that is because our gut instincts are part of “this world” to which we are not to be conformed (Rom. 12:2). We are part of a new kingdom. And this new kingdom has a king who was beaten and mocked but opened not his mouth. This new kingdom has a king who laid down his life for bitter enemies because of his love for them – so that they might be saved. So as part of this new kingdom, we should be people who imitate our king. We should bless those who use us and abuse us and persecute us. We should pray for them often. We should meet their needs. We should do everything we can to make sure that – as far as it depends on us – we are at peace with them. If any part of the contention between you and another individual resides with you, you must deal with that. Make every effort to live at peace with all men.
But also tells us something else. We might ask, “How in the world can I just let this wrong go? Where is the justice in that?” To that attitude Paul writes, “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord’” (12:19). The reason that we can refuse to take revenge for wrongs done to us is because we serve a God that will not let any wrong go unpunished. We can entrust judgment to God because every judgment he renders will be just and right. To take revenge into our own hands is the height of idolatry because, by doing so, we place ourselves in a position that is occupied solely by God. As we will see next week, God has delegated certain amounts of authority to certain individuals, but if the wrong done to us transcends those authorities, we must entrust the judgment of that wrong to God. Instead of seeking revenge, we bless that person and “by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” This reference seems to be saying that in doing good to an enemy, you will make their judgment all the greater because they will have no excuse for persecuting you. May we live in such a way that our enemies have no charge to bring against us when they come before the Lord. May we life in such a way that even our enemies cannot doubt our love for them – no matter how hard they try. There is a specific way that we are to interact with our enemies, and as we do so rightly, we will honor the Lord.
It is possible that hearing all of these exhortations causes you to feel weighed down by the sheer weight of responsibility that lies upon us as Christians. Indeed, Christ made clear that being his follower brings with it a yoke and a cross. It requires something of us. But he also made clear that the yoke is easy and the burden is light. The reason this is the case is because, by his Spirit, we are enabled to do the very things that he requires. We still must choose to obey these things, but we choose to obey because we are enabled to obey. As we think on these realities this morning, may we be encouraged by the very example of our savior. He behaved rightly toward the world. Indeed, his love for the world was evident – as was his hatred of evil and his love for the good. He was never lazy but diligent to the very end. He rejoiced in hope, was patient in tribulation and constant in prayer. He also lived rightly in regard to his people – the church. He loved them genuinely and showed them great honor – though all honor was due to him and him alone. He met the needs of those around him faithfully and shared life with them on a regular basis. Though he was the son of God, he did not count that equality with God as something to flaunt – rather, he made himself the servant of all. He sincerely rejoiced with those who rejoiced and wept with those who wept. And he also lived rightly before his enemies. He was beaten and abused and mocked and killed. But he endured it, and he even prayed for the forgiveness of his enemies. And that Savior has equipped us to do the same. As we take communion, may we be reminded of his example as well as his equipping. We believe and rejoice. We believe and obey. Amen.