$6WXG\LQWKH%RRNRI5RPDQV. Romans 12:3-8. Key Verse

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1 $6WXG\LQWKH%RRNRI5RPDQV 29 Romans 12:3-8 Key Verse For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Not only does God have an eternal plan for every believer (which Paul began to unfold in Romans 8), but he also, as Paul unfolds here in Romans 12, has a unique plan for every Christian here and now! The Underlying Factor Read Romans 12:3 Behind these next few verses (12:3-8), where Paul opens up the truths of God s purpose for each Christian in life now, is another glorious truth of the Gospel. Not only Introduction has the Holy Spirit been given to indwell the The Gospel s Three Revelations Christian, giving him all he needs in his new The Gospel s Three Answers life in Christ (Romans 8), but he is also the The Gospel s Answer to Israel empowering of the Christian to fulfill God s The Gospel in Action call upon his life! Notice the underlying factor behind Paul s exhortations here: Conclusion  By the grace (enabling power) given me (12:3) Â...think of yourself...in accordance with the measure of faith (spiritual capacity) God has given you (12:3)  We have different gifts, according to the grace (spiritual empowering) given us (12:6).

2 The Spirit empowers our personal lives Up to this point in his letter, every mention Paul has made of the work of the Holy Spirit has been in relation to his work in our personal lives: Â He has poured out God s love into our hearts (5:5) Â He has set us free from the law of sin and death (8:2) Â He meets the requirements of the Law in us (8:4) Â He sets our minds on what he desires (8:5) Â He is life and peace to us, when our minds are under his control (8:6) Â He lives in us and controls our lives (8:9) Â He will give life to our physical bodies (8:11) Â He puts to death the misdeeds of the body (8:13) Â He leads us (8:14) Â He is the Spirit of sonship (or adoption) within us (8:15) Â He enables us to cry out Abba, Father (8:15) Â He testifies with our spirit that we are the children of God (8:16) Â He is the firstfruits of our full inheritance in Christ (8:23) Â He helps us in our weaknesses (8:26) Â He intercedes for us in accordance with God s will (8:26-27) But here in 12:3-8, Paul opens for us another aspect of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our lives. The Spirit empowers for ministry God not only gives us the Holy Spirit to indwell us, meeting our personal needs so that our life may be pleasing to him, but he also baptizes (immerses) us with the Holy Spirit.* John the Baptist referred to this ministry of the Lord Jesus in Matthew 3:11: I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. This same baptism in power through the Holy Spirit was referred to by Jesus when, in Luke 24:49, he instructed his disciples: I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high. In Acts 1:4, his instructions are quoted in more detail: Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. And what was the purpose of this baptism in the Holy Spirit? In Acts 1:8, Jesus provides the reason for this empowering: * Please note: Different streams within the Body of Christ interpret the meaning of baptism in the Holy Spirit in different ways. At OBC, we take a more pentecostal/charismatic view of the meaning of this term.

3 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. This empowering of the Holy Spirit, coming upon the believer, enables the Christian to be a witness for Christ. Read Acts 4:23-33 Read Acts 13:8-12 God s Spirit also graces the believer with the supernatural gifts he needs to minister to others, both inside and outside the Church. It is this kind of Spirit-empowered ministry that Paul is dealing with in 12:6-8. But before Paul teaches on the giftings of the believer, he first sets these gifts in their context:  The context of the Christian s own attitude toward ministry  The context of the Christian s connection with the rest of the Body of Christ A Right Attitude to Ministry Read again Romans 12:3 Paul provides the Roman Christians with very clear instructions that act as a groundwork for his teaching on spiritual giftings in the verses ahead. These instructions involve three main points: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought Here in 12:3, Paul is exhorting us to true humility. In other words, he is encouraging us to form a right estimate of ourselves and of our gifts, not a false one to make an honest assessment, without conceit and without false modesty. There are two misconceptions you can have of your importance in God s plan:  To think of yourself more lowly than you ought  To think of yourself more highly than you ought In 1 Corinthians 12:15-19, Paul targets the first misconception a sense of inferiority and worthlessness. But here, in Romans 12:3, Paul specifically targets the second misconception a sense of superiority and bloated self-worth. We must bear in mind everything Paul has written in his letter up to this point. Paul has established a strong case showing how utterly dependent each person, whether Jew or Gentile, is on the grace of God. Once a person has a revelation of the Gospel of Christ, there can be no room for pride and no basis for self-elevation. Read 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 It is in view of God s mercy that Paul enjoins us to offer your bodies as living sacrifices and it is equally in view of God s mercy that Paul now commands us not to think of yourself more highly than you ought but rather to think of yourself with sober judgment.

4 Think of yourself with sober judgment Paul tells us to make an estimate of ourselves with sober judgment. This word sober has the meaning of being sound-minded. In other words, we are to form an estimation of our value with clear, honest, straightforward thinking with no room for fantasies about ourselves (whether those fantasies lift us higher or pull us lower than reality). In accordance with measure of faith God has given you The faith that Paul speaks of here has a different sense to the way he has used it in the early part of his letter. Here he is not referring to saving faith but to the spiritual capacity given to each Christian to enable him to fulfill his particular responsibility. This measure of faith it is given to him by God. If we form a right estimate of ourselves it can never be anything but a humble one, for with this sober judgment comes the realization that all we have we have received as a free gift from God! (James 1:17). How then can I boast or take any credit for it? In 1 Corinthians 4:7, Paul says rebukes the Corinthians: For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not? So true humility acknowledges first of all the truth about ourselves in the light of the Gospel; and secondly, that all we have is a gift from God, and that the specific gifts we have as individuals in Christ are just that gifts for which we can take no personal credit. As The Message explains it: Living then, as every one of you does, in pure grace, it s important that you not misinterpret yourselves as people who are bringing this goodness to God. No, God brings it all to you. The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is and by what he does for us, not by what we are and what we do for him. A Right Attitude to the Body of Christ Read Romans 12:4-5 As well as humility (a right attitude to ourselves), Paul also lays down the second important principle that must operate in our hearts in order for God s will to function properly in our lives unity (a right attitude to other Christians). Up to this point in his letter, Paul has spent much time unfolding the wonderful blessings that belong to the individual who puts his faith in Jesus Christ. He now unfolds another very important truth. No Christian is an island to himself! (see 14:7). Not only has Christ s work brought us into a personal relationship with God, but he has also bound Christians together in such a close relationship that Paul likens it to the close interdependence of each part of our physical body. The human body, he says, portrays the spiritual unity of all believers. This spiritual

5 Body is formed by the work of the Holy Spirit. As 1 Corinthians 12:13 explains: For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free we were all given one Spirit to drink. The Spirit not only unites Christians to Christ, but also bonds us to one another. Jesus, in heaven, is the Head and every believer on earth is part of his Body. This is described by Paul in Ephesians 1:22-23: And God placed all things under [Christ s] feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. The Analogy of the Body The Scripture pictures the Church in many ways, and each picture depicts one of its many-faceted aspects, but the picture that perhaps presents the greatest expression of the Church s nature, purpose, function and relationship to the Lord is that of a body. Every part of our physical body moves and functions in obedience to our brain. In the same way, Jesus Christ is the Head of his spiritual Body. He is the sovereign authority of the Church and all its directives come from him. As the Body submits to his guidance and control, every part functions together in perfect unity. Read Ephesians 4:15-16 And just as the physical body is the means of expressing the personality and nature of an individual, so the Body of Christ is the means of expression, by the Holy Spirit, of Christ s person not only his character, mind and will (his abstract qualities), but also his love, ministry and power (his practical qualities). All that Jesus began to do in his physical body, he is continuing to do by the Holy Spirit through his many-membered Body the Church (John 14:12; Acts 1:1-2). It is through his corporate Body that Christ is now revealed to the world. In Ephesians 4:11-13, Paul reveals that God s goal for the Church is:...so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Do you notice the similarity between Ephesians 4:11-13 and Romans 8:29? The only difference is that in Ephesians Paul is not describing the fact that we are individually predestined to be conformed to the likeness of Christ, but that we are together (as a corporate Body) predestined to be conformed to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. This is also one of the distinctive differences between Romans 8 and Romans 12. Romans 8 is an individual experience. Romans 12 is a corporate experience. Romans 8 is focuses on our walk with God. Romans 12 focuses on our work with God.

6 A Summary of Romans 12:1-5 In the first five verses of Romans 12, Paul has laid down the foundational attitudes necessary for God s will to be fully expressed in our lives. These three attitudes are:  Submission our attitude to God (12:1).  Humility our attitude to ourselves (12:3).  Unity our attitude to the Body (12:4-5). Before we begin to look at Paul s teaching on individual gifts and functions within the Body of Christ, we need to underline Paul s meaning in 12:3-5. Each member belongs to all the others, he says in 12:5. Or, as he expresses it in Ephesians 4:25, we are members of one body. In 1 Corinthians 12:12, he also brings home a similar thought: The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. So here, in Romans 12:3-5, Paul describes two basic attitudes we must have to one another: Accepting one another Read Romans 12:4 We are to recognize the God-ordained variety and diversity there is in the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:4-6). Each believer is a particular part of the Body, and just as the physical body has organs and systems with special functions to give life to the whole Body, so it is with the Church. Each believer has a distinct and unique function to fulfill. Needing one another Read Romans 12:5 Every individual believer s ministry to the Body is of vital importance (1 Corinthians 12:14-20). It is through each believer fully functioning that the whole Body will grow to full maturity and the Lord Jesus Christ will be fully expressed to the world (Ephesians 4:11-16). Read 1 Peter 4:10-11 In this passage, Peter divides the many different gifts, or functions, of the Body of Christ into two main categories:  Speaking  Serving From this scripture, we can also see six very interesting points:  Every believer has received a gift.  All gifts are to be used to serve others.

7 Â All gifts function through the power of God. Â Some are speaking gifts. Â Some are serving gifts. Â The purpose of all gifts is to bring praise to God. Ministering to One Another Read Romans 12:6-8 Paul lists seven basic gifts or graces * found in the Body of Christ. His purpose in this passage is not to give an exhaustive list of all the ministries and functions in the Body, for he mentions others elsewhere (see Ephesians 4:11-16; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31). Rather, his purpose is to show an overview of the variety and diversity there is, and to encourage each one of us to fulfill our particular function so that the whole Body may be blessed. In 1 Corinthians 12:4-6, Paul emphasizes the great variety of giftings God has placed within his Body: There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Let s dissect this verse in order to understand Paul s understanding of spiritual gifts more clearly: Â Different kinds of gifts Though God uses our natural talents and abilities, he also supernaturally endows us with spiritual gifts in order to meet the needs of others. These are the tools of our ministry (read 1 Corinthians 12:7-11). Â Different kinds of service These are the great variety of ministries, or functions, within the Body. Each of us has a special ministry and place in God s grand scheme. Â Different kinds of working Even within the same ministry or gift there are different ways of doing it different operations of that function. But notice Paul s emphatic point in these verses. There is great diversity, but the same Spirit, the same Lord, the same God! There is unity within the diversity! Exercising the Gifts Seven times in Romans 12:6-8 (with each gift he mentions) Paul says, let him... The onus is upon the Christian to exercise his faith in the ministry and giftings the Spirit has given. As we wait on the Lord and open our hearts to be used by the Holy Spirit, he will release us into our own specific function the part he has designed for us to play in blessing others. * The Greek word translated gift is charisma, which is from the root word charis, meaning grace. Each gift is an expression of God s grace (enabling power) working in the believer (note Ephesians 4:7).

8 Paul s main exhortation here in 12:3-8 is: Whatever gift you have, recognize it and use it to bless the Body of Christ. Don t desire to be what you are not, but be what God has made you to be in the Body and use the gift(s) the Holy Spirit has given you. Then, not only will the Body be blessed and grow in Christ, but you yourself will find your greatest fulfillment. It is only as we recognize 1) our total dependence upon God and 2) our total interdependence with other believers that we will become a vehicle of God s blessing to the rest of his Body which, in turn, is the vehicle of God s blessing to the world. This is the Gospel that Paul preached a Gospel of dependence upon God and interdependence within the Body. Seven Key Gifts Read Romans 12:6-8 Each of the seven gifts mentioned in these verses is meant to be a part of every Christian s life and ministry. We are all called to prophesy (1 Corinthians 14:1,31, 39); we are all called to serve (Galatians 5:13); we are all called to teach (Matthew 28:20; Hebrews 5:12); to we are all called encourage (Hebrews 3:13); we are all called to give (2 Corinthians 8:7; 9:7); we are all called to lead, or take responsibility (Colossians 3:23); and we are all called to show mercy (Matthew 5:7). But here Paul is meaning much more than the gifts we should all be expressing. In the same way as there are doctors who are general practitioners and doctors who are specialists, so in the Body of Christ we are all, so to speak, called to be general practitioners in each one of these graces. But even more than this, we are also called to be specialists, for one of these areas is our particular emphasis (1 Corinthians 12:29-30). So, Paul exhorts, whatever our specialized function may be, let us do it in faith and in the grace that God has given us. Prophesying The Greek word translated prophesy literally means to speak forth or fore. In other words, it involves two areas: forth-telling (which is speaking out with authority a message from God); and fore-telling (which is declaring beforehand something that will surely take place). It is a gift where the Lord gives special insight at a particular time or in a particular situation in order to bring encouragement and specific direction to the Body. Read 1 Corinthians 14:3 Serving This grace is the special motivation given to a person to demonstrate Christ s love by meeting the practical needs of others. Indeed, in his final greetings to the Romans in 16:1-2, the very first person Paul singles out is not a great leader within the church but Phoebe, who is described as a servant of the church in Cenchrea and who has been a great help to many people, including me.

9 1 Peter 4:11 provides the general advice for all who minister with this gift: Teaching...If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ... There are those in the Body who are specially gifted by the Holy Spirit to expound the Word of God not only to clarify truth but, by the Holy Spirit, to impart a revelation of that truth into the lives of the believers. This gift was exemplified in the ministry of Paul himself, who wrote in Colossians 1:28: We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. Read Acts 18:24-28 Encouraging Some Christians have the distinctive ministry of exhortation the gift of encouraging other believers. They always see the positive side of any situation and encourage people to keep their eyes on the Lord to remember his promises, his faithfulness, his power and his Lordship in all life s experiences. They minister and release faith in people s hearts, and encourage them to grow in their relationship with the Lord. This is again exemplified in the ministry of Paul, as he writes in 1 Thessalonians 2:11-12: For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory. Barnabas is another great example of this gift, and his name actually means Son of Encouragement (see Acts 4:36; 11:22-24). Contributing The gift of giving involves the person s whole life, not just finances. The giver has the desire to share all that he has with the Body (hospitality is a real expression of this ministry see 12:13). The goal of this gift is that the work of God may increase and be successful. This will include, of course, finances. Even if the giver is not wealthy in his own right, he can become a channel through whom God will pour his provision into the Body. Paul exhorts the giver to give generously (NIV) and with simplicity (KJV), for the original Greek word has both these meanings, and has the further meaning of with singleness (or without distracting motives) and with sincerity. Read 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 Leading There are those in the Body of Christ who are specially gifted by the Holy Spirit with an ability to lead. Their special function is to help the Body carry out its goals

10 and tasks by providing direction and support. They are the administrators of the work of the Body (1 Corinthians 12:28). Paul s special exhortation to those with this leadership gift is to operate in it diligently to put their whole heart and effort into it. Read 1 Peter 5:1-3 Showing mercy This gift enables a person to identify with those who are in need or distress. Whereas those with the gift of serving are doers, those with the gift of mercy are feelers they empathize with others. But they do not just feel they are also able to reach out with compassion and gentleness to bring comfort and support (Acts 9:36-42; Luke 10:33-35; 2 Corinthians 1:3-7). Paul s exhortation for those who show mercy is to do it cheerfully in other words, not to allow themselves to become so overwhelmed by feeling the needs of others that they are unable to be of any help to them. Recognizing Our Part In the same way our physical hand does not have to struggle to be a hand, but just is a hand, so it is with each ministry in the Body of Christ. We do not have to strive to find what our particular place is in the Body. We just are. As each of us ministers as general practitioners in all the areas above, it will soon become evident to us (and to others) that one gift is our particular emphasis. Then let us, while not neglecting the other expressions, give ourselves especially to that one. As each member of the Body of Christ does this, so the Body will function in perfect unity and in the full expression of Christ s ministry on the earth. Paul expresses it this way in Ephesians 4:15-16: Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work. Unless otherwise indicated, all quotations from the Bible are from the New International Version, copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers. The Online Bible College can be accessed at