Seven Instructions from Paul

Paul starts Romans 12 with a very clear mandate. He tells us to present our bodies as living sacrifices, and then he tells us not to conform to the world but be transformed by changing how we think (Romans 12:1-2). Changing the way we think about things, according to Paul, allows us to discern the will of God, and to do what is good and acceptable. He then tells us to use that new way of thinking to avoid the trap of pride so that we can fully and maturely use the gifts that God has given us in our various roles in the body of Christ – our faith community (Romans 12:3-8).  This change in the way we think is crucial if we want to live out the practical instructions he gives for the rest of the chapter (Romans 12:9-21). In those verses, Paul describes the Christian life as one of sacrifice- one in which every person who lives that sacrificial life reflects the maturity of Christ.  Consider just the first seven instructions he outlines in  verses 9-12. 

FIRST: A follower of Christ should have genuine love.  That is to say, that a Christian should have a real, bona fide, not fake, sincere commitment to the well-being of others. The faith community will be better for it, and so will the larger community in which Christians are seated. But before you begin to think this is easy, ponder how Christ’s love was freely given even among those who don’t deserve it. 

SECOND: Paul says to hate evil. In fact, he uses a very strong word for hate. He says we should abhor evil (Romans 12:9b). What he means is that we should hate it so much that we experience disgust and horror for it (Strong’s G655). That kind of hatred will keep us oriented toward good.

THIRD: Paul tells us to hold fast to what is good. Paul is telling us that we should not only shun evil, but hold tightly to good – especially when evil is trying to rip it away from you. Evil will try to rob you of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and self-control. Paul says to keep a grip on those things (Romans 12:9c). Don’t let go of those things only to pick up anger, division, lust, greed, sloth, faithlessness or other horrors the world will try to get you to trade for genuine good. 

FOURTH: Paul says to love one another with familial affection (Romans 12:10a). This one is challenging. He isn’t telling us to be coldly committed to each other’s well-being, but to also enjoy each other's company, and to have warm emotions for one another. This means two things:  A) We must make a concerted effort to find things to like about individuals in our faith family, and B) to make a concerted effort to be the kind of person that others in our faith family will like.

FIFTH: Paul tells not to try and outdo one another in status, or wealth, or anything that springs from pride, but instead to outdo one another in showing honor – specifically by having an attitude of putting others first (Romans 12:10b).  

SIXTH: Paul assumes that each of us will have a ministry of serving God, and instructs us to be zealous in that ministry, while displaying an earnest, enthusiastic, and passionate spirit as we carry it out (Romans 12:11). 

SEVENTH: Finally, Paul tells us to celebrate the confident expectation we have regarding God’s future goodness in our lives, to patiently suffer through tribulations because of that confident expectation, and to keep our minds stayed on God through prayer and meditation so that we can maintain that confident expectation. 

Do you struggle with any of these seven instructions? What can you do to have victory over that struggle?