Sermon Prep for Romans 12:1-8
12 Therefore I urge you, brethren,
by the mercies of God,
to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice,
acceptable to God,
which is your spiritual service of worship.
2
And do not be conformed to this world,
but be transformed
by the renewing of your mind,
so that you may prove what the will of God is,
that which is good and acceptable and perfect. (LOVE!!)
3
For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself
than he ought to think;
but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.
4
For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function,
5
so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.
6
Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them
accordingly:
if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7 if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his
teaching; 8 or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with
diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
C = Context A = Analysis P = Problems T = Themes O = Obligations R = Reflection
Context
Historic and Cultural – Paul’s letter to the church in Rome, early church in expansion, facing persecution,
distinguishing itself from
Greek, Roman world, multi-ethnic, socio economic church – Paul sending a treatise of the Gospel he
thought would be very valuable in growing and encouraging the church, treasuring Christ in the face of
challenges and threats…
Literary/Biblical Context
NT Epistle, broad sweeping structure, Arguing for the inability for either irreligious or religious people to
justify themselves with God, the power of the Gospel and the great truth of our total need for God’s
mercy and grace and yet God’s willingness and work to provide Mercy and Grace to us in Christ life,
death, and resurrection.
Romans 8 is in many ways the Crescendo – the finale of the book, Romans 9-11 an extended excursus or
sidelight about the Gospel, God’s plan of redemption and the Jewish people. Then in 12 he picks up
where he finished in Chapter 8 with how then should we live? If Christianity, the Gospel is the power of
God for salvation for everyone who believes, how then should those who believe in the Gospel live?
What does living by faith in God and his grace look like?
Analysis
Therefore by the mercies of God – I urge you – exhortation –
encouragement
A. General exhortation to continually present ourselves (our
churches) to God as living, holy, acceptable spiritual
service of worship
B. General call to not be conformed to this world but to be
transformed
C. The personal challenge to not think more highly than we
ought
D. The reminder that each of us has a measure of faith, that
differ, and are precisely according to God’s grace
E. Examples of using our gifts…specific and general…
Problems
Body/World – dualism
Mind prior to heart etc (rationalism)
“Will of God” – God’s desires, wishes
Themes –
Transformed to do his will
Offering yourself to God
Serving in light of grace and specific gifts
Even in the face of pressures to conform, by
God’s mercy, we are being transformed so that we
can know and begin to do God’s will
What is the design for daily pressures?
“It is only in view of God’s mercy that his appeal becomes relevant and that our obedience of it
is possible.”1
The word living reminds us of what God has made us: we are people who are now ‘alive to God
in Christ Jesus’ (6:11).2
Obligations
Reflection
1
Moo, D. J. (1994). Romans. In D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, & G. J. Wenham (Eds.), New Bible
commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., p. 1150). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity
Press.
2
Moo, D. J. (1994). Romans. In D. A. Carson, R. T. France, J. A. Motyer, & G. J. Wenham (Eds.), New Bible
commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed., p. 1150). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity
Press.