Romans 12 – 13 Power for a Transformed Life
Introduction
This is a short series of four studies getting into Romans 12 and 13. It addresses all
sorts of issues about Christian life and living in our world.
The key to this section is the first 2 verses – Ch 12:1-2. This is a summary of the first
11 chapters before Paul then goes on to address a variety of issues flowing out of it. The
summary goes all the way back to Chapter 1 in fact – 1:16 “ I am not ashamed of the gospel –
for it is the power of God for the salvation of all who believe… ”. You really need to address
the core gospel material that is included in Romans 1-8 in particular. You may hae done this
some other time or through another book like Ephesians; in which case these studies fit in
nicely. Either way you have to keep coming back to 12:1-1 – to ground our Christian living in
the gospel and so prevent it becoming legalism – a new millstone around the necks of the
people in your group.
Study 1 Rom 12:1-2
How do we get ourselves to do the right thing? What drives us to live God’s way?
Rom 12:1-2 – lots in this little passage ‘in view of God’
s mercy’- what is he referring to?
o in fact goes back to Ch 3:11, then 3:24 – grace = mercy!
o just taken him 10 chapters to explain it all!!
then in 12:1 finally gets to ‘therefore’
What is a living sacrifice? What do we sacrifice?
(optional: Read Leviticus 9:1-17 – How does this help us understand sacrifice?)
How is that worship? What is worship?
What we do in church? singing? or.. whole of our life?
(note NIV footnote: could be ‘reasonable’or ‘logical’– but logikos is also ‘logos’ as in Jesus
so mixture of both – spiritual is not illogical! or anti – ‘mind’ie ‘renewal of your mind’)
vs2 – talks about being transformed by renewing of your mind… ..
How does this work? How is our mind renewed?
Do we do it or God? Is it past or present continuous?
How do we ‘test’God’
s will [putting it into practice!]
Where is the power for change in our life? [in gospel]
How do we change? [remembering God’
s mercy – ie Jesus death for us]
[how we think about ourselves!… . how we view our lives as living sacrifices.]
so How do we view ourselves? – in response to God’
s mercy?
How do we see our lives as worship to God?
How do we live our life as a sacrifice to God?
How does this affect the way we use our time? our money?
How might we need to sacrifice our popularity? our standing before our mates?
our career?
Why is it hard?
How do we actually get our head (& heart!) changed to do it?
© Fighting Words Ministries Inc 2002. www.fightingwords.org.au
Study 2 Rom 12:3-8
What does the Defence Force try and teach you about teamwork?
<small groups>
Read Romans 12:3-8
How does the teamwork work here?
vs1-2 seems disconnected from vs3-8… but there is a ‘for’there…
how are vs1-2 and vs3-8 connected?
How do we think of ourselves with ‘sober judgement’
?
What is the measure of faith?
is it linked to the proportion of faith in vs6?
or ‘according to the grace given us’in vs6?
- in prophecy – ‘the’faith – see NIV footnote
NO… .
the measure is not a variable quantity..
but the serving of faith that we have been given – ie our bit!!
(different translation… copy of ESV and NASB)
- can’
t be a relative quantity – how could we think of our selves more highly than we
ought??!!!
- (How highly should we think of ourselves?)
How do each of the gifts work?
<return to main group>
How do each of the gifts work?… are they specific or general?
What is prophecy?
serving?
teaching?
encouraging?
contributing? why generously?
leadership? – why diligently?
mercy? what is mercy?
why cheerfully?
What are the important ideas about gifts?
Conclusion
- get in there and do it
- all got gifts to contribute to the body
- only works in community, in ‘body life’
- be part of a congregation, part of the body - do your bit!
Why? – because we have been set free from sin and death (Ch 8:1)
and brought into the kingdom, the body, the assembly of his Son!
and it is our participation in worship & sacrifice to be a part of the body
what does that look like…
next week!! Ch 12:9-21!
© Fighting Words Ministries Inc 2002. www.fightingwords.org.au
Study 3 Rom 12:9-16, 13:8-10
True Love!
Read Rom 12:1-2 -> summarise on whiteboard
Read Rom 12:3-8 -> summarise on whiteboard
Read Rom 12:9-21 – How is this connected to the previous sections of Rom 12?
What are the common themes running through this passage?
Why does he launch into ‘love’here?
What do you think love means?
How is our view of love distorted by the world around us?
Why does it seem soft and woozy?
Let’
s look at the application stuff in more detail:
vs 9 Why do we need to be reminded to hate evil?
How do we cling to what is good?
[good replaces evil, if you fill up with good – there is no room left for evil]
vs10 - How is being ‘devoted to one another’and ‘honouring one another’connected?
vs 11 - How do we keep our zeal and spiritual fervour?
vs12 - How does hope help you be joyful?
Why is patience hard?
What does it mean to be faithful in prayer?
vs 13 - How can you share and show hospitality?
vs14 - How do you ‘bless’others?
Especially those who persecute you?
vs15 – Why do we need to be reminded to rejoice & mourn with people?
[even if we don’
t feel like it – ie when we aren’
t rejoicing or mourning]
vs 16 – What is living in harmony?
How do pride and conceit afflict you? How do we overcome it?
[job, service, rank, sport, accers etc; laugh at it, put it in the right perspective]
Jump ahead to 13:8-10 ( we will do 12:17 – 13:7 next week)
How does this help us understand love better?
How does this help all the Christian living stuff we have just covered in vs9-16?
What kind of transforming of the mind (12:2) do all these things require?
[other person centredness, seeing others the same as ourselves: as redeemed sinners]
PRAY about these things:
- Thanks for God mercy shown in Jesus death in our place,
- God’
s transforming of our minds to love others,
- to serve others before ourselves
- for each of the ways we relate to people
- for each of the ways we care for people
- for the ways we relate to God
© Fighting Words Ministries Inc 2002. www.fightingwords.org.au
Rom 12:17 – 13:7
Revenge and Bearing the Sword
Can you be a Christian in the Military? big question… .
one of the key passages in the discussion on this topic is this one… … …
Read 12:17 – 13:7
How does this passage help resolve the issue of being a Christian in the Military?
[we are the ones who bear the sword]
But is that what the passage is really all about??… … …
What is the primary application of this passage?
[to us who are under authority]… .
(let it bubble a bit to get people engaged but don’t resolve it now… … )
lets look closely at it starting with 12:17-21
How do we handle revenge?
Why is it hard to quell our desire to strangle someone who has hurt us in some way?
What about justice? What about fixing up my dingled car?
- ie in the film Gladiator – “ I will have my revenge in this world or the next”
- in contrast to: “ vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord”
What if someone has stolen your laptop computer?
What if someone has killed your sister?
[it is at the heart of God – forgiveness by taking the punishment on himself
- exactly what he did in Jesus … .]
(Optional: How does giving food and drink to your enemy heap burning coals on his head?
[prob – by seeing the good he will repent, or be ashamed into repentance?] )
this provides the background – so move onto 13:1-7
As Christians how do we generally view governments?
What about Iraq – Saddam Hussein – or even Hitler’
s Germany, or China?
ie What do we do when governments do wrong?
- options!!
o God is higher authority – so reject them totally?
o or partially? (ie Acts 4:18-20)
o ‘submit’– general submission – different word and meaning to ‘obey’
How does this affect being a Christian in the Military?
[we are the ones who bear the sword]
- How is that different from personal revenge?
- How does it affect the way we do our service?
How do we fulfill the other aspects of respect for governments?
What about (vs7) honour? respect?
taxes? revenue?
What kind of transformation of the mind (Rom 12:1-2) do all these things require?
ie What should be our attitude as we do these things?
[not fussed – sit lightly to the kingdoms of the world
know that God has done it first – in dying for us
not standing up for our rights – but doing good to people
and wanting to see the kingdom of God go forth]
© Fighting Words Ministries Inc 2002. www.fightingwords.org.au