A Pattern of Christian Behavior

GOLDEN TEXT: “Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.” —Romans 12:9

ROMANS 12:1, 2

THROUGHOUT the first eight chapters of Romans Paul emphasizes that the only means of securing the favor of God, and through his favor, life, is by faith in the Gospel of Christ. In the 8th chapter he is most eloquent in his description of the various spiritual benefits which accrue to those who are “in Christ Jesus.” The Holy Spirit witnesses to them that they are the children of God. All things work together for their good. Nothing can separate them from the love of God.

In a general way, chapters 9 to 11 are in the nature of a parenthesis in which Paul digresses from the main theme of the epistle to assure us that his natural brethren, the Jewish people, who had not accepted Christ, are eventually to receive rich blessings from the Lord, although they did not obtain the great prize of joint-heirship with the Messiah. “There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer,” he writes, “and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.”—ch. 11:26

In the 12th chapter, the first two verses of which constitute our present lesson, the apostle returns to his main theme of how Christian believers may be assured of the full favor of God. In the first eight chapters he lays down the doctrinal foundation upon which this favor is secured, and now he begins to make the practical application of those doctrines to Christian living.

“I beseech you therefore,” he writes, “by the mercies of God.” The “mercies of God” are manifested through the Gospel of Christ in many wonderful ways, as Paul points out in the preceding chapters, not the least of which is the divine attitude toward those who rejected Christ and put him to death. God counts them in unbelief, declares Paul, in order that he might have mercy upon them.—ch. 11:32

It is the goodness of God that leads to repentance and to a full turning from the service of self to the service of God. Paul describes this as presenting our bodies a “living sacrifice.” This means to lay down our lives in the service of God. The Christian life is therefore a life of sacrifice, even as was the life of Jesus. In chapter 6:3-5 it is described as being “planted together in the likeness of his [Christ’s] death.”

The idea of presenting bodies as sacrifices is taken from the tabernacle services in which animals were offered to God. Paul understood that some of the animals thus sacrificed during the typical age pointed forward to Christian sacrifice in this age. A further evidence of this understanding is found in Hebrews 13:10-13.

Apart from the justifying and cleansing power of the blood of Christ our humanity would not be an acceptable sacrifice to God. But since this provision has been made for us, the apostle gives the assurance that our sacrifice will be “holy, acceptable unto God, our reasonable service.”

The presenting of ourselves to God is a definite act of consecration to him, but one, nevertheless, which needs to be kept up-to-date by a daily presentation of ourselves, a daily laying down and giving up. As we daily devote our lives thus to God we will find ourselves more and more out of harmony with the world and its spirit.

Paul admonishes us along this line, saying, “Be not conformed to this world.” Instead, we are to be “transformed” by the renewing of our minds. The human hopes, aims, and ambitions which once so occupied our minds and hearts should lose their charm as we become more and more acquainted with and alert to the things of God.

Our minds are “renewed” by an infilling of divine thoughts pertaining to God’s plans and purposes on behalf of the whole world, and particularly as they pertain to us. Thus we “prove” or determine his will for us as his consecrated servants. This is in reality a lifetime work of studying his Word, and of applying its precepts and principles in our daily lives.

Beginning from this point in the epistle, Paul presents many of the details pertaining to the will of God for the followers of Jesus. Among these are the three mentioned in our Golden Text. First, “Let love be without dissimulation.” Love is the sum of all the Christian graces, but it must be an undivided, sincere love; and a love that is not partial, but for all.

Second, “Abhor that which is evil.” All forms of selfishness are evil. Everything which is out of harmony with the will of God is evil. No consecrated child of God can be sympathetic toward any form or suggestion of evil, but will “abhor” evil wherever it is found.

Third, we are to “cleave to that which is good.” Jesus said, “There is none good but One, God.” (Matt. 19:17) From this we get the thought that all good emanates from God. We discern this goodness through his written Word. Therein his principles of righteousness are set forth. When we “cleave” to these we are cleaving to that which is good. When we lose sight of them, we drift in the ways of evil.

QUESTIONS

What is the general pattern of subject matter in the Book of Romans?

What does it mean to present our bodies a living sacrifice?

How are our minds transformed, or renewed?

Explain the three injunctions of our Golden Text.

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