Romans Made Easy Chapter 12

Romans Made Easy

By Joyce Webb    2011

Verse 1 -2

I ask you ---I want to convince you---to give yourself to God.

Give yourself as a sacrifice to God. A living sacrifice that is holy. A life that is acceptable to God. This is a reasonable service for you to do.

(Christ gave Himself unto death for us-----it is our reasonable service to give Him our life----even to sacrifice things, or wants, or desires, or our own plans -----for His sake.)

Do not let yourself be shaped by this world---doing things and thinking like they do. Be higher than this world. Let your mind be shaped by God and the Holy Spirit. So you can show others what is good and acceptable----doing the perfect will of God.

God has given me grace to speak to you. (Paul probably also means that God has given him the authority to speak to you. God called Paul to preach to the Gentiles.) I say to you---No one should think of himself as higher than what is right and proper.

(We need to have good enough feelings about ourselves that we can live normal and not hide away somewhere. But we should not be proud and think too much of ourselves.)

We should be serious and careful in our thinking, understanding that God has given to each person an amount of faith. (When we become believers in Jesus, we have faith in God and the relationship with God gives us more faith to walk with Him and serve Him. Each believer has some idea of what he can do to serve God. This faith guides him and uses his abilities.)

A body has many parts. Each part of the body does a special thing. This is like the "body of Christ" the church. There are many people who are in the "body" of Christ.---or in the "church". God has given each person a special ability and skill to do a thing.

To some people God has given the ability to prophecy. Then let those people prophecy according to what God has given them, and according to their faith to trust God.

To some people God has given the ability to be a minister. So let those people minister to others and serve them in that way.

To some people God has given the ability to teach, so let them be teachers.

To some people, God has given the ability to preach, or give short talks that inspire or warn.

Some people are givers----they love to give and help. So let them do it humbly and without making a big show.

Some people have been given the ability to rule over other people. Let them rule over people fairly and carefully.

Some people have tender hearts and are loving and show sympathy and mercy----let them do it with a cheerful heart.

Every believer should:

Show love to others sincerely----do not just pretend to love. Hate anything that is evil. Love that which is good.

Be kind and show love to each other. Have brotherly love for one another. Show honor to each other----put the other person first before yourself.

Do not be lazy in business or in your work place.

Have energy in spirit and as you serve the Lord. (Don’t do it with the feeling of "duty" and because you feel you have to.)

Rejoice and be happy because you have hope in God ----hope for help and grace while on earth and hope for the eternal future.

Be patient when you go through hard times, especially if people are giving you a hard time about being a Christian.

Pray continually all day as you live your life.

Give help to other Christians who have need.

Open your home to people and be willing to offer food, drink, friendship, and comfort.

If people are mean to you because you are a Christian, do not do mean things to them, do not say mean things to them----bless them and pray for them.

Be happy with those who are happy. Cry with those who are sad. Come along side of people and support them in joy or sorrow.

Live along side of other people in peace and do not try to show off to be better or richer---be kind to those who are poorer than you---try to help in a nice, kind way.

Do not think you are so wise and smart you know more than other people. (Even people who are not so smart may be smarter in some things more than you.)

If someone does evil and wrong to you-----do not do evil and wrong back to them.

In all things be honest and do what is right. Do not do things that would give the appearance of wrong doing. Be careful and wise----be honest---and do not do things that would even look dishonest.

As much as you can, try to live in peace with all people.

Do not "pay back" for mean, hurtful things done to you. Revenge means to "get even" to do something mean and hurtful back to that person. Don’t do it.

Do not give a place to anger.

God said in Deuteronomy 32:35 "Vengeance is mine, I will repay."

(God is saying to his people-----do not try to "pay back" people when they do you wrong. God said that He will take care of it. He will take care of "pay back".)

There is good reason for this. People become very angry over hurts and wrongs. People can become so angry they do terrible things---even murder.

If a person is a believer and follower of Jesus that kind of anger grows in them it will not help anyone. Not only will the other person be hurt but you will hurt yourself. Doing something in anger hurts you because most of the time you are not in control of your feelings. Then you do something far worse than you should and you get into trouble.

Another reason it is best to let God take care of it is because He can do it better.

You remain innocent--no guilt. God does the "dirty work".

God knows the other person and what they need to happen in their life to make them understand that what they did was wrong and bring them to a place where they are sorry for their wrong doing and ask God to forgive them.

Hopefully, what God does in their life to make them understand their wrong doing will bring them to God to repent.

God wants everyone to have a relationship with Him. When He "pays back" a person for their wrong doing----He does not just do something to be mean and make that person hurt----God has a better purpose in mind. Anything He puts in their life as a "pay back" is for the purpose for them to see their wrong doing and come to God for forgiveness.

We may think that God is being too nice to them. We want to see them hurt.

We need to remember that we have hurt other people, too. We have done many things that hurt people’s feelings, or hurt them in more serious ways.

We, too, have sinned in many ways. We want God’s grace and forgiveness.

That other person is just like us. They need God’s grace and forgiveness. They may have done something that is very bad-----more than what we have done---but sin is sin. We all need forgiveness.

God has promised to those who believe and follow Him that the Holy Spirit will be our comfort. The Holy Spirit is there to heal us. He will teach us and help us in our thoughts and feelings to become healed and whole from whatever has happened to us.

We do not need to remain "injured and hurt". Healing for us is in the Holy Spirit.

In Christ, we are covered. God will pay back. God will heal our hurts.

In verse 20, If your enemy is hungry or thirsty---or has a need---help him---do good to him. Doing good to someone who has been mean to you----is like put coals of fire on his head. Putting "coals of fire on his head" some Bible students think means--a way of telling what happens when metal is made----fire is put on the top and bottom of a metal to melt it. The fire in put on top of the metal to help melt the metal so it runs down.

So if we do good to those who are bad to us----that "burns" them---it makes them feel even more guilty. Hopefully, it will melt their hard heart and our kindness to them will help them change.

Verse 21 ---Do not let evil win over you. Do not give in to it. Do not let it decide how you will act. You be the one to do good and you be the strong one. You win over the evil.

Keep control over your thoughts. Do not let your thoughts run in ways of thinking evil to them. That is where the trouble begins. Keep giving your thoughts to Jesus. Keep asking Him to help you with your thoughts ---so you can keep the right kind of thinking and feeling about that person. It is not easy, but it is the best way. It is God’s way.