Study of Romans 12 – Verse 3

“For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” (Romans 12:3 NKJV)

Be Merciful Just as God Has Been Merciful to You

    At the beginning of this chapter, Paul wanted the brethren in Rome to remember God’s mercy – His mercy shown to both the Jews and the Gentiles in giving them the gospel, the “good news” of Jesus the Christ and the hope found only through Him (Romans 1:16, 2:1-16, and 11:28-32).  

    When we meditate on God’s mercy, realizing all He has done for us because He loves us; how He gave us His Son, who died to set us free from sin, how He determined beforehand that all families of the earth would be blessed by Jesus (Genesis 12:3) – how all would have access to the gospel and to “all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3); when we meditate on that, then we will willingly become living sacrifices, letting God’s word renew our minds and we will be transformed into people who are holy and acceptable to God, and we will prove His will to be good and acceptable and perfect!  

“…not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly…”

    More highly means arrogantly, haughtily, to esteem oneself overmuch; more than is proper, to be vain.

    Think soberly means to be modest (in thought and feeling), to not let one’s opinion of himself (though just) to exceed the bounds of modesty (as shown within the Bible, consider 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12, 1 Timothy 2:9-10, 1 Peter 2:3-6). It means to have sound judgment, balanced, and disciplined, with thoughts and actions governed by wisdom and prudence.

    In meditating on God’s mercy, we will be better able to maintain a proper humility/humbleness – understanding who God is and who we are before Him - and we should also develop a greater capacity for showing mercy to others (Luke 6:35-36).

 “…God has dealt to each one a measure of faith”

    Think of Jesus’ parable of the talents in Matthew 25:14-30. One man was given five talents, another was given two, and the other only one. Each man had a responsibility to use what they had been given; each one was expected to end up with more than they started with. When we apply this to the matter of our faith, God gives some a large quantity of faith – they readily believe and willingly obey and continue to grow and develop as they learn through study and application. To others, He has given a different measure: they may hear of God, but they need to understand Him and His way (i.e. they need to see that His way is good and acceptable and perfect), then they will commit themselves to Him and His way, and continue to grow and develop in their walk. Then to others God has given a smaller measure: They hear about God, His power and might, and they believe but they are fearful of Him, and because of that fear (and their fear of doing differently than what they have always done) they don’t develop their faith beyond the point of simply believing that God exists. But we are each to develop whatever measure we were given – for some it will be easier, for others it will require effort – but, again, this is where being merciful and compassionate toward others, like God is toward us, comes into effect: those who are strong need to be helping those who are weak! Those full of faith should be examples in both word and deed to those who need God and His way to be proven, and to those who have focused on only one facet of God. Wherever we are in our faith, we need to keep going and keep growing so that we can help others to do the same!        

    Remember, not everyone has the same background, or the same upbringing. Not everyone has the same capacity to reason or understand. Not everyone has the same learning style (some are visual, some are aural/hearing, others learn through reading/writing, or through doing/hands-on). We each have our own strengths and weaknesses (both physically and spiritually), not everyone has been given the same measure of faith, so we need to be careful not to look down on a brother of sister who is weak where we are strong; instead we must help them (see Romans 15:1-2, Galatians 6:1-3). It may be that our weaker brother or sister is strong in areas that we need help, and they in turn can help us (read and think on Ephesians 4:15-16). If we are proud and unmerciful, looking down on others and/or criticizing their weakness, we are creating an obstacle that will prevent the body from functioning as it should.

    Think daily on the mercy God has shown to you. Appreciate your strengths in that they allow you to be a benefit to others, but remain aware of your own weaknesses and always lean on God for His help (2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Hebrews 4:16). Take time to read and consider Luke 18:9-14. Determine that from wherever you are right now that you will begin to grow and develop your faith, that you will seek God and submit to Him, wholly trusting that His way is the best way!

You can do it! So can I!!   

 

Wisdom From Above is… Full of Mercy and Good Fruits

“But wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits…” (James 3:17 NKJV)

    Let’s take time to break down “good fruits”:

    Good (in James 3:17) comes from the Greek ‘agathos’ (Strong’s #18) which means goodness to the innermost (intrinsic and inherent); good in nature, it is good whether it is seen to be so or not. It is moral goodness, virtue, and the beneficial nature of actions, people, etc. In the New Testament it often refers to the intrinsic goodness of God’s nature and His will.

    Fruits comes from the Greek ‘karpos’ (Strong’s #2590) which means the results and outcomes of actions. It is the evidence of one’s faith and character. It is the result of charity (beneficial, good conduct motivated by prayerful, good intent).

“…be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity… give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine… Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.” (1 Timothy 4:12-13, 15-16 NKJV)

    When we are full of mercy and good fruits our faith and service to God will be evident to all, even to those who hate us, curse us, persecute us, and spitefully use us, because we will not limit our love and care to only those who are loving and caring toward us. This wisdom is the very opposite of the world’s wisdom. Read and really think on Matthew 5:43-48.

“And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” (Acts 7:59-60 NKJV)

    We can find ourselves surrounded by unkempt ‘fields’ – people who do not care to change nor improve (or do not know how to) because they reject God and His will – whether it is face to face or through media (TV, radio, movie, or social media) their weeds and rocks can infiltrate our hearts. So we must be watchful of our hearts and work continually to keep our “soil” tilled and tender, quickly clearing any rocks and weeds we find there (Luke 8:4-8, 11-15).  We need to also keep our hearts tender enough to look with mercy (pity and compassion) on those around us who need to know the better way; who need salvation!

    When we, in devotion to God, hear His word and humbly obey it; when we run to Him for help to pull out a strongly-rooted weed, we will be preparing our hearts to develop good fruits. If we keep trusting God, endure through temptations, and remain faithful to Him and His way, we will be preparing our hearts to be full of good fruits, and our progress will be evident to all.

    We want to abound in good fruit, don’t we? We are supposed to bear good fruit (John 15:16) – it is not for demonstration purposes (Matthew 6:1-7), but it will be seen by others (Matthew 5:14-16) as we progress and behave differently than the world around us. When we live according to God’s command and instruction found in the Bible (live and walk in the Spirit) the Spirit will bear His fruit (our faithfulness to God’s instruction will become obvious in all our conduct), and it will be visible to others in the love we give, the joy we hold to, the peace we live in (with God and man), the longsuffering we endure, the kindness we show, the goodness propelling us, the faithfulness anchoring us, the gentleness in our word and action, and the self-control that keeps us from serving ourselves (Galatians 5:16-26). God is glorified when we bear much fruit – when we develop as we should (John 15:1-8, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 3:18) – bearing good fruit proves us to be disciples of Jesus (John 15:8) and it proves that we are growing in the wisdom that is from above!

    We will have endless opportunities to conduct ourselves in wise and godly ways: answering the phone and finding it’s another telemarketer, long wait times (in-person or in our vehicle), gossip/disparaging comments in the break room at work, when your neighbour does not behave in a nice way, when someone is thoughtless or rude to us, when we speak to other women (or younger women, Titus 2:3-5), when we are asked for advice by a weak-in-the-faith sister in Christ, etc. etc. etc.  We need to remember to exhibit wisdom that is from above, wisdom that is full of mercy and good fruits!     

    Let’s work at tenderizing the hard spots, pulling the weeds, and extracting the stones from our own hearts with daily determination and prayer so we can flourish for God and prove His will to be good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:1-2) to others around us!! Let’s think on God’s mercy and His goodness, so we can imitate Him as dear children (Ephesians 5:1), and grow toward flourishing in wisdom that is from above!

You can do it! So can I!!  

Wisdom from Above is… Full of Mercy

“But wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy…” (James 3:17 NKJV)

    The mercy in this passage is a mercy shown toward others, to show yourself merciful. It also holds within it a desire to relieve those who are sorrowful and afflicted by showing kindness and goodwill to them.

    Jesus exemplified this mercy several times (ex: Matthew 9:35-36, Matthew 14:14, and Matthew 15:29-32). We learn from His teaching that it proper to develop a heart of lovingkindness toward our fellow man. Consider Matthew 5:44, for instance, as well as Luke 10:25-37. We are to be kind and merciful “neighbours” to everyone we meet.

"So which of these three do you think was neighbour to him who fell among the thieves?" And he said, "He who showed mercy on him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do likewise." (Luke 10:36-37 NKJV)

    When we consider the mercy that God has shown toward us on a daily basis – granting us another day to learn and do more to honour and glorify Him, granting us access to His throne of grace through prayer, forgiving our sins as we repent of them, loading us with benefits and blessings (Psalm 68:19); He provides our needs (Matthew 6:30-34), comforts us, strengthens us, He gives us His peace that guards our hearts and minds through Jesus, and hope – when we consider all of that, we should be humbled and overflowing with appreciation. It should also develop a true willingness within our hearts and minds to extend mercy to others.

    Take time to read and think on Matthew 18:21-35. Are you holding grudges or withholding kindness? Are you willing to receive mercy but unwilling to extend it toward others in need of it? Are you enjoying the benefits of God but not sharing them with others? Please read 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 and 9:7-8. Our heavenly Father always gives us enough to share; we will always have a ready supply to show mercy to others!

    Those who are growing in the wisdom that is from above will also be humbling their heart to be a servant to both God and their fellow man. They will awake to each new day and count their blessings, keeping stock of all that God has granted them in His merciful love and care, and with that knowledge they will reflect His light in to the world through their good works, thoughtful concern, and gentle kindnesses (Galatians 6:9-10, Titus 3:8, 14). They will be forgiving because God is forgiving (Ephesians 4:32, Matthew 6:14-15); they will be full of mercy because God, our Creator, is full of mercy.

    Share your food (Isaiah 58:7-9, Luke 14:12-14), your house (Hebrews 13:2, 1 Peter 4:7-10), your clothes (Matthew 5:42), your wealth (1 Timothy 6:17-19, 2 Corinthians 9:7-8), and your time (Titus 2:3-5); share the good news of salvation with those who need it (1 Peter 3:15, Mark 16:15-16). Share the mercy that God has shown you, be forgiving and ready to heals hurts and wounds. Begin by understanding how blessed you are – how merciful God has been – and then extend that to others! Make it a daily determination so that you can grow and flourish in the wisdom that is from above. Are you ready to fill yourself up with mercy and show yourself merciful?

You can do it! So can I!!

"God of... mercy"

    This week, I would like you to take the time to read Psalm 59 – it’s only 17 verses long – and if you can, please read Psalm 57 (11 verses) as well. Both these psalms are among the psalms David wrote while King Saul was murderously pursuing him. It is valuable to consider those circumstances as you read these psalms, so you can better hear the earnest pleading in David’s words but also be buoyed by his confidence in God’s mercy.

    It is interesting to note that the actual term “God of mercy” (or “God of my mercy” as it is sometimes translated) is only found two times in the Bible, both in Psalm 59, yet one could readily argue that God is accurately described and depicted as a God of mercy throughout the Bible; there are hundreds of verses that speak of His mercy and lovingkindness toward men, the greatest ones being those that tell of Him sending His Son to save us from our sins – that is surely the greatest possible proof of His mercy (John 3:14-21, 1 John 4:7-10)!

“My God of mercy shall come to meet me; God shall let me see my desire on my enemies. Do not slay them, lest my people forget; scatter them by Your power, and bring them down, O LORD our shield.” (Psalm 59:10-11 NKJV)

    Why was David so confident in God’s mercy? He knew that he was upholding God’s law and abiding by it to the very best of his abilities. He states, “The mighty gather against me, not for my transgressions nor for my sin, O LORD. They run and prepare themselves through no fault of mine” (Psalm 59:3b-4). At the beginning of his troubles with Saul, it says in 1 Samuel 18:14 that “David behaved wisely in all his ways, and the LORD was with him” and later, when given two opportunities to end Saul’s life, David stated on both occasions, “The LORD forbid that I should stretch out my hand against the LORD’s anointed” (1 Samuel 24:1-22; 26:1-25)

    David could be assured of God’s mercy because he had been merciful (consider Matthew 5:7) and he loved God and kept His commandments (Deuteronomy 7:9, Psalm 25:10). Time and time again David trusted in God’s mercy – consider David’s prayer for forgiveness in Psalm 51 and his choice of punishment in 2 Samuel 24:10-25 – and so we find him speaking of God’s mercy throughout his writings: “The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy. The LORD is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all his works” (Psalm 145:8-9).  

“To You, O my Strength, I will sing praises; for God is my defense, My God of mercy.” (Psalm 59:17 NKJV)

    In your troubles, can you do as David did?  Can you trust in God’s mercy enough to praise Him in the midst of the storm, fully confident that He will help? Do you consider God your defense?

    In Psalm 57:1-3 David begins his plea to the LORD: “Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me! For my soul trusts in You; and in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge, until these calamities have passed by. I will cry out to God Most High, to God who performs all thongs for me. He shall send from heaven and save me; He reproached the one who would swallow me up. God shall send forth His mercy and His truth.” (NKJV)

    Are you assured of God’s mercy as you faithfully serve Him? He is “the Father of mercies and God of all comfort” (as we studied earlier, 2 Corinthians 1:3-7), you can trust in His mercy – it is renewed every morning; it will not run out (Lamentations 3:22-24)! Learn from David and let his trust in God lead you to trust Him more – let David’s words become your words:

“I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever; with my mouth will I make known Your faithfulness to all generations. For I have said, “Mercy shall be built up forever; Your faithfulness You shall establish in the very heavens”… “Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; mercy and truth go before Your face. Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!” (Psalm 89:1-2, 14-15 NKJV)

You can do it! So can I!!

 

"But God who is rich in mercy..."

“But God who is rich in mercy, because of the His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)…” (Ephesians 2:4-5 NKJV)

    This is the passage that sparked the entire study! What a life-changing statement this is!! It has not only changed my life, but your life as well, and the life of each and every one who believes!

    We grew up and became accountable before God. Even for those of us who were “raised in the church”, there was no bubble wrap for us in regard to sin; “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). We all at some point followed after temptation and sinned (Ephesians 2:2-3), we may have even made a habit out of it, but when we sinned, we died, spiritually.

    BUT GOD, RICH in mercy - absolutely abounding in lovingkindness (Psalm 103:8-18) – because of His GREAT love for us, gave His only begotten Son so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life (John 3:16)!

    God gave us hope – He granted us life again – He gave us opportunity to be revived and walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4). God, by His grace, gifted us with new life in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9)!

    Because of God’s rich mercy and great love in sending His Son to die for us, we, although lost in darkness, were able to seek God and find Him (Acts 17:27). We could listen to His word and believe it (Romans 10:17, Hebrews 11:6). When we realized our state – our deadness in sin – we could run to God for help, for hope (Acts 2:37) and find both in abundance!

“Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38 NKJV)

    As a child of God (Romans 8:12-17), made alive by grace (Ephesians 2:1-10), belonging to the body of Christ through baptism (1 Corinthians 12:12-13), we have help, and we have hope not only in this life but in the one beyond as well!

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:3-5 NKJV)   

    Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift (2 Corinthians 9:15)!

    If you have not yet been revived to spiritual life with God through Jesus, if you have not yet been baptized for the remission of your sins, let today be the day! Let this be the day you begin to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4-13)!!

Let today be the day!!  

The LORD Takes Pleasure In Those Who Fear Him

“He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He takes no pleasure in the legs of man. The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy.” (Psalm 147:10-11 NKJV)

The Lord takes pleasure in those who are willing, even in their strength of mind and body, to humble themselves and bend their knee to His majesty; those who, even though blessed with great physical ability, understand who God is and who they are before Him, choosing reverence over revolt.

“No king is saved by the multitude of an army; a mighty man is not delivered by great strength. A horse is a vain hope for safety; neither shall it deliver any by its great strength. Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him, on those who hope in His mercy, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.” (Psalm 33:16-19 NKJV)

We build our lives in such a way so as not to worry. “As long as I have ______, I’ll be okay.” We tell ourselves this, filling in the blank with “family”, “friends”, “money”, “health”, “control”, etc. Great empires rise and fall, mighty men can be weak, even strong horses have limited ability and soon grow tired, none of these can deliver a soul from death, none can cause food to grow in famine. But God can.

If we live humbly and reverently before God, making use of the “today” He grants us by seeking further knowledge of Him (and discovering more reasons to respect Him), obeying His commands (and realizing that His way truly is the BEST way), and by doing good and shining our light to guide others toward Jesus (because it is only through Jesus that hope is found, 1 Peter 1:3-4), then we can come to the point where we no longer place trust in our physical blessings and instead we can happily state, “As long as I have God, I’ll be okay.”

“Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Your mercy, O LORD, be upon us, just as we hope in You.” (Psalm 33:20-22 NKJV)

From wherever you are right now - BEGIN!

(Photo Credit: Cait Fairchild)

Fix It So You Can Flourish: Are You Repaying Evil or Regarding Good?

    I've been thinking a lot lately on Romans 12. It's a great chapter, jam-packed with great instructions and so much information to meditate on! This week in our "Fix It So You Can Flourish' series, I would like you to consider Romans 12:17-18:

"Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men." (NKJV)

    Have you heard this before: "Don't sink to their level."  This phrase (which I heard often growing up) always brought an image to my mind of people standing in thick, slimy mud - the more upset they got, the more they struggled, the further they would sink into the mud.

    It's a simple statement that restates the biblical admonition we find in Romans 12:17 - "repay no one evil for evil." It's an instruction telling us to not 'follow suit.' Do not sling the mud back at the mud-slinger.

    God requires us to be different (Romans 12:2). He desires for us to choose His way - a path different from the common heavily traveled one we find in the world. How do we walk on this good pathway? By having regard for good things in the sight of all men!

    God does not want us wasting our mental energies on retaliation plans (Micah 2:1) or thinking up the perfect thing to say that 'would put them in their place.' God does not want us abusing our verbal skills by uttering hurtful/harmful/hateful words (Ephesians 4:29-32, Titus 3:2, James 3:9-10). Instead, God wants us to hone our skills in thinking on and speaking up with suggestions that provide good in all situations.

    Rather than adding to the negativity of any situation (our own or that of others), God wants us to offer a suggestion that will bring resolution and peace. God does not want us to be part of the problem, He wants us to be part of the solution!

"If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men."

    Plain and simple - If it is possible live peaceably with all men. The important bit is the 'as much as depends on you.' All interaction is akin to a tennis match - a game of back and forth. When you have a negative, hurtful interaction and the 'ball' is in your court ("as much as depends on you" - your response is a big factor in how the game will play out!) you have the choice to either hit back with the same behaviour/words that are hurting you (repay evil for evil) OR provide good to the situation by responding with grace, mercy, and kindness -     

    Romans 12 finishes with a clear instruction in verse 21:

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

    So from this day onward, provide good. Build your skills in peacemaking and use your mental prowess to develop good suggestions that could make for peace. And as much as it depends on you, step skillfully and carefully out of the mud puddle and help your companion out of it too!

    Leave the rest up to God. Go to Him in prayer, ask for wisdom (James 1:5). He will help you if you desire to obey His instructions. God is AWESOME like that!! :)

    If you have been in the habit of repaying evil for evil - or simply dwelling on imaginary scenarios that revolve around such - please consider the instructions in Romans 12 and fix it so you can flourish! Read, study, and pray to better appreciate the grace and mercy God continues to extend to you each day, so that you can extend it, yourself, more willingly to others! Grace and mercy enables good solutions to flourish and good solutions bring glory to God (Matthew 5:16, Titus 3:8)! Are you ready to flourish in your regard for good?

You can do it! So can I!!