Study of Romans 12: A Summary

    Throughout Romans 12 we have found three easy to spot “fence posts” that help our minds stay aligned to the overarching message: choose good over evil.

• Fence Post One is found in verse 1 and 2, where we are instructed to choose transformation over conformation.
• Fence Post Two is found in verse 9, where we are told to cling to what is good and abhor what is evil.
• Fence Post Three is found in verse 21 where we are commanded to overcome evil with good.

    The verses between these fence posts are filled with instruction to keep us on the right side of the fence; instructions for how to behave toward our brethren and toward those who do evil and persecute us.

    God’s way takes effort: effort in preparing and effort in doing.

"Any dead fish can flow with the current; it takes a live one to swim upstream."

Note: That simple statement was made by my widowed maternal grandmother, Marjorie Gare. It was her response to a question (from her family members, all staunch Free Methodists) of why she left the Free Methodists to obey the gospel and become a member of the church of Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23, 1 Corinthians 12:12-13, Romans 12:4-5). She was the first convert from the community (in 1964) in the then newly formed Wellandport church of Christ. Soon after, two of her brothers (Allen and Glenn) and their wives (Sis and Pearl, respectively) would follow her example, obey the gospel, and become faithful members of the church.   

    We need to prepare our hearts and minds to obey. How? By remembering all that God has done for us.

    He loves us so much that He sent His Son to die for us so we could be saved from the bondage of sin (1 John 4:9-10, Romans 6:17-19). His mercy is so abundant that He preserved His word through these centuries so we, too, could access it and learn of Him, seek Him, and find out what is acceptable to Him (Romans 15:4-6, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Ephesians 5:8-10). And in reading His word, we discover that His commands and instructions are for our good always (Deuteronomy 6:24-26); that His prohibitions keep us safe from harm (and from harming others), and His permissions benefit us (and help us benefit others).

    When we remember and appreciate what God has done for us, and continues to do for us (Psalm 68:19, Romans 8:26-27, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, Philippians 4:6-7, Hebrews 4:14-16, etc.), we will come to realize that submitting to Him in obedience is the most logical response; He has done so much, and asks so little of us in return.

    When we have gained knowledge (by learning God’s commands and instructions), wisdom (by obeying His commands and instructions), and spiritual understanding (coming to realize the immense value of God and His word, the pure wisdom of His ways, etc.) then we will logically conclude that God’s way is the best way; we will be willing to put ourselves and our own ideas aside and submit to His will (present your bodies a living sacrifice); we will want to be holy and acceptable to God. We will desire the transformation (being changed for the better) that will come when we renew our minds – turning our focus from the world and its ways to God and His way (Colossians 3:1-2) – and we will determine to use the gifts/talents/abilities God has given us, and to use them for good.

    We will grow to love our brethren by applying the instructions given verse 10 through 13, and we will grow to a place of faith in God’s way and strength of spirit so that we will not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with the good that God has instructed us in (verses 14-20) – we will follow His way and in so doing show others in the world that there is a better way.   

    I created two ‘charts’ to help you remember what God has provided us in this one chapter so we can succeed in obeying His commands: 

    I hope you have benefitted from this study of Romans 12 as much as I have. It has opened my eyes to God’s love, and also how far I still need to grow and develop. There is work to do, and God wants you to succeed – to overcome! Are you ready to present your body a living sacrifice, to be holy and acceptable to God? Are you ready to use your abilities for good? To prepare yourself through faithful application of His instructions to love your brethren with brotherly love and to overcome evil with good? God has given us all we need to do exactly that! Are you ready?   

You can do it! So can I!!

Study of Romans 12 – Verse 21

    Over the past few weeks we have looked at how to keep our conduct holy (1 Peter 1:15-16) and acceptable to God (Romans 12:1) in troubling circumstances. We have learned that we are to…

…bless those who persecute us, bless and do not curse (v14)

…rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep (v15)

…treat everyone equally (v16)

…be willing to do what is needed, no matter how humble the task (v16)

…be willing to listen and learn from others (v16)

…not repay evil for evil (v17)

…prepare ourselves (through study and application of God’s word) to know what is good so we can do and say what is good in any situation (v17, Hebrews 5:14)

…prepare our minds beforehand to approach every troubling circumstance peaceably (v18)

…not avenge ourselves, but give it to “Him who judges righteously” (1 Peter 2:23), knowing that He will deal with it justly (v19)

…help our enemy when they are in need (providing food/drink, and in so doing giving them ‘food for thought’)

 

    God gave us these commands so that we would not fall prey to evil. Through obedience of these commands He has given us the power to overcome evil with good and “prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2)!

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:21 NKJV)

overcome (Strong’s Greek #G3528, ‘nikao’) means to conquer, to prevail, to gain victory. It properly means to conquer, to carry off the victory, or come off victorious.

“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this the victory that has overcome the world – our faith. Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:4-5 NKJV)

I have borrowed this idea from my Dad (Brian V. Sullivan, a gospel preacher for 55+ years), and I’m sure I have used it in my writing before, but it is a good one to think about especially within this context.

Every time you are faced with decision to do good or to do evil, consider that in that decision there are three votes cast: God’s vote, who has given you all that is needed to make a right choice and overcome; He knows that you can rule over the sin that lies at the door (Genesis 4:7), the devil’s vote, who wants you to turn from God and fail like he did, and your own vote. Are you casting your vote with God or the devil? The choice is yours.

evil (Strong’s Greek #G2556, ‘kakos’) means bad, wicked, harmful. It properly means inwardly foul, rotten (poisoned). Read and consider Matthew 7:15-20.  

good (Strong’s Greek #G18, ‘agathos’) means what is upright, honourable, and acceptable to God. Read and consider Psalm 16:2, Galatians 6:9-10, and James 1:17

    We truly need to present ourselves to God as living sacrifices who are holy and acceptable to Him by allowing ourselves to be transformed from showing partiality, being reactive, vengeful, and angry to a new mindset that will be evident to all (1 Timothy 4:15-16). We need to be followers of Christ who do not lag in diligence but are fervent in spirit and serve the Lord so that we may prove that God’s will is good, acceptable, and perfect, and so that we can show those erring a better way, so we can fortify our own faith and trust in God and His way, and in so doing we can overcome evil with good!  

    Just as the wife can win her unbelieving husband to Christ through her quiet and chaste conduct (1 Peter 3:1-2), we, by obeying God’s commands in these verses (14-20), can win over those who have been our enemy and persecuting us. We can overcome evil with good!

    God’s way is the best way. Trust Him and obey His commands.

    Let’s determine to reflect God’s goodness in our lives, and through our gentle and quiet obedience we will show others a better way and bring more souls to Christ! Are you ready to conquer, prevail, and gain the victory over evil?  God has told you how in Romans 12. Cast your vote with Him!

You can do it! So can I!!