Text: Romans 12:3-8
To make the best of the Christian life you have to know how the Christian life work. When we know how the Christian life works it will be better, easier, more enjoyable and teachable to others.
In Romans 12:3-8 we are given an outline of how the Christian life works.
I would like to outline this text with 5 words that I feel summarizes how the Christian life works.
Word 1 is Grace
“For I say, through the grace given to me…”(3)
God’s work in every believer is done through Grace. It’s interesting that in every one of the 13 books of the N.T. written by Paul he always says in their introduction “Grace to you.”
Grace is God’s unmerited favor it is something that is freely given to us and never something that is earned or deserved.
There are different graces available for different needs and situations. For those who need salvation there is a saving grace (Eph 2:8) for those needing strength there is a strengthening grace.(2Cor. 12:9) and for times of straying there is a grace to bring us back. (Heb 12:28)
Word 2 is Growth
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. (3)
When the Christian life is working you will grow. Growth is not meant to be optional or for a select few but instead is for everyone who is among you.
In verse 3 Paul gives is a clue to what area we should target for growth. It is the area of thinking. If we can change our thinking we can change our life. (See Romans 12:2) We grow in changing our thinking through the measure of faith God has given each one of us. Our Faith fights the enemy who is trying to stop us growing. And remember this measure of faith that God has given us can be increased by meditating on the Word of God. Meditating on the Word of God will challenge, correct and change our thinking in order that we can grow.
Word 3 is Group
For as we have many members in one body but all the members do not have the same function, so we being many are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
The Christian life works in cooperation with a local body of believers. What Eve was to Adam the local church is to each believer. It is not good to be alone and the Christian life is not going to work with out a local church to belong to. In the bible there are one another commands that needs a local church to help put them into practice.
Word 4 is Gifts
Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: If prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry let him us it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
Every believer who has received the grace of God has also received at least one spiritual gift from God. Every believer does not have the same gift but instead we have different gifts. Romans 12:7-8 are not an exhaustive list of the spiritual gifts as others are mentioned in such scriptures as 1Cor 12. The purposes of the spiritual gifts are to glorify God, strengthen the local church and to bear fruit in others. If we don’t yet know our spiritual gifts one practical way to discover them is by trying different ministries. We will soon discover if we have the spiritual gift for that ministry. Another way we can discover our spiritual gifts is by asking other believers for their honest evaluation.
Word 5 is Go
We are told to use our spiritual gifts and in order for the Christian life to work we have to go into the world with the grace and the gifts God has given us. It can only work if we put our Christian life into practice.