Right Relationships in Christ (preaching resource for August 23 & 30, 2026)

This post exegetes Romans 12:1-21, providing context for the Epistle readings on August 23 and August 30, 2026. Insights are drawn from "Romans: God's Good News for the World" by John Stott, and from "The Expositor’s Bible Commentary."

"Christ with His Disciples" by Mironov
(public domain via Wikimedia Commons)

Introduction

Paul concludes Romans (as he does most of his epistles) with a list of practical duties (ethics) that flow out of his presentation of the truths of the gospel. This is the gospel-focused, grace-based approach to Christian living where behavior flows from belief; where doing flows from being. And the behavior/doing to which Paul now turns focuses on relationships—beginning with our relationship with God and extending from there into our relationships with people. By grace we are rightly related to God in Christ. And now through Christ we are (by grace) rightly related to people and even to the State (Rom. 13). This is the transformation that happens through the Holy Spirit at work in our lives. It is not a transformation that comes from a law-based life.

Our relationship to God

Romans 12:1–2

Paul begins with a key word: ‘therefore.’ This is the fourth “therefore” in Romans. Romans 3:20 is the “therefore” of condemnation, Romans 5:1 of justification, and Romans 8:1 of assurance. Now in Romans 12:1, it is the “therefore” of our consecration (devotion) to God, which bears the fruit of right relationships with God and with people. Because the gospel is true for us (we are the beneficiaries of God’s mercies), our behavioral response is one of consecration to God which is expressed in right living (right relating). God's grace (his mercies) is the spring and foundation of the consecration (commitment-devotion) to him of our whole being: body, mind and will.

1. Give God your body (1)

Before we trusted Christ, we used our body for sinful pleasures and purposes, but now that we belong to Him, we consecrate our body for His glory. The Christian’s body is God’s temple (1 Cor. 6:19–20) because the Spirit of God dwells within them (Rom. 8:9). It is our privilege to glorify and magnify Christ in our body (Phil. 1:20–21). 

Just as Jesus Christ took on Himself a body in order to accomplish God’s will on earth, so we must yield our bodies to Christ that He might continue God’s work in and through us. We are called to yield the members of the body as “instruments of righteousness” (Rom. 6:13) for the Holy Spirit to use in the doing of God’s work. The Old Testament sacrifices were dead sacrifices, but we are to be living sacrifices. 

There are two “living sacrifices” in the Bible and they help us understand what this means. The first is Isaac (Gen. 22); the second is our Lord Jesus Christ. Isaac willingly put himself on the altar and would have died in obedience to God’s will, but the Lord sent a ram to take his place. Isaac “died” just the same—he died to self and willingly yielded himself to the will of God. When he got off that altar, Isaac was a “living sacrifice” to the glory of God. 

Of course, our Lord Jesus Christ is the perfect illustration of a “living sacrifice,” because He actually died as a sacrifice, in obedience to His Father’s will. But He arose again. And today He is in heaven as a “living sacrifice,” bearing in His body the wounds of Calvary. He is our High Priest (Heb. 4:14–16) and our Advocate (1 John 2:1) before the throne of God. 

The verb “present” in this verse means “present once and for all.” It commands a definite commitment of the body to the Lord, just as a bride and groom in their wedding service commit themselves to each other. It is this once-for-all commitment that determines what they do with their bodies. Paul gives us two reasons for this commitment: (1) it is the right response to all that God has done for us—“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God”; and (2) this commitment is “our reasonable service” or “our spiritual worship.” This means that every day is a worship experience when your body is yielded to the Lord. 

2. Give God your mind (2a)

The world wants to control your mind, but God wants to transform it (see Eph. 4:17–24; Col. 3:1–11). This word transform is the same as transfigure in Matthew 17:2. It has come into our English language as the word “metamorphosis.” It describes a change from within. The world wants to change your mind, so it exerts pressure from without. But the Holy Spirit changes your mind by releasing power from within. God transforms our minds and makes us spiritually minded by using His Word. As you spend time meditating on God’s Word, memorizing it, and making it a part of your inner being, God will gradually make your mind more spiritual (see 2 Cor. 3:18). 

3. Give God your will (2b) 

Your mind controls your body, and your will controls your mind. Many people think they can control their will by “willpower,” but usually they fail. (This was the experience of a Christian seeking to live under the Law of Moses which Paul presents in Rom. 7:15–21). It is only when we yield the will to God that His power can take over and give us the willpower (and the ‘won’t’ power) that we need to be victorious Christians. 

Through the spiritual disciplines (prayer, Bible Study, meditation, fasting, etc.) we surrender our wills to God, praying, as did Jesus, “Not my will, but Thy will be done.” A suggested use of the spiritual disciplines is to begin each day by surrendering your body to the Lord. Then spend time with His Word and let Him transform your mind and prepare your thinking for that new day. Then pray, yielding your plans for the day to Him, asking Him to work as He sees best. In this way you start the day by yielding to Him your body, mind, and will. 

Our relationship to other believers 

Romans 12:3–16

Paul was writing to Christians who were members of house churches in Rome. He described their relationship to each other in terms of the members of a body. The basic idea is that each believer is a living part of Christ’s body, and each one has a spiritual function to perform. Each believer has a gift (or gifts) to be used for the building up of the body and the perfecting of the other members of the body. In short, we belong to each other, we minister to each other, and we need each other. Paul addresses the essentials for spiritual ministry and growth in the body of Christ: 

1. Honest evaluation (3) 

Each Christian must know what their spiritual gifts are and what ministry (or ministries) they are to have in the local church. We should neither overrate our giftedness (boast of our gifts); nor should we undervalue them (belittle or deny what God has given to us). Both of these wrong attitudes come from a false pride—refusing to properly acknowledge God’s grace and give Him the credit. Moses made a similar mistake when God called him (Ex. 4:1–13). The gifts that we have came because of God’s grace. They must be accepted and exercised by faith. We were saved “by grace, through faith” (Eph. 2:8–9), and we must live and serve “by grace through faith.” Since our gifts are from God, we cannot take the credit for them. All we can do is accept them and use them to honor His name.  

2. Faithful cooperation (4–8)

Each believer has a different gift (or gifts), and God has bestowed these gifts so the local body can grow in a balanced way. But each Christian must exercise his or her gift by faith. We may not see the result of our ministry, but the Lord sees it and He blesses. Note that “exhortation” (encouragement) is just as much a spiritual ministry as preaching or teaching. Giving and showing mercy are also important gifts. To some people, God has given the ability to lead, or to administer the various functions of the church. Whatever gift we have must be dedicated to God, respected by all, and used for the good of the whole church. 

3. Loving participation (9–16)

Here the emphasis is on the attitudes of those who exercise the spiritual gifts. It is possible to use a spiritual gift in an unspiritual way. Paul makes this same point in 1 Corinthians 13, the “love chapter” of the New Testament. Love is the circulatory system of the spiritual body, which enables all the members to function in a healthy, harmonious way. This must be an honest love, not a hypocritical love (Rom. 11:9); and it must be humble, not proud (Rom. 11:10). “Preferring one another” means treating others as more important than ourselves. 

Serving Christ usually brings satanic opposition and days of discouragement. Paul admonished his readers to maintain their spiritual zeal because they were serving the Lord and not men. When life becomes difficult, the Christian cannot permit his zeal to grow cold. “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (Rom. 12:12). 

Finally, Paul reminded them that they must enter into the feelings of others. Christian fellowship is much more than a pat on the back and a handshake. It means sharing the burdens and the blessings of others so that we all grow together and glorify the Lord. If Christians cannot get along with one another, how can they ever face their enemies? A humble attitude and a willingness to share are the marks of a Christian who truly ministers to the body. Our Lord ministered to the common people, and they heard Him gladly (Mark 12:37). When a local church decides it wants only a certain class of people in its midst, it departs from the Christian ideal for ministry. 

Our relationship to our enemies 

Romans 12:17–21

The believer who seeks to obey God is going to have enemies. When our Lord was ministering on earth, He had enemies. No matter where Paul and the other apostles traveled, there were enemies who opposed their work. Jesus warned His disciples that their worst enemies might be those of their own household (Matt. 10:36). Unfortunately, some believers have enemies because they lack love and patience, and not because they are faithful in their witness. There is a difference between sharing in “the offense of the cross” (Gal. 5:11; 6:12–15) and being an offensive Christian! 

The Christian must not play God and try to avenge themselves. Returning evil for evil, or good for good, is the way most people live. But the Christian must live on a higher level and return good for evil. Of course, this requires love, because our first inclination is to fight back. It also requires faith, believing that God can work and accomplish His will in our lives and in the lives of those who hurt us. We must give place to the ‘wrath” of God (Deut. 32:35). 

The admonition in Romans 12:20 reminds us of Christ’s words in Matthew 5:44–48. These words are easy to read but difficult to practice. Surely we need to pray and ask God for love as we try to show kindness to our enemies. Will they take advantage of us? Will they hate us more? Only the Lord knows. Our task is not to protect ourselves but to obey the Lord and leave the results with Him. 

Paul referred to Proverbs 25:21–22 as he urged us to return good for evil in the name of the Lord. The “coals of fire” refer perhaps to the feeling of shame our enemies will experience when we return good for evil; other commentators note that in the first century to give your neighbor the coals from your fire (which they would carry home in a pan or basket placed on their head) was a highly valued and generous gift. Jesus says to do good to those who persecute us. 

Conclusion

Thank God that we are saved by grace apart from the Law. Let us, therefore, in gratitude present our bodies and our whole beings to him as living sacrifices—consecrated to the master’s service, for his glory.  By the same grace that saved us, he will also transform us. Let us yield ourselves daily to his work in our lives.