A Reminder of Our Responsibilities from Romans 12:1-21
Quote: Peter T. Forsythe was right when he said, "The first duty of every soul is to find not its freedom but its Master".
Warren W. Wiersbe, The Integrity Crisis, Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1991, p. 22.
1. REVERE our Sovereign God - vs. 1:"Therefore", (For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity) Romans 11:36 Praise God for all His wonderful attributes of power, love, and grace.
2. REMEMBER Jesus Christ - vs. 1: In view of God’s mercy. Failure to remember all of the mercies we have received can lead to complacency, indifference or resistance to God’s will. Let us come boldly before the throne of grace so that we may find mercy and grace to help in the time of need for we have not a high priest who cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmities, but was tempted like as we are yet without sin.
3. REVIEW AND REALIZE all of the blessings you have in Christ. - Vs. 1 - To view God’s mercies by looking at them with full reflection and consideration of His marvelous riches, resources and rewards. Count your blessings name them one by one and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.
4. RENOUNCE all forms of internal and external evil - Abandon all claim or right to what is of the world, the flesh or the devil. Vs. 1 - To offer your bodies as a living sacrifice. Practice self denial and give up your own rights to the Lord and He will give you greater peace, meaning and wholeness than you could achieve with your own desires.
5. RESIST the temptations to conform to the world - vs. 2 - Do not give in to the pressures to fall in line with what is popular, prestigious or probably going to give you a promotion in the eyes of the world.
6. RECKON yourself as dead to sin and alive to Christ Jesus. Vs. 1 - Remember you have died with Christ to the old nature’s desires and you are now allowing the life of the Spirit to manifest the fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control.
7. RENEW your mind - vs. 2 - To revive your thinking so as to restore Christ like thinking in all of your personal thoughts, relationships and activities
8. REPLACE that which is evil with that which is good - vs. 21 - Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with what is good.
9. REFUSE to internalize hurt, anger or feelings of discouragement. Vs. 12 - Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer
10. RESTRAIN from all forms of vengeance - vs. 17 "Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Solomon wrote, "Where there are many words, transgressions are unavoidable but he who restrains his lips is wise.
11. REALIGN your will with God’s will - vs. 2 "Then you will be able to test and approve (prove to be true) what God’s will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." Just as we have to get the wheels on our car realigned occasionally so we need to realign our thoughts, actions and emotions with the Spirit.
12. REJOICE with those who rejoice. Vs. 15 - Rejoice with those who rejoice. Give praise, thanks and honor to the Lord consistently in your prayers to the Lord. Learn to joyfully associate with joyful, thankful and buoyant people. Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice. (Phil. 4:4)
13. RECONSTRUCT your life to be more like Christ in all aspects. Vs. 2 - "Be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Spend at least ten minutes every morning reading God’s word and asking the Lord to program your mind to His purposes for each day.
14. REJUVENATE your mind, emotions and will with God’s word. Vs. 2 - "By the renewing of your mind so you can test and approve God’s will." Let your strength, thinking and emotions be restore with youthful energy, power and enthusiasm.
15. RETHINK some of your motives. Vs. 16 - "Do not be conceited." Do not have an excessive pride in yourself or your own ideas. Put away fanciful notions about your own self-importance, independence and personal rights.
16. RELATE to people of low position - vs. 16 "Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position." Do not only relate to people whom of your own social-economic or education status. Relate to people according to their felt, perceived and spiritual needs. Paul became all things to all men that by all means he may save some. (I Cor. 9:19-21)
17. RECONCILE with people who you may have had differences with. Vs. 16 "Live in harmony with one another." Be willing to say you are sorry and express thankfulness in a way that shows a genuine willingness to restore a friendship, communication and a sound relationship.
18. REST in the promise that God’s power is greater than any problem you will face. Vs. 21 "Do not be overcome by evil but overcome evil with good." Know that the Lord will help fight the battles for you. Sing the song, "Jesus I am resting, resting in the joy of what Thou art. I am finding out the greatest of Thy loving heart."
19. RESOLVE in your heart to consistently offer yourself as a living sacrifice to God. Vs. 1 - Do not try to please people remembering that your priorities are to glorify and love the Lord with all your heart, soul, strength and mind and then your neighbor as yourself." Be determined to be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing your labor is not in vain in the Lord. (I Cor. 15:58)
20. RECONFIGURE some of the misbeliefs and distorted perceptions you have about certain ideals and realities of life. Vs. 3 "For by the grace given to you do not think of yourself more highly than you ought." Even Jesus had to suffer indignities, hardships and unexplained difficulties in order to complete God’s will. Thank God you are more than conquerors through Him who loves us. (Rom. 8:37,38)
21. RESPECT others. Vs. 18 "If it is possible as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." Ask the Lord to help you show greater deferential esteem, regard and heed to other people and their point of view. Practice diplomacy, tact and consideration to everyone you meet and come in contact with. Avoid offending people by being dismissive of their feelings or viewpoint. Be polite, courteous and attentive to the needs of others so you can accept one another just as Christ has accepted and loved you for the glory of God.
22. REPRODUCE what is good by helping to expand Christ’s kingdom in quantity and quality. Vs. 5 "So in Christ we who are many form one body." We are born to reproduce the spiritual life of Christ that is in us. Let us bear both quantitative and qualitative fruit for Jesus Christ that proves we are seeking first His kingdom and righteousness. (Matt. 6:33)
23. REDIRECT all that you are, do and think to spiritual worship of God. Vs. 1 - "Holy and pleasing to God - that is your spiritual act of worship." We tend to become like whatever we worship. If we are worshiping people, position or power we will become like our idols. We worship the Lord so His Spirit can conform us more and more into Christ’s image. Paul wrote, "We all with open face, beholding as in a mirror, the glory of the Lord are changed from one degree of glory to another, just as by the Spirit of the Lord." (I Cor. 3:18)
24. REPORT all the good gifts God has given you to others through service. Vs. 6-8 "If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve. If it is teaching, let him teach. If it is encouraging, let him encourage, if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously, if it is leadership, let him govern diligently, if is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully."
25. RECORD the great things God is doing in, through and with you. (Rom. 11:36) For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to him be the glory both now and to day of eternity. The Lord is our source, our means and our goal for all things in life. Take an inventory and keep up a good diary of what the Lord has done for you and through you and with you. Failure to keep good records of your progress or lack of progress will help you grow up in all aspects into Christ who is the head. Keep a record of your prayers and the way God answers each one, it may surprise you what the Lord has done.
26. REACTIVATE Christ’s life, love and liberating ministry through the enabling power of the Holy Spirit. Ask the Lord to fill you, anoint you and empower you with the Spirit. Many Christians underutilize the power of the Spirit that lives within them. Allow the Lord to reactivate some unused aspects of the Christ’s attributes that lives inside of you with greater praise of all aspects of the godhead.
27. RECONSIDER all He has done in you, for you and with you. Pause to reconsider all the ways He wants to work through you to accomplish His greater purposes in the days to come. Jesus said, "If you believe in Me , the works that I do you will do even greater things than these, because I go to the Father and you can ask anything in my name and I will do it." (John 14:12-14)
28. REASSESS all the ways that you can master temptation, evil and opposition of all types to the will of God. Learn how to prevail mightly through prayer so you do not over react to evil, but overcome evil with good.
Conclusion: Instant obedience is the only kind of obedience there is; delayed obedience is disobedience. Whoever strives to withdraw from obedience, withdraws from Grace.
Thomas a Kempis.
