Romans 12. Some of you are wondering when the Apostle Paul is going to wrap up his theological commentary and get down to business… For all of you just-tell-me-what-to-do types, rejoice!

Romans 12:1 begins with therefore – which should always make you ask, “What is the therefore there for?” [please chuckle]. Because of the great mercies of God which Paul has explained in the previous eleven chapters – God’s compassion for us sinners, God’s grace to offer salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, God’s mercy on all people regardless of their background – therefore we are to offer ourselves as living sacrifices in worship of God.

As followers of Jesus Christ, we live differently than we did before. We surrender ourselves to live in God’s kingdom, following God’s instructions and his way of life. Paul’s warning is, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (12:2).

What is the way of the world, the thing we are not to allow to shape us? It is marked by selfishness, competition, lack of love for others, disrespect, division, anger, vengeance, impatience, and pride.

As followers of Jesus, we are not to embrace the patterns of the world. We must allow the Holy Spirit to daily renew and reshape our thinking and our actions. We need a whole new operating system – like moving from windows to a macbook, the underlying framework for everything is different. Be transformed by the renewal of your mind.

We are to walk in humility. Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought to think. Think of yourself with sober judgment (12:3). We are all sinners; we are all saved by grace. So don’t think you are super special, but respect everyone.

We belong to a new community. Like the church in Rome, the kingdom of God community is mixed ethnically, and mixed in so many other ways – income level, influence, opportunities and access, age, gender, and giftedness. So we, though we are many, are one body in Christ (12:5). We value everyone in our new community, and we care for everyone, working for the good of the whole.

How else are we to live this kingdom of God life? Paul gives rapid-fire instructions (12:9-21):

⁹ Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 
¹⁰ Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 
¹¹ Do not be slothful … serve the Lord. 
¹² Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 
¹³ Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you. 
¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.
¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.
 ¹⁷ Repay no one evil for evil
¹⁸ If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 
¹⁹ Never avenge yourselves…
²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Which of these instructions seems the most counter-cultural to you? Which one is the most challenging for you to live by on a daily basis? Ask the Lord to help you live into this new kingdom of God life.