Romans 12:3-8 - Just Do It
- Chad Werkhoven
- 1 day ago
- 4 min read
Know how you've been spiritually gifted and then JUST DO IT!
Romans 12:1–8 (NIV)
CONTEXT: We read the first two verses of this chapter yesterday, and by God's grace we'll work our way through the entire chapter throughout this week.
12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
3Â For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4Â For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5Â so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6Â We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7Â if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8Â if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
Canons of Dordt
Point 5 - Perseverance of the Saints
Article 12 - The Lifestyle Assurance Brings
This assurance of perseverance, however,
so far from making true believers proud and carnally self-assured,
is rather the true root of
humility,
of childlike respect,
of genuine godliness,
of endurance in every conflict,
of fervent prayers,
of steadfastness
in crossbearing
and in confessing the truth,
and of well-founded joy in God.
Reflecting on this benefit provides an incentive to
a serious and continual practice of thanksgiving and good works,
as is evident from the testimonies of Scripture and the examples of the saints.
Summary
This week's article from the Canons reminds you that this assurance of perseverance - this massively comforting doctrine that we've studied each day for the last two and a half months which teaches that God's grace is stronger than you are, so therefore nothing can pry you from the salvation He's won for you - this assurance ought not make you proud and self assured, rather, it's the root of humility. In other words, your confidence is in Christ, not your own ability.
But too often Christians who properly desire to live humbly do so in a way that conflicts with Biblical imperatives. They translate their inability to save themselves into a perceived inability to do anything well. They read Paul's command to not think of yourself more highly than you ought as meaning they must think of themselves as lowly as possible.
But look at Paul's command again. He didn't end the sentence with the word highly. That final clause - than you ought - implies that there is a level of height in which you ought to think of yourself; a height which recognizes that you have gifts according to the grace given to each of us.
Too many Christians - especially ones like us - go their entire lives without utilizing the gifts they've been given because to do so might bring attention to them, and that attention might cause them to think of themselves highly. They end up squandering their gift so that neither they nor their community benefits from it in a effort to remain humble. That's not what the Canons intend to convey here, and it's especially not what the Bible conveys!
 Dig Deeper Â
Paul would have loved the Nike slogan of Just Do It. It would be a perfect summarization of today's passage: know what gift(s) you have and then Just Do It! If it is serving, serve; if it's teaching, teach; if it's encouraging, encourage. This list could keep going and going.
Do you know what gift(s) you have? Statistically, you probably don't. Christmas is coming soon, and you likely remember (or still experience) the overwhelming desire to open those wrapped gifts and see what's in them. Why are you so content, then, to leave the gift(s) the Holy Spirit has bestowed upon you unopened?
Many Christians don't unwrap their gifts because they don't know how. While there's more to discovering your gifts than what we have space for today, this broad rule of thumb will help narrow things down: your gifts are things you enjoy doing that benefit the Church.
Notice that it might be something you enjoy, but aren't particularly good at. Yet, at least. Like many gifts, your spiritual gifts arrive with some assembly required. Developing your gifts take hard work! But remember that you're callled to a serious and continual practice of thanksgiving and good works, so Just Do It!
ACKNOWLEDGE WHO GOD IS: Our Father, who has distributed faith to us and given each of us different gifts;
ALIGN YOUR LIFE WITH GOD'S WILL: Pray that you will be able to discern your gift(s) and do the hard (but enjoyable!) work of assembling and developing them;
ASK GOD FOR WHAT YOU NEED:
Read the New Testament in a year! Today: Revelation 7
