Day 263 – Romans: How to behave
“Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us. Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.” Romans 12:3-5 NLT
Read Romans 12:1 to Romans 16:27
Moving from the theological to the practical, Paul gives guidelines for living as a redeemed people in a fallen world. The Christian life is not abstract theology unconnected with life; it has practical implications that will affect how we choose to behave each day. It is not enough merely to know the gospel – we need to be transformed by it.
When our purpose is to give credit to God for His love, power, and perfection in all we do, we can serve him properly. Serving Him unifies all believers and enables us to show love and sensitivity to others. None of us can be fully Christ-like by ourselves – it takes the entire body of Christ to more fully express Him. By actively and vigorously building up other believers, Christians can be a symphony of service to God.
We are to give ourselves to Christ as living sacrifices, obey the government, love our neighbours, and take special care of those who are weak in the faith. Throughout this section, we learn how to live our faith each day.
Prayer: Father, thank You for the guide of Your word and for the foundations on how to live a Christian life through the book of Romans. May we be transformed by the gospel, and may it be evident in our lives. Let us always consider our fellow worshipers and constantly have the importance of the Body of Christ in mind. Amen.
