Practical Rules For Living

Backstory:
Paul’s focus on justification (how to come into a right relationship with God) and sanctification (how to grow in a relationship with God) concluded with Romans 8. By their union with Christ in his death and resurrection and by the in-dwelling presence of the Holy Spirit, believers can live in freedom. As a reminder of their past, Paul reflected on the long and sometimes painful history of the Jewish people, showing that they have a place in God’s sovereign redemptive plan. Paul now turns to the practical application of all he has said previously in his letter to the Romans, going into detail to show that Jesus Christ is to be Lord of every area of life.

God’s Story:
Through the church, my people are united in one body. Together they will show the world my love, which lives in them. Both their words and their actions must testify that they live in me and I live in them. I delight when my people offer themselves to me wholeheartedly. And when they do so, I transform their thinking and change their hearts so they can know and fulfill my will for them.

Read Romans 12:1-21

Your Story:
Extending God’s love to others sounds easy until you disagree with someone. Too often Christians resort to petty arguments and allow minor differences to cause conflict, reverting back to “the pattern of this world” (Romans 12:2). Using some of Paul’s commands, how can you handle disagreements differently the next time they come up?