Romans 12
(1) Live for God Instead of Conforming to the World
My fellow Christians, I want to encourage you in something. Embracing the compassion God offers, present your bodies to God as living and pure sacrifices that please Him. That servitude would be the reasonable thing for you to do. Don’t conform yourselves to the world, but allow your renewing thoughts to transform you. That way, you’ll be able to test and see God’s desires are—things that are good, pleasing, and perfect.
(3) Christians are Extensions of Each Other
God has given me enough grace to teach that you shouldn’t think more highly of yourself than you are. Be sensible, keeping in mind that God has allotted everyone with a different level of trust in Him. There are lots of believers, but we’re all one entity in the Chosen One (just like a single body composed of many different parts that all have different functions). We’re all extensions of each other. We all have different spiritual endowments depending on the grace that has been given to each of us, and we need to exercise them in proportion to their dependence on Jesus.
The person gifted with prophecy should prophesy in proportion to his level of trust in God
The person gifted with service should serve in proportion with their level of dependence on Jesus
Teachers in their teaching
Encouragers in their encouraging
Givers in their generosity
Rulers in their dedication
The merciful in their cheerfulness
(9) Genuinely love other people
Let your love be sincere. Hate what’s bad, and cling to what’s good. Show each other affection like loving siblings. View it as an honor to take the first step towards each other instead of hesitating timidly. Let your spirit be bubbling over as you serve The Authority in this way. Rejoice when there’s hope, and persevere when there’s affliction. Stay in constant communication with God. Contribute to the needs of those who work for God. Strive to love people you just met.
When someone mistreats you, wish good things for them instead of bad. Celebrate with people when they’re happy, and weep with them when they cry. Share the same mentality with each other. Don’t have a superior mentality, but spend time with people in the lower class. Don’t think of yourself as being smarter than others. When someone harms you, never get back at them with more harm. Provide goodness in sight of everyone. Keep the peace with everyone. My dear friends, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for God’s anger since the writings record the Master as saying:
“Vengeance is mine. I’ll pay everyone back. Feed your enemy when he’s hungry, and give him a drink when he’s thirsty. Doing that will rake fiery coals on top of his head.”
—Proberbs 20:22 & 25:21–22
Don’t be conquered by evil—conquer evil with good.