I admire the work of Chip Ingram, a Bible teacher/pastor who has done some fantastic work. One of the studies that I've had an opportunity to go through multiple times is one that Chip put together about chapter 12 of Romans. In Chip's words, Romans 12 provides a terrific overview of what it means to be an authentic follower of Jesus, and he breaks the chapter up into 5 parts/themes. He calls these the 5 S's of Romans 12.
Verse 1 - Surrendered to God: We can't become who God intends us to be until we are "all in", and willing to cooperate with His work in our lives.
V. 2 - Separate from the world: Not removed from the world, but separate or distinct, understanding that this distinction becomes gradually more apparent as our minds are "renewed" by hearing, reading, studying, memorizing and meditating on God's Word.
V. 3-8 - Sober self-assessment: Understanding who we are, how we are made, and how we fit into the larger picture of the Body of Christ. Not thinking too highly of ourselves, but also recognizing our gifts and talents, and committing to use them for God's purposes.
V. 9-13 - Serving in love: Fairly self-explanatory, but being willing to serve and submit to others.
V. 14-21 - Supernaturally responding to evil with good: Easier said than done most of the time, but trusting that God will meet our needs, and resisting the temptation to take revenge or harbor bitterness against those who make our lives difficult.
Many thanks to Chip for his work and insight into this chapter. You can visit Chip's R12 website to learn more.
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