A Lesson in Honor from Romans 12

By Heidi Jo Fulk

“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. 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.” -Romans 12:1-2

We can learn a lot about honor in Romans 12. This chapter opens with two well-known verses about presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice to God and being transformed by the renewing of our minds. Then in the verses that follow, we see some practical working out of that sacrificial, transformed way of life.

1. We shouldn’t think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think (Rom. 12:3).

This is the starting place for understanding and rightly orienting our thoughts and expectations about honor. If I am thinking highly of myself, then I am going to expect to be honored. I also may not consider if I am thinking, acting, and speaking in an honorable way if I am self-centered in my thinking. Likewise, I may only give honor if I feel people deserve it.

2. Remember we all have different gifts and strengths (Rom. 12:4–8).

These verses are addressing the Body of Christ and the way each believer’s gifts and strengths work together for the building up of the kingdom. All have been given grace (v. 6), but how that grace is displayed in each individual’s life is different.

There is no better or worse, greater than or less than here. We’re not talking about worth, because every person’s worth—whether a believer or unbeliever—is established in being created in the image of God (Gen. 1:27; Matt. 6:26). Rather we see a picture of parts working together as a whole for the glory of God.

3. Let love be genuine (Rom. 12:9).

Love is to mark us. It is to be real. It does not begin with us, but rather is fueled by love from God to us. His love is real, so ours can be too even when it is only a choice and not also a feeling. 4. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good (Rom. 12:9).

Clearly, we are instructed to hate evil and cling to good. But it is vital to remember this comes directly after we are instructed to love genuinely. This means that as we detest evil, we must do it in a way that shows a motivation of true love for the individual. It does not mean that because someone has acted or spoken sinfully that it’s okay for us to call that out in a dishonorable or tactless way.

This could apply to both personal or public settings. Our aim should not be to shame or repay evil for evil. Our aim instead should be to honorably, appropriately, and clearly address sin and evil in a way that helps people to come to an understanding of their sin so that they may find the forgiveness and redemption of Christ.

TODAY'S DEVOTIONAL SPONSOR:

Come To JESUS...
What does it mean to “Come to Jesus”? It means agreeing with what the Bible says about Jesus. Take a look:
What Coming to Jesus is Not
• It is not about repeating a sinner’s prayer
• It is not about walking down an aisle
• It is not about filling out a Decision Card
What Coming to Jesus Is
• Repenting of your sins and turning the other way toward God
• Confessing your sins and seeing your sinfulness and realizing your desperate need for the Savior
• Believing that Jesus is your personal Savior
• Believing with your heart and not just your head
• Relying on, fully trusting in, leaning upon, and resting in — Him
• Believing that He is your Savior first and allowing the Holy Spirit to help you make Him your Lord too
• Believing that there is no other way to the Father in Heaven except by Jesus Christ alone

If you believe in the Bible, you can believe this:
Jesus was with God before the earth existed, left His glory with the Father and was born of a virgin, lived a perfect, sinless life, died on Calvary for your redemption, and was raised again after three days. Today He is in heaven and His sacrifice has provided a way for you to come to a saving faith. Being saved is fully a work of God. No one is saved by works. No one is saved by their own efforts. It is by grace alone, in faith alone, by Jesus alone. It is a gift of God (Eph 2:8-9). We pray that you will come to believe in Jesus Christ, be born-again, and be saved today.
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Acts 4:12 “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
Acts 16:30-31 “what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”
Romans 10:9-10 “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.”
Come to Jesus and Live!

DAILY SMILE:

What Rank?

Submitted by wadejagz

A mother was visiting her son on an Army base, and chatted with a colleague of his.

"What rank are you?" she asked.

"I'm relieved to say that I've just been promoted from captain to major."

"Why relieved?"

"Because," he replied, "my last name is Hook."

Leftover Pot Roast Patty Melts

Sometimes when we make a pot roast, we usually keep some leftovers. You can use those leftovers to make a whole new meal! Check these sandwiches out!

You’ll Need (for the sandwiches):

2 cups of leftover pot roast

8 slices of sturdy bread.

3 Tbsps of butter (and more for the bread).

2 medium thinly sliced onions.

8 ounces of sliced button mushrooms.

2 minced cloves of garlic.

Salt and pepper.

8 slices of Colby Cheese.

You’ll Need (for the sauce):

½ cup of mayonnaise.
3 tbsps of steam sauce.
A dash of worcestershire sauce.

How to:

First, microwave the pot roast to heat and butter one side of the bread.
In a large skillet, melt 3 tbsps of butter, add in onions and mushrooms and cook over medium high heat. Keep stirring until the onion is soft and the mushrooms brown.
Add in garlic, some salt and pepper for taste and cook and stir for 30 seconds.
Set aside.
Over medium high heat, heat a griddle. Place a slice of cheese on the unbuttered side of 4 slices of bread. Top with ½ cup of the pot roast, add on onion and mushroom mixture and the other slice of cheese. Once finished with all 4 slices, top with the other slices buttered side out.
Grill the sandwiches and flip so the other side is browned and crispy too.
For the sauce, mix together the mayonnaise, the steak sauce and worcestershire sauce and serve with the patty melts.