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Priscilla: Romans 12:1-8
The Living Sacrifice, The Unity of the Church

1 Therefore, brothers, I call on you through the compassions of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service.

2 And be not conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, in order to prove by you what is the good and pleasing and perfect will of God.

3 For through the grace which is given to me, I say to everyone being among you, not to have high thoughts beyond what is right to think. But set your mind to be right-minded, even as God divided a measure of faith to each.

4 For even as we have many members in one body, but all members do not have the same function,

5 so we the many are one body in Christ, and each one members of one another,

6 but having different gifts according to the grace given to us, whether prophecy, according to the proportion of the faith;

7 or ministry, in the ministry; or the one teaching, in the teaching;

8 or the one exhorting, in the encouragement; the one sharing, in simplicity; the one taking the lead, in diligence; the one showing mercy, in cheerfulness.

[Literal Translation of the Holy Bible]

Dear God, my Beloved Father, today I offer You my reflection on the Word of God in Romans 12:1-8 about the living sacrifice and the unity of the Church.

Dear God, I understand the first verse as follows: By Your mercy, through faith in the redeeming death of Jesus Christ, Your people have been saved from the consequences of sin and have overcome all temptations. Therefore, as Your people, we should present our bodies as living and holy sacrifices to You. I understand that a living sacrifice means a vibrant body, while holy means cleansed of sins and set apart for You. The Apostle Paul teaches that presenting our bodies as a sacrifice is pleasing to You. I understand that when we do so, You use our bodies to do good deeds in accordance with Your will. This is true worship.

Dear God, I understand the second verse as follows: The Apostle Paul advised Your people not to conform to this world, meaning not to imitate those in the world who live a sinful life and engage in activities contrary to Your Word. As true children of God, we are transformed by the renewal of our minds and live a new life in You, for we belong to You. We do not live for ourselves but live and die for You. We live a life of love, holiness, and righteousness, just like Christ. Whatever we do, whether it be eating, drinking, or anything else, we do it for the glory of God. We present our bodies as living and holy sacrifices to worship and serve You.

Dear God, I understand verses 3 and 4 as follows: Through Your grace, the Apostle Paul was given wisdom and knowledge of the truth, and he was entrusted with the task of teaching Your Word to the Church. He advised Your people not to think of themselves more highly than they ought, nor to look down on others. He taught that each person should think according to the faith given to them by You. I understand that You give each person a different amount of faith and different gifts to build up the Church. Each person serves You according to Your grace in their own faith. Christ is the head of the Church, and each member serves one another to build up the Church, following Christ’s directions.

Dear God, I understand verses 5 to 8 as follows: Each person in the Church is a member of Christ and also a member of each other. Therefore, every person in the Church belongs to Christ and to each other. There are many different members, and each one is entrusted by God to do great or small works. However, no one is considered more important than any other. Different gifts are used for one purpose, which is to build up and protect the Church. Those who are gifted with serving will serve with all their heart. Those who are gifted with teaching will teach with all their heart. Those who are gifted with advising will advise with all their heart. Similarly, those who have the gift of sharing will share material goods with brothers and sisters in need. Those who have the gift of leadership, such as elders, will govern the Church with all their heart. Those who have the gift of mercy will empathize with brothers and sisters facing difficulties, hardships, the elderly, the sick, or the imprisoned.

I thank You for providing me with the instruction in these verses of the Bible. May You help me use the gifts I have received, according to my faith, to serve my Christian brothers and sisters and build the Church. Amen!

In the grace of Jesus Christ, my Lord.

Priscilla Christian Huynh
04/05/2023