Romans Worksheet - Chapter 12

Review & Conclusion of Romans:

Romans 1-3 demonstrated man's need for righteousness.  Romans 4-5 examined the faith of one who is declared righteous before God.  Romans 6-8 showed how faith releases the Spirit of God to do in a believer what the law could not do; to truly transform the believer by the Spirit within them.  Romans 9-11 went back into history and to the future to show us that God began the nation of Israel to bring about glory to His Name to the earth and that He will complete and fulfill all the promises to the nation of Israel after the age of the church is complete.  Now, in Romans 12-16, Paul will return to the major theme to show how God's righteousness through the Holy Spirit shows expression in the new community, the body of Christ, the church.  We will see that the life of faith is never intended to be lived out alone, but we are dependent on one another in the body of Christ and we help one another in our personal victories over sin.  Amen!

Romans Chapter 12

1. This chapter begins with the word "Therefore" which means it is a conclusion of a thought previously given.

What has Paul been discussing for the first 11 chapters of our reading?  He has talked about God declaring us righteous by faith in Jesus and how that will transform our lives by the Holy Spirit and free us from the bondage of sin in our lives.  Now, he begins to explain what we should do by God's grace in our daily lives in worship of God by His mercy and His grace.

• What are we suppose to do by the "mercies of God"? vs. 1 -

How do we present our bodies as a living and holy sacrifice to God in worship? 

Paul explained in Romans 6 how we are dead to sin but alive to Christ and how we are to present the members of our bodies as slaves to righteousness.  In other words, it is an act of our will to present our body parts to God in holy service to him.

Romans 6:11-14 -

Worship involves more than an activity of prayer and singing.  It involves the heart, the mind, and the will.  It is obedient service.

2. Paul explains that it begins in our mind, in the seat of our intellect, our thinking.

• In order to not be conformed (pressed into the mold) of the world's corrupt ways, what must we do with our minds? vs. 2 -

Instead of being conformed, we will be transformed through this process.  Look up the meaning of these words in a dictionary.

• Conformed - 
• Transformed -

3.  When we renew our minds by God's Word, we will be transformed.  What does the transformation of the believer mean?

• 2 Corinthians 3:18 -

What will be proven for our lives when we renew our minds in His Word?

• Romans 12:2b -

4.  Describe the three words given for this renewal and discovery:

• 1)
• 2)
• 3)

Since this is true, do you need ever fear finding out God's will for your life?
5.  Paul always gives 'grace' the credit for what he is able to teach and walk out. 

Remember that 'grace' is unearned, undeserved favor from God toward us.  Paul is saying that he remains in a humble state of knowing that without Christ, he is nothing and that everything he says or does is by the Lord's help in his weaknesses.  Amen.

Through this 'grace', what do each of us need to not think about and to think about? vs. 3 -

• 1)
• 2)
• 3)

How does Paul say this to the church in Philippi?

• Philippians 2:1-4 -

6.  Paul continues by showing that we are all members of one body just as our human body has many members or parts (arms, legs, etc). 

Just as our human parts do not all have the same function, we as members of the body of Jesus do not function the same either.  Our function in the one body of Jesus is according to the 'grace' gifts that God has given each one of us to serve one another with.  (vs. 6) Since these are called charisma in the Greek - "grace" gifts - it means that we are not given them on merit, but by God's choice and favor.  We do not choose the gifts we serve in, but we need to discover what God has gifted us with to serve in His body.  Paul lists motivational gifts in this chapter, which mean we can discover our particular gift by discerning what motivates us, what gives us joy in serving others?  When we discover this, we can operate fully in what we are gifted by 'grace' to do for the body of Jesus and not compare ourselves to others, but know that we all need one another for the body to function properly.

List the motivational gifts Paul tells us about and anything that is said about them from verses 6 - 8:

• 1)
• 2)
• 3)
• 4)
• 5)
• 6)
• 7)

Note: After making this list from Romans 12, do you see one (or more) that you have joy and desire to operate in?Are you operating in it?  Remember how this passage started out today.  We are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice to the Lord which is our spiritual worship.  The way we do this is through prayer and Bible reading, but also through obedience, through serving one another in our spiritual gifts.  If you have not discovered what motivates you by His grace, pray about it today and begin to operate in those things that God has given you the desire to do.  We all need you!  Each of you are an essential part of the body of Jesus.

7. How does Paul explain the importance of discovering our gift(s) and using them by God's grace in his teaching to the church at Ephesus?

• Ephesians 4:1-16 -
• How are we to walk in our grace gifts? vs. 1-3 -

Name the 7 things that Paul lists that are the unity of our faith. vs.3-5 -

• 1)
• 2)
• 3)
• 4)
• 5)
• 6)
• 7)

What is given to each one of us according to Christ's gift? vs. 7 -

Remember from our previous teachings, grace is an action verb, it is power, it is the ability to do extraordinary things in our ordinary lives because it is God at work within us to move through us. It is not earned or deserved.  It is God's gift to us to receive by faith, by simply believing and living it out.  Amen.

8.  Why has God given us the prophets and the apostles in the Word? 
Why has He given evangelists who share the Gospel  along with pastors and teachers who teach the Words of our Lord? 

• What is the purpose of those gifted in this way by the Lord? vs. 11 - 12 -
• How long will these be needed in our lives? vs. 13 -
• What will be the result of us yielding our lives to those given to us as our authorities in the faith, based on the teachings of the prophets and apostles of the Word of God? vs. 14 -

9.  We are to grow up in all aspects into Him, into Jesus. 

• What is Jesus in reference to the body of Christ? vs. 15-16 -

10. From Christ, the body fits together and is held together. 

• What is the responsibility of each one of us in this? vs. 16 -  
• What is the main ingredient for this growth to take place? vs. 16 -

This is a great introduction back to Romans 12 where Paul instructs in this letter to how we are to walk in our motivational gift(s) in the body of Jesus.  He has already told us not to think higher of ourselves than another, but to prefer others over our own interests.  Now, he gets into some very practical things that we are to be sure we are walking in.

Let's list them below.

Read Romans 12:9-21

Note: To fill in the blanks, I used the NASB version of the Bible, but hopefully you can fill it out or restate the statement from the version you use.  If you struggle to do so, look up the verse online and choose the NASB just for this portion.

• 1) vs. 9 - Let love be without __________
• 2) vs. 9 - Abhor (hate) what is _________
• 3) vs. 9 - Cling (love) what is __________
• 4) vs. 10 - Be devoted to one another in ________ ______
• 5) vs. 10 - Give _________ to one another in ________
• 6) vs. 11 - Not lagging _______in ________
• 7) vs. 11 - ________in spirit
• 8) vs. 11 - serving the ________
• 9) vs. 12 - rejoicing in ________
• 10) vs. 12 - persevering in ____________
• 11) vs. 12 - devoted to ____________
• 12) vs. 13 - contributing to the needs of the ________
• 13) vs. 13 - practicing _____________
• 14) vs. 14 - bless those who _________ us; bless and do not ________.
• 15) vs. 15 - rejoice with those who _______
• 16) vs. 15 - weep with those who ________
• 17) vs. 16 - Be of the _____ mind toward one another
• 18) vs. 16 - Do not be ________ in mind, but associate with the __________.
• 19) vs. 16 - Do not be _____ is your own estimation.
• 20) vs. 17 - Never pay back _____ for ____ to anyone.
• 21) vs. 17 - Respect what is _____ in the sight of _____ men.
• 22) vs. 18 - If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at _____ with all men.
• 23) vs. 19 - Never take your own ______, beloved, but leave room for the _______ of God, for it is written, "__________is Mine, I will _____", says the Lord.
• 24) vs. 20 - If your enemy is hungry, _____ him and if he is thirsty, give him a _______; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.

See this referred in Proverbs:

• Proverbs 25:21-22 -
• 25) vs. 21 - Do not be _______ by _____, but overcome _____ with _______. 

11. How does Paul teach Timothy to handle those who are quarrelsome and what is the hope of handling a situation with this wisdom in the Lord?

• 2 Timothy 2:22-26 -

12. Describe the difference between worldly wisdom in difficult situations and godly wisdom from the verses that follow:

• James 3:13-18 -

Application:

How will you discover the grace gift you are to operate in? How will you offer yourself a living and holy sacrifice to God? What will keep you from conforming to the world's ways?  What will transform you to be like our Lord? What do you think your motivational gift is for the body of Jesus?  Why do you think so? How will you begin to use it for God's glory and the good of the body of Jesus? Do you believe you operate in the wisdom of gentleness in the Spirit?  If not, what steps will you take to correct it?

Your summary and prayer today:

Written by Brenda LeMoine for Heart & Home Bible Fellowship© with permission to use on RTB sites only. For personal or ministry related use, please email Brenda for permission and conditions.