The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

Romans 12:1-11, “I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

3 For through the grace given to me I say to every man among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.

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

5 so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

6 And since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let each exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith;

7 if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching;

8 or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.

10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;

11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.”

These items that are advocated are the experiences of the writer Paul himself. It’s hard, if not impossible, to urge others to do what you yourself are not doing. Yes, it can be said aloud and put into books, but if the author has abandoned the very principles he advocates, it is futile to gain acceptance from hearers.

The purpose of Paul’s writing is to build up the believers in the way of the LORD. No doubt, Paul himself had fought against these very things; but overcoming negative habits is, in point of fact, a form of building. Prophecy, service, teaching, and exhortation are but some of the aspects of building that strengthen the lives of others. These things we will do if we are devoted to one another and to Christ.

The true spiritual advocate of these elements of spiritual growth is manifested in them as he teaches and demonstrates them in others. We often think that those of New Testament times had an edge on us, since they actually knew and heard the teachings of the great Apostle Paul. Yet, the LORD is just as eager for us to learn His ways as He was for Paul and those early Christians.

There is some great teaching in those eleven verses above. Why not re-read them, so as to firmly implant them in your own Christian life? Knowing almost always precedes doing; yet doing needs knowing. They are inseparable twins.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.

Springdale, Arkansas 72764

United States of America

“We will never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom