Romans 12
Grace to Speak to Others
Be very careful and read slowly Romans 12:3
If you are like me, you never gave any thought to the first 13 words
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you:
Your grace is God’s favor to help others
Remember Jesus’ words
The greatest among you will be your servant. Matthew 23:11
You like Paul have the grace of God to speak to others
Know that grace is distributed for you in a particular area
Never is your grace to speak to others the right to look down, but to lift others up
So, the grace you have is not to make you proud and conceited
Be willing to associate with those who
You think might be of lower position than you
Who knows there may be a day you may need the grace and faith they possess
Grace to Speak to Others
Be very careful and read slowly Romans 12:3.
If you are like me…
You never gave any thought to the first 13 words.
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you
Paul recognizes there are limits
on what he says to others.
The limitations are bound by
God’s grace on Him to speak.
He does not see the grace to give
someone else a piece of his mind.
He does not feel the liberty to
freely give his own opinion.
Paul recognizes God has given
him favor to speak to others.
That grace or favor is measurable.
You and I may not have the same measure
to speak to others as some do.
Those of us who love to talk…
Should consider that there may be others with
more grace from God to speak than we do.
You may be the quiet type…
But the grace on you may mean you should speak.
There is a pressure on Pastors to speak
thinking we should always have an answer.
But there have been many times
I have tried to share with others and
some unexpected person shared a few
words and I was profoundly amazed.
The words following Paul’s grace to speak
are addressed to the listeners…
But highlight the operation of grace to the one speaking.
I think Paul realized as he said…
Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought,
but rather think of yourself with sober judgment,
in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you
He had taken inventory of himself
before writing these words.
God’s grace to speak starts with our humility.
No matter what level of maturity
or knowledge you have…
Be careful of how you think of yourself.
It is a good thing to take a sobering look at yourself
before you speak to others.
In that sobering look…
You may find you have been guilty of the things
you want or need to share with others.
That judgment of yourself may be
the very thing that others need to see.
To see you understand the difficulties because
you have been there and seen God’s grace help you.
When we get real with others,
we get down under them as a servant not as a lord.
Paul recognized we are all at a different place in our faith.
We should never lord over someone else’s faith.
Romans 14 is a beautiful picture of people
with weak faith and mature faith…
And how we are not to judge and become
a stumbling block to the faith of others.
2 Corinthians 1:24 and 1 Peter 5:3 tell us…
Not to lord over the faith of others.
We should also recognize there are differences in our faith
because of God’s placement, callings and function.
If your calling and grace is to be a teacher
you will see detail that others don’t see.
It is not your job to criticize,
but to help point out the details.
If your calling is to heal the sick,
it is because you have experienced and
have understanding of God’s Word relating to healing.
It is not your job to rebuke those who are sick and fearful
but to sympathize with them and help the sick
see God’s provision of healing.
Paul understood the grace of
God on him to speak to others.
He saw that no matter where he was at in his faith
it was proportionary to God’s distribution.
We are different by God’s design.
There is a grace on you to do certain things,
it is God’s distribution of faith.
God does not want us to think we can do it all…
He wants us to be specialized in what we do.
You will find faith to do these things.
Like doctors, a dentist has faith
to help you with your teeth
where an Oncologist will have
faith to help you with cancer.
Paul says…
Live in harmony with one another.
Do not be proud,
but be willing to associate with people of low position]
Do not be conceited.
Romans 12:16
Know the grace that is on you…
Focus on serving according to that grace.
Grow in your faith in God.
Also realize your faith or confidence
is to grow in the area and
place God has for you to serve.
All of us have meet people
who make you feel they are better
than you because of their title.
This is sad in the world,
as well, as in the Body of Christ.
Your grace is God’s favor to help others.
Remember Jesus’ words…
The greatest among you will be your servant.
Matthew 23:11
You, like Paul, have the
grace of God to speak to others.
Know that grace is distributed
for you in a particular area.
Never is your grace to speak to others,
the right to look down, but to lift others up.
So, the grace you have is not
to make you proud and conceited.
Be willing to associate with those who you think
might be of lower position than you.
Who knows there may be a day you may
need the grace and faith they possess.
Scripture Reading
Romans 12:3-8
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; 7 if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; 8 if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.
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