Page 80 - Romans Student Textbook.doc

Study Section 13: Chapter 12 - The Foundational Command and How to
Think about Ourselves and Others

13.1 Connect

Did you know that the average person makes an eye-popping 35,000 choices per day? Assuming
that most people spend around seven hours per day sleeping and thus blissfully choice-free,
that makes roughly 2,000 decisions per hour or one decision every two seconds. 100 That’s a lot
of choices. Most of these are relatively minor choices that really don’t much matter in the
scope of things. However, quite often we must make decisions that are extremely important, the result
which could change the course of our lives. How do we know how to make the right decisions? How do
we know how to find the will of God for our lives?

God directs our lives but leaves us with the task of determining His will in making all the decisions each
day. It is comforting to know that God’s will sometimes is clearly revealed in Scripture. It is not
something mysterious where you flip a coin to determine what God wants you to do.

There is a man who was trying to find God’s will that way. He decided to open his Bible randomly and
select a verse by pointing to whatever was on a page. His first passage opened to, “And Judas went out
and hanged himself.” He didn’t care for that verse, so tried it again. “Go thou and do likewise.”
Surprised, he sought further council using the same technique. His random choice fell to this verse, “And
what thou doest, do quickly.” Is that how God wants us to find his will? Should we take the approach
Gideon did and fleece God?

As we study chapter 12, see if you can find a verse that clearly tells us what God’s will is for our lives.

13.2 Objectives
1. Students should be able to quote and explain the foundational command of the Lord found in
verses 1 and 2.
2. Students should be able to list specific applications of the foundational command.

3. Students should be able to describe how they think about themselves and their place in the
church.

4. Students should be able to explain ways to relate to other believers at church.

13.3 The Passage: Romans 12:1-21

Therefore, I exhort you, brothers, through the mercies of God, present your bodies living
sacrifices holy acceptable to God, your logical service; and do not be conformed to this age, but
be transformed by renewal of the mind unto the proving for you what is the will of God, the
good and pleasing and perfect.

Give yourselves totally and wholly to God to think in His way and do His will.

For I say through the grace which was given to me to all who are among you do not think more highly of
yourselves than what is necessary to think but think unto sensibility, to each one as God has measured a

100 https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/stretching-theory/201809/how-many-decisions-do-we-make-each-
day
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