Five Essentials to Overcoming a Restless Spirit (Romans 12)

Heart of a Shepherd

Jun 02, 2023

Translations

Arabic

خمس أساسيات للتغلب على الروح المضطربة (رومية 12)

Italian

Cinque elementi essenziali per vincere uno spirito irrequieto (Romani 12)

Chinese (Simplified)

克服不安的精神的五个要点(罗马书 12 章)

Chinese (Traditional)

克服不安的精神的五個要點(羅馬書 12 章)

German

Fünf Grundlagen zur Überwindung eines unruhigen Geistes (Römer 12)

Dutch

Vijf essentiële zaken om een rusteloze geest te overwinnen (Romeinen 12)

Hindi

बेचैन आत्मा पर काबू पाने के लिए पाँच ज़रूरी बातें (रोमियों 12)

Malay

Lima Perkara Penting untuk Mengatasi Roh Gelisah (Roma 12)

French (Canada)

Cinq éléments essentiels pour vaincre un esprit agité (Romains 12)

Greek

Πέντε βασικά στοιχεία για να ξεπεράσετε ένα ανήσυχο πνεύμα (Ρωμαίους 12)

Haitian Creole

Senk bagay esansyèl pou venk yon Lespri san Mwazo (Women 12)

Persian

پنج نکته ضروری برای غلبه بر روح بی قرار (رومیان 12)

Korean

불안한 마음을 극복하기 위한 다섯 가지 필수 요소(로마서 12장)

Portuguese

Cinco fundamentos para superar um espírito inquieto (Romanos 12)

Hebrew

חמישה מרכיבים חיוניים להתגברות על רוח חסרת מנוח (רומים 12)

Vietlabelse

Năm điều cần thiết để vượt qua một tinh thần không yên (Rô-ma 12)

Ukrainian

П’ять важливих речей, щоб подолати неспокійний дух (Римлянам 12)

Japanese

落ち着きのない精神を克服するための 5 つの要素 (ローマ人への手紙 12 章)

Croatian

Pet osnovnih stvari za svladavanje nemirnog duha (Rimljanima 12)

Swahili

Mambo Matano Muhimu Ili Kushinda Roho Isiyotulia (Warumi 12)

Russian

Пять основных принципов преодоления беспокойного духа (Римлянам 12)

Urdu

بے چین روح پر قابو پانے کے لیے پانچ ضروری چیزیں (رومیوں 12)

Tagalog

Limang Mahahalaga sa Pagtagumpayan ng Di-Mapakali na Espiritu (Roma 12)

Thai

ห้าสิ่งสำคัญในการเอาชนะวิญญาณที่ไม่สงบ (โรม 12)

Danish

Fem væsentlige ting til at overvinde en rastløs ånd (Rom 12)

Romanian

Cinci elemente esențiale pentru a depăși un spirit neliniştit (Romani 12)

Spanish

Cinco puntos esenciales para vencer un espíritu inquieto (Romanos 12)

Swedish

Fem väsentligheter för att övervinna en rastlös ande (Romarna 12)

French

Cinq éléments essentiels pour vaincre un esprit agité (Romains 12)

Five Essentials to Overcoming a Restless Spirit (Romans 12) 

Scripture reading - Romans 12

 

On a personal note: I consider the 12th chapter of Romans to be a pivotal chapter, not only in our study of this book, but in my life. As a teenager, I grasped the importance of Paul’s exhortation when he wrote: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (12:1-2).

 

Consider what I suggest are five essentials for spiritual victory found in the first five verses of Romans 12. The first, salvation, implied by the title, “brethren,” indicating Paul and the believers in Rome shared a spiritual kinship because of the “mercies” and compassion of God (Romans 12:1a). The second, essential for spiritual success is a life characterized by a “living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1), one that is dedicated to God and is “holy, acceptable,” and in harmony with His will (Romans 12:1c).

 

Sanctification, the third essential for spiritual victory, was defined by Paul as a life “not conformed to this world,” but “transformed by the renewing of [the] mind” (Romans 12:2). Genuine salvation and sincere dedication to the Lord, so transform a believer’s life that it impacts his thoughts, feelings, and purpose. Paul, in his second letter to believers of Corinth, described the transformed life, writing, “if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things [attitudes and actions] are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

 

The fourth essential for being a spiritual overcomer is to surrender your will to God’s will, proving “what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12:2b). Lastly, the life of a spiritual victor is characterized by a testimony of submission, evidenced in two qualities: the humility of a servant and harmony in the midst of diversity (Romans 12:3-5).

 

Humility: Paul exhorted every believer, “not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think” (for pride has no place in our lives, Romans 12:3b). Instead, the believer is to think “soberly” [exercising good, sound judgment], knowing his gifts and talents are apportioned to him, not by merit, but by God’s grace and goodness (Romans 12:3c).

 

What is the effect when the hearts of God’s people are submissive, and fused together in serving God and ministering to others? — Harmony, Paul used the body as an illustration of harmony, writing: “For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another” (Romans 12:4-5; note also, 1 Corinthians 12:12-26).

 

Closing thoughts – Taking Paul’s analogy that compared the members of the body to the members of the church, we understand our physical bodies are comprised of many members (eyes, ears, nose, arms, fingers, legs, feet, etc.), and each member, though different, has its function. When a body is healthy, it is a picture of symmetry, as each member of the body works together. However, when a member of the body is injured or weakened, the whole body is affected.

 

The same is true of the members of a congregation. A church enjoys harmony when each member of the church submits to the head of the church—Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:23). Proud, unruly church members can be as destructive to the congregation as cancer cells are in the body. Yet, the members of a church enjoy harmony when its members “present [their] bodies a living sacrifice,” and are sanctified, surrendered and submissive to the will of God (Romans 12:1-2).

 

Warning – When a congregation experiences disharmony, you can be certain there are members who are either not saved, or are refusing to submit to the will of God.

 

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Copyright © 2022 – Travis D. Smith  

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