Paul begins his discussion about renewing our minds by reminding us that even his authority as an apostle is by grace. Paul’s first point about renewing our minds is that we should not think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think of ourselves, but “to think with sober judgment.” This sober judgment is described by Paul in several ways.
First, he reminds us not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought because of the gifts that God has assigned to each of us: “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ…” (Romans 12:4–6a). Though we have different functions, we are part of the same body. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul makes the illustration vivid, with the foot comparing itself to a hand and an ear comparing itself to an eye. They each serve a function, and they are both necessary. So, no one should assume from the gifts that God has graciously given them that they are greater or less than any other members of the body.
This also means that no one is a lone “body of Christ.” We are all members of each other. No member can dismiss another merely because their functions differ. Or should the eye despise the hand because it is not another eye? The church is not the preacher, it is not the congregation, it is not the music leader, it is not the treasurer, it is not the devotional writer. Each is part of the whole.
Paul continues, “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us” (Romans 12:6a). These gifts are “grace gifts.” In Greek, these two words are related. Paul is telling us that part of our sober judgment is to remember that whatever gifts we have, they are grace gifts, not earned gifts. No one can boast, “Look at my greatness!” when he remembers that everything is given to him by grace. As we examine our giftings, we have the humility to acknowledge that they have been given to us by God. There is no room for boasting.
Finally, because we have been given these gifts and because we belong to a body, we should exercise the gifts without false humility or minimizing them. “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness” (Romans 12:6–8). Paul puts prophecy, teaching, exhortation, and leadership alongside service, generosity, and doing acts of mercy. The message is clear: now that God has gifted you for the body, do it. Sober judgment recognizes both that the gift isn’t grounds for superiority and that false humility isn’t grounds for refusing to use it.
As you give yourself as a living sacrifice, remember that you are part of a living body, with the needs of a real person. Just as we need to be fed, learn, pay our bills, clean our homes, and take care of our health, so does the body of Christ.
As you go about your day, think about how you are exercising those gifts in the body of Christ, not thinking more highly of yourself than you ought.
-steve