Bible Studies

Reasonable Service in Ministry

by Henry Jaegers
02/27/25
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Studies in the Book of Romans

By Henry Jaegers

Romans 12

Part 2

 Reasonable Service in Ministry (Verses 3 through 21)

Before us lay a series of admonitions that if we are to live in harmony and experience blessing in the church, we must take all of these seriously. This section is long and may require a longer treatment because it defines the responsibilities attached to the subject of "Reasonable Service."

 In order to gain the greatest benefit from these, I find it necessary to parse them.

 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

 Now, this is a good place to begin. If we are to be a blessing to others, we must first deal with what hinders our ability to do so. Being 'A servant' seems to be missing today in leadership. Jesus set the example and instructed His disciples to be a leader. He said, 'If any be great among you, let him be your servant.' And he began with a perfect demonstration of what He meant by washing the feet of the disciples.

 A pastor told his people that being a servant means cleaning bathrooms. Too bad! He missed the mark. He should have said, "If you want to be a leader, begin by cleaning bathrooms. " Everyone wants to be a leader, and they spend a lot of time and money to achieve that goal. They become great governmental leaders and even write books on how to become leaders, but the most influential leaders are those who learn how to serve the people. Jesus was right.

 I once visited a large professional building and had to go to a lower level to catch the elevator.  Perhaps one could put up a sign that said, "The way to reach the top level is through the basement. Likewise, we may add that the way up is through the "abasement". Here is a simple way to remember that principle.

 Earlier, while in the pastoral ministry, I adopted three principles to help me to become a better pastor. And these principles still work in my everyday encounters with others. Without elaborating on them, I find that they are the true keys for successful living. They are: 'Be a friend, ''Be a Servant,' and be Faithful to keep your promise in every other way. Paul's words hit home. The problem we have in our relationships with others is having this attitude that we have a right to judge others. When I do that, I am being dishonest about myself. If we could be honest about our standing before God, there would be no room for us to cast biased opinions toward others, especially in judging another's motives. When we do that, it only exposes our own sordid motives. Then, we have to humble ourselves and admit that we are wrong. It is a lesson that we never fully learn, but when we do, it enables us to fulfill this injunction by Paul in these words that he sets before us.   

 To succeed in any Christian venture, we must be certain that our service to others does not hint at any selfish interest.

  For as we have many members in one body, and not all members have the same office, we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every member is one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;  Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teaches on teaching;  Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness.

 This portion of scripture introduces us to a section on "Spiritual Gifts." The subject itself has become controversial and confusing because little is understood concerning this foundational teaching.

 First, Paul describes the church as a whole through an illustration relating to our physical bodies. He tells us how important every part of our body is to the whole. Even in small injuries, the whole body becomes distracted due to that seemingly small part. Whenever an injury occurs, the rest of the body goes into action until the problem goes away. The church is to respond the same way. Whenever any member is out of joint or injured, imagine what it would be like if the church could see itself that way. But for the present, it remains in the imagination, and through lack of understanding, it remains unfunctional. Before us is an ideal, and we hope that we might experience the reality of it all through proper understanding.

 Sometimes, when teaching a particular subject, someone strongly declares that they disagree with my interpretation. Sometimes, they disagree on an important doctrinal matter. One of two things usually happens. I tell them their disagreement comes not from the doctrine but their lack of understanding, which is why I think that way. Clearing up their understanding usually solves the problem. If I am wrong, I must apologize and correct my thinking. But things are not always that easy., Sometimes, stubbornness and pride are the problem, and we must regulate ourselves to deal with that. I once heard a wise man say, "Before you can say I disagree, you must first say I understand." That is a long-time principle that has stayed with me.

 The subject of Spiritual gifts is mentioned in three sections of the New Testament. In Ephesians 4, some of these gifts are mentioned in a different way because they are a select group given by God for a specific purpose. These gifts are not arbitrarily given to those who desire them; they are placed as gifts to the church for the purpose of equipping Christians to function in some ministry. It appears that this teaching seems to be misunderstood as it is seldom instituted in the church today. If this principle was employed, there would be no division between "The Clergy" and "The Congregation". And there would be a greater appreciation for one another as we function toward a more disciplined and harmonious church.

 Then, in First Corinthians chapter 12, another category of gifts is listed. They should be viewed as opportunities for service. They flow from the gifts found in this chapter, which should be viewed as "Foundational gifts," and we will give more attention to these.

 Over the years, I discovered that these gifts listed before us are foundational to all the other gifts. What do I mean by that? Bill Gothard has placed these gifts in three categories. We may see these gifts in Romans as "Motivational Gifts for simplicity's sake. I call them “Foundational. Then, He categorizes those in First Corinthians as “Ministry Gifts. Finally, he gives a third category, manifestations. To summarize it all. When we use our motivational Gift. in some ministries, God gives the results, which are categorized as manifestations. And there is clear biblical support for these categories explained in First Corinthians 12, verses 4 through 6. But I cannot spend time on that now. I have written a book on this, so for now,  I will not elaborate on them. But I would like to close this particular message by sharing with you what these categories of gifts are and how we might understand their importance.

 The following is a summary that will help us more fully recognize and understand how the gifts are at work, although some often do not recognize them as "Spiritual Gifts."

1. Prophecy:

 The motivation to identify and reveal righteous and unrighteous motives or actions by presenting God's truth: Declaring God's Truth, not predicting the future.

 Service

 The motivation to prove love by meeting practical needs.

  Teacher: Clarifying Truth

 The motivation to search out and confirm the truth.

  Exhortation: Encourager

 The motivation to stimulate the faith of others.

 Giving: `

 The motivation to discern the financial needs of the Body.

 Ruling: An administrator.

 The motivation to organize the efforts of others in achieving a common goal.

 Mercy:

 The motivation to detect the heart of other members of the body of Christ. The ability to reach out to those who are hurting.

 This short summary will give us a clearer understanding of how these gifts work.

 However, it's crucial that we diligently develop these gifts through our service to others. We should see them as a stewardship entrusted to us, a responsibility with the purpose of being a servant.

 As I was teaching a class on spiritual gifts, one man asked if it would help him make more money. If we think that way, we are missing the primary purpose of what it means to be a Christian. As we begin to use these gifts, we will discover more areas to serve. The gifts mentioned in First Corinthians are our opportunities. And although we have one main gift (foundational), multiple areas of service are available for us to serve.

 Let me elaborate on our foundational ministries. For instance, if my foundational gift is mercy, my areas of service will reflect that quality related to my gift of mercy. Our service will mirror that particular gift. Similarly, if I have the gift of prophecy, my desire to declare truth will be reflected in that gift.

 I have always believed that we have only one gift, but that is a human presupposition. I think there are situations in life where more than one gift is necessary. We must be open to that possibility and not restrict ourselves to the point where we limit our service to others. God determines our gift when it's employed and how often it is utilized. Our part is to be available to others when our service is needed.

 But now, let us consider other factors that describe the manner by which we must conduct ourselves.

  Let love be without dissimulation.

  What does that mean? It means that it is to be without hypocrisy. Very often, we are controlled by how we feel. . Do not be deceived into thinking that feeling love is necessary to show love. We must learn how to act independently of how we feel. When an enemy treats me unkindly, we do not have to respond in like manner. It is possible to show acts of kindness to others and respond to them with kindness. We are never commanded in Scripture to "feel love." Our love is demonstrated through our actions. It is possible to act kindly without being dependent upon our feelings. I think that this is what our verse is saying. This is the attitude of meekness.

  Abhor that which is evil; cling to that which is good.

 These are God-like qualities. Did you know that God is able to love and hate at the same time? It may not be possible for us to do so, but it is possible for God. When speaking to the church at Ephesus, they were commended because they hated evil in the same way God hated it. Later on, we see something different when addressing the church at Pergamos. They loved those things that God hated.

 God has given us a standard by which we can understand the difference between right and wrong. He has given us His word in order for us to understand the ways by which we can live a life that is pleasing to Him. God hates evil, but at the same time, is able to love the person who practices it. God wants us to do the same thing. He wants us to hate sin because it will destroy us if we continue to practice it.

 Although we are born with a selfish nature, as we grow closer to Christ, we discover that our desire for good will  grow and our desire for evil will decrease.

  Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another.

This verse is not hard to understand, and we should treat one another in brotherly kindness. God intends that our love toward family members should exemplify the highest form of love. God intends filial love in the body of Christ. Though that is set before us as the ideal, there is another factor that is often missing, and because of this, the love that we ought to demonstrate toward others is missing because there is no history of this love being evident in us. Maybe there is a history of hatred, and we do not understand the meaning of brotherly kindness. And if that is so, there is good news. God can change that, and it is His desire to do so. First, we must recognize that we are now part of a new family with a new dynamic within us that makes it possible for that love to take place. For some, it will not be easy, and we may find it difficult to exercise this love in this struggle.

 We are to prefer one another above ourselves. That does not come naturally with our tendency toward selfishness, but we are encouraged when we experience the work of God in us, enabling us to do so. The Christian life is full of many challenges, some of which will occur as our faith develops. It is called "The trial of faith. In his epistles, James talks of enduring through the problem of temptation. Being a Christian takes practice(so to speak.) There is no such thing as "Instant Christians." We must all pass through the fires of affliction for sins to be purged from our faith journey.

 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.

 Here, we have another practical application of what a Christian should not be. As we consider this matter of "Reasonable service, diligence in everything we do is necessary. Often, we are slothful in business because we exercise wrong thoughts about ourselves. It takes some hardship in our lives to appreciate the blessings of being able to work. We become slothful because we think we deserve more than what is given. That is often reflected toward the one who has shown us kindness by hiring us. Serving the Lord ought to be the driving force behind all that we do. Reasonable service involves death to our desires. Serving the Lord, not ourselves, should be our highest purpose in life.

 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.

Here before us, we have a small cluster of Christian virtues which should not be neglected. Hope is the motive behind perseverance. Not surrendering to tribulation when it comes. Again, we refer to James when he says so plainly, enduring temptation. That means persevering amid pain and difficulty. Enduring temptation is a sign of spiritual maturity. Of course, none of that is possible if we neglect this matter of prayer. "I need thee every hour" must be the theme of our life as Christians.

 Finally, we should distribute to one another's needs and show hospitality whenever the opportunity occurs. Our love is confirmed iby our acts of love toward one another, especially in giving attention to those whom others might overlook.  

 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.  Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.  Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

 In these closing verses, there appears to be a concluding summary of all that has previously been said in this chapter regarding what "Reasonable Service ought to be," and the final words challenge us to do all that we need to do henceforth.

 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

  We are admonished on how we should respond toward those who bring persecution upon us. But if we are tempted to respond aggressively toward anyone, here is our closing charge: Do not let evil control the way we treat others. Instead, we are to overcome evil desires that we may have toward others by doing Reasonable Service and responding with deeds of Goodness. By so doing, they cannot blame us for their wickedness but must suffer judgment due to their own evil deeds.