Have sound judgment

Romans 12:3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. This isn’t the first time Paul warned the Roman Gentile church about pride or thinking more highly of themselves than they ought. It’s another application of the mercies of God in our lives. He told them in chapter 9 that being in the Israel of God doesn’t depend on the man who wills, but on God who has mercy. For this reason, he urged them not to get big-headed about their being justified by faith as if they were superior to the Jews. He was a Jew and had received grace and mercy like they had. This kind of humble thinking, recognizing that the faith that each of them had came according to God’s mercy, was where the Roman believers needed to renew their minds. This is relevant today as well. The world’s pride focuses on individual performance and comparison. You know, my church is bigger than your church. The charasmatics are more spiritual than the Baptists. Our worship music is more spiritual and better because we have a talented worship leader and don’t sing hymns. One aspect of living to love with Jesus is walking in humility toward one another. We recognize that the love that flows in our lives is a result of an allotment of faith by God according to His mercies. Sound judgment protects us from thinking like the world does. It recognizes that our faith doesn’t originate in us, but is a gift of God, so He gets the glory. Remember, if God doesn’t do it, He doesn’t get the glory. Our faith is God’s work. That’s how we know God has been merciful to us in Christ. If we are justified by faith, then we live to love with Jesus by faith as well. That’s sound judgment. The result: God is glorified because all of our love flows out of His provision and love for His body. It’s Jesus loving Himself as He allots a measure of faith in each member of the body. Remember what Paul wrote to the Ephesians in Ephesians 5:28 “So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself.” Of this, Paul wrote, “This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.” Living to love with Jesus is the application of this mystery that when faith works through love in us, Jesus is loving His bride. So let us not think more highly of ourselves than we should, rather, let us have sound judgment and glory in the faith and love of Christ making us living, holy sacrifices, acceptable to God, which is our spiritual service of worship. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com