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Of the fifteen occurrences of thelo, "to will", four only have reference to God:
namely, Rom. 9: 15, 18, 18 and 22. While the will of God itself does not change, it
assumes different aspects according to our approach to it. It may appear formidable,
overwhelming, unfathomable, fixed as "fate".
Yet to those whose service is
"reasonable", whose bodies are "yielded", whose minds are "renewed", it may appear as
the good, and acceptable, and perfect will of One Who, though almighty, is also gracious,
and though God, is also Father. It is this aspect, and not the deterministic one, that it is
the Apostle's object to present to the believer, not to intimidate him, but to captivate his
affections.
The apostle Paul was ever mindful to place practice over against doctrine. He bids the
Ephesian saints to walk worthy of their calling. He calls upon the Philippians to live in a
manner worthy of the gospel. And now here, he shows the Roman believers what their
reasonable service must be. While we realize that in our flesh "dwelleth no good thing",
yet the life we now live in the flesh we live by the faith of the Son of God, and instead of
"neglecting the body", we rejoice to learn that this same body that was once an
instrument of unrighteousness, may now, by virtue of redemption and a renewed mind, be
yielded in holy acceptableness to God.
May the beseeching of the Apostle and the contemplation of the mercies of God not be
in vain.
#73. Romans 12: and 13:
Grace Given (12: 3-16).
pp. 238 - 243
B | 12: 3-16. Grace given.
c | h | 3. Not think highly.
i | 3. Think soberly.
d | j1 | 3. The Measure of Faith.
k1 | 4, 5. Members one of another.
j2 | 6-9. The Analogy of Faith.
k2 | 10. Kind one to another.
j3 | 11-15. The Measure of Service.
k3 | 16. Same mind one to another.
c | h | 16. Mind not high things.
i | 16. Condescend to lowly.
We have already seen in the first two verses of this chapter (Rom. 12: 1, 2) that the
yielding of the body to the Lord constitutes our "reasonable service", and that only with
the renewed mind can we prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of
God. The next section (Rom. 12: 3-16) is addressed to the Church in the days when