Romans 12:3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.
Paul had experienced God’s grace deeply within his life. He knew the transforming power he just mentioned in v. 2. Grace brings changes if we are willing to cooperate in faith and obedience. From this deep well of experience in grace, Paul moves into the ramifications of this grace in the “obedience” that comes from faith. How should those who are being transformed live? The first thing that comes to his mind as he reflects on this is humility. We must see ourselves for who we truly are before God: people is great need of the mercy Paul wrote about in ch. 9. Use “sober judgment” and be self-aware about this. Do not be prideful like the Jews were (2:5) but come before God in consecrated faith and submission. God has given each person faith, the spark of hope that drives us to something better. As we submit, our faith grows. There are many things in life that challenge our faith. For some people, their life experiences have made faith difficult, perhaps abuse, accidents, illness, economic situations, and so forth. Even in the worst of situations, the spark of faith can grow. We must look for the faith that God has given us through his grace. Fan this faith into a flame.
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