Committing Together (Romans 12:3-8)

Big Idea: The gospel creates the church and calls believers to humble interdependence and sacrificial service as the unified body in Christ.

Let me make what I think is a very non-controversial statement, at least in our church: the gospel is a really big deal.

It’s the good news of what God has done for us in Jesus Christ: that Jesus took our place, bore our sins, and reconciled us to God through his death and resurrection. We’re saved not by our efforts, but by grace through faith in Christ alone.

This good news is both deeply personal and gloriously cosmic. It transforms individuals by reconciling us to God and points to the ultimate renewal of all creation. The gospel isn’t just the starting point of the Christian life. It’s the foundation, the center, and the driving force behind all growth and hope. It’s the message we long to preach every week and the truth we want to shape every aspect of our lives. The gospel truly is a big deal.

That’s very important, but it’s not very controversial. I think we believe that as a church.

So let me make a more controversial statement: the first implication of the gospel is the church. The gospel doesn’t just reconcile us to God; it reconciles us to one another. It creates a people.

In the epistles, the church is often the first application of the gospel. For example, in Ephesians, Paul spends the first parts unpacking the gospel’s riches. Then, before he's even done, Paul begins to apply this to the church. According to Paul, Christ’s death reconciles former enemies, creating one new humanity. The church becomes a living temple where God dwells, a foretaste of Eden restored. It shows God's diverse wisdom to spiritual forces. The church isn’t just a gathering; it’s a cosmic declaration of God’s redemptive work. And then in chapter 4, he begins to apply the gospel by saying, — let me paraphrase — “Now get along with each other!”

In the New Testament epistles, the pattern is usually something like this: explain the gospel, and then apply it. And the first place to apply it is the church.

We’re going to see this in today’s passage as well, which is in the book of Romans.

For eleven chapters in Romans, Paul has been explaining the gospel. Romans 1–11 lays out Paul’s sweeping explanation of the gospel and its implications. Finally, chapter 12 shifts to application, calling believers to respond to God’s mercy by offering themselves as living sacrifices, renewing their minds, and living in unity as the body of Christ.

And where does this begin? With the church. The first implication of the gospel is the church.

We could spend weeks looking at Romans 12 to 16 and what it says about the church, and eventually we will. Today I just want to give us a sample by looking at Romans 12:3-8, because what it says is so central to why we exist as a church.

Let’s walk through verses 3 to 8 and see what it says about how the gospel forms us as a church.

Here’s the first thing we see:

The gospel calls us to humility (12:3).

For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. (12:3)

Paul explains that a renewed mind is characterized by humility. If you understand the gospel, there is no room for pride. If you are proud, it’s probably a sign that you don’t really understand the gospel.

What does Paul mean here? He means that we shouldn’t entertain fantasies about our own importance. If we really understood the truth about our own sinfulness, and our need for God’s grace, we would think about ourselves with sober judgment. Earlier in Romans, Paul wrote that since Jesus died for the ungodly, no one should boast (Romans 3:23-4:5). Thinking that we’re a big deal is evidence that we don’t really understand the gospel. There should be no such thing as a proud Christian.

How should we think of ourselves? Paul says, “According to the measure of faith that God has assigned.” This phrase can be challenging to interpret, and scholars offer different perspectives. One view is that Paul calls us to evaluate ourselves against the standard of faith—the gospel—that God has given to every believer. Another possibility is that Paul highlights how God graciously gives varying measures of faith, expressed through our spiritual gifts. Either way, both the faith to use our gifts and the gifts themselves are entirely the result of God’s grace. We can’t take any credit for them.

How does the gospel prepare us to be part of the church? It humbles us. We are no big deal. If we think we’re a big deal, we don’t understand the gospel. We are simply sinners who have been transformed by God's grace, and we cannot take any credit for that. It’s all a gift. To truly understand the gospel, we must start with humility and avoid thinking too highly of ourselves. The gospel prevents us from doing so. We are not a big deal.

What effect does the gospel have? It leads us to not think too highly of ourselves. This means helping others without wanting recognition, appreciating their gifts and contributions without jealousy, and being attentive and patient in conversations. It means prioritizing unity over personal preferences, forgiving freely, and resisting the urge to compare or compete. A humble church prioritizes God's glory over personal gain, embraces weakness as a way to showcase God's strength, and serves out of gratitude for his grace. The gospel calls us to personal humility.

But there’s something else it calls us to:

The gospel calls us to interdependence (12:4-5).

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. (12:4-5)

Do you notice the phrase "in Christ"? To be "in Christ" means that when you trust Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you are united with him in such a way that everything he is and has that can be shared becomes yours. His righteousness, relationship with the Father, power, and victory over sin and death are all shared with you. The only thing that isn’t shared is his deity, but everything else that can be given is yours. This union transforms your identity, secures your belonging, and empowers you to live a new life. It's not just a belief; it's the basis of your identity and how you live as a follower of Jesus.

But then read the second part: “we, though many, are one body in Christ.” Our experience of being in Christ is never solitary.

We experience all of this together as one body: “So we, though many, are one body in Christ.” Redeemed together. Justified together. Forgiven together. Created anew together. Every need met together. Loved by God together. Perfected together. Living forever together—all of this glorious unity is created in Christ and for the glory of Christ.

Here’s the key: when you are united to Christ through the gospel, you are also united to every other believer. We are not isolated, independent followers of Jesus. Instead, every believer is joined to one another through our shared relationship with Christ. United in him, we are also united with each other, creating one body, family, and community. This unity is not optional; it’s the very essence of what it means to belong to Christ.

We are not independent. We are not self-sufficient. We belong to each other.

Scientists have confirmed that cockroaches can survive after losing their heads. This is because their nervous system, blood, and breathing are decentralized. A headless cockroach may remain alive, but it stands motionless until it starves.

We, however, are not cockroaches. We have human bodies, and Paul compares the church to a human body. The human body needs every part to function well. While you can survive without a finger or eyesight, a healthy, thriving body requires all its faculties. In the same way, a healthy church needs every member and their unique gifts. We may give more attention to the head than the kidneys, or to the hands over the feet, but every part is essential. A functional body depends on all its parts, and a functional church depends on the contributions of every member.

Being connected to the church means embracing the reality that you were never meant to follow Jesus alone. When you are united to Christ, you are also united to his people. The church is more than just an event; it's a family and a community where everyone has a place and contributes. This connection is not optional; it’s essential. God designed the church to be the place where we grow, serve, and experience his grace together. It’s where we find encouragement, accountability, and the joy of being part of something far greater than ourselves.

This connection also calls us to a shift in mindset. Church is not about consuming spiritual goods or checking off religious boxes. It’s about committing to one another, even when it’s inconvenient or messy. Every member, whether visible or hidden, is essential to the well-being of the entire group. We are unavoidably tied together—bound together—in the church.

When you’re connected to the church, you’re not just attending. You’re participating in God’s mission, using your gifts to build others up and being built up in return. We live out the gospel together, not as isolated individuals, but as a united community that demonstrates what it means to belong to Christ.

The gospel calls us to humility. The gospel calls us to interdependence. There’s one more thing in this passage the gospel calls us to:

The gospel calls us to service (12:6-8).

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. (12:6-8)

Now we see one of the reasons behind God’s design. He’s made us different so we can serve each other. You have a gift that the church needs. You are part of GFC because God has given you something that this church needs. You are not here only to receive but also to serve. To paraphrase John Piper, we are not contestants in a game where we try to beat each other, but different parts of a body where we try to serve each other.

Paul lists seven ways that we can serve. It’s not an exhaustive list, but it’s a good one. One of them (prophecy) is a little more remarkable. It involves boldly sharing God's truth with the church, often needing a special gift from God for insight and communication. The rest are everyday activities: organizing, caring for the sick, teaching Christian values, encouraging others, sharing resources, leading, and being kind. They’re both ordinary and remarkable at the same time. They’re why God has put you here.

The first implication of the gospel is the church. If you know the gospel, you understand that to be in Christ means to be joined to his people. And that looks like a call to humility, interdependence, and service.

Here’s what I’m trying to get across: The gospel creates the church and calls believers to humble interdependence and sacrificial service as the unified body in Christ.

Let me wrap this up.

Why are we going through this series? Because if we get our view of the church from what we think or how the world operates, we’ll treat church as optional. We’ll show up as critics. We’ll check out when it’s hard. We’ll keep everyone at a safe distance. And we’ll expect to be served.

If we see the church as the first application of the gospel, we’ll embrace our calling to live as a united body, dedicated to walking in love, advancing holiness, and serving sacrificially for Christ and the gospel. We will foster church growth and spiritual health, support biblical worship and practices, and generously help the poor while spreading the gospel. Together, we will embody the beauty of God’s grace and reflect his glory to the world.

That’s who God is calling us to be. There is no greater privilege. You can live the other way if you choose, but then you’d just be another person living the world’s way. Or you can live out the first implication of the gospel by committing to the church in humility, interdependence, and service, and show the beauty of the gospel to a world that needs it more than anything else.