Here, Paul begins a new set of commands detailing what life in Christ on this side of eternity is supposed to look like. Taken together, it paints a picture of the Christian life. Followers of Jesus should be seen as those who love and take care of each other, in powerful and self-sacrificing ways.

This new command, however, can also be applied to how Christians interact with unbelievers. Paul echoes the direct teaching of Jesus: Bless those who persecute you and don't curse them (Matthew 5:44). It's possible that Paul is referring to persecution for the sake of Christ, but the same principle applies to any situation where we are treated badly.

The normal human instinct, of course, is to do the opposite. We feel the natural desire to curse those who hurt us and to avoid doing good for them at all costs. Christians who follow Paul's teaching here, instead, will stand out in almost every culture. They will also be imitating both Jesus' words and His example, as He carried this principle even to the extent of praying for the well-being of His enemies (Luke 23:34).

While it's true that this makes a powerful statement to unbelievers, Christians can also practice this with each other. Sometimes other Christians don't follow Paul's teachings. We can become hurtful to each other in big and small ways. Nothing communicates sincere love back to a brother or sister who is being hurtful than doing good for them and refusing to strike back at them.

Romans 12:9–21 is a list of numerous brief, bullet-pointed commands. Taken together, they paint a picture of what the living-sacrifice Christian life should look like. The unifying theme of the list is setting ourselves aside, to effectively love and serve the Lord, each other, and even our enemies. We must serve with enthusiasm and focus, mastering our emotions to rejoice in our future and be patient in our present. We must refuse to sink to evil's level in taking revenge and instead overcome evil by doing good to those who harm us.

In Romans 12, Paul describes the worship of our God as becoming living sacrifices to our God, giving up seeking what we want from life and learning to know and serve what God wants. That begins with using our spiritual gifts to serve each other in the church. Paul's list of commands describes a lifestyle of setting ourselves aside. Our goal as Christians is to love and lift each other up. We must focus our expectation on eternity and wait with patience and prayer for our Father to provide. We must refuse to sink to evil's level, giving good to those who harm us instead of revenge.

Romans 11 ended with a hymn describing God's vast ownership of the universe. Romans 12 begins by asking the question, ''Since He owed us nothing and has given us great mercy, how should we respond?'' The answer is a life of self-sacrificing worship spent in serving the Lord and other believers, refusing revenge and overcoming evil with good. Romans 13 will continue to describe God's intended lifestyle for those in Christ.

The book of Romans is the New Testament's longest, most structured, and most detailed description of Christian theology. Paul lays out the core of the gospel message: salvation by grace alone through faith alone. His intent is to explain the good news of Jesus Christ in accurate and clear terms. As part of this effort, Paul addresses the conflicts between law and grace, between Jews and Gentiles, and between sin and righteousness. As is common in his writing, Paul closes out his letter with a series of practical applications.

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