In View of God's Mercies...

March 12th, 2025
by Lance Waldie

Romans 12:1a Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God…

Although Romans chapters 1-11 are not completely devoid of exhortation to Christian-living (cf. 6:11-13, 19; 11:18, 20), for the most part they have been concerned with doctrinal truths concerning God’s mercies on depraved humanity. While these chapters lay the foundation for Christiana worship, chapters 12-16 encourage the action of worship. God calls all of His people to action and application, but without a doctrinal foundation for such action, our actions are both baseless and worthless. In other words, if one does not understand the mercies of God, why would they ever thankfully serve God? One must first know God and what He has done, receive Jesus Christ through faith, and then true worship in spirit and truth will follow inevitably.

So, Paul’s “therefore” in 12:1 begins a shift in focus from doctrine to application. It thus begins an exposition on Christian ethics based on a theological foundation concerning “the mercies of God.” A believer’s actions will determine whether he truly comprehends the mercies of God. Simply knowing about God will not do. But the saving knowledge of God will “therefore” lead to action. What a man does with God will indicate if he is a legalist (working to gain God’s approval), a humanist (working to better himself), or a true Christian—one who serves God in order to worship Him for the salvation granted him through faith in Jesus Christ.

John Calvin wrote, “[Paul’s] exhortation teaches us that until men really apprehend how much they owe to the mercy of God, they will never with a right feeling worship Him, nor be effectually stimulated to fear and obey Him.” Paul therefore urges action for the Christian. To “urge” (Gr. parakaleō) in the NT is to summon (Acts 28:20); to invite (Acts 28:14); to call for help (Matt. 26:53); to persistently ask for something (Acts 16:9); for speaking to relieve distress by comforting another (2 Cor. 1:4); and to authoritatively appeal to someone (Acts 27:33). This final use is how Paul uses it in 12:1, for he strongly urges action from the “brethren,” those who are Christians (non-believers cannot be urged to worship). Paul is not asking for a favor in his appeal that Christians obey the gospel; he is calling them to action as the fruit of their salvation.

In calling Christians to action, Paul does so in view of the “mercies of God.” Now all of Romans concerns God’s mercies, for God has revealed His righteousness in the midst of evil, and He mercifully volunteered to declare anyone righteous who would simply place their trust in His Son, Jesus Christ. God’s mercies concern His kindness and compassion (Col 3.12) for those to whom He chooses to have mercy (Rom. 9:15), namely His elect. Of course salvation itself does not depend on man’s efforts, no matter how strong they may be, but on God’s mercy alone (9:16). He makes His riches known to the objects of His mercy (9:23) so that they are able to worship Him in light of what He has done for them. Truly, the only ones capable of understanding God’s mercies are those who first understand that they were once bound and given over to disobedience (11:32; cf. 3:9-18) at God’s behest. And since only God can open the eyes of those bound to disobedience, those who can trust Christ will indeed worship Him faithfully.

Food For Thought
Jesus said, “True worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers” (John 4:23). God gave Himself for us through Jesus so that we would give ourselves to Him. And who is it that gives to God but those “who worship in the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh” (Phil. 3:3). Is that you? Perhaps God seeks your worship daily because you give it freely, and He enjoys it. Or, perhaps He seeks your worship because you rarely give it, and He desires more from you?