Are we Transformed?

Romans 12:1-2

Are we transformed?

True Christian service and living must begin with personal dedication to the Lord.

The Christian who fails in life is one who first failed at the altar, refusing to surrender completely to Christ.

We can go to Christian programs for the right or the wrong reason--the same with true salvation.

We can be sick and tired of being sick and tired, ready to throw in the towel and know our way is a dead end and desire our lives to change.

We must realize we need a Savior.

Some might enter the program or come to the cross of Jesus for the wrong reasons--to get something in return--to get out of prison, to get shelter and get off the streets or do it for their wife or girlfriend because they are fed up.

You done burnt your last bridge!

It’s like that when someone goes to say a prayer for salvation and want things to get better in their lives, but hold 20% back.

Some think that worshipping God is going to church, singing and praising God, praying, or reading their Bibles.

These are all important but this isn’t what this passage is talking about.

It’s how we live our lives every minute of every day.

We are being fruitful by walking in love that can only be evident by the Spirit of the living God working in our lives.

It’s not about going to church on Sunday and then Monday through Saturday living like the world.

How do we live behind closed doors?

In order to offer our bodies up to Christ we must purpose to walk in the Spirit, not in the flesh.

This takes changing selfishness to selflessness.

We don’t do things our way anymore.

Submitting to Christ is an ongoing process.

The motivation for dedication is love.

We serve Christ out of love and appreciation for:

1--what He did on the cross of Calvary for us.

2-the freedom we have in Him.

3--He redeemed and bought us back with the blood He shed on Calvary.

Transformed means transfigured in the Greek.

Every Christian is either a conformer living like the world or a transformer, daily becoming more like Christ.

It is only when the believer is dedicated to God that he can know God’s will for his life.

God does not have 3 wills--good, acceptable, perfect--for believers in the way that there are 3 choices for merchandise in online store “good, better, and best.”

Rather, we grow in our appreciation of God’s will.

Some Christians obey God because they know obedience is good for them, and they fear God’s discipline.

Others obey because they find God’s will acceptable.

But the deepest devotion is in those who love God’s will and find it acceptable.

Will you surrender your life to Him today? (altar call)