Romans 12:1-8 (2)
Notes
Transcript
Review
Review
Paul will now begin to tell us how we then should live in light of the truths of the doctrine he has explained in Romans 1-11
Overall Reading
Overall Reading
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
A Living Sacrifice
A Living Sacrifice
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
beseech: Paul is asking with great emotion; I implore you!, I plead with you!, I beg you!
therefore: Paul is going to tell us things that should be true about ourselves, our activities, our lives in light of the doctrines he has told us in 1-11 that tell ALL the mercies of God
the mercies of God: In light of the fact we were wicked rebels of God and by His grace those of us that are saved are now vessels of mercy to show His glory. Considering God has freed the saved from being slaves to our sins and allowed us by grace to be slaves of Christ. Exactly because there is now no condemnation to those of us who are in Christ Jesus, we are to live in some specific ways
our bodies as a living sacrifice:
ALL of us! Our thoughts, our bodies, our actions, our work, our recreation, our families, out homes, and so on!
This would have shocked those in Rome (here too!) because they were influenced by Plato (just like us whether we’ve read Him or not) that our bodies are disgusting hindrances that the spirit had to escape from. Nothing further from the truth. Redeemed by Christ, and our desires rightly ordered by the Spirit and progressive sanctification, our bodies are a temple built to honour God by how it is used!
A living sacrifice is harder than a dead one. The living sacrifice wants to run away, to leave the alter. It take more discipline on our part and more grace on God’s part for this to even be possible
holy: sanctified, set apart, different. The grace of God not only doesn’t condone the sins of believers, it encourages holy lives, doing our best to follow the commandments of the Lord!
the sacrificial equivalent of physically unblemished and a fragrant aroma
acceptable implies there is a way for the Christian to live that is unacceptable to God
reasonable service: living this way is the logical service that only makes sense to give to the One that saved you
How do you Become a Living Sacrifice
How do you Become a Living Sacrifice
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
be not conformed: don’t let the world make you like it is ans acts
world: not the planet, or all the people. It’s the age. The present evil age ran for a season to the g god Satan,who acts only with the permission of God the Father
2 Corinthians 4:3–4 “3 But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: 4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”
an evil age that we have to be saved from Galatians 1:4 “4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:”
be transformed: The great thing here, is Paul doesn’t say “transform yourselves”! The transformation comes by Christ through the Spirit
renewing: At salvation the Holy Spirit starts a renovation project. He continues to soften the heart of stone we had and increase our heart of flesh. This happens in our progressive sanctification. The means used are: prayer, bible reading, service to others, being in church as a member of a body of believers worshiping and serving the Lord
Lost people can’t and don’t want to please God! It is only the renewed mind that can see the true will of God and only a transformed person that will want to please God!
What do we Think with a Renewed Mind
What do we Think with a Renewed Mind
3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
The renewed mind will think seriously about what it is and means to have been saved by grace Ephesians 4:7 “7 But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.”
The renewed mind will also not be overconfident in himself. The transformed Christian with a renewed mind growing in grace and truth understands more and more anything they have comes from God. They wouldn’t even be alive (spiritually for sure and maybe physically) if not for the work of the Father, the Spirit, and Jesus Christ in saving them!
Paul truly evaluating His life is how he gets to Romans 7:18 “18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” This is when we truly start to understand how much grace and mercy we have been given!
Who are the Gifts for?
Who are the Gifts for?
4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
Paul uses the analogy of the body to help explain that although we’re all members in Christ’s Church, we all have different parts to play and jobs to do. Paul will point this out here in Romans, Ephesians, and 1 Corinthians. It’s also pointed out in Hebrews!
What are the Specific Gifts
What are the Specific Gifts
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
The Gifts:
prophesy: Preaching the Word of God to convict and lead to repentance and faith on the part of unbelievers. All preaching is to be tested for accuracy: Acts 17:10–11 “10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.” Proportion is “in agreement with”
ministry: service is all kinds of ministry education, outreach, choir, deacon, benevolence, to name a few (1 Corinthians 12:5 “5 And there are differences of administrations, but the same Lord.” ). Figure out your gift and use it to serve!
teaching: we as teachers should cultivate our gift and use it. We should want to teach better tomorrow than we can today
exhortation: Preaching the Word of God to encourage, chastise, and build up the body of believers. If prophecy might be evangelism, exhortation is counselling
giving: charity; do so cheerfully (2 Corinthians 9:6–7 “6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.” )
ruling: leadership; not just in the church though. Being in supervision of others, running your own business that employs others. Using your opportunity to lead people not as a dictator, but as one who was saved to show others the joy and responsibility, and honesty that salvation has given to us
showing mercy: showing care for anyone in need or distress no matter who they are. Aliens, orphans, widows, homeless people, drug addicts, and on and on!
Conclusion
Conclusion
Paul’s picture of human depravity:
Romans 3:9–18 “9 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; 10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 15 Their feet are swift to shed blood: 16 Destruction and misery are in their ways: 17 And the way of peace have they not known: 18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
We are saved to be just the opposite!
“Christian sanctity shows itself in the deeds of the body. So we are to offer the different parts of our bodies not to sin as ‘instruments of wickedness’ but to God as ‘instruments of righteousness’ (6:13, 16, 19). Then our feet will walk in his paths, our lips will speak the truth and spread the gospel, our tongues will bring healing, our hands will lift up those who have fallen, and perform many mundane tasks as well like cooking and cleaning, typing and mending; our arms will embrace the lonely and the unloved, our ears will listen to the cries of the distressed, and our eyes will look humbly and patiently towards God.” -Stott
We do this service not only individually, but as the individual stones that the church is built of “spiritual stones”
Ephesians 2:19–22 “19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; 21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: 22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”
1 Peter 2:4–5 “4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, 5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”
