Knowing God's Will

Introduction

Last week, we ended with verse 32 of chapter 11.

Romans 11:32 NIV

For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.

To some people, this verse sounds “unfair.” Yet, when we come to our passage today, Paul actually gives a doxology—a means of praising God.

Some of you may not be familiar with the idea of the singing of a doxology. When I was a kid, our church use to sing a doxology. It said:

Praise God from whom all blessings flow Praise him all creatures here below Praise him above ye heavenly hosts Praise father, son, and holy ghost, Amen

Paul’s Doxology

In our passage today, Paul gives us a doxology of his own. If you have your Bibles, and I hope that you do, turn with me to Romans 11 and we’ll begin with verse 33.

Romans 11:33–36 NIV

Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?” For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.

We don’t notice it in the English writing, but in the Greek, this doxology is written in a chiastic structure (A, B, C, D, E, E’, D’, C’, B’, A’):

A “Oh, the depth

B of the riches

C both of the wisdom

D and knowledge of God!

E How unsearchable are His judgments

E’ and unfathomable His ways!

D’ For who has known the mind of the Lord?

C’ or who has become His counselor?

B’ Or who has first given to God that God should repay them?

A’ For from Him and through Him and for Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen.”

Verse 33

Paul praises God because the depth of His wisdom and knowledge is unsearchable (v. 33a).

Paul also points out that the richness of God’s wisdom and knowledge are also beyond our understanding (v. 33b).

So we cannot understand two things (v. 33c):

— God’s Judgments.

— God’s paths (ways).

Verse 34 & 35

This appears to come from Isaiah 40:13, Job 41:11. The verse is made up of three rhetorical questions which presupposes the answer, “No one!”

Who has known the mind of the Lord? (v. 34a)

Who has been His counselor? (v. 34b)

Who has ever given to God that God should repay them in some way? (v. 35)

Verse 36

Finally we have an acknowledgment of the greatness of God.

Everything came from God (v. 36a).

Everything was made by God (v. 36b.

And everything was made for God (v. 36c).

And because of how great God really is He is to be given glory forever! Amen (May it be so!) (v. 36d).

A Living Sacrifice

Romans 12:1 NIV

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

This verse begins with a “Therefore. . .” referring to the last verse of chapter 11—it's all about God!

This is then followed with, “in view of God’s mercy. . .” You may remember that throughout the first part of Romans, Paul has been talking about God’s mercy and how it interacts with us.

And now, because God is merciful, and the fact that God created everything for Himself, we are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice.

Urge—the Greek word translated here, can also mean: implore, exhort, beg, encourage, appeal, invite, to ask for earnestly, plead.

This urging comes because of God’s mercy.

We are to offer our bodies, which has the Old Testament idea in view—offer all of ourselves, the totality of our being—to God.

We are to offer ourselves to God as a living sacrifice (living has the idea of ongoing and never ending). Like any sacrifice we are to have certain qualities:

—We are to be holy.

—We are to be acceptable to God.

Finally we are told in the NIV that this is our true and proper worship. I like how the NET Bible says it. It says it is our reasonable service. It is not extraordinary for us to sacrifice our lives for God. It is perfectly reasonable!

Here’s the thing, there is a huge problem with being a living sacrifice. You see, there was a reason that in the Old Testament the lamb was killed before it was put on the alter. You know what that reason was? A dead sacrifice cannot get up and crawl off the altar.

A living sacrifice can avoid pain and suffering by crawling off the altar!

What’s worse, when I offer myself as a living sacrifice to God, I have a tendency to want to crawl off the altar when things get too hot or too tough. But, as a living sacrifice you and I are called to stay on the altar no matter how tough the going gets!

Question 1: What kind of sacrifice is God asking you to make?

Question 2: Do you realize our being a sacrifice is reasonable worship?

Don’t Be Conformed

Romans 12:2 NIV

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Do not be conformed

This Greek word can be taken two ways.

—It could be a subconscious conforming, where the person as no real knowledge that it is happening.

—Or it could be a permissive conforming, where we allow ourselves to dabble in the ways of the world. In this way, we have some consciousness about our conforming to the pattern of this world.

One way to translate this verse is “Don’t be squeezed into the world’s mold. . .”

(ILLUSTRATION: Mom’s Jello Mold)

Instead we are to be transformed (Gk. metamorphoo, could also be translated: be changed, transfigured, change appearance, complete transformation.) We get our English word metamorphosis from this Greek word) by the renewing (Gk. making new, renovating) of our mind.

When we avoid conforming, and we transform our mind by renewing it, Paul says we will be able to test and approve (Gk. examine, discern, examine, interpret, demonstrate, prove to oneself, determine the genuineness) what God’s will is. We will actually know and understand the will of God.

THOUGHT—Maybe the reason so many people (maybe even so many of us) say they don’t know what God’s will is, is because they continue to conform to the way of the world rather than experiencing God’s metamorphosis in their life.

Paul gives us a quick description of God’s will.

—God’s will is good (Gk. satisfactory, useful, fitting, beneficial).

—God’s will is pleasing (Gk. acceptable, pleasant, well-pleasing).

—God’s will is perfect (Gk. complete, whole, mature, without spot, full grown, fully developed, genuine).

So What?

The first thing that we need to learn from this passage is that Christians should live lives that are a constant “doxology,” constant state of praise to God!

We can live in this constant state of praise when we understand that our lives and everything else in the world, is ALL for or about God!

When we live in this manner we will be free to offer our lives as a “living sacrifice.” When we truly live in this manner we will be holy and pleasing to God.

Being a “living sacrifice” is not something outlandish, it is our reasonable service to God.

As a living sacrifice, we cannot be conformed to this present world.

Instead we are to be “transformed” and the way we do that is by renewing our mind so that we can test and approve what God’s will is.

And finally we’ll understand that God’s will is good, pleasing, and perfect!