Romans 12:1-3 • A Life on the Altar

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A recent study found that over 90% of Christians say they want to know God's will for their lives—yet many struggle to find it. Paul tells us in Romans 12:1-3 that God's will isn’t a mystery to be solved, but a life to be surrendered, transformed, and renewed in Him.

Review & Overview

1. Previous Study’s Review

Chapters 1-11 was the Doctrinal section:

Chs. 1-3 - God’s Wrath

Chs. 3-5 - God’s Righteousness

Chs. 6-7 - God’s Sanctification

Chs. 8 - God’s Eternal Security

Chs. 9-11 - God’s Sovereignty

Today of course we come to the 2nd & final major division of the book: The Practical Section

Here is where we turn our attention from Principles to Practice, From Doctrine to Duty, From Study to Service.

Today we begin to look at applying all the things we’ve learned in the last 36 weeks or so, the last 11 chapters.

2. Current Study’s Overview

So let’s pick up our study through the book of Romans here in Chapter 12 verse 1. READ...

The Title of Today’s Sermon Is: A Life on the Altar: The Key to Knowing God’s Will

Because this portion of scripture tells you exactly how to discover God’s will for your life.

Paul doesn’t give a complicated formula or tell you to wait for a mystical sign.

Instead, he lays out a simple but powerful truth: Knowing God's will isn’t about trying harder—it’s about surrendering fully.

But let’s be honest—surrendering completely to God is easier said than done.

A living sacrifice wants to crawl off the altar.

The world constantly tries to squeeze us into its mold. And sometimes, we struggle to trust that God's will is truly good.

So today, we’re going to get into what it really means to offer ourselves fully to God, to break free from the world’s grip, and to be renewed in our thinking so that we can prove, discern, and walk in the perfect will of God.

Because when we live for Him, we will finally discover the life we were created for.

In these first 8 verses we see that it deals with Living For God - And we want to look at 3 things that involve Living For God.

The Will of God Vs. 1-2

The Faith from God Vs. 3

The Gifts from God Vs. 4-8

1. The Will of God Vs. 1-2

1.1 Prove The Will of God Vs. 2b

Look at the end of Vs. 2 really quick:

Prove Greek: dokimazo; to discern, to recognize, we would say “to know”.

ILLUSTRATION: Think about testing gold. In ancient times, people tested gold coins by biting them—gold is soft enough to leave a mark.

Similarly, proving God’s will requires discernment, testing what is genuine by aligning it with Scripture.

APPLICATION: Because many people say they want to know God's will, but they often look for it in mystical experiences rather than in obedience.

Instead, Paul links knowing God's will with being transformed in mind and offering ourselves fully to God.

So does anyone want to know God’s good, acceptable & perfect will for their lives?

Here, if you want to know God’s Perfect Will Paul tells us it involves 2 things here in Vs. 1-2.

1.2 The Will of God Involves Our Bodies Vs. 1

Living Sacrifice Vs. 1a - The idea of sacrifice would have been deeply understood by Paul’s audience.

In Jewish culture, sacrifices were offered daily in the temple. But Paul shifts the paradigm—God doesn’t want a dead sacrifice but a living one.

This contrasts with the pagan rituals of Rome, where people physically harmed themselves to appease the gods. Paul calls for a spiritual offering, one of daily devotion.

So Paul urges us to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice to God - You guy’s that is not something we work for or strive for - Notice at the beginning of Vs. 1 again, it is by the mercies of God!

TALK ABOUT JESUS IS THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE?

C.T. Studd Quote - The great British athlete said, “If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice can be too great for me to make for him”.

In other words the greatest thing we can give to Him or sacrifice to Him in light of what He has already done for us: Is to live our lives for Him.

ILLUSTRATION: Think of a soldier enlisting in an army. Once he signs up, his life is no longer his own—his time, body, and actions are all at the service of his country.

Similarly, offering our bodies to God means we surrender our will for His.

APPLICATION: A living sacrifice is not a one-time decision but a daily commitment. Each day, we must get on the altar again.

Reflection Question: What is one area of your life that you struggle to surrender to God daily?

And the only way we can do that, present our bodies as a living sacrifice is by the mercies of God.

We might say, by the Power of God, the Spirit of God, the Grace of God.

Zechariah 4:6 NKJV

6 So he answered and said to me: “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts.

Acts 1:8 NKJV

8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

Titus 2:11–12 NKJV

11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age,

APPLICATION: The reason this is so important to understand is because a living sacrifice wants to squirm off of the alter - It doesn’t want to lay there quietly, patiently, it wants to find a way off of the alter.

APPLICATION: The only way we can live for God, is by the power of God.

Philippians 2:13 NKJV

13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

1.2.1 - So What Does A Living Sacrifice Look Like? Vs. 1b - At the end of Vs. 1 living a life of sacrifice is holy.

Holy Greek: hagios; Pure, set apart.

Hebrews 10:10 NKJV

10 By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

When we genuinely place our faith on the finished work of Jesus Christ we are already sanctified we are already made holy.

And when we are Holy we are acceptable to God look again at the end of Vs. 1.

1.2.2 - And notice, When We Are Holy We Are Acceptable To God Vs. 1c - Being acceptable to God means pleasing to God. Are we living lives that pleases the Lord?

Hebrews 11:6 NKJV

6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Because if we don’t have our faith in Christ we are not cleansed by Christ - The only way for us to please God is to first sincerely have our faith in Christ.

And then when we live for Him it will be pleasing.

1.3 The Will of God Involves Our Minds Vs. 2a

So apparently, we all fall into one or two categories, we are either being: Conformed or Transformed.

Conformed Greek: syschematizo; Means to be fashioned or molded, in this case it is by the world.

In other words don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mold.

ILLUSTRATION: About how play doe can molded into this plastic molds about fruits and Jonah trying to eat them.

ILLUSTRATION: Think of a chameleon that blends in with its environment—that’s conformity. But a butterfly emerges from the inside out—that’s transformation.

The grammar indicates it’s something that is already happening to us so Paul commands us to stop. Stop being molded by the world.

World Greek: The word literally means an “evil age”

And the word world here is used to describe the society or system that man has built in order to make himself happy without God.

It is a kingdom that is antagonistic to God - The god and prince of this world is Satan according to (2 Cor 4:4; John 12:31;)

And all unbelievers are satans subjects - He seeks to attract and hold people through the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16).

The world has its own politics, art, music, religion, amusements, thought patterns, and lifestyles and it seeks to get everyone to conform to its culture and customs.

The world hates people who do not conform like Jesus and His followers.

APPLICATION: We are to stop being molded by the world, instead be transformed by the renewing of your mind...

Transformed Greek: metamorphoo; metamorphosis; means to change within and become something you are not; Like a butterfly.

Romans 8:29 NKJV

29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

It is the same word used in Matt 17:2 when Jesus was transfigured.

So how are we changed or transformed? By the...

Renewing Of Our Minds: It means to have a change of mind - We’re no longer thinking about the worldly things but we’re thinking about spiritual things.

In other words our master passion, that which we continually think about & meditate on should not be the things of the world but the things of heaven.

There are some Christians that say, “you can be so heavenly minded that you are no earthly good but the Bible teaches the opposite.

Colossians 3:2 NKJV

2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

Romans 8:6 NKJV

6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

ILLUSTRATION: About study of Olympic runner - Mind does not know what is real.

APPLICATION: You see, we can’t be any earthly good until we are heavenly minded.

Now really quick, turn with me to the previous chapter....

Romans 11:33–34 “33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! 34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?””

Now turn w/ me to...

1 Corinthians 2:16 NKJV

16 For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:7 NKJV

7 But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory,

1 Corinthians 2:10–12 NKJV

10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

(Go back to Romans 12)

APPLICATION: And here is the point: As we live for the Lord & think about the Lord we will be directed by the Lord.

APPLICATION: God will reveal His perfect will in our lives on day by day basis - He will open or close the doors one at a time - God’s made life pretty simple.

2. The Faith From God Vs. 3

When we’re living in light of God’s perfect will, we need to be careful not to become prideful in thinking we’re special - We need to think soberly.

Soberly: To have a right mind or a sound mind.

In other words if we are prideful in thinking that we’re special, we are out of our minds, why?

Because God’s given us all a measure of faith, so we all can live in light of His perfect will.

ILLUSTRATION: A speedometer in a car helps us stay within the speed limit. If it’s broken, we might think we're driving safely when we’re actually speeding.

Pride is like a broken speedometer—it makes us think more highly of ourselves than we should.

Everyone Has Faith - There are people especially the atheistic community that connect the word faith with religion or God.

But that is not the case, everyone has faith or the ability to trust we would say.

ILLUSTRATION: kdfjd

Hebrews 11:1 NKJV

1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

One problem we have is we think faith is a quantity...

Matthew 6:30 NKJV

30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

Matthew 8:10 NKJV

10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!

Luke 17:5 NKJV

5 And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”

Luke 17:6 NKJV

6 So the Lord said, “If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

So it’s not about the amount of our faith, it’s about the object of our faith - If we have our faith in ourselves, that is little faith - But if we are putting our faith in Jesus that is great faith.

As we close, let me ask you: Are you truly living as a sacrifice for God?

Paul doesn’t call us to a one-time surrender, but a daily offering of ourselves to the Lord.

The reality is, a living sacrifice can crawl off the altar—and that’s exactly what we tend to do when things get difficult.

But God, in His mercy, invites us back, calling us to daily surrender, daily transformation, and daily renewal of our minds.

APPLICATIONAL QUESTIONS:

Are you being conformed or transformed?

 What are you allowing to shape your thoughts—God’s Word or the world’s influence?

This week, make it a priority to renew your mind in God’s Word. Start your day by offering yourself as a living sacrifice, asking God to shape your thinking and transform your heart. Let your worship go beyond just singing—it’s in the way you live.

And remember, as you yield to God, as you refuse to conform to the world, and as you allow the Spirit to renew your mind, you will walk in His perfect will—one step at a time.

ENDING…