Romans 12:1-2 "A Living Sacrifice"

Good Morning, Calvary Chapel Lake City!

Please make a point to attend our Inductive Bible Study Training.

Dan Finfrock travels all around the world… literally… teaching Inductive Bible Study… predominately at Calvary Chapel churches and Bible Colleges.

Much of my time at Bible College in the Philippines was learning Inductive Bible Study… or IBS.

Which helps to study better and avoid mistakes in biblical interpretation.

My son Ethan took Dan’s class in Peru, and loved it. He was sad it wasn’t taught earlier in his studies.

So, please come and learn the Inductive Bible Study technique on July 18 & 19.

Well, lets now continue in Romans. Please turn to Romans 12. Romans 12:1-2 today.

We come to a major transition in Paul’s Epistle as we enter into Romans 12.

The most simple outline to Romans would be to divide it as Romans 1-11 which focuses on doctrine.

And, Romans 12-16 which focuses on application.

I like this distinction Dr. Constable makes where he describes…

1-11 as ‘information for belief’ and 12-16 as ‘exhortation for action.’

1-11 as ‘God’s actions for humanity’ and 12-16 as ‘People’s actions in response to God’s actions.’

1-11 as ‘Right-relations with God’ and 12-16 as ‘Right relations with other people.’

Before faith in Christ, we would have been condemned by God for our sin and rebellion towards God.

But, in grace… God provided His Son to the world… and trusting in Jesus is the means by which we are saved.

Salvation is past, present, and future… we were justified in the past… presently we are being sanctified… and will be glorified in the future.…

And this focus on Salvation and several other doctrines have been emphasized in Romans 1-11.

Now in 12-16, because of God’s provision, Paul outlines man’s responsibility to behave in a holy manner…

Not because it’s law… but because it’s a joy.

Because we recognize God’s love and grace toward us… and this motivates us to live for Him.

Paul exhorted the Ephesians “… walk worthy of the calling with which you were called…” (Eph 4:1)

McGee highlighted that in the Sanctification portion of Romans… there were several practical applications for the believer… but they are different from the applications in 12-16.

In Sanctification, Paul deals with ‘Christian Character… who the Christian is… the inner man… and the condition of the Christian’…

Whereas starting in Chapter 12… Paul deals with ‘Christian Conduct… what the Christian does… the outer man… and the consecration of the Christian.’

In the chapters ahead… Paul will lay out three major areas of application for believers:

Our relationship to God.

Our relationship to other members of the body of Christ… the church.

And, our relationship to the civil state… to government.

Well let’s begin the long awaited application section of Romans… looking at just the first two verses of Romans 12…

… as they address the most important relationship believers have on this side of heaven…

… which is our relationship with God… in a message titled, “A Living Sacrifice.”

Let’s Pray!

In reverence for God’s word, if you’re able, please stand as I read our passage today.

Romans 12:1–2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

Praise God for His word. Please be seated.

Rom 12:1-2 are two of the most famous verses in the Bible. Two of my favorite verses. And, many of yours as well.

“… be transformed by the renewing of your mind...” is the theme for our Soteriology Class.

Good verses. Life verses for many.

These verses are so rich that we are going to chew them bite by bite… slowly.

If you’ve ever been to a high end steak house… like a Ruth’s Chris…

It would be foolish to order a steak and quickly pound it…

You want to savor it… so you chew slow.

That’s Romans 12:1-2. It’s rich and full of flavor for our lives.

Paul begins V1, “I beseech you...”

Beseech is not a word we use often in our modern vernacular.

Perhaps appropriate at Ren Fest (a Renaissance Festival).

I beseech you for a turkey leg.

Awkward just about everywhere else. You wouldn’t say to the server at a restaurant, “I beseech you for more bread.”

Do that and before you know it you’ll be speaking in Old English all the time.

Beseech in Gk. is parakaleō. It means “to call to”, “to exhort”, “to encourage”… it could be rendered as ‘beg’ in this context.

It’s the root word for paraklētos… which is translated “Helper” referring to the Holy Spirit… who is called to one’s aid as an Advocate or Intercessor.

And, Paul… to the Saints in Rome… and to the Saints down through the ages… as inspired by the Holy Spirit… shifts into this application section of Romans.… written to and for believers…

And, the opening words that Paul was inspired to write were tender words of encouragement… essentially… ‘polite begging.’

Paul doesn’t demand.

He doesn’t come out saying… “you must do these things”… fist pounding his Bible and spit flying out of his mouth.

He’s gentle… he’s humble… he beseeches.

And, not only Paul… but God… “all scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Tim 3:16)

God himself pleads to our souls through these words penned by Paul.

He doesn’t command in V1. None of the words in V1 are imperatives.

The first commands come in V2 “Do not be conformed” (a negative command) but “be transformed” (a positive command)…

But, in V1… Paul appeals to his readers… beseeching… begging them to adhere to what he is about to write… because he can’t do it for you.

And, you can’t do it for your children… nor your spouse… or your best friend. And, neither they for you.

Paul writes, “I beseech you...”

You… personally… individually must come to the place to make a choice if you will do these things…

OR… resist these exhortations.

At the end of V2… the reader is told by adhering to what is packed into vv 1-2… we align with God.

Some translations end V2 that this “is your spiritual service of worship.”

NKJ reads “that you may prove what is that good and acceptable perfect will of God.”

There is a will of God for you.… which is good and perfect.

It’s not kind of good.

It’s not like on scale of 1 to 10… a 7.

It’s 10 out of 10. It’s perfection.

And, you have to choose if you will do this or resist it.

The next word Paul writes is “therefore”… and we practically have to take vv 1-2 word by word… bite by bite… precept upon precept…

You never begin a sentence with “therefore” without preceding context.

If you don’t believe me… go try it out. When you’re at the lake this summer… walk up to a stranger and declare something like…

“Therefore, I find this lake peaceful.”

Or “Therefore, the water is cool.”

If you love pressing into awkward… this will be great!

For the rest of us, we don’t start sentences with “therefore” unless we have preceding context.

So, by Paul inserting this word… he instructs his reader to look back to the context.

Not just the context at the end of Chapter 11… but truly to all 11 preceding chapters.

Paul has built a case about the righteousness of God…

God’s righteous revealed in condemnation.

God’s righteousness revealed in justification.

God’s righteousness revealed in sanctification.

God’s righteousness revealed in Sovereign choice… and vindicated in His dealings with Israel.

As we look back upon the entire case that God has built in the first eleven chapters… we can then look forward in acceptance of the applications that Paul will lay before us… and agree that this is our “reasonable service.”

It’s not reasonable if we just jump in at Chapter 12.

It would be like someone coming up to us… without context… and starting a sentence with… “therefore.”

And, as we look forward… let me emphasize that the motivation for us to adhere to Paul’s beseeching and his commands… are found in the greatest motivation…

… which is not condemnation, but love.

It’s God’s love for us… which we know by all we’ve been studying in Romans the past eight months.

Let’s do this… let’s take 5 minute and double click on the word “therefore”… to see what it’s… there for.

Reflect with me back on Romans.

Let us be reminded of all that God has done for us… so we can consider…

So, we can ask ourselves… is it reasonable for me to dedicate my life and my actions to God?

God gave us the gospel… which is Rom 1:16 “…the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes…”

Before Christ, whether we lived a moral or immoral life… we all were “under sin”… none of us were righteous, no, not one.

Rom 3:23 “… for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...”

But, through faith in Jesus Christ… we were “justified freely by His grace… redeemed… Jesus’ blood sacrifice propitiated or satisfied God’s wrath on our sin…

… demonstrating God’s righteousness… because in God’s forbearance or delaying… He passed over the previous sins committed…

… demonstrating His righteousness.…

He is a just judge. And, a justifier of sinners “of the one who has faith in Jesus Christ.”

Romans 3 was a powerful chapter.

In 5:1 Paul wrote, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ...”

And Paul laid out privileges we now have as believers… access by faith into this grace in which we stand…

We “rejoice in hope of the glory of God”

We even “glory in tribulations” knowing the good work God does in the trial… producing in us perseverance, character, and hope.

Rom 5:5 “… because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”

Rom 5:6 “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”

Resulting in us being reconciled to God… and instructing us to rejoice because of this grace.

In Chapter’s 6-8 Paul laid out how in our sanctification, we’ve been given the Holy Spirit who enables us to have power over sin.

“our old man was crucified with Him… we should no longer be slaves of sin… he who has died has been freed from sin…”

We are to “reckon [ourselves] dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom 6:11)

And, we are to “present our members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.” (Rom 6:19)

“… and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.” (Rom 6:22)

And, in Rom 7… Paul humbly and vulnerably shared that even in his weakest moments when he does the things he does not want to do…

When his will is to do good, but evil is present in him…

When his mind serves the law of God, but his flesh serves sin… and he wars within himself and feels wretched.

He looks in thanks to Jesus Christ who delivers him from this body of death.

And, then Paul writes repeatedly about the Holy Spirit in chapter 8. Rom 8:1 begins “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”

As we set our minds on the things of the Spirit, not of the flesh… and live according to the Spirit…

“… to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” … and pleasing to God.

Paul said, “we are debtors- not to the flesh… and by putting to death the flesh we live.

And, God gave us a Spirit of Adoption… we have the privilege to cry out to God, “Abba, Father.”

We are children of God… and…

Rom 8:17 “…heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.”

And, Rom 8:23 we “…groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.”

And, the Holy Spirit makes intercession for us… the saints.… according to the will of God.

Rom 8:28 “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”

God foreknew us… He predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son…

He called us… justified us… and glorified us.

“If God is for us, who can be against us?”

“We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”

And, Rom 8:39 nothing “shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Your salvation is secure.

And, if you’re skeptical about that… Paul spent three chapters 9-11… looking at the past, present and future history of Israel to prove that God is dedicated to His people…

… even when they fail in being dedicated to Him and believing Him.

Which is a great assurance of God’s faithfulness to us as well.

And, so… taking all this in… to our minds… and to our hearts… knowing His love and all He has done for us…

As I briefly summarized just now… and boy did I skip a lot… but all this should motivate the believer to live for him.

So when we read Paul’s words, “I beseech you therefore…”

It’s a much bigger picture… and a casual read-through does not suffice.

Paul goes on next to add the word “brethren”… which several Bibles translate as “brothers and sisters”…

Paul addresses fellow believers now. No longer is the focus Israel Nationally as we thoroughly read in Chapters 9-11.

Paul now addresses Christian brethren (Jews and Gentiles alike).

And, Paul ties the word “therefore” to this next phrase “by the mercies of God”… for all that we have considered “therefore” to mean… are in fact also “the mercies of God.”

By definition, “mercy is compassion or forgiveness shown towards an enemy or the miserable.”

More theological… “By the atoning sacrifice of Christ a way is open for the exercise of mercy towards the sons of men, in harmony with the demands of truth and righteousness. In Christ, mercy and truth meet together. Mercy is also a Christian grace.”

Simply speaking… mercy is not getting what we deserve.

Constable wrote, “Mercy expresses deliverance from condemnation that we deserve, and grace describes the bestowal of blessings that we do not deserve.”

And, beyond looking back at the first 11 Chapters in Romans… can we not look back personally to see God’s mercy in each and every one of our lives?

Can we not look upon the testimonies of our very lives to see the mercies of God?

I can look back upon God’s mercy in me being raised in a home that was sterile of spirituality… and I embraced a worldly lifestyle…

And, took pleasure in all the world had to offer.

There were many times that I was on the wrong path in life, and God re-directed me and preserved me… despite me walking in error.

It was God’s mercy that preserved my physical life and legal record… during the crazy days of filling my body with substances.

It was God’s mercy that I still breath air.

It was His mercy that He redirected me away from my friend’s Mormon cult… and to my Uncle who was saved out of Mormonism by the word of God… who then shared truth of the Gospel to me.

It was God’s mercy that He Baptized me with His Holy Spirit and called me into ministry in the midst of career idolatry and alcoholism.

It’s God’s mercy that my marriage is intact… that my kids love Jesus…

There are many mercies of God that we ALL could meditate upon personally… which drive us to God… to respond to God…

1 Jn 4:19 “We love Him because He first loved us.”

And, if God’s mercies don’t move you to want to live your life for God… than most likely nothing will.

Because the love and mercy of God are the greatest motivations for us to respond to Him.

And… as we proceed… let me remind you that Paul is not trying to shame or guilt the reader into obedience… he is using sanctified logic to say…

… that if we look back upon the previous 11 chapters… and as applied to our very lives… which is encapsulated by the “mercies of God”…

… then… it’s very reasonable for us to… as Paul writes next… to “present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God...”

The phrase “present your bodies” means to present all of you. The body, in Hebrew thinking, was a representation of the whole person.

Your mind… your heart… your spirit… all of you is to be dedicated or consecrated to God.

1 Corinthians 6:20 declares “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”

We were purchased with the blood of Jesus Christ therefore we should glorify God in our body and spirit.

In that Corinthians passage… Paul confronted sexual immorality… and taught that our bodies are the ‘temple of the Holy Spirit”… and that we are not our own.

Through creation and redemption… our bodies belong to the Lord.

By the blood of Jesus at the cross we were bought at a price… a very costly price to God.

Thus, it is reasonable to “present your bodies a living sacrifice.”

Christian life is a bit of an oxymoron… because it is a calling to be both dead and alive simultaneously.

To be alive to God spiritually, yet to be dead to the old ways… to the old life… to the old man and flesh.

In Gal 2:20, Paul paints this picture… “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

That’s a pretty good depiction of being a living sacrifice… and how we can only live so by faith in the Son… not by our own power… and motivated by His love.

“A living sacrifice” is such an interesting phrase because when an animal was offered up to God… especially in the sense of a Burnt offering…

It was already dead. It has already gone through being sacrificed… the blood was drained and poured over the altar and it’s base…

And then… the body was consumed by fire.

An animal still alive would make for a very difficult burnt offering, because it would jump off the altar.

But, this is a great picture of the Christian, because how often in life do we jump off the altar?

It’s interesting how scholars look at the word “present”…

Some suppose this means an offering made once-for-all. A one time offering that never needs to be made again.

Amazing if that’s your reality, but for most of us… the honest ones… it unfortunately is not.

Other scholars hold that “present” does not imply how often, but… our offering should be resolute (marked by firm determination)… and as often as we desire.

There may have been a time that you fully dedicated your life to God, but as you reflect upon where you are now… it’s obvious you’ve jump off the altar.

And, maybe today is the day to once again get back on and fully dedicate your life to God.

There are obvious allusions to the OT sacrificial system here in V1… especially the burnt offering… as previously mentioned.

The Burnt Sacrifice was an offering in which the entire animal was consumed by fire… not part, but ALL… symbolizing complete devotion to God… it represented an attitude of total commitment to God (Ex 29:38-42; Lev 6:8-13; Num 28:3-10)

And as the smoke ascended heavenward to God, it represented an appeal to God… and entreaty of heaven.

We have a tendency to deceive ourselves into thinking that we can offer God a life that is divided between Him and the world.

“How about 50/50 God?”… “I’ll give you half, but I’m reserving the other half for me… and for my will… and my pleasures.”

You could bump that up to 90/10… reserving just 10% for yourself… but that is not the picture of total dedication… an complete offering.

It’s self-deceptive to think… that we can live a foot in the world and a foot in Christ… and that the offering of our life would be acceptable before God.

It’s an insult to God when we offer Him our leftovers. This had become a problem in Judah… where the priests and the people were not offering their best to the Lord.

Malachi 1:6 displays God’s heart ache… “A son honors his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence?"

God was displeased and was being treated with contempt. Where was their love for God?

Several verses describe how the people were not honoring God with their offerings. Mal 1:8 for ex. “And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, Is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?” Says the Lord of hosts.”

Rhetorical questions to which the answer is obviously “No”.

God deserves for us to not cut corners when giving to Him, but to offer Him the first and best of our time… and our heart… and our finances… and our very lives.

God forgive us when we compromise in our giving and offer you only what we would normally discard.

God deserves more than our left overs… and more than a divided heart.

That is not the quality of Christianity deserving of any rewards in heaven… and sadly it’s the very compromised Christianity that often causes people of the world to blaspheme the name of God.

When the world sees hypocrisy in our lives… they harden their hearts to God. Which is a tragedy.

A Burnt offering that would be acceptable before God… was of the best quality… AND was a complete sacrifice… totally consumed… full dedication.

AND, when the burnt offering was presented to God, it was to be made of one’s free will, not out of obligation.

Leviticus 1:3 reads, “If his offering is a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish; he shall offer it of his own free will at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord.”

Thus… Paul appeals to YOU… “I beseech YOU…”

He appeals to the willing heart who will self-sacrifice.

You have to be the one who offers your own life, not someone for you.

In 2 Cor 9:7, in the context of giving… Paul instructed, “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.”

You cannot make an offering to God out of obligation and expect it to be pleasing to God.

Would you feel good about accepting a gift if the giver’s attitude was rotten?

“Oh just take it already! I don’t want to give this to you, but I feel like I have to.”

Some of you are thinking… ‘depends on what they are giving.’

If I really wanted it… I might just take it… despite the sour attitude.

God doesn’t think that way… He has everything one could imagine…

But, of your belief… your love… and your dedication... He does not steal these from you.

These you must give to Him willingly… thus they are cherished by God.

When Tabernacle offerings were presented in the OT… it was a freewill offering…

Exodus 35:21 reads, “Then everyone came whose heart was stirred, and everyone whose spirit was willing, and they brought the Lord’s offering for the work of the tabernacle of meeting...”

V29 tells us “all the men and women whose hearts were willing”… those were who brought the freewill offering to the LORD.

God has always desired that we give to Him willingly. The giving of your finances… and the giving of your very lives…

It must be offered to God with joy… with a willing spirit and heart… for God loves a cheerful giver.

And so, with this offering and this attitude in mind… the apostle Paul’s beseeching… his plea to us is that much more piercing when we understand the significance of the burnt sacrifice and the attitude behind the giver.

Paul continues exhorting that we present a holy sacrifice to God.

Holy means “sacred” or “separate from common condition”…

When we “present our bodies” to God… our bodies are to be holy… “set apart”… separate from sin and dedicated to God.

In the OT… it was understood that if you were to present a sacrifice at the temple… it was to be holy… “without spot or blemish”

Exodus 12:5 instructed, “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year.”

Which is exactly what Jesus’ sacrifice was accepted as…

Peter said, you were not redeemed with corruptible things… “but [1 Peter 1:19] with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

In the sanctification section of Romans… Paul also emphasized holiness in the presentation of ourselves to God...

Romans 6:13 “And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.”

Romans 6:19b “… now present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness.”

In awaiting the Lord’s return, Paul and Peter exhorted:

1 Tim 6:14 “… keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing...”

2 Pet 3:14 “...beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless…”

Living holy lives until the Lord returns is a mark of Christian living.

And, so… Paul’s urging of us to present our bodies as a “holy sacrifice”… it instructs us that the conduct of our lives should be separate from sin.

It would’ve been unheard of in the Old Testament to offer an unholy sacrifice. A sacrifice with blemish.

So… as we consider Paul’s words thus far… we see a picture of the kind of Christian life… the kind of living sacrifice that… as Paul writes next… is “acceptable to God.”

For a sacrifice to be acceptable to God… we’ve talked about…

… the quality of the sacrifice. It must be without spot or blemish… which is the picture of holiness.

We looked at the parallel to the burnt offering in being fully dedicated to God.

We’ve discussed the attitude of the giver… that they must offer a free-will offering…

… an offering given with a willing heart and spirit. Not out of obligation, but cheerfully.

Motivated by our love for God because we are the beneficiaries of the mercies of God.

Because of all that God has done for us… as we recounted… looking back at the first eleven chapters of Romans… and reflecting upon our own testimonies…

Which is saturated with God’s mercy…

The only logical… the only reasonable response is that we present our lives to God as living sacrifices.

The famous Greek Scholar, Kenneth Wuest wrote, “Doctrine must always precede exhortation since in doctrine the saint is shown his exalted position which makes the exhortation to a holy life, a reasonable one, and in doctrine, the saint is informed as to the resources of grace he possesses with which to obey the exhortations.”

At the end of V1… in a simple yet profound verse… Paul has built the case… and determines… our dedication to God is our “reasonable service” or “Spiritual service of worship.”

The Gk. word for “reasonable” is logikos… meaning “rational” or “spiritual.” It’s root word is Logos… from where our English word “logical” derives.

The logical conclusion for how we should respond to God as Christians is a thoughtful and deliberate self-dedication of our lives to Him as an act of worship.

Paul does everything here… short of forcing us into the quality of life that honors and is dedicated to God.

We need to decide if we will live it or not.

These two verses today contain lot’s of depth… but they are not to difficult to comprehend.

But they are a lot to consider. Will I adhere to them or not?

Let’s continue and re-read V2 “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”

In the first verse, Paul laid out the first of three exhortations…

“Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God.”

And, now in V2… Paul presents the final two exhortations… “… do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind...”

Now…these are not suggestions. As mentioned earlier these are imperatives… meaning they are commands.

The first command is written in the negative. “Do not be conformed to this world...”

One translation reads, “… don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould...”

There is a conforming pressure of the world… and it seeks to mould us and change us into it’s image and away from the image of God.

We see this in how clothes styles and hair styles change… and people follow the trends.

Not all of you. Some of you are still rocking 1995, but hey… those trends have circled right back around, so you’re back in style. Look at that!

But the world does not simply want to change the way you look. The world seeks to change the very way you think… especially about the Bible and about God.

The world wants your inward thoughts and your morals to reflect the opposite of what we read in Scripture.

Compare the many liberal agendas to the Bible and try to find harmony.

It’s not there. To be an alignment with the thinking of the world is to be in disagreement with the word of God.

And this is because the world is under the influence of Satan… who himself fell in pride and wanted be like God (Isa 14; Ezk 28).

Satan is titled the “ruler of this world” (John 12:31), but he will be cast out. His authority is temporary.

He’s called the “god of this age” who blinds the minds of those who don’t believe (2 Cor 4:4)

The course of this world is “according to the prince of the power of the air...” (Eph 2:2)

I think you know this, but when Paul writes “world” in Rom 12:2… he’s not talking about the physical planet… he’s talking about the systems of the world… and Satan’s influence over those who reject God.… and the apostate church.

Satan is called “that serpent of old… who deceives the whole world” in Rev 12:9.

John wrote “… the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.” (1 John 5:19)

And, since the beginning… Satan has been tempting the world… repeated with what we read in 1 John 2:16 “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.”

This is how Satan tempted Eve… and how he tempted Jesus in the wilderness.

So many people get it wrong to think they will find fulfillment in life through selfish pursuits.… lusts and pride… power and wealth.

Jesus said in Matthew 16:25-26 “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?”

Jesus says… if you lose all of your life… if you take up your cross and follow Him (same passage)… you will find fullness in life. You put it all on the altar, and you will find life.

But the pursuit of the things of the world will result in loss. When the aim of one’s life is gaining the world… there is an emptiness… a hollowness.

At the end of one’s life… people don’t look back and say, “I really regret that I gave my life… and my time… and my heart to the Lord.”

“I really regret the positive spiritual influence I had on my family… and the legacy that will ripple through my kids and grandkids… and the world around us.”

People don’t say that.

But, people do look back and regret too much pursuit of the world… and the pursuit of accumulating more for me… resulting in less time with Jesus.

In Luke 12:15 Jesus said, “… beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

In light of eternity… when staring eternity in the face… people are well pleased to have lived a life that glorified God… as they presented themselves as a living sacrifice…

We are not to be conformed the to world’s systems and lies.

There is a distinct contradiction between loving the things of this world and loving Jesus. You can only have one Lord… one Master in your life.

Which is a key point in Romans 12:1-2… it is reasonable to turn from the world and to submit to the Lordship of Jesus over our lives.

Continuing in V2… Paul doesn’t end with the negative command… “Do not be conformed to this world...”

That would leave a hole in our lives with nothing to fill it.

So, Paul presents the positive alternative which is to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Don’t be conformed… be transformed. The world leads you on the wrong path… here’s the right way to live as a Christian.

The word “transformed” in Gk metamorphoō meaning to change the external form… and from it… we get our English word Metamorphosis.

Our Youth group just designed these logos centered around this verse and the idea of a transformed and renewed mind.

They did a great job!

The boys shirt features a “Transformers” feel and the girls shirt a butterfly…

Both of which change from one form to another.

And the transformation that occurs… especially in the case from a caterpillar to a cocoon to a butterfly.

Is a picture of something inferior becoming something superior.

Now I’ve never been a caterpillar or a butterfly… you’ll be happy to know I don’t identify as a butterfly…

But, I can imagine the quality of life significantly improves especially with the new found ability to fly.

And, in like fashion… the Holy Spirit desires to work in tandem with us to transform our minds and our hearts which formerly were corrupted by the world…

… and conform us to the image of the Son.

V1 of Romans 12 addressed us making a commitment to God… now in V2 the focus is maintaining said commitment.

And God does this largely in part by renewal. “the renewing of your mind.”

The word renewing means “renovation.”

Several of us know what it’s like to renovate a room in your house. Think back to what it was… and assuming a quality job was completed… the end result is a massive upgrade.

That’s what’s happening with your mind as you dedicate you life to God as holy… and not conformed to the world.

But, with any renovation there is work to do. That bathroom didn’t just fix itself… and nor will your mind if you spend the rest of your Christian life eating Doritos, sitting on the couch… streaming shows.

There is a process God desires for us… to “be transformed” which is the command (the imperative)… “by the renewing of your mind” (which is the lifelong process)… and the result is proving or discerning God’s will… which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Notice Paul doesn’t write “transform yourself”… he writes “be transformed.”

You cannot in yourself… by your own strength… renew or re-program your mind. There must a spiritual renovator.

And the Holy Spirit is the transformer who does a marvelous work in us.

In context of who were formerly were… and then God saving us… Titus 3:5 describes the process of Salvation which is “… not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,”

The Holy Spirit will do His part… and is well pleased to work in us and through us.

But, we have a role as well… as we put off the old man… Colossians 3:10 reads, “… and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,”

How do we get knowledge according to God?

Psalm 1:2 describes the blessed man… “… his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night.”

The Bible has all the information we need.

2 Peter 1:3 “… His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue,”

The “all things” in that verse includes work God has done through Christ… is doing through the Holy Spirit… the work of angels on our behalf… our salvation… and instruction from the word of God.

The renewed mine is being fashioned by the word of God and not by the world and its system.

The renewed mind thinks like God‘s word… it’s in alignment with God‘s word… it loves the boundaries within the word of God and understands they are like guard rails on the side of the cliff for our protection.

Placed by a loving Father.

As the world thrusts ideas upon you… the renewed mind tests the world’s conforming pressures against the word of God.

The renewed mind decides to stay or leave based upon the word of God.

True or false based upon the word of God.

Do or don’t based upon the word of God.

And, peace or no peace as led by the Spirit.

The renewed mind is in harmony with the word of God and waits upon the Holy Spirit for peace before proceeding.

And, as we understand His word… and are led by the Spirit… as we are dedicated to God as a living sacrifice… we come to a place of discerning the will of God… and delighting in it.

Many people ask, “What is God’s will for my life?”

There is a general will of God for all people to believe in Jesus Christ.

But there is also a will of God personal to your life… and this verse promises that as your mind is transformed by renewal… you will know God’s will.

And, God’s will is described at “good and acceptable and perfect.”

Good means “good or kind.”

Acceptable means “well-pleasing.”

And, Perfect means “having reached its end or complete.”

(worship team please come)

As we turn the page in Romans from the doctrinal section to the application section… straight out the gates… Paul invites us into a way of living completely dedicated to God…

… which will result in our minds being upgraded like we’ve never experienced…

… and our will being in harmony with God’s good, pleasing, and perfect will.

Praise God for His word.

Let’s Pray!

Perhaps this is a good time for some self reflection.

Have I ever done this? Have I ever offered my life as a sacrifice to God?

If not… I encourage you to pray to Him… and do so today.

Perhaps you have, but as a living sacrifice, you’ve jumped off the altar… you’ve drifted… and it’s time to get back on.

And we sing this final worship song, we will have people on the sides to pray with anyone who needs prayer.

Or, even just between you and God… at your seat… pray and dedicate or re-dedicate your life to Him.

Blessings upon you in this week ahead.