20260705 Romans 12:1-2 You Can Know God’s Will
The Book of Romans • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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OT Reading
5 Trust in Yahweh with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.
NT Reading
1 Finally then, brothers, we ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more. 2 For you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification:
Let’s bow in prayer
Introduction: You Can Know God’s Will Romans 12:1-2
Romans is written to display the grace of Jesus Christ, the love of God the Father, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit for those who are in Christ
Do you ever wonder what the will of God is for your life?
Do you ever ask yourself, am I doing what God wants?
Do you ever doubt yourself and ask, maybe I should be doing something different?
Do you ever question yourself and wonder, Am I doing something that has taken me out of the will of God?
Romans God’s Will for Your Life
When people ask me, “What’s the will of God for my life?” I reply, “Are you asking me if you should be a teacher, or a lawyer or a baker or a factory worker, or should marry Bob or Bill, Jane or Jessica?”
Those aren’t the first questions to ask. The first question is What does the Bible say is God’s will for my life ?
33 “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
And so this morning let’s start at the very beginning, a very good place to start
1 Therefore I exhort you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice—living, holy, and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may approve what the will of God is, that which is good and pleasing and perfect.
(1) What has led up to this verse?
Romans 1:18 - we suppress the truth
1:19 - God is evident but in our sinful nature we reject God, in 1:28 we refuse to acknowledge God
In 3:17 we do not know the path of peace, think of that in terms of being in God’s will
And in 3:21 through chapter 4 we see that the way of salvation has bee manifested, revealed to us - we are shown God’s will with repsect to salvation
9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
In 6:1, Paul asks, are we to continue in sin? Guess what the will of God is -
We are told in 6:12 to not let sin reign - again, What is God’s will?
22 But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you have your benefit, leading to sanctification, and the end, eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
What is God’s will? Receive the gift?
But there’s a battle going on within us
22 For I joyfully concur with the law of God in the inner man, 23 but I see a different law in my members, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a captive to the law of sin which is in my members.
We want the will of God but we war against the will of God
6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,
The will of God is…
(2) But what about the hard times?
3 And not only this, but we also boast in our afflictions, knowing that affliction brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not put to shame, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
We want God to reveal his will and He promises us a greater reveklation, a greater revealing
28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.
God is using afflictions and struggles as part of His will, part of His plan of revealing His glory and goodness.
It’s mot just our will that Paul has in mind but the eternal will of the Father that is being accomplished - His kingdom, His righteousness
(3) The known and decreed sovereign will of God will help you discern the consequential will of God but not always the unknown sovereign will of God
God’s known and decreed, sovereign and unchanging will versus the consequences of our choices versus the sovereign will of God versus the consequences of of our choices
Unknown:
1 Therefore I exhort you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice—living, holy, and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
This is the known and decreed sovereign, universal will of God
Spiritual service of worship
Reasonable act oif worship
This is your logical worship - how else can we respond?
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may approve what the will of God is, that which is good and pleasing and perfect.
God’s explicit will - do not be like the world
Holy means set apart, different
Do not be cinformed
We are prone to conformity, but we are not to conform to the secular view that this is all there is so therefore go along with the crowd
BUT
Be transformed - metamorphosis like a butterfly - a change outside of this world, other worldly
There is a radical change through the Holy Spirit - you can conform to the world or you can conform to Christ through mind renewal
A mind change - metanoia - repentance
A heart change - more than knowledge
The Spirit is producing a mind change and empowering us to have a heart change
Romans God’s Will for Your Life
A renewed mind begins to think God’s thoughts after him. When our minds are informed by the Word of God, we are able to certify, prove, and recognize what is that good, acceptable, and complete will of God
What’s the will of God? Seek God’s total control, feed on God’s word, stop liviving for the temporary joy f the world.
Once you are ont his path notice the result: you’ll begin to see more clearly the unknown will of God
Romans God’s Will for Your Life
When our minds are informed by the Word of God, we are able to certify, prove, and recognize what is that good, acceptable, and complete will of God.
What should you do? Who should you marry? Where should you go to school? Be locked into God and you will be like the person who goes to the fridge and instantly knows which foods lead to lasting happiness and whcih foods simply fill a momentary urge
May the Lord of peace Himself, grant you peace at all times, under all circumstances. The Lord be with you all. Amen.
