Sermon Tone Analysis

Are We Dedicated To God?

Be Transformed (12:1-2)

Introduction: The letter to the Romans stands as the clearest and most systematic presentation of Christian doctrine in all the Scriptures.

Paul began by discussing that which is most easily observable in the world—the sinfulness of all humanity.

All people have been condemned due to our rebellion against God.

However, God in His grace offers us justification by faith in His Son, Jesus.

When we are justified by God, we receive redemption, or salvation, because Christ’s blood covers our sin.

But Paul made it clear that the believer’s pursuit of God doesn’t stop with salvation; it continues as each of us is sanctified—made holy—as we persist in following Him.

Paul’s treatment of these issues offers a logical and complete presentation of how a person can be saved from the penalty and power of his or her sin.

The primary theme running through Paul’s letter to the Romans is the revelation of God’s righteousness in His plan for salvation, what the Bible calls the gospel:

1.

In , Paul makes the following plea regarding transforming

7 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.”

In Romans, Paul showed how human beings lack God’s righteousness because of our sin (1–3), receive God’s righteousness when God justifies us by faith (4–5), demonstrate God’s righteousness by being transformed from rebels to followers (6–8), confirm His righteousness when God saves the Jews (9–11), and apply His righteousness in practical ways throughout our lives (12–16).

We started Romans in verse 14-16 of chapter 12 last week.

This week we want to drop back to verse 1-2 of chapter 12.

In our Scripture for today, Paul makes the following plea regarding transforming our lives:

our lives:

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.

There is that word “therefore” again.

What has been said up to this point in Romans briefly is this:

1 urge

b ; ,

2 rational

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that

c ; ;

d ; []

e []

The New King James Version.

(1982).

().

Nashville: Thomas Nelson."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.

And do not be conformed

to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,

⇒ The world desperately needs to get right with God ().

that you may prove what [is] that good and acceptable and perfect

will of God."

⇒ The way for the world to get right with God is now clearly revealed through God's Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

justification: ).

“Just as if I had not sinned”.

2. As we consider this text, several questions come to mind...

⇒ The believer in Christ can now be sanctified, that is, set apart to God and set free from sin to life eternal by the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Holy Spirit ().

⇒ The believer or the church, not Israel, is now God's choice to carry the gospel of His Son to the whole world ().

*****And now we are picking up in chapter 12 at verse 1.

As we consider this text, several questions come to mind.....

As we consider this text, several questions come to mind...

a.

What does it mean to be transformed?

b.

What is the goal of transformation?

c.

What should motivate us to undergo transformation?

d.

What does one do in order to experience transformation?

[Starting with the first question ("What does it mean to be

transformed?"),

let's consider . . .

]

What does it mean to be transformed?

What does the word transformed mean as used in Romans?

THE DEFINITION OF TRANSFORMATION

A. THE WORD...

1.

The Greek word is metamorphoo (met-am-or-fo'-o)

a. Lit., "to change into another form" (Vine's)

b.

From which comes the word "metamorphosis"

c.

Used to describe a change of form (e.g., when a caterpillar becomes a butterfly)

becomes a butterfly)

2. In the NT, this word is used to describe:

a.

What happened to Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration - Mt

17:1-2

b.

What is to happen to Christians in their service to God - Ro

12:1-2

B. THE CONCEPT...

1.

The idea being commanded by Paul is this:

a. Christians are "to undergo a complete change, which under

the power of God, will find expression in character and

conduct" (Vine's)

b.

I.e., we who are "caterpillars" are to become "butterflies"

2. Note that Paul uses the passive voice

a. Indicating that "transformation" is something we allow to be

done to us

b.

Not something we do by our own power alone

c. Rather, we submit to God's power and by His grace...

1) We are "changed into another form"

2) We become a "new creation" - cf.

[But this leads us to our second question ("What is the goal of

transformation?")...]

II.

THE GOAL OF TRANSFORMATION

A. TO BECOME LIKE CHRIST...

1.

As expressed by Paul -

2. As predestined by God -

3. The purpose of being a disciple (to become like his teacher)

-

4. The goal of Christian living - cf.

B. TO LIVE LIKE CHRIST...

1.

To present our bodies as living sacrifices, holy, acceptable to

God