Romans 12:1-2
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SLIDE 2
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
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INTRO:
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As we come to chapter 12, we begin a new section of teaching in the book of Romans. Chapters 1-11 have been very doctrinal and technical in nature. It is Paul’s method of teaching… to lay a foundation of thought… and then, to build a new layer upon that foundation… and then, another layer… and so on.
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He wants to bring his reader to place of understanding, by incrementally stepping them up, from one level of instruction to the next.
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In past studies, we considered his teaching method like a set of steps.. Once we have climbed up onto one tread, and received a good understanding of where we are at and how we got there… Paul then is able to take us up to the next step.
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As we went through chapters 1-11, we climbed a lot of steps… all which laid a foundation for the practical response that we are called to… in the remaining chapters.
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Though much was covered in those 11 chapters… a central topic is easily identifiable… and that topic is: GRACE.
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In chapters 1-4… Paul revealed our unbelievable need for grace…
- - for we are horribly broken in our flesh… we saw that in chapter one..
.... - - Morality and heritage fail us… we saw that in chapters 2-3...
… - - The argument is wrapped up in chapters 3-4 emphasizing… that righteousness is not earned… but it is received by faith…
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IN chapters 5-8… Paul drew us a picture of what it means to live under grace..
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In chapters 9-11… Paul used the questions that some might have had about Israel.. and posed an message emphasizing the overflow of grace… - That is… grace should overflow in the life of the believer.. so that unbelievers… and Paul gave the example of unbelieving Israel… would be provoked to jealousy by your life.
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In all of this… grace is found… grace is defined… and grace is exemplified.
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Now… after we have learned SO MUCH… about grace… Paul uses the next four chapters… to talk about a church… THAT IS SHAPED BY GRACE.
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OK… We’ve learned a lot about the grace of God… - But an understanding of something so amazing can’t just be an intellectual subject…
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No way… If we truly understand grace… it will become in us, a catalyst.
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Many people tell their stories of how they have had defining moments in life. Something happened… something was revealed.. something was understood… and from that point forward… EVERYTHING CHANGED.
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This is what grace is like… when we understand the depths of God’s grace… it should define us. It should change us… it should shape us. And not just once… No way. We are a forgetful people. We are a broken people who have this broken flesh that is continually trying to drag us down…
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For this reason, we need to be reminded of grace. Grace should be revealed to us every week that we partake of the cup and the bread as it reminds us, of the extent that God went to, to redeem us through the offering up, of His own son.
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The Bible repeats many teaching, examples, and exhortations on grace…
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The revelation of God’s grace… should be, for us… a repeated experience of defining moments… one after another.
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This is why that all important, transitional word: THEREFORE… is found in the beginning of verse one. Because of all these things that we have learned about grace… Paul is urging us to respond appropriately. PAUL IS URGING US… to have lives… that are shaped by grace:
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Now… before we get into these 2 verses… and we are only covering two verses today… because each word is a deep well to learn from… - But, before we look at verses 1-2 in a translation that is familiar to us…
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I want to read it from a translation of the NT called the J.B Phillips translations… which is more of an amplified version… but I love how he brings out the many different ideas that the Greek communicates.
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SLIDE 3
With eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I beg you, my brothers, as an act of intelligent worship, to give him your bodies, as a living sacrifice, consecrated to him and acceptable by him. Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity.
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Where as my ESV Bible says, “By the mercies of God”… the NIV, for example… says: “in view of God’s mercy”… - Another way of saying this would be… … “In light of our awareness to God’s mercy”
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… which is why the Phillips version can say… “with eyes wide open to the mercies of God”…
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Though Paul maintained a theme of grace… he didn’t really start talking about mercy… or compassion as this word is sometimes translated… till chapters 9 and chapter 11… in fact, go back a few verses… to 30, 31, and 32… he mentions mercy 4 times.
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If this overall, sweeping theme of grace isn’t enough to shape your faith… look also, with much awareness… towards the mercies of God.
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Now… before Paul digs into the motivation of mercy… and the appropriate response to that mercy… He starts out, by urging his readers.
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He is literally, about to call these believers… to make a willful decision to give their lives fully to God… - And he does this, by making an earnest request.
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Now… this word for ‘urge’… parakaleo… It isn’t like a demand… where he might say, “Do this or else!”.... And it isn’t like a simple request… where as, he might be saying: “Here’s an idea… Now, you go and think about it.”
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Because… this word… ‘to urge’… can also mean...’to comfort’… or ‘to request’… or ‘to appeal’.
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He is calling his readers… to make a willful decision, right now… because it’s of vital importance… and they should at this point, have the understanding and the motivation TO recognize that this is the appropriate response… and willfully make this decision.
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What is the motivation again? What is the defining moment catalyst? What is the thing by which we are to be shaped? It is of course… grace… but all the more, right now… He wants them to make this decision, with a full awareness… of God’s mercy.
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Have you ever had someone in your life… whom you respect… in whom you recognize great wisdom.. and when they encourage you to do something… you are compelled, with great conviction… to comply???
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If a complete stranger comes up to you, and tells you, based on their knowledge and opinion, to do something… you will probably be sceptical. And you should be. You don’t know that person… you don’t know how their logic has been formed. You don’t know their heart. You don’t know what ideals have influenced them. You don’t know if they have an agenda…
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So… maybe you hear them out.... maybe you’ll think on it a bit… but you don’t just take it in.
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But… when you know that person. When you know their intellectual and spiritual foundation. When you know where they are coming from and when you know what’s in their heart… and they urge you to do something… -Well, you probably will.
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The church in Rome only knew Paul by way of reputation… and for some, maybe that was enough. But for others… they wanted to take it slow and really see for themselves… what this Paul guy is all about..
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That’s why… he lays out 11 chapters of doctrine… emphasizing the grace of God… before he calls them to action.
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By this point… if they are really hearing and understanding what he is saying… then they will also be motivated. They aren’t motivated because of who Paul is… they are motivated, by the grace of God… that Paul has continually been pointing to.
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So with this motivation is play… here is what they are called to do:
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SLIDE 4
… present your bodes as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
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Paul has already touched on this idea a little bit… back in chapter 6 …
SLIDE 5
Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.
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SLIDE 6
I am speaking in human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness leading to sanctification.
Rom
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In both those verses… he is calling the reader to present their members… their parts… which is essentially the same thing he’s saying here… ‘present your body’…
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To which some might say… “Ohh… my body. I thought maybe you wanted my money… or my career… or my retirement… or my recreation… but my body… Sure… it’s here when you need it. It’s not in very good shape and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better… but if you need it for something, let me know.”
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But that’s not what Paul means when he uses the word’ body’.. . Paul is calling us to present our entire self… and all that is contained in our self… as a living sacrifice.
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Now… when we see this term ‘sacrifice’… we can’t think in terms of our culture… our experience.. or our understanding. We don’t live in a world where religious animal sacrifice is a normal thing.
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The Romans however… and pretty much every other people group in this time period… were well aware of the idea of animal sacrifice.
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To those who knew Judaism, and the practices defined in Leviticus… and to those who actually practiced these disciplines by traveling to Jerusalem and offering up their sacrifices… - the message here was loud and clear.
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A sacrifice was something that you owned… and it was the best kind of what you had… and you gave it fully to God as an act of worship. Instead of profiting from it… instead of breeding it, instead of selling it at market, instead of collecting its wool every year… - You gave it completely, and irrevocably, to the Lord.
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But those sacrifices died… - The sacrifices of the new covenant do not involve the taking of a life… but rather, they are defined in the giving of one’s own life.
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SLIDE 7
you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
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SLIDE 8
Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
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We learn a few things about what it means to be a living sacrifice in these passages.
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SLIDE 9
It is something that happens in community
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According to … the act of being a living sacrifice… is something that is given in community… Multiple believers, being built up into one spiritual house… call it the Church if you will… to offer spiritual sacrifices.
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In as much as we are able to work together… to be like minded in mission and worship… to be those who are being equipped for the work of the ministry.. and then, as a community… doing that work… … we are offering up sacrifices that are acceptable to God through JX.
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SLIDE 10
It is something that happens in community
2. It is given through words spoken, with the correct motivation.
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Notice what says… “the fruit of lips that acknowledge His name”
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There are two parts to this… most importantly… the heart of the one speaking… “they are a people who acknowledge His name”… that is… they are sincere. They mean it. Their praise is not hypocritical. It is not just an experience for them… and emotional encounter… a feeling. The person who truly acknowledges God’s name… is a person who honors, believes in, trusts, and hopes in God.
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The fruit of the lips are not tested in the words spoken. We all can say, “praise the Lord” … we all can declare messages of praise… but if the heart doesn’t truly believe who God is… then those words are the fruit of hypocrisy… and not an example of a living sacrifice.
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SLIDE 11
It is something that happens in community
It is given through words spoken, with the correct motivation
It is something that happens, when we do good.
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goes on to tell us, to not neglect doing good. - Notice that word.... neglect. It doesn’t say… do not refrain from doing good… it says, ‘neglect’. Something that is neglected, is something that is available. It’s present. There is opportunity.
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You always have your mouth… so if you don’t brush your teeth, you are neglecting it. If you’re a parent, you always have your children… so if you ignore them and don’t fee them… you are neglecting them.
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But, if you don’t have children, it could not be said that you are neglecting your children.
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The idea here is… you and I… we have opportunities to do good every day. They are presented to us. We see an elderly lady struggling with her groceries in the parking lot… -We can jump out of our car and help her… The opportunity is there.
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The opposite of a good thing is not always a bad thing… sometimes… the opposite of doing good… is being resigned.
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I don’t know what opportunities are before you every day… but if you are wilfully aware… they will become obvious… if you ask God to show them to you… it will become obvious.
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And no.. we are not called to step into every situation and be every person’s savior… but there are times when we know… we are the ones who are supposed to help.
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SLIDE 12
It is something that happens in community
It is given through words spoken, with the correct motivation
It is something that happens, when we do good.
It is something that happens, when we share what we have.
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ends our list with this simple exhortation. “Share what you have”.
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Don’t be stingy. Don’t hold so tightly onto your stuff. Be generous, for no other reason, than that God is generous. Don’t let your stuff own you. Instead, let God own it.
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tells us… that these things are holy and acceptable to God… and that… they are our spiritual worship.
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The word translated ‘spiritual’ is also translated ‘reasonable’… This adjective is a form of the word ‘logos’… which means ‘word’ and ‘reason’… - It is translated both ways… spiritual and reasonable.. in may different verses.
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I think, in this passage… both interpretations work. To say that our worship is spiritual… is almost redundant. If it is truly worship… then it is truly spiritual… but when the word reasonable is used… the word for worship is often translated… service..
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This is your reasonable service.
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I like that. - Because of all that God has done for you… displayed in this opulent message of grace through chapters 1-11… it is totally reasonable… that we would serve Jesus..
- by worshipping Him in community…
-by speaking words of praise from a sincere heart
-by doing good
-by sharing what we have.
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And yet… there is a large percentage of people who claim to be Christians… who avoid community… there are many, who worship Him in song, but are not engaged beyond the vocal chords… there are many… who can’t be bothered to do good… - And this one’s a doozy for many… the idea of being generous… of giving… of loosening the grip of selfishness… - well… forget that.
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But Paul says… all of these things… are reasonable.
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If we wonder why some struggle… the answer is probably available to us in the second verse.
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SLIDE 13
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
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The Phillips translation talked about the world having a mold… and how we shouldn’t let the world around us, squeeze us into it’s mold.
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The world demands that you think as it thinks… it demands that you embrace its values. It demands that you give up what is contrary to it, and comply to its form.
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In the past 10 years alone… the thinking of the world, and the moral values of the world, have changed drastically… and we are continually faced with the challenge to hold fast to the timeless truth, and not be swayed by these new, temporary and fleeting concepts that are being thrust upon us.
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This is how the world operates… it tells you a new thing that is called truth… then it repeats it in multiple ways… then, those who are very impressionable… they embrace it quickly.... then, it is declared a norm. Once the media gets on board, one side or the other of government will get on board… and then… the sympathy factor puts pressure on society…
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And in no time at all… the world has come up with a new form… and if you are not forced into the mold of this new form… you are reviled… you are labeled… you are shamed… until you finally submit, or you are punished.
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God doesn’t operate that way… He doesn’t force you into a mold…
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Instead… He offers you a spiritual option… not to be conformed… into a different form of worldly thinking… but rather… TO BE TRANSFORMED… into something completely different.
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This word is only used a few times … it is the word we get ‘metamorphosis’ from… It was used of Jesus when he took Peter and James with him onto a mountain, and He was transfigured before them… and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white a light..
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It is used here… in ...
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And it is used in 2 Cor..
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SLIDE 14
2 Cor
And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.
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God doesn’t want to replace facts in your head… He doesn’t want to simply shuffle information in your brain so you simply think different things. That’s what brainwashing does…
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God doesn’t want us to have these old brains washed and re-programed to think new thoughts..
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He wants our minds… to be completely renewed… as we, in our whole being… become TRANSFORMED… as we go through A METAMORPHOSIS… from broken, lost, dying, sinful person… TO NEW, BRAND NEW… RE-CREATED AND RE-NEWED PERSON.
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I know it’s hard to notice, because our flesh hasn’t gone through much of a metamorphosis… and if it has, it probably wasn’t good..
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But spiritually, we have all… all who have trusted in Jesus… we have all gone through a transformation as spiritual beings.
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And if we truly present our bodies as a living sacrifice to God… and we allow the HS to work in us… the transformation of our minds will follow.
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If you are a person who has been learning, growing, praying, and trusting in Jesus for some time… I’m sure you’ve noticed, that you think differently than you used to.
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Paul finishes this verse out… by telling us what a renewed mind will do..
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It will… by testing… discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
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As you allow God to transform you… you will gain spiritual insight… discernment… wisdom… and understanding.
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It will be more clear to you… just what God’s will is… not only as you read the scriptures… but as you encounter situations in life.
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You will look at something… and the world might say it is bad or that it is good… but you you will know… you will discern… what is actually good… what is actually acceptable…and what is actually perfect…
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God wants His children… to be … in tune with Him.
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And you might think… yes. I want that. I want to break through so much of the confusion and doubt that I deal with. I want to understand what is right… I don’t want to be confused every time the world boldly claims a truth that the Bible refutes. I want better relationships. I know that bad things will still happen… but I want to have joy and peace in spite of those things..
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You might think… yes, I want the transformation that comes from a renewed mind.
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Ok.
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Then go back to verse one. That is where these things begin… - There is no transformational experience… there is no renewing of the mind… unless there is first… sacrifice.
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And yes… sacrifice is difficult. The very nature of the word itself is defined well… with the word: difficult.
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But… in light of God’s grace… it is totally, a reasonable thing to do.
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