A Living Sacrifice
Lessons From Romans • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 10 viewsNotes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
On Sunday mornings, in the adult bible class, we have been going through the book of Romans.
I have very much enjoyed the study that has been put into it thus far and look forward to that which is to come.
Though we are only going to be starting to examine Romans 9, next Sunday, there are a few verses that I thought I would “skip ahead” and examine tonight as they are important for Christians to always keep in mind.
Before we do that let’s remember the focus of the book of Romans leading up to chapter 12.
In the first eight chapters of Romans Paul makes the argument for why the Jewish Christians should be united with the Gentile Christians in fellowship.
In the next three chapters, 9-11, Paul explains that physical Israel’s rejection by God is justified but that doesn’t mean the Gentiles should boast about such things.
In chapter 12 we see a switch or change in direction.
Paul bases the rest of his letter on the foundation of which has just been so beautifully laid out.
So knowing how we are all united in Christ and how easily we can loose that fellowship with God and each other Paul declares…
1 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. 2 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.
Let us today break down this vital message and focus our lives upon the very essence of this divine passage.
A Living Sacrifice
A Living Sacrifice
An Oxymoron.
An Oxymoron.
What does oxymoron mean?
An oxymoron is where you have a “combination of contradictory or incongruous words.” 1
A sacrifice, by definition, means putting to death something.
Thus, a living sacrifice is an oxymoron.
What exactly then is a…
Living Sacrifice.
Living Sacrifice.
The key to understanding this is back with the word “present” in “present your bodies as a living sacrifice.”
This word is in the aorist tense which typically means a “one-time act.”
This isn’t talking about becoming a child of God, because this is what the “brethren” were supposed to do.
God is trying to get the brethren at Rome to understand that they were supposed to bring a gift of appreciation for having been “saved by faith.”
This gift was their living sacrifice i.e. their life to God. Jesus would put it this way in Luke 9:23.
23 And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
This living sacrifice or gift of appreciation that is offered to God is our…
Spiritual Worship.
Spiritual Worship.
It’s interesting to see all the different translations of this phrase.
NKJV & KJV have “reasonable service”
ASV has “spiritual service”
NASB95 has “spiritual service of worship”
NIV has “true and proper worship”
So what exactly does this mean that our living sacrifice is our spiritual worship?
The word “spiritual” is only found here and in 1 Peter 2:2 and means “being genuine, in the sense of being true to the real and essential nature of something.” 2
The word “worship” is found four other times in the New Testament.
John 16:2; Romans 9:4; Hebrews 9:1; Hebrews 9:6
As we discussed in our last lesson on the five words of worship “this Greek word” means “Religious Acts” or specifically the “five acts or ways of worship.”
Summary
Summary
So this living sacrifice or gift of appreciation for our salvation to God is our covenant with God that we will genuinely worship our God in spirit and truth.
It’s our word that we will “give the gift of our life for a life with God” to worship our God faithfully.
God expects us to therefore, “take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5) pertaining to worship of God.
With each genuine act of worship we will carefully and thoughtfully make certain our worship is holy and acceptable to God.”
Paul then would declare that the way these brethren and us today are to uphold this gift to God is by staying…
Transformed
Transformed
Personal Transformation.
Personal Transformation.
When one obeys the gospel, they are “transformed.”
Those in Christ are made into a “new creation.”
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Thus, “everyone” that obeys the gospel come out of those watery graves as a…
New Creation.
New Creation.
As a new creation God’s children are expected to be transformed from their old lives by now “walking in newness of life.”
4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
Paul demonstrates in Romans 12:2 that this new walk is done by “proving what is the will of God.”
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.
How does one “prove what is the will of God?”
By finding what is good, acceptable, and perfect.
Notice all the conjunctions.
God’s will is that which is good, acceptable, and perfect.
Summary
Summary
Everyone that has obeyed the gospel is expected to give their “living sacrifice.”
To do so means they are willing to carefully and thoughtfully serve God according to His Word.
The only way one can thoughtfully worship God is if they are continually being transformed by the renewal of their mind.
This happens only by proving what is the will of God.
It all ties together.
If we want to properly serve God, we must determine what is good, acceptable, and perfect and then “walk” therein.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Brothers and sisters when we obeyed the gospel we offered up or sacrificed our lives in appreciation for justification from our sins and acceptance into the family of God.
This promise and transformation is our willingness to live faithfully according to God’s word in our life and worship.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.
Endnotes
Endnotes
Inc Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary. (Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster, Inc., 2003).
Louw, Johannes P., and Eugene Albert Nida. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains. New York: United Bible Societies, 1996.