The Perfect Will of God

The Context: “Therefore”

This text is built upon all that Paul has said in Romans 1-11.

What is the theme and theology of Romans 1-11? Salvation and Sanctification

What is the point of our salvation and sanctification? Romans 11:36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

He created all things - “from Him”

He sustains all things - “through Him”

He possesses all things - “to Him”

For His glory

The Sense of Urgency

The Word Used

Parakaleo

Urge

Request

Appeal

Beseech

Exhort

Its semantic range lies somewhere between “request” and “command”

Urge is from parakaleō, which has the basic meaning of calling alongside in order to help or give aid. It later came to connote exhorting, admonishing, or encouraging. In His Upper Room discourse, shortly before His betrayal and arrest, Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as the Paraklētos, our divine Helper (also translated Comforter, Counselor, Advocate). He would be “another Helper,” who in this present life takes the place of the incarnate Lord (John 14:16; cf. v. 26; 15:26; 16:7).

The Audience in Mind

“Brethren”

What kind of brethren?

Israelites

Biological brothers

Roman Citizens

Brothers and sisters in Christ

The exhortation Paul gives in these verses are clearly intended for true believers in Christ.

The Foundation

The “therefore” already created one layer of our foundation.

The second is found here “by the mercies of God”

“Through the mercies of God” underscores the connection between what Paul now asks his readers to do and what he has told them earlier in the letter that God has done for them. All that Paul has written in the letter thus far may be summed up under the heading of the mercy of God in action.” - Douglas Moo

“by” - In other words it is the mercy itself that is exhorting us!

“mercies” - plural, what are the mercies of God? The things we receive because of His mercy.

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

forgiveness

adoption

The Holy Spirit

guaranteed hope

propitiation

reconciliation

justification

eternal life

sanctification

resurrection

glorification

The Exhortation

Present as a Sacrifice - the action

An imperative verb, meaning it carries the weight of authority

paristēmi (to present) was often used as a technical term for a priest’s placing an offering on the altar.

This command or exhortation is requires us to perform a priestly act, that is to make a sacrifice.

As true disciples of Jesus we are all priests and thus qualified to make this sacrifice.

Our bodies - the object

Is Paul speaking purely in physical terms?

Paul is referring to the totality of our being. (His reference to the mind in verse 2 makes this clear.)

There is certainly a reference here to our flesh - Romans 7:22-23

The Qualifications

Living - shows the difference between this kind of sacrifice and those of the O.T.

Holy - set apart from the evil and profane for the purpose of service. This is what having an unblemished sacrifice pictured in the O.T.

Acceptable - only a living and holy sacrifice is acceptable to God

The Justification

Why should I bother being a living, holy sacrifice unto the Lord?

Spiritual, Reasonable or Rational?

There are problems relating to both adjective and noun. Today most interpreters understand the adjective as spiritual, which makes good sense and is certainly in mind. But it is hard to think that the connection with “reason” has been completely lost, and there is something to be said for “intelligent worship” (Phillips) or JB’s “that is worthy of thinking beings”.

Given Paul’s point it is easy to see why he would state that offering ourselves as living sacrifices is the “reasonable” or logical thing to do.

However, the words connection to the inner man has been well established such that we cannot ignore the possibility that spiritual is the better translation.

Perhaps the accuracy of the Greek language allows us to keep both meaning in mind.

Service Worship (one Greek word)

Service = acts that are done for God’s glory

Worship = any act or word that communicates God is worthy of all glory

The Instructions

How are we to become living sacrifices?

The Steps

Step 1 - Negative: Do not be conformed to this world.

The world: “that floating mass of thoughts, opinions, maxims, speculations, hopes, impulses, aims, aspirations, at any time current in the world, which it may be impossible to seize and accurately define, but which constitute a most real and effective power, being the moral, or immoral atmosphere which at every moment of our lives we inhale, again inevitably to exhale” - Trench

Do not love the world nor the things of the world.

Remember that Satan and our flesh together create for each of us a unique brand of worldliness.

Step 2 - Positive: Be transformed by the renewing of you mind.

The Greek verb (metamorphoō) connotes change in outward appearance and is the term from which we get the English metamorphosis. Matthew used the word in describing Jesus’ transfiguration.

We are being transformed from world-lings into living sacrifices.

The vehicle of this transformation is the renewing of our minds.

This is something that the Holy Spirit does in the life of a believer

This is not something that an unbeliever can do to be saved.

Colossians 3:10 and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him

We are being renewed or transformed.

When we accept Christ our souls are immediately transformed, our minds on the other hand are a process.

The Result

When a believer’s mind is transformed and he or she has given themselves over as living sacrifices they are then able to discern God’s will for the choices in front of them.

Any Christian who is filled by the Spirit is in the will of God.

Who transforms our minds?

Who indwells the believer?

Don’t agonize over the will of God. Rather passionately pray to be filled by the Spirit so that your mind will be transformed and your body will be a living sacrifice.