Now What?

Descriptive and Prescriptive

Background

Acts 18 tells us the church in Rome existed for some time before Paul was in Corinth and the time marker is Claudius’ expulsion of the Jews from Rome (41-54 AD)

Only non Jewish Christians remained in the church

When Jews returned (about 5 years later) they found a very different looking church

Romans was written to unify the church in Rome

Probably written in Corinth and Greece

CH 1-4: Gospel reveals God’s righteousness

Everyone trapped by sin

Good news is God’s response

Jesus became what we are so we might become what He is

CH 5-8: God creates a new humanity

Old man Adam

New man Christ

Law reveals the evil heart of man and Jesus is the solution

CH 9-11: Gospel fulfills God’s promise to the Jews

CH 12-16 b/c of Jesus, Jews and Gentiles are family united in love of Christ

Romans 12:1–2 NASB95

1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable 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 prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Therefore…

What’s it there for? Look back at CHs 1-11

EPH 4:1

Ephesians 4:1 NASB95

1 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,

COL 3:5

Colossians 3:5 NASB95

5 Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry.

I urge you

Diplomatic language based on the previous information.

It is reasonable to ask b/c of the evidence given.

brethren

Word choice to show the reconciliation that has taken place in Christ for both Jews and Gentiles

by the mercies of God

Romans 9:16 NASB95

16 So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.

Undeserved kindness of God: if all that has been written before this is true and mankind is a slave to sin then this mercy is why you should do what I am asking.

Present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice

Understand the context is important

1st Century readers/hearers would have immediately understood (visually)

An animal identified for you (to take your place)

Bled out on the altar

cut into pieces, probably still warm

burned in fire

on an altar for whichever god your were worshipping

This isn’t just flowery language by Paul, he is communicating something here

Present: present infinitive meaning a continuous action

Also technical language for a sacrifice, shows our position as priests to bring the sacrifice

Living sacrifice: Different than the traditional altar sacrifice

No longer the taking of life but the giving of one’s own life

Romans 6:2 NASB95

2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?

Holy sacrifice: Set apart, consecrated to not left overs.

We give ourselves totally to God

Your spiritual service of worship

This is the act of worship reserved for the priests in the Jewish temple: same word used in 9:4

The word translated spiritual can also interchangeably be translated logical

This is offered in mind and heart

Where should this take place?

Temple

Church

In the home and the market place

This is different than offering your heart to God like too many people believe

Romans 6:12–19 NASB95

12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace. 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? May it never be! 16 Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, 18 and having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. 19 I am speaking in human terms because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness, resulting in further lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness, resulting in sanctification.

Imitative by nature: what are you imitating?

Whatever it is, it is guiding you or should I say controlling you and I.

Spot the lie

Billboard top songs: Up by Cardi B

Do not be conformed to this world

In Jewish thought which carries over to what Paul is saying there were two ages or worlds, the one we are currently living in which is evil and the one to come which is holy b/c of God.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NASB95

17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

This is how we live in the evil age but are focused on the age to come.

Galatians 1:4 NASB95

4 who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,

Ephesians 2:2 NASB95

2 in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.

But be transformed

Same word used to describe Jesus’ transfiguration

We are to be changed into the likeness of Christ

2 Corinthians 3:18 NASB95

18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

And this brings us to the million dollar question…HOW?

By the renewing of your mind

Based on the Truth of God, we are not supposed to even think like the world. Period.

This is not just an emotional event that Paul is talking about or even an outward only through disconformity

It is an inward transformation that works its way out into every facet of our lives

Transformation of character and conduct

Two value systems: This world and God’s

They are in direct collision with one another on how they respond to all things:

Purpose of Life

How to measure greatness

Answer to evil

Ambition, sex, money, community, religion

Anything

And we can’t serve two masters.

So that you may prove what the will of God is, good, acceptable and perfect.

Only a renewed mind can discern the will of God

This proving includes:

test, prove, understand

This is all a choice that we are faced with each day…choose wisely