YouTube video sermon

Romans 12:1-2

As always, let me invite you to take your copy of God’s Word and turn with me to Romans 12.  School starts back this week…  I used to cheer, when our boys were younger.  Now that they’re both driving and able to pretty much take care of themselves over the summer, it’s not as big a time of celebration.  It’s still looked at with disdain by the boys, but that’s to be expected.  So, in homage to school starting back, I thought we’d take a real quick review.  Buckle up.  This is gonna be quick.

We’ve looked at condemnation at the end of chapter 1, all of chapter 2, and most of chapter 3 resulting in the conclusion that “there is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10, ESV).  So, we saw what being lost in sin looked like.

Then we looked at justification at the end of chapter 3, and I gave you a new made up word to use in place of justification.  Do any of you remember that word?  (Righteousize = to make righteous)  It’s not that justification isn’t the right word or a good word.  Indeed, it’s a biblical word.  The problem is that our modern world has highjacked that word, and we try to justify all kinds of things so that we aren’t labeled as sinners.  But when you hear the word “righteousize” and you look at yourself in the mirror, then you realize the radical nature of God’s work of redemption.

Chapter 3 concludes with these words: “But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed… through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe.  For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness…” (Romans 3:21-25, NKJV).  So, we saw what being made right in God’s eyes (i.e. being saved) looked like – it involved the sacrifice of Jesus upon the cross of Calvary.

Then we looked at reconciliation in chapter 5 – where, by faith in Jesus, our relationship with God is brought back into proper alignment and Paul gave us these words “Therefore, since we have been justified (i.e. righteousized) through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…” (Romans 5:1, NIV).  So, we saw what being at peace with our Maker looks like, through Christ.

Then we considered the process of sanctification in chapters 6, 7 and 8.  We heard that famous illustration from Paul’s own life where he battled doing what he didn’t want to do and not doing what he did want to do; all culminating in this magnum opus, this monumental and magnificent chapter 8 that’s just filled with favorite verse after favorite verse:

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (v. 1)

“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.  For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.” (vss. 5-6)

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (v. 18)

“Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.” (v. 26)

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (v. 28)

“For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son…  And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called He also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified.” (vss. 29-30)

“What then shall we say to these things?  If God is for us, who can be against us?” (v. 31)

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?  Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?…  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.  For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (vss. 35-39)

I mean, “WOW!”  What a marvelous chapter.  Just another reminder why so many bible scholars call it the most significant chapter in the entire Bible.

So, we have condemnation, justification, reconciliation, sanctification, and finally, for the past several weeks in chapters 9, 10, and 11, we’ve been considering God’s predestination and vindication.  God will have mercy on whom He will have mercy, and compassion on whom He will have compassion (v. 15), “So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy” (v. 16).  And while we may not be able to fully understand God’s reasons, nevertheless, we can affirm that He’s Lord of all and He’s free to work as He chooses in pursuit of His own purposes.  And those purposes do not contradict His ultimate plans for Israel.  “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.  To Him be the glory forever!  Amen.”

What an amazing journey so far!  Amen?  It’s like when you get home from a vacation.  Maybe you went on a European bus tour or a boat cruise and visited several different countries.  Or maybe you took a RV and drove across the US and visited multiple states.  Or maybe you went to a theme park like Disney World and one day went to the Magic Kingdom, and the next day you went to Epcot, and the next day you went to the Animal Kingdom, and then you went to Hollywood Studios, and then to Universal.  In each of those situations, when you look back on your trip and the territory you covered and the things you saw and experienced you’re just overwhelmed by it all.  That’s what Romans 1-11 should make you feel like.

And now we begin the concluding leg of our trip with Romans 12.  Romans 12-16 is the practical outworking of the Christian life in light of everything that we’ve covered in chapters 1-11.  Romans 12-16 is Paul’s explanation of how Christians ought to live in response to the heavy doctrines of chapters 1-11.  We’re only going to cover the first two verses today.  Follow along with me:

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual (reasonable) act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:1-2, NIV).

Normally, I offer you three things to consider.  Today, I’m offering you four.  And the first is to see…

The Core Of Our Commitment To Christ

Our commitment is in response to an assessment.  Preachers often say, “When you see the word ‘therefore,’ you have to ask yourself what it’s there for.”  In this case, Paul is throwing his lasso around everything that he’s mentioned in chapters 1-11, and he’s using all of that to call for an assessment.  What are you going to do?  How are you going to respond?  As we say, “this is where the rubber meets the road.”

But our commitment isn’t just a response to an assessment.  It’s also a response to an appeal.  Notice that next phrase, “I urge you…”  Maybe your translation says, “I beseech you…” or “I appeal to you…” or “I plead with you…”  This is the appeal of a counselor.  Paul isn’t barking out orders.  He’s not commanding and demanding.  He’s encouraging them.  In fact, the Greek word that’s used there is parakaleo.  Some of you might recognize that word just by hearing it.  It’s a word that means to come alongside, to call for, to encourage, to personally make a call.  It’s the same word that Jesus used for the Holy Spirit (parakletos) – our Comforter, our Advocate, our Helper.  Paul takes the position that he’s in the fight with them, and so he urges them onward.  He calls them to respond to what they’ve just heard.

So, our commitment is in response to an assessment (therefore), it’s also in response to an appeal (urging), but it’s also the response of appreciation: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy,…”  Not only is Paul throwing a lasso around everything in chapters 1-11, and not only is he coming along side of them to encourage them, but he’s pinning everything on the mercies of God.

If we tell people to present themselves a living sacrifice to God without giving them the reason, then we’ve left off the motivation.  The call to action is powerless without folks seeing the mercies of God.  It reminds me of Jeremiah’s words of praise in the midst of an otherwise depressing little book called Lamentations that go like this, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end, they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

The core of our commitment to Christ is in response to an assessment, in response to an appeal, and is the response of appreciation for the cross of Calvary (His great mercy).  The second part of verse 1 lays out the second thing that I want you to see, and that’s…

The Characteristics Of Our Commitment To Christ

The first characteristic of our commitment to Christ is that it’s conscious.  It’s not something that evolves or just happens.  It’s something we’re aware of; a choice we’re conscious of.  Notice that Paul uses the word “present.”  Maybe your Bible uses the word “offer” or “give.”  The Greek word is a technical term for the Old Testament priest bringing an offering and laying it on the altar.  That’s not something that happens accidentally or by chance.  Remember Abraham and Isaac?  Isaac didn’t just trip and fall and wind up on the altar.  No, Abraham and Isaac made the journey up the mountain and on the way we hear those words coming out of Isaac’s mouth: “Hey dad…”  “Yeah, son, what is it?”  “Well, I know we have the wood and the matches for the fire, but where’s the lamb for the burnt offering?”  Abraham made a conscious choice to be obedient.  Isaac, too, made a conscious choice.  Likewise, Jesus made a conscious choice to be obedient unto death – even death on a cross (Philippians 2:8).

The second characteristics of our commitment to Christ is that it’s complete.  Paul calls us to present our bodies.  We present all of who we are.  We give God the whole person.  Don’t just look at this in terms of your physical extremities: your hands, feet, mouth, etc.  It certainly includes those things, but it also includes our thoughts, our emotions, our decisions, our aspirations; we surrender all to Him.

The third characteristic of our commitment to Christ is that it’s costly.  We’re called to be “living sacrifices.”  The Old Testament sacrifices were dead, but we’re called to be living, daily sacrifices.  Remember Jesus’ words in Luke 9:23, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”  It’s a costly commitment.

Fourth, our commitment to Christ is constructive.  Dedicated people don’t wear a label, they demonstrate their dedication.  They go places and do things for the cause of Christ.  Living sacrifices don’t just sit around and contemplate their condition.  They seek ways to be a part of Christ’s plans and purposes to share the gospel with the world.  In Luke 1:74-75, Zacharias, the father of John the Baptist, prayed these words, “we . . . might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.”  That’s constructive commitment.

Fifth, our commitment to Christ is ceremonial.  Now I use the word “ceremonial” because the Greek word latreia is the word we get our English word “liturgy” from.  Liturgy is a form or structure of worship.  When we sacrifice ourselves to God, we do it as an act of worship.  All the efforts we put into our worship services here at Mountain Hill are for nothing if you haven’t worshipped God by committing yourself to Him.

Finally, our commitment to Christ is credible.  It’s reasonable.  It’s logical.  It’s proper.  It’s sensible.  When you stand at the foot of the cross and contemplate Jesus Christ hanging there as a sacrifice for you, it’s unreasonable to do anything less than commit yourself wholly to Him.

Okay, we’ve seen the core of our commitment to Christ.  It’s based on an assessment, an appeal, and our appreciation.  We’ve seen the characteristics of our commitment to Christ.  It’s conscious, it’s complete, it’s costly, it’s constructive, it’s ceremonial, and it’s credible.  Now I want you to see…

The Conditions Of Our Commitment To Christ

There are two of them.  The first condition is that we are NOT to be conformed to this world.  J.B. Phillips’ paraphrase of the New Testament renders verse 2 this way, “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into it’s mold.”  The world is the organized system headed by the Devil that leaves God out.  It involves “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16).  It involves indulging yourself, increasing your possessions, and impressing your neighbors.  And Paul says that we’re to rebel the ways of the world.

And the second condition of our commitment to Christ is that we ARE supposed to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.  That word “transformed” is the Greek word metamorphoó.  I wonder what English word we get from that?  Metamorphosis, right.  Coincidentally, it’s the same word that Matthew and Mark use to describe Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration when He was transfigured before their very eyes.

This metamorphosis only happens when we renew our minds.  But we don’t renew our minds by reading Sports Illustrated or the Wall Street Journal or Better Homes and Gardens or whatever other books are on the New York Times’ bestsellers list.  And it doesn’t happen by reading the comments section on our Facebook accounts and Twitter feeds.  It only happens when we read the Word of God and memorize the Word of God and meditate/ponder the Word of God.

So those are the two conditions of our commitment to Christ: not being conformed to the world, but being transformed by the renewing of our minds.  And the last thing I want us to see (really quickly) are…

The Consequences Of Our Commitment To Christ

Real quick; look at the end of verse 2, “Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is…”  Here are three things that will happen when we present ourselves as living sacrifices and have our minds renewed by the Bible: 1.) we will know the will of God, 2.) do the will of God, and 3.) enjoy the will of God.

So many people are seeking what God wants of them (and that’s a good thing).  But too many times we only think of the will of God in terms of specific actions: things like surrendering to the gospel ministry, becoming a missionary, moving our families here/there, taking this job or that job, marrying this person or that person.  Certainly, those are important questions, but have you ever considered that knowing, doing and enjoying the will of God might simply be trusting in Jesus and allowing the Holy Spirit to direct your life?

When you offer your entire body, mind, soul, passions, emotions, desires, and everything you are to God…  When you renew your mind by reading, listening, studying, and meditating on the Word of God you won’t only have the answers to those specific questions, but you’ll be more and more able to test and approve God’s good, pleasing and perfect will in every situation and circumstance.

Dr. Fred Craddock was a distinguished professor of preaching and New Testament at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University, when I was in seminary.  I had the privilege of hearing him preaching once and this is how he described the cost of being a living sacrifice.

To give my life for Christ appears glorious.  To pour myself out for others . . . to pay the ultimate price of martyrdom – I will do it.  I’m ready, Lord, to go out in a blaze of glory.  We think giving our all to the Lord is like taking a $1,000 and laying it on the table – “Here’s my life, Lord.  I’m giving it all.”  But the reality for most of us is that He sends us to the bank and has us cash in the $1,000 for quarters.  We go through life putting out $0.25 here and $0.50 there.  Listen to the neighbor kid’s troubles instead of saying, “Get lost.”  God to a committee meeting.  Give a cup of water to a shaky old man in a nursing home.  Usually giving our life to Christ is not glorious.  It’s done in all those little acts of love, $0.25 at a time.  It would be easy to go out in a flash of glory; it’s harder to live the Christian life little by little over the long haul.

Someone once said, “the trouble with living sacrifices is they keep crawling off the altar!”  Can I tell you something?  The only reason we would crawl off the altar is because we don’t believe it’s a good place to be.  If you’ve never committed yourself wholly to Christ as a living sacrifice, can I join Paul and “urge you,” “beseech you,” “beg of you,” and “plead with you” to do so today.