The Transformed Life Romans 12:1-3

This Statement Changed a Man’s Life “The world has yet to see what God can do with and for and through and in a man who is fully and wholly consecrated to Him” Henry Varley

The man changed: He was uneducated He was unordained He was a shoe salesman He felt the call of God on his life to preach! He attended a prayer meeting with friends

The Man D. L. Moody was such a man He was an ordinary man who sought to be fully and wholly committed to Christ! One of the great evangelists of modern times He founded a Bible College: Moody Bible in Chicago You and I can be God’s Man or Woman.   God deserves our Best – our ALL! The Choice comes down to each one of us.

Paul’s Letter to the Romans Romans 1-11: Paul shares How to be Right with God” 3:23 – all have sinned 4:20 – Abraham reckon righteous by faith 5:1 – we are justified by faith 5:8 – Jesus died to provide for our opportunity to be right with God 6:23 – wages of sin is death but gift of God is eternal life 10:9-10 – confession with the mouth and belief in the heart Rom. 4:20-23 20 yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. 22 Therefore it was also credited to him as righteousness. 23 Now not for his sake only was it written that it was credited to him, Rom. 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Rom. 5:8 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Rom. 10:9-10 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

Paul now turns to the Practical: How to live for God

The Ultimate Appeal (12:1a) It is a Passionate Appeal – “I beseech you …” It is a Personal Appeal – “… brethren …” It is a Powerful Appeal “… by the mercies of God…” I beseech – pres. Act ind. = continuous action: I continue to beg, urge “brethren” – relational, fellow-believers “mercies” God’s compassion – the basis for the appeal: every believer has experienced God’s mercy.

The Ultimate Sacrifice (12:1b) It requires a Presentation “… that you present …” It requires a Sacrifice “… your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God …” It requires a Living Sacrifice (1 Cor. 6:19-20) It requires a Holy Sacrifice It is Reasonable! The presentation: It is personal – para = beside; istemi = to stand The sacrifice: it is a death to self Luke 9:23 Gal. 2:20 – 20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me. Living Sacrifice – Levitical system offered dead sacrifices; we are to offer our lives! 1 Cor. 6:19-20 19 Or do you not know that your body is a [a]temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from [b]God, and that you are not your own? 20 For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. Holy Sacrifice – hagios – set apart – declared holy – positional holiness Reasonable – logikos – logical act of worship – the context is that of sacrifice which is part of the worship experience latreian – service to God; worship - TDNT: “The concrete idea of sacrifice seems always to cling to the noun no less the verb. This is also true in the last verse (R. 12:1), though the use here is metaphorical. The service which Christians are to offer consists in the fashioning of their inner lives and their outward physical conduct in a way which plainly distinguishes them from the world and which corresponds to the will of God. This is the living sacrifice which they have to offer. Using a term which was current in the philosophy of his day, Paul describes this sacrifice as a logikh latreia, a service to God which corresponds to human reason, in which, divine reason is also at work. Vo. 4, p. 65

The Ultimate Contrast (12:2a) Avoid World Conformity – molded by the world’s standards Satan is the ruler of this world (Eph. 2:2; 6:11-12) The World’s Characteristics (1 John 2:15-17) Do not conform yourself (pres. mid. imperative) – suschmatizw - to conform one's self (i.e. one's mind and character) to another's pattern, (fashion one's self according to) Eph. 2:2  in which you formerly walked according to the [a]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. Eph. 6:11-12 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against [a]flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 1 John 2:15-17 15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

The Ultimate Transformation (12:2b) The process of Metamorphosis (2 Cor. 5:17) Transformed through the Mind (2 Cor. 10:5; 1 Pet. 1:13, Phil. 2:5) Transformed to prove God’s Will: Is Good Is Acceptable Is Perfect 2 Cor. 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Cor. 10:5  5 We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, 1 Pet. 1:13 Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Phil. 2:5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,

The Ultimate Result (12:3) Don’t think of yourself more highly than you should! Think soberly according to the measure of faith given to you.