A Sacrificial Lifestyle
“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. 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.”
Romans 12:1-2 ESV
Prayer: Father God thank you for another opportunity that you ordained for the preaching and teaching of the gospel. Father posture our hearts to hear what the spirit will say to the church. Today transform us and renew our minds in your name amen!
A sacrificial lifestyle…
After climbing an enormous theological hill, Paul shifts gears in Romans 12. The first eleven chapters provided a base for our belief, but from chapter twelve to the end of the book, the apostle supplies a basis for our behavior. First doctrine then duty. This is how Paul attempted to connect with his listeners through his letters to the church. Paul pleads with his friends, based on God’s mercy, to lovingly surrender themselves to the Lord. Today I want to make a plea to you, to surrender yourself to the Lord…
For the remainder of the book of Roman’s you will see a over view of God’s righteousness in a believers everyday lifestyle… It’s the gift of God’s saving righteousness that led or leads you to a new life. Paul gives us some of the practical implications of God’s saving mercy in the text.
Here is a paradigm for gospel exhortations, exhorted to a place of total dedication to God! Verse 1&2 summarize our response to God’s grace and serve as the introduction for the remainder of this letter to the Romans and to every believer today.
This sums up what it means to live in a way that pleases God.
Are you living a lifestyle that pleases God?
We are all giving this opportunity to live a lifestyle pleasing to God because of the mercy of God…
Mercy defined, is Gods withholding punishment for what we actually deserve… displaying God’s compassion towards us.
Paul urges the church to respond in the text:
Point 1- Give God all of you
Verse 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”
Paul makes an appeal to the church by way of the mercies of God… As a believer we are called to give ourselves entirely to God because of His saving grace… God calls us to be living sacrifices literally meaning to be dead to habitual sin and now living and enjoying a new life with Christ. We are no longer called to the rituals and sacrifices of the past that the Old Testament law required, why? Because Christ has fulfilled what was predicted by those sacrifices. Jesus said in the gospel of Matthew, Do not think that I have come to abolish (B)the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but (C)to fulfill them.
“So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.
Give God all of you…
“for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
1 Corinthians 6:20 ESV
“holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship”
What is your spiritual worship?
This includes giving your whole life to God.
“Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”
Hebrews 13:15-16 ESV
Peter encourages us by saying:
“you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
1 Peter 2:5 ESV
Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice…
Point 2- Don’t be conformed be Transformed
Verse 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.”
1 Peter 1:14 ESV
“As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance,”
Through your obedience to Christ. Don’t go back to your old ways of living and thinking. Don’t resolve to your old standards. They say when you know better you do better…
Don’t be conformed be transformed…
“Once we offer ourselves to God our relationship to the world is altered.” - Dr. Tony Evans
Paul urges us not to be conformed to the world system that leaves God out, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind.
“And do not be conformed to this world [any longer with its superficial values and customs], but be transformed and progressively changed [as you mature spiritually] by the renewing of your mind [focusing on godly values and ethical attitudes], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His plan and purpose for you].”
God did this… He saved us…
“he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,”
Titus 3:5 ESV
We must get to this point of asking God to:
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”
Psalm 51:10 ESV
God will renew your mind and impact your life for the good.
“So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.”
2 Corinthians 4:16 ESV
“and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds,”
Ephesians 4:23 ESV
God does the work of renewing our confused minds. He brings our thoughts in line with his own so that we think God’s thoughts after him.
““For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”
1 Corinthians 2:16 ESV
God has a goal in renewing our minds. This renewal allows him to merge his thoughts with our thoughts so that he can bring his plans into our lives. He calls it the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. God has a purpose and a plan for each of our lives… one that finds us when we are fully surrendered…
“and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord.”
Ephesians 5:10 ESV
A sacrificial lifestyle is comprised of four responses:
1-Presentation
2-Separation
3-Transformation
4-Demonstration
Let’s pray and respond to the gospel