Defying Ungodliness-1(2024)

DEFYING UNGODLINESS-I—Romans 12:1-2

OR--DEFIANCE—Romans 12:1-2

Attention:

Supposedly a true story!:

Mark DeMoss, concerned about the increasingly harsh tone of public discourse, launched the Civility Project in January 2009.

The Republican businessman & political adviser enlisted Democratic lobbyist & former Clinton aide Lanny Davis to help him.

Together the two friends wrote to all 100 United States Senators, all 435 members of the House of Representatives, & all 50 state governors, asking each to sign a pledge promising, ....

"I will be civil in my public discourse & behavior. I will be respectful of others whether or not I agree with them. I will stand against incivility when I see it."

How many of the 585 recipients agreed to the pledge?...

Three members of Congress, & no governors(equaling 1/2 of a percentage point)!

The vast majority were unwilling to stand against incivility!

Need:

‘Defy’—“To openly resist or refuse to obey.” “To challenge to combat.”

The apostle Paul made it plain that defying/standing against the world was a defining characteristic of God’s people.

Defying ungodliness is expected of God’s people.

How do God’s people Defy Ungodliness?

7 ways God’s people Defy ungodliness.

*The following(#1-6) were briefly listed at the beginning of the sermon for the congregation, as I made—7.--TRANSFORMATION(:2) the focus for VBS.*

1. BROTHERHOOD(:1a)

2. MERCIES RECEIVED(:1b)

3. SACRIFICE(:1c)

4. HOLINESS(:1d)

5. ACCEPTABILITY(:1e)

6. SERVICE(:1f)

7—Christians defy ungodliness thru their...

TRANSFORMATION(:2)

Explanation:(:2)

:2—“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good & acceptable & perfect will of God.”

“And do not be conformed to this world,”...

“And”—Attaches the instruction of this verse, to the thought of the previous verse!

God’s people are instructed to “NOT” allow themselves to “be conformed to this world.”

•Regrettably, that means that each of even God’s people—saved people—each of us, has the potential to actually “BE CONFORMED to this world”!

And that should frighten you! That should give you cause to ponder & take stock of the ramifications of your current relationship with God.

*The result of such ponderings will be that:

•Some will become aware that they need to accept Jesus as their Savior.

•Others who belong to God, will become aware that they need to ‘firm up’ their relationship with God.

“This world” is severely limited by, & is driven by ideologies & abilities that the limitations of mere flesh provides.

•IRONICALLY, “this world” at large, rejects the God who Created it!...They reject God’s perfect knowledge, perfect love, perfect wisdom, perfect patience, & perfect power....The world at large sees itself as having become ‘too smart’ to believe in God, or to believe God!

•So, to allow yourself to be “conformed to this world”, is to actually PREFER ‘the limitations inherent to flesh’, instead of preferring the overcoming power of God!

God’s people are equipped for & meant to be ‘GOD’s people’ only! And the thinking & heart of God’s people is in direct contradistinction to those who are ‘the people of “this world’s” ’ thinking & heart!

•‘GOD’s people’ are expected to ‘Defy Ungodliness’!

There are those of us who live sacrificially holy lives, offering acceptable & logical or “reasonable service” to God(:1).

Each of God’s people is saved, only by the grace of God thru Jesus.

*Yet even though we may be saved & are living by that grace, each one of us is directly answerable to God for the ‘moment by moment’ choices we make in daily living.

•So there is a degree of ‘pressure’ placed upon each of God’s people, to offer themselves to God in a godly manner, or in a manner that pleases Him.

•But DO NOT allow that ‘pressure’ toward godliness to be answered with ‘empty works’ religion. Allow that ‘pressure’ to drive you to conversation(prayer) with God the Father, Son, & Holy Spirit, & then from prayer to God-ordained decision.

*This exhortation in verse :2, plainly re-enforces the truth...that the responsibility for ‘defying ungodliness’ by the mercies of God, rests upon the shoulders of each person!

•That is, there is no one besides yourself, who can be ‘blamed’, ‘charged’, or held accountable for any of YOUR OWN relational ‘shortcomings’ with God!...It’s on you alone. And YOU must ‘OWN’ your responsibilities.

•Likewise, there is no one besides yourself, who can be held accountable for YOUR OWN good & godly relationship with & in God!...It’s on you alone. And YOU must ‘OWN’ your responsibilities.

“Conformed”—suschmatizw—Present Passive Imperative—1) To conform one's self(i.e. one's mind & character) to another's pattern, (fashion one's self according to). To shape one thing like another & describes what is transitory, changeable, & unstable. Strong—To fashion alike, i.e. Conform to the same pattern(figuratively). Used 2X.?From—sun—a primary preposition denoting union; With or together.—&—schma—A figure(as a mode or circumstance), i.e. by implication--External condition.