How Can We Be The Christians God Wants Us To Be? Series

How Can We Be the Christians God Wants Us to Be?

The Book of Romans

Romans 12:1-2

Sermon by Rick Crandall

(Prepared July 29, 2021)

BACKGROUND:

*Romans 12 marks a big turning point in Paul's letter to the Christians in Rome. Pastor Steve Weaver explained that "the first 11 chapters of the book of Romans mine the depths of God’s gracious purpose and plan for the redemption of sinful humans." (1)

*There, Paul spelled out the truth about our terrible sinfulness and our desperate need for God's salvation. Paul made it clear that salvation can only come by grace through faith in our crucified and risen Savior Jesus Christ.

*This is the heart of the gospel, good news about Jesus. He died on the cross for all of our sins. But three days later, Jesus rose again from the dead, and now He will give eternal life to everyone who receives Him as their Lord and Savior.

*In chapters 9-11, the Holy Spirit led Paul to discuss the future of the Jewish people, and the bottom line is that they too can only be saved by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ. He is the one and only Messiah promised in the Old Testament Scriptures, so all of Paul's letter from chapters 1 to 11 can be summed up by his pledge in Romans 1:15-17.

*There the Apostle declared, "As much as is in me, I am ready to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome also. For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, 'The just shall live by faith.'''

*The only way to be just in God's sight is to live by faith in Jesus Christ. But how are we supposed to live this new life we have as Christians? That's what Paul began to discuss in Romans 12, and this is his theme for the rest of the letter. (2)

*Today's Scripture will help us be the kind of Christians God wants us to be. Please think about this as we read Romans 12:1-2.

MESSAGE:

*Have you ever met someone who wanted to be a bad Christian? Have you ever met someone who said, "I have been trying to be a lousy Christian for a long time, but I just can't seem to get the hang of it."? No, and you never will.

*If you are a real Christian, if you are a Christian at all, then deep in your heart you want to be the best you can be for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. But how can we get there? How can we be the Christians God wants us to be? Today's scripture goes a long way to help us.

1. AND FIRST, WE NEED TO BE MOVED BY GOD'S MERCIES.

*This is Paul's message for us in vs. 1, where he said, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service."

*Here Paul urges, begs, pleads with us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices to God, and he asks us to do this, because of the mercies of God. As believers in Jesus Christ, we have received not just the mercy of God, but the multiplied mercies of God!

[1] SO, THINK ABOUT THE GREAT ABUNDANCE OF HIS MERCY.

*Christians: It’s for all of our sins, for all who believe in Jesus Christ, for all time! And all of this mercy comes from God. In 2 Corinthians 1:3 the Bible tells us that God is "the Father of mercies," and He surely is.

*Psalm 100:5 tells us that "the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endures to all generations." Notice that there God put His mercy and truth together. And I am glad He did, because we cannot have God's mercy without God's truth. And the truth is that we all need God's mercy.

*King David surely did. In Psalm 6:1-4, David prayed this prayer:

1. O LORD, do not rebuke me in Your anger, Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.

2. Have mercy on me, O LORD, for I am weak; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are troubled.

3. My soul also is greatly troubled; But You, O LORD how long?

4. Return, O LORD, deliver me! Oh, save me for Your mercies' sake!

*In Psalm 86:3-5 David also cried out to God and said:

3. Be merciful to me, O Lord, For I cry to You all day long.

4. Rejoice the soul of Your servant, For to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul.