Presenting Ourselves For Service-3

PRESENTING OURSELVES For SERVICE-III—Romans 12:1-2

Attention:

We began this series two Sundays ago with MEMORIAL DAY.

Soldiers personally go thru a great deal in order to leave civilian life behind & become soldiers. Hair, hygiene, clothes, relationships, purpose all revolve around the military.

I personally have a great deal of respect for those who present themselves for the service of this country in maintaining the freedoms of its civilians, such as myself.

As our soldiers give their very lives in the service of their country, so, believers must Present Themselves for the Service of their God.

Need:

Paul informed the Roman Christians of their need to properly live out God’s will.

We must properly offer our bodies for God’s service.

How are we to best offer/present ourselves for God’s service?

8 considerations effecting our usefulness to God.

We have previously discovered that Those used of God habitually...

1. Consider GOD’s MANIFOLD MERCIES(:1a)

2. Consider The COST(:1a)

3. Consider HOLINESS(:1c)

4. Consider GOD’s SATISFACTION(:1d)

5. Consider RATIONAL APPLICATIONS(:1e)

6—Those used of God habitually...

Consider TRANSFORMATION(:2a)

Explanation: (:2a)

: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.”

Mat. 17:1-2—“Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, & John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; & He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, & His clothes became as white as the light.”

“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.

“World”—aiwn—1) For ever, an unbroken age, perpetuity of time, eternity; 2) The worlds, universe; 3) Period of time, age. Aiwn is usually better expressed by age, it is the world at a given time, a particular period in the world’s history. Strong—properly--An age; by extension--Perpetuity(also past); by implication--The world; specially(Jewish)--A Messianic period(present or future).

“Transformed”—metamorfow—Present Passive imperative—1) To change into another form, to transform, to transfigure. Refers to the permanent state to which a change takes place. Strong—To transform(literally or figuratively, "metamorphose"). Used 4X.

Argumentation:

1Pet. 1:13-14—“Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, & rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not conforming[suschmatizw] yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance;”

2Cor. 3:18—“But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

1Cor. 15:51-54—“Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed-- in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, & the dead will be raised incorruptible, & we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, & this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, & this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.””

If these things are so in death then shouldn’t they be so in life as well? Did Christ die & was He raised from the dead just the future eternal life?

Jn. 10:10—““....I have come that they may have life, & that they may have it more abundantly.”

Jn. 12:24—““Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground & dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.”

Gal. 5:19-23—“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, & the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”

1Jn. 2:1—“My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”

1Jn. 5:17-19—“All unrighteousness is sin, & there is sin not leading to death. We know that whoever is born of God does not sin; but he who has been born of God keeps himself, & the wicked one does not touch him. We know that we are of God, & the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.”