Transformation
Romans 12:1-2
In light of God’s mercy for us, Paul encourages us to become living sacrifices.
SLIDE #1
INTRODUCTION
• On Easter Sunday, we spent some time talking about the resurrection of Jesus and how that event has blessings for both now and for eternity!
• Today we begin a new series entitled FLASHBACK: Remembering the Work of the Cross.
• This six-week series through Romans 12 and 13 examines Paul’s command for us to be a living sacrifice and to live our lives in light of what God has done for us through Christ.
• In each message, we will “flashback” to the life of Jesus to see how we are to live in the present—no longer being conformed to the world but instead being transformed into the likeness of Jesus.
• Becoming a Christian has implications for our life, as we dive into the message together today, we are going to focus our attention on the issue of TRANSFORMATION.
• We read passages like 2 Corinthians 5:17 that reminds us that we are new creations in Christ.
• However, to become a new creation, we have to allow ourselves to be transformed into the image of Jesus!
• Another passage in 2 Corinthians 3:18 tells us we are being transformed into the image of Jesus!
• What we find in Paul’s letter to the church in Rome is that he establishes a foundation of all God has done for humankind by focusing on the work of Jesus through the first eleven chapters.
• In chapter 12, Paul enters a new section of his letter, focusing on what it means to live as a disciple of Jesus in light of what God has done for us.
• The work Jesus completed on the cross was meant to make an impact on my life today, which in turn will make a mark on my eternal destiny.
• Why is it that we read about being transformed into the image of Jesus? Why do we read about being a new creation in Christ?
• Why did Paul write the passage we will examine today IF we are to simply be baptized into Christ and go live life however we see fit?
• Turn with me to Romans 12:1-2 as we examine the issue of TRANSFORMATION together today!
SLIDE #2
Bible Verse
Romans 12:1 (CSB)
1Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.
SLIDE #3
1. I. Transformed through His mercies.
Explanation
• What is it that should motivate me to become transformed? What should cause me to want to be transformed?
• Should my reason want to be transformed is so that I can get into heaven? Should it be so that I can be a good person, however one defines that thought?
• Paul pleads with his brothers and sisters in Rome to do something special.
• One thing that Paul is very careful about is to not just to give them a new law or an updated list of dos and don’ts. Duty or an attempt to earn anything from God won’t motivate us to do what Paul will ask of them.
• Instead, Paul’s appeal to them—and to us—is based upon the mercies of God. That is, we are to live our present lives in view of remembering God’s past mercy and love for us.
• As Paul states, “For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again” (2 Corinthians 5:14–15).
• Paul gives us the answer as to what should drive us. He tells us why we need to be PASSIONATE about being transformed!
• Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God!
• We are to be motivated to be transformed because of the MERCIES OF GOD!
• The word MERCY has its roots in the concept of COMPASSION. God did something for us because of His compassion!
• The word MERCIES denotes the sum of all of the provisions which God has made so that we can have the opportunity to receive salvation!
• This thought is a flashback to the work God did through Jesus on the cross.
• Every provision God made or us is an expression of the mercy Paul speaks of in verse 1!
• The request is based on these mercies that Paul bases his appeal to be transformed!
• In fact, this word occurs five times in the New Testament, and in four of them, it is used in the plural (Romans 12:1; 2 Corinthians 1:3; Philippians 2:1; Hebrews 10:28), while it is used in the singular only once (Colossians 3:12). In a number of languages, great mercy may only be expressed as “the many times that God has shown mercy to us.” Newman, B. M., & Nida, E. A. (1973). A handbook on Paul’s letter to the Romans (p. 233). New York: United Bible Societies.
• In the first eleven chapters of the Book of Romans, Paul show us that God is looking for people who are faithful to God.
• When a person is baptized into Christ, they have new responsibilities and new privileges. With the responsibilities come privileges.
• Too many folks want the privileges without the responsibilities that are required.
• Based on the MERCIES of God, Paul URGES His readers to action.
• The word URGE means to BESEECH. Put another way it references one who is begging for a favor. The term also implies comfort, in the sense of cheering someone up,
• The word can mean to EXHORT as when one encourages another to do what is right (Gareth Reese Romans Commentary).
• By urging his readers to do what he will ask of them, not only will following the request benefit the readers, it will also cheer up Paul!
• In this context, Paul is EXHORTING his readers to do what he will ask of them!
• As children of God, we are to live in the love of the Father and to “flashback” to the truth of the good news of what Jesus has done for us, then living out our lives in the reality of that work.
• Let’s look at Romans 12:1 again to see what the readers will be urged to do!
SLIDE #4
Bible Verse
Romans 12:1 (CSB)
1Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.
SLIDE #5
2. II. Presentation is a step toward transformation.
Explanation
• We are urged to present our bodies as a living sacrifice.
• This action is what one who looks back at what God has done for them does because they appreciate what God did for them!
• This presentation is done after one gives their life to Jesus after they are baptized. This thought implies that we have to choose which master we are going to serve!
• This presentation of the body is both a one-time act based on the verb tense of the word PRESENT, as well as a daily choice.
• This surrender to the will of God in this area is a definite surrender of the will that is to be continually repeated!
• Jesus tells us that no one can serve two masters.
• In Romans 6:13 and 6:19, Paul makes a similar appeal!
SLIDE #6
Bible Verse
Romans 6:19 (CSB)
19I am using a human analogy because of the weakness of your flesh. For just as you offered the parts of yourselves as slaves to impurity, and to greater and greater lawlessness, so now offer them as slaves to righteousness, which results in sanctification.
Explanation
• Our bodies are to be the sacrificial victim. The word SACRIFICE denotes a sacrifice that was slain!
• The sacrifice we are called to make is marked three things. Let’s look at the three.
• First, our sacrifice is to be a LIVING sacrifice. This thought is in contrast to the animal sacrifices that happened in the Old Testament sacrificial system where the animal that was sacrificed was dead.
• The language here would have immediately reminded Paul’s first readers of the common practice of offering up animals as sacrifices or burnt offerings to God in acts of worship. Ritual offerings were made in certain pagan religions, and of course were a central part of the Mosaic Law. Cottrell, J. (1996). Romans (Vol. 2, Ro 12:1). Joplin, MO: College Press Pub. Co.
• The Christian’s sacrifice is to be a constant living reminder to the world as to whom we serve!
• Our bodies are all we have to offer—we live in our bodies. The body enfolds our emotions, our mind, our thoughts, our desires, and our plans.
• Thus, the body represents the total person; it is the instrument by which all our service is given to God. In order to live for God, we must offer him all that we are, represented by our body. Barton, B. B., Veerman, D., & Wilson, N. S. (1992). Romans (p. 230). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
• Second, our sacrifice is to be HOLY!
• Typically in the Bible, the word HOLY means to be set aside for special service, to be set aside in service of God; however, in this place, it speaks of something that is unblemished.
• This thought would indicate that God wants us not to allow our bodies to be used as instruments of sin, as Paul spoke of in Romans 6:19 that we spoke of earlier.
• This passage speaks of not allow our bodies to be run by worldly passions and desires; we need to be able to exercise some self-control of the desires of the flesh!
• The third characteristic of our sacrifice is that it is to be pleasing to God!
• This characteristic speaks of the fact that when our sacrifice is living and holy, it will be pleasing to God. Those characteristics are what God is seeking from our sacrifice!
• This thought is why verse one ends by telling us that doing this IS our true worship!
• If I am not striving to be a living and holy sacrifice, I can sing all I want to God, and about God, I can give all I have in the name of God, I can lift my hands in praise to God, but without striving to be that living and holy sacrifice, it is all for show, my actions are not worship!
• Let’s turn to verse 2!
SLIDE #7
Bible Verse
Romans 12:2 (CSB)
2Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
SLIDE #8
3. III. Transformed to be nonconforming.
Explanation
• In light of God’s mercy and Jesus’s work, we are to no longer live their lives in the same manner and patterns of the present world.
• As children of God, we are to no longer live conforming to the pattern of this world.
• The word “conform” means “to shape one’s behavior.” Conform denotes both outward actions as well as one’s attitudes, habits, and actions in general.
• The word “world” here means the “world system, practices and standards of those without God.”
• The reason Paul writes this is because the people were struggling with this issue.
• In the Greek, the phrase would read STOP CONFORMING TO THIS WORLD.
• Do fitting into the mold of the world!
• The flavor of the word RENEW denotes a sort of rewiring of the mind.
• Rather than letting the current world system shape our lives, Paul urges us to become living sacrifices through personal transformation.
• Again, Paul is not appealing to the church to modify their behavior or manage their sin.
• Paul calls them to become transformed.
• Being transformed comes from the passive imperative of the Greek verb metamorphoo (where we get our word metamorphosis), which means to “change, transform the essential nature of something” (Swanson, Dictionary, no. 3565).
• Jesus does not change our outward actions, but rather as new creations in Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:17), Jesus transforms us from the inside out.
• When a person enlists into the military in our country, they are sent to Bootcamp.
• Bootcamp is used to transform the new recruit out of the patterns of the world to now fit into the mold of a soldier!
• This TRANSFORMATION Paul speaks of happens by the RENEWING of your mind.
• Paul says how we cease living like the world and are transformed into people of the kingdom of God is through the renewing of our minds.
• This transformation is not the result of human effort and trying harder; transformation comes from the renewing of our minds through flashbacks of the truth of God.
• When our minds become immersed in the truth of the gospel and the amazing love of God seen through the cross, our lives will be transformed.
• Over the next several weeks, we will study specific ways Paul encourages us to live as God’s children.
• However, if we merely seek to act in particular ways through behavior modification, we will not become living sacrifices. We must renew our minds in the truth of God.
• Transformation is not about behavior modification; it is about renewing our minds to a different pattern of thinking and life!
• Here are some ways we can renew our minds in the truth of God:
o (1) Spend time alone with God;
o (2) set a timer and take a break from your phone and social media;
o (3) study the Bible;
o (4) memorize Scriptures that relate to your season of life; and
o (5) intentionally take your thoughts captive to the truth of God rather than letting your mind dwell on lies (see 2 Corinthians 10:5).
• Why do we need a renewed mind? So that we can discern what is good, pleasing, and the perfect will of God!
• The word GOOD denotes something beneficial to other people.
• PLEASING denotes that which is acceptable to God, the things that God approves.
• PERFECT WILL speaks of the COMPLETE will of God! It is not just part of the will of God that the renewed mind places its focus, but rather the COMPLETE will of God!
• As the body is presented to God as a sacrifice, there is to be no inconsistency in our practice of the will of God in our actions or thoughts!
Application
• As followers of Jesus, we are to no longer live our lives in conformity to the world. Rather, through the renewing of our minds with the truth of God, we become transformed into the likeness of Jesus.
CONCLUSION
• We have to decide who we are going to serve. To serve Jesus, you have to be all in!
