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.
5. For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.
*King David was willing to seek for God's mercy. And he was sure of God's mercy, so at the end of the 23rd Psalm David proclaimed, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever."
*Old Testament King Manasseh gives us another example of God's abundant mercy. Years ago, I heard Billy Graham talk about Manasseh. He was one of the most wicked, if not the most wicked king in the line of David. Manasseh practiced witchcraft and worshiped the host of heaven. He filled Jerusalem with blood, and probably had the prophet Isaiah sawed in two. Manasseh gave his own children to be burned in sacrifice to false gods.
*But after all of that, 2 Chronicles 33:11-13 says:
11. Therefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh with hooks, bound him with bronze fetters, and carried him off to Babylon.
12. Now when he was in affliction, he implored the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers,
13. and prayed to Him; and He received his entreaty, heard his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD was God.
*John Gill explained that when Manasseh was in fetters, he confessed his sins to the LORD, expressing great sorrow and repentance. Manasseh also prayed for the LORD to have mercy on him and forgive his sins. The LORD heard Manasseh's supplication, granted his request, showed favor to him, and forgave his sins. (3)
*Billy Graham made the point that we probably would not have forgiven Manasseh. But God did forgive that wicked king, and why? -- Because of God's abundant mercies.
[2] THAT'S THE GREAT ABUNDANCE OF HIS MERCY. BUT ALSO REMEMBER THE GREAT COST OF GOD'S MERCY.
*It was the cross of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! The cross was the greatest cost ever paid! Jesus had to pay the price for our sins! That was the only way we could receive the wonderful mercy of God. And this is why 1 Peter 1:18-19 speaks of Christians "knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot."
*All of us deserved eternal punishment because of our sins, but Jesus was willing to take our punishment and die on the cross for us.
*William Ezell saw a picture of the cross in an amazing story from the Civil War. A company of Confederate soldiers known as "Bushwackers" was captured by Union soldiers. They were immediately sentenced to be shot, because they were guerilla fighters and not in uniform.
*One of the Confederate soldiers was a young man named Willy Lear. But there was an amazing young soldier among the Union troops that day. He went to his commanding officer, and pleaded for the life of Willy Lear.
*"Won't you let me take his place?" the Union soldier asked. "I know him well. He has a large family who needs him badly. My parents are dead, and I have few friends. No one will miss me. Please let me take his punishment!"
*The officer hesitated, but finally gave his consent. So, the young Union soldier pulled that condemned father to the side, and took his place on the death line. The stone that marks the Union soldier's grave contains these words: "Sacred to the memory of Willy Lear. He took my place." (4)
*Has anyone ever died for you? -- The answer is Yes! Jesus Christ took our death, so that we could have God's gift of eternal life, by placing our trust in Him. That's why Paul wrote these wonderful words to believers in Romans 5:6-9.
6. For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die.
8. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.
*That's the price Jesus paid so that we could have God's gift of eternal life. That's the abundance of God's mercies. And God wants us to be moved by His mercies.
2. HE WANTS US TO BE MOVED ENOUGH TO DEDICATE EVERY DAY TO THE LORD.
*We see this truth at the end of vs. 1 where Paul pleaded for us to "present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service." God is calling all Christians to present our bodies as a living sacrifice to Him.
[1] AND THIS LIVING SACRIFICE IS THE ESSENCE OF TRUE WORSHIP.
*That's because "reasonable service" here can also be translated as "spiritual worship," or as the NIV says, "your true and proper worship." You see, there are 6 original words in the New Testament for worship. And the original word translated as "service" is one of those words.
*In fact, this word is always translated as "service" in the NKJV, because it's talking about acts of service in worship to God. This is also the reason why, week after week, without ever thinking about it, we call this a worship service.
*Then there’s the fact that one of the most important parts of worship in the Old Testament was offering sacrifices. So, when Paul talked about us offering our bodies as a living sacrifice, he was definitely talking about worship. This living sacrifice is the essence of true worship.
[2] AND IT MUST BE A DAILY SACRIFICE.
*When God tells us to present our bodies as a "living sacrifice," He's not just talking about when we go to church. Because of the amazing mercies of God, Paul begs us present our bodies as a living sacrifice 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
*In other words, our whole life is to be lived as an act of worship to God! Now that puts a whole different light on that trip to Wal-Mart, or that dirty diaper I have to change, and feeding the dog, and everything else I do in life. That's why 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."
*Living my life as an act of worship elevates all of the mundane things in my life. It also helps to eliminate the mess in my life, because if my whole life is an act of worship to God, then some things have got to go.
*If we are going to be the Christians God wants us to be, we have to dedicate every day to the Lord. Paul became a prisoner in chains for the Lord. He even gave his life to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ. And we probably won't be called on to die for the Lord. But we are certainly called to live for the Lord in a sacrificial way every day.
*We know this because in Luke 9:23-24 we hear Jesus say, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it."
*Fred Craddock gave this great explanation of a sacrificial life for the Lord: "To give my life for Christ appears glorious, to pour myself out for others, to pay the ultimate price of martyrdom: 'I'll do it. I'm ready, Lord, to go out in a blaze of glory.' We think that giving our all to the Lord is like taking a $1,000 bill and laying it on the table. 'Here's my life, Lord. I'm giving it all.'
*But the reality for most of us is that He sends us to the bank and has us cash in the $1,000 for quarters. Then, we go through life putting out 25 cents here, and 50 cents there. We listen to the neighbor kid's troubles instead of saying, 'Get lost'. We go to a committee meeting for the church. We give a cup of water to a shaky old man in a nursing home," or we help in VBS. We take some kids to camp. We give a donation so more kids can go to camp, or we serve God in a hundred other ways.
*"Usually giving our life to Christ isn't glorious in this world at all. Most people won't even notice, because it's done in all those little acts of love, 25 cents at a time." (5)
3. GOD WANTS US TO DEDICATE EVERY DAY TO HIM, BUT WE CAN'T DO THIS UNLESS WE HAVE REGULAR TIMES OF RENEWAL.
*As Paul said in vs. 2: "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
*All Christians need fresh starts. All of us need times of renewal because the world is constantly trying to fit us into its mold. That's what Paul was telling us in vs. 2, when he said, "Be not conformed to this world." In other words: Don’t allow the behavior and customs of this world to shape your life.
*We have to face the fact that our corrupted culture is trying to mold and shape every part of our lives. This world is trying to put the squeeze on our homes, our habits and our hearts.
*It doesn’t have to be so very bad at first, just a matter of having our time and attitudes molded to the world’s priorities. And so, we neglect the principles of God, we forget the power of God, and it can radically affect the way we live.
*There are countless examples of this pulling away from the Lord. I have seen it in my personal life, my family's life, and in other people that I love. We get selfish, sinful attitudes, so we need a fresh start. And the best place to get a fresh start is from God!
*Here’s the great news for us Church: We may be stuck. We may even be moving backwards. But we don’t have to stay stuck! In vs. 2, we can be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
*But this is a tall order, especially when we see that this word "transformed" is the same word used when Jesus was miraculously transfigured on the mountain. Matthew 17:1-2 says: "Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, brought them up on a high mountain by themselves, and was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light."
*"Transfigured" and "transformed" here are the same original word. How can we be transformed like that? Well, we can’t do it by ourselves, but the good news is: We don’t have to!
*The Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ will transform us. He will renew us. And Paul tells us how over in 2 Corinthians 3:18. There Paul said: "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."
*So, the main thing we have to do is focus on Jesus. And the more we do that, the more we will be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
*Liz Higgins told about the day she was baptized. That day, Liz wore a gold chain with two things on it: A gold cross, and the outline of a heart in gold. When Liz came up out of the water and went back to dress, she noticed that the cross had gone into the heart, and it got wedged inside. Liz said that the symbolism was so real to her that she left the cross in her heart. (6)
*Church: That's a small reminder of the greatest truth. God the Father loves us so much that He sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for us. Jesus died on the cross to take the divine punishment for all of our sins, and 3 days later, Jesus rose again from the dead! Now anyone can be saved forever by believing in Jesus. And when we call on the name of the Lord to save us, we are born again by the Holy Spirit of God. God also comes to live in our spiritual hearts.
*And as we behold the glory of the Lord, we will be transformed from glory to glory. We will be renewed. We need that. And the more we are "transformed by the renewing of our minds," the more we will prove (or approve) "that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
CONCLUSION:
*How can we be the Christians God wants us to be? Paul tells us today:
1. 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.
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 and acceptable and perfect will of God.
*Let's ask the Lord to help us, as we go back to God in prayer.
(1) Adapted from: "YOUR REASONABLE SERVICE (EXPOSITION OF ROMANS 12:1-2)" by Steve Weaver - Source: "Thoughts of a Pastor-Historian" - Posted in Expositions, Romans on January 30, 2006 - https://pastorhistorian.com/2006/01/30/your-reasonable-service-exposition-of-romans-121-2/
(2) Adapted from EXPLORING ROMANS by John Phillips, Kregal Publications, Grand Rapids - "The Christian as a Believer" - Romans 12:1-2 - Downloaded to "Bible Study 6" from Olive Tree Bible Software, Inc.
(3) Sources:
-THROUGH THE BIBLE WITH J. VERNON MCGEE by J. Vernon McGee - Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville - Copyright 1981 - 2 Chronicles 33:12-13 - Downloaded to e-Sword by Rick Meyers - Copyright 2000-2019
-Adapted from JOHN GILL'S EXPOSITION OF THE BIBLE by Dr. John Gill, D. D. - 1697-1771 - Published in 1746-1766, 1816 - 2 Chronicles 33:11-13 - Downloaded to e-Sword by Rick Meyers - Copyright 2000-2019
-BELIEVER'S BIBLE COMMENTARY by William Macdonald - Edited by Arthur Farstad - Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville - Copyright 1995 - King Manasseh - 2 Chronicles 33:1-20 - Downloaded to e-Sword by Rick Meyers - Copyright 2000-2019
(4) "Preaching" - March-April 2000 - page 34
(5) Adapted from KERUX ILLUSTRATION COLLECTION - ID Number: 2687 - SOURCE: Leadership Vol. 5, no. 4 - TITLE: The Practical Implications Of Consecration - AUTHOR: Darryl Bell, Maple Grove, Minnesota - DATE: 1984 Fall
(6) REFLECTIONS OF GOD by Liz Higgins - Source: SermonCentral sermon "Transforming Our Hearts & Minds" by Melvin Newland - Romans 12:1-2
