Sermon – How Christians ought to Behave (Walk Upright in a Fallen World)
Romans 12:1-10 “And so, dear brothers and sisters,[a] I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.[b] 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
3 Because of the privilege and authority[c] God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.[d] 4 Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, 5 so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.
6 In his grace, God has given us different gifts for doing certain things well. So if God has given you the ability to prophesy, speak out with as much faith as God has given you. 7 If your gift is serving others, serve them well. If you are a teacher, teach well. 8 If your gift is to encourage others, be encouraging. If it is giving, give generously. If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously. And if you have a gift for showing kindness to others, do it gladly.
9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection,[e] and take delight in honoring each other.” NLT
Introduction: God knows best. He gave Jesus Christ to be the Savior for everyone who believes in Him. To receive the full benefits of his salvation, you should fully surrender to God. Decide not to do your will, but God’s will. Then you will be close to God and experience his power. Romans Chapter 12 is really a commentary on how Christians ought to behave. Apostle Paul moves theology to practice. He gives guidelines for living as a redeemed people in a fallen world. Since we have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ; saved by His grace and empowered by his Holy Spirit, we should offer ourselves to God in absolute surrender. Today, there are many teachings on total commitment. There is a great difference between total commitment and absolute surrender. Commitment is an act of the human will, while surrender is the act of giving the human will. Paul suggests that we present ourselves as living sacrifices to God as those dead to sin but alive unto God.
How can we walk upright in a fallen world? How can we live a Christian life and not conform to the walk and way of the world? Paul calls on each of us to take personal responsibility for our actions. He makes his appeal based on all the mercies that we had received from the hand of a loving God. Paul pleads with us to give ourselves to God and his service out of a heart of love and gratitude. Observe that Paul does not give us a command, but a heartfelt plea for absolute surrender. He does not demand or command us to surrender out of compulsion. God desires our sacrifice as loving sons and daughters not driven servants or slaves. There is a difference in the way one interacts with servants and the way one interacts with sons.
In Christ, we have been received in the family of God as sons. Paul pleads with us as believers on the grounds of our new relationship with God as our loving Father. Paul uses the kind favor of the Father as his leverage of persuasion for our surrender. God is not looking for compulsory service. He desires willing submission. God could force us into compliance to His will for He is stronger than we. God could command and demand our praise and worship, but He simply invites us to come, to give and to surrender to Him. Paul calls for a response of heartfelt gratitude. Since God has been so good to us, the most reasonable thing we can do is to give ourselves to God. Christ willingly gave himself for us, so we should willingly give ourselves for Him. Paul lifts several ideas for consideration in our text, Romans 12. If we are going to be successful walking upright in God in a fallen world, we should surrender all to God our bodies, minds, and service. First, consider the thought, “Surrender Your Body to God.”
1. Surrender Your Body to God
Romans 12:1 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”
When Paul mentioned the phrase,"living sacrifice", his audience understood perfectly what he was talking about. Animal sacrifices were an intricate part of both Jewish and Gentile culture. The animals selected for the sacrifice were those without spots or blemishes. Once the animals were carefully selected and inspected, they were placed in the hands of the priests. The priest would receive the animal and using a special knife would let out the blood catching it in a basin. Every part of the sacrifice would be used. The blood, the fat, the flesh, the hide and hoofs were used until nothing remained. The blood was sprinkled to atone for the sin, the fat would be burned as a sweet savor to the Lord, the meat was roasted for a fellowship meal and the hide and hoofs were burned outside the camp. Even the ashes that remained had a purpose. When the sacrifice was over, everything had been consumed.
Paul calls every believer to this kind of surrender. We should give ourselves to God in this same way, not holding anything back. The animals were killed and became dead sacrifices; we are called to be living sacrifices. The trouble with living sacrifices is they keep slipping off the altar. Absolute surrender becomes difficult for the believer because some of the desires of the flesh are very much alive. Believers tend to struggle with a desire to please God and the desire to please ourselves. Living sacrifices tend to crawl off the altar when the flames get hot! Paul still calls the believers to give themselves to God in response to the great mercies they had experienced. We are to live our lives as if we were dead to sin, but alive unto God. God wants our bodies in His service.
People will say occasionally, “I couldn’t be with you, but my heart and mind were with you.” God needs more than our hearts and minds, He needs our bodies. When the world is sick, they need our hands to bring healing. When the world is sad, they need our voices to bring a word of cheer. When the world has fallen down, they need our hands to lift them up. God needs our bodies. If believers are going to walk upright in a fallen world, they should present their bodies to God. That’s just how Christians ought to behave. Our bodies are all we have to offer which includes our emotions, our mind, our thoughts, our desires, and our plans. The body represents the total person. To live for God and walk upright, we must give him all that we are. Offer our bodies to God. God has so much that he wants to do through us but we must be willing to offer ourselves for His work. He will not force us or compel us, but He invites whosoever will to come.
2. Surrender Your Mind to God
Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
Though the believer may profess, "I'm presenting my body to God" it will not happen without redirecting the mind. The mind controls all the body's actions. We must surrender our minds to God. Our body cannot do right with a do wrong mind. Paul suggests that our minds can be renewed by the Word of God and the work of the Holy Spirit. This process happens from the inside out. It is totally necessary. Believers can never walk upright in a fallen world without renewing their minds with the Word of God. The believer lives out his existence in a hostile environment under Satan's control. There is a current in this world moving in opposition to the flow of God. There is a mindset learned while in the world that is pulling the believer away from God towards his old life. His old mindset must be changed by the washing of the water of the word. We must determine to stand against the spirit of the world and cleave to the truth of God's word. We must despise sin and wickedness and love righteousness. The renewed mindset is bringing our thinking under God's control. The word "conform" implies to mold or shape. The spirit of the world flows out of a heart of greed, selfishness, pride, high mindedness, envy, hate, and lust of all things. While the Spirit of God flows out of a heart of love, selflessness, humility, giving and sharing.
Our minds must be renewed to conform to God's way of thinking. As we read, meditate, and act on God's word, a transformation begins. Our goals and plans begin to line up with His goals and plans for our lives. God’s word will set the standard for our lives. His word helps us determine what is that good, acceptable and perfect will of God. Our ambitions and dreams will be determined by heavenly and eternal truths and not by this evil, temporal, and transient world system. Our minds become informed, our actions start to conform to God’s pattern for living and our lives are transformed by the Holy Spirit into God’s original design. We become Christ-like, knowing what God requires and walking obediently to His way. The word Paul uses for "being transformed" is metamorphosis. Metamorphosis is not something we can do on our own. If we present ourselves as living sacrifices, God through the power of the Spirit and the Word will transform us.
2Co 3:18 “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” KJV
Paul encourages the believer to surrender their bodies and minds to God; and then offer their ministry gifts to God and to the body of Christ.
3. Surrender Your Gifts of Service to God’s People
Romans 12:4-8 “For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.” KJV
Paul uses the concept of a human body to teach how Christians should live and work together. Just as the parts of the human body function under the direction of one central control center, the human brain, the body of Christ must function under the directions of its one head, Jesus Christ. God gave us ministry gifts so we can build up the Church, build up others and build ourselves as we are used in His service. To use our gifts effectively, we must realize first of all, that gifts and abilities come from God for the benefit of the body. Secondly, we must understand that not everyone has the same gift. Thirdly, we must recognize that our understanding of who we are in Christ and the gift we have can greatly increase our effectiveness in the body. Finally, we should dedicate our gift to the service of God, for the benefit of His body, for the Glory and Honor of God, and not our own. When we use our gifts wholeheartedly, not holding any back, the whole Body of Christ is blessed and its effectiveness is increased.
These gifts are given for the benefit of the Church. Just as the parts of the body have different functions, so the ministry gifts of the Body of Christ have different functions. The potential of each gift is maximized by operating properly within the body. A body part’s value can only be experienced as it relates to the whole. A severed hand cannot benefit the body, nor bless itself detached from the body. Each body part receives its direction from the head. A severed part or gift receives no direction, without direction that part cannot benefit itself or others. Each body part has a different purpose, ability and usefulness, but all parts are equal in value to the body. Likewise, each ministry gift has a different purpose, ability and usefulness, but all gifts are equal in value to the Church.
Paul encourages each believer to give God their bodies and minds, but also give their God given ministry gift to the body of Christ. This can best be accomplished as the believers fulfills their role, being faithful and using that gift for the benefit of the Body of Christ for the glory of God. The body of Christ needs every God-given gift, functioning properly, supplying aid and assistance that increases the effectiveness of the whole. Our gifts were not given to be a source of contention and competition. Our gifts were not given to be a badge of honor or source of arrogance.
Ephesians 4:16 “From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.”KJV
Together we build up the Body of Christ. We cannot be what we ought to be without the gifts of others in the Church and the church cannot be all it ought to be without our gift being used in the Body of Christ.
Every believer is important and needed. If we give our bodies to God, our minds to God, we must also give our gifts to the Body of Christ for the glory of God. The best demonstration of our love for God is our love for God’s people. The best demonstration of our service to God is our service to the people of God. Surrender your gift to the Body of Christ. Our gift of service will only increase in value as it functions in proper relationship to the Body.
4. Surrender Your Love to All
Romans 12:10-12 “Love each other with genuine affection,[a] and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.[b] 12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.”NLT
Paul encourages believers to surrender their bodies, minds, and spiritual gifts to God and his people, and finally, give love to all. Most people have learned to pretend to love others, how to speak kindly, avoid hurting feelings, and even how to show compassion, but God calls us to real, sincere love which requires concentration and effort. My definition of love is simple. Love desires to give at the expense of self, while lust desires to get at the expense of others. Love is born out of a selfless heart. Lust is born in a selfish heart. This text calls for a sincere love out of a pure heart. God wants us to love in such a way that our care for people helps them become better people. That kind of love requires time, sometimes money and always personal involvement. No one else in the community can demonstrate love the way the church can. John 13:34-35, “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” NLT
This text calls on us to look for people who need our love and find a way to love them. Everyone wants to be loved and wants someone to love. "Let love be without dissimulation," in other words, we should have no hypocrisy in our love. Do not allow your love to wear a mask. Do not allow love to be an empty profession. Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself. We love God by being obedient to him and we love our neighbor through acts of benevolence, showing that our love is sincere. Believers can walk upright in a fallen world and live as redeemed people of God if they are willing to present their bodies as a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God.
How can we walk upright in a fallen world? How can we live a Christian life and not conform to the walk and way of the world? Paul calls on each of us to take personal responsibility for our actions. Surrender your body, your mind, your spiritual gifts to God and to the service to his Church and finally give love to all. Each day the world has become more hostile, mean and disrespectful, when we love, really love the world will take notice. John 13:34-35, “So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. 35 Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.” NLT
