What have You done for ME lately? Are You Devoted? (v.1). Are You a worthy offering? (v.1). Are You not conformed to this world? (v.2). Are You being transformed (v.2).
On a wall near the main entrance to the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, is a portrait with the following inscription: "James Butler Bonham--no picture of him exists. This portrait is of his nephew, Major James Bonham, deceased, who greatly resembled his uncle. It is placed here by the family that people may know the appearance of the man who died for freedom." No literal portrait of Jesus exists either. But the likeness of the Son who makes us free can be seen in the lives of HIS true followers. Bill Morgan.
Do people see Christ in You?
If Christ were to appear before you today and ask “What have you done for me lately?”
Will you say “I’m raising my kid’s for you.” Jesus will ask “Are you raising them in a manner that will show them to grow closer to ME, to come to know ME in all MY ways.”
Will you say “I’m coming to church”. Jesus will ask “Are you in true fellowship each time it is available so that you can grow and help others to grow in ME.
What would you say, you will one day answer these questions…
God’s word today tells us what we are to become in Christ.
Are You Devoted? (v.1).
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. [2] Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)
As Christians we are called to be Devoted to Christ.
We have so far learned in Romans:
ÞThe world desperately needs to get right with God (Romans 1:18-3:20).
ÞThrough God’s Son, Jesus Christ. The way is justification: believing in the Lord Jesus Christ and having God count one’s faith as righteousness (Romans 3:21-5:21).
ÞBelievers in Christ are sanctified, that is, set apart to God and set free from sin to life eternal by Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit (Romans 6:1-8:39).
ÞBelievers and the body of Christ “the church”, are God’s choice to carry the gospel of Jesus to the world (Romans 9:1-11:36).
This is what is meant by “the mercies of God.”
They overflow the lives of HIS people.
Therefore, in light of the mercies of God, we must devote ourselves to God.
God through the Apostle Paul says; “I beseech you” —implore you, urge you, beg you—devote yourselves to God.
This is not being said to the lost world, but to anyone who has professed Jesus Christ as Lord.
Are You a worthy offering? (v.1).
“offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship.”
We are to present our bodies to God as a worthy offering?
Would God consider your body to be such a worthy offering today?
What do you think is the most abused thing in this world today?
It is our bodies…·by overeating ·by becoming inactive ·by being too active ·by cursing, fighting, and killing ·by partaking of harmful substances ·by caring for the external abusing the internal ·by getting too much or too little rest
Therefore; we are to present our body as a living sacrifice to God.
a.God demands the believer’s body.
b.We are to present our body to God.
The dedication...
·is not to be made to self: living as one wishes; doing one’s own thing.
·is not to be made to others: living for family, wife, husband, child, parent, mistress, companion, sexual partner, or employer.
·is not to be to something else: houses, lands, property, money, cars, possessions, profession, recreation, retirement, luxury, power, recognition, fame.
c.We present our body as a living sacrifice.
·A living sacrifice means continuous
·A living sacrifice means wherever our body is
·A living sacrifice means we sacrifice our own desires and live for God
·A living sacrifice means we live to serve God
Why?
Because our bodies are no longer ours if we have asked Jesus Christ into our lives.
“For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Cor. 6:20).
This is our reasonable service…
ÞThe word “reasonable” means rational, intelligent, logical. It is our minimum of Christian service.
Þthe word “service” means worship and ministry. We use our mind to dedicate our bodies to the service of God. We are to study the Scriptures, and to think and do the things that best serve God.
Are You not conformed to this world? (v.2).
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world”
We are not to be conformed to this world.
The word “conformed” (suscheômatizo) comes from the root word schema which means fashion, the outward form, the appearance of a man.
We are not to fall to the schemes of this world.
Many even in our churches give the impression that this world is and will be forevermore…this is a lie.
Remember, “The world itself and everything in it shall pass away.”
“The fashion of this world passeth away” (1 Cor. 7:31).
“While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Cor. 4:18).
We are not to conform...
“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty” (2 Cor. 6:17- 18).
“Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God” (James 4:4).
We are not to follow the fashion and lusts of the world…
“Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:15-16).
“As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance” (1 Peter 1:14).
We are not to follow the course of this world…
“Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience” (Ephes. 2:2).
We are not to follow the god of this world, Satan…
“In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” (2 Cor. 4:4).
Instead we are to be “transformed in the mind of Christ…
Are You being transformed (v.2).
“but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
We are to be transformed. The Greek root is morphe.
Morphe means the real being of a man, the very nature and essence, the inseparable part, the unchanging shape of a man.
God’s word says clearly we must undergo radical change within our inner being in order to escape the world and its doom. We must be transformed and changed inwardly.
How can this be?
God’s word declares simply, “by the renewing of your mind.”
Our mind is to be renewed , which means to be made new, readjusted, changed, turned around, regenerated.
The mind is renewed by the presence and the image of Christ in the life of the believer. When a person receives the Lord Jesus Christ as His Lord, the man is spiritually...
·born again (John 3:3-8; 1 Peter 1:23).
·made into a new man (Ephes. 4:24; Col. 3:10).
·made into a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17).
·given the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16; 1 Cor. 2:9-15).
·changed into the image of Christ (2 Cor. 3:18).
What this means is a most wonderful truth, when a person receives Jesus Christ into their life, they receives the mind and the image of Christ as well.
Christ places His mind into the believer’s mind; that is, Christ HIMSELF changes the believer’s mind to focus upon God.
We are to live transformed lives; to walk day by day renewing our mind more and more.
ÞWe are to love the Lord with all our mind.
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Matthew 22:37).
ÞWe are to keep our mind on spiritual things, not carnal things.
“For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Romans 8:5-6).
ÞWe are to cast down imaginations and every thought that interrupts our knowledge of God and to take captive every thought for Christ.
“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:3-5).
ÞWe must not let our mind be corrupted.
“But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ” (2 Cor. 11:3).
Are these things that can be witnessed in your life today?
If not would you come forward to recommit your life and the direction of your life to Christ today?
Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? If not will you do so today?
Have you made a commitment to this church to nurture this fellowship and to be a part of all things that Christ is leading us too? Will you do so today?
You will only feel truly fulfilled if you are where Christ wants and calls you to be, any other place will leave you feeling disoriented and not complete and this is not the will of God for HIS people. Come to where you can answer the question “What have You done for ME lately? By simply stating “Lord you are my life, in all that I do and say YOU are my Lord.”
