15th August 2010
Romans 12:1-2
We are onto the last great section of Romans, a very practical section on Service.
The first half of Romans focuses on ‘what we are to believe’ and the second half is about ‘how we are to behave’.
Paul always writes this way, he always starts with sound doctrine and then says, sound doctrine leads to sound living.
In the first 11 chapters he covers the basic beliefs of Christianity and when he begins Chapter 12 the first thing he says is,
“Therefore I urge you…”
And whenever you see this word, ‘therefore’ you ask yourself “what is it therefore”.
And Paul is saying in light of everything that we have talked about, this is how we ought to live.
In the fact that there are four great ‘therefore’s’ in the book of Romans. (This is how we know that there are 4 divisions).
1. The ‘therefore’ of Sin. 3:20
2. The therefore of Salvation 5:1. We are justified by faith.
3. The therefore of Security 8:1 – no condemnation.
4. The therefore of Service 12:1.
“Therefore I urge you brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship. 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
These are two of the greatest verses in the Bible. The simple point Paul wants to make here is that;
I. The True Test Of My Belief Is My Behaviour.
‘What we do speaks so loudly people can’t hear what we say’.
Goodness in a person’s life follows the belief that life is all about God while badness or sin follows the belief that life is all about me.
And in this section Paul focuses on our relationships – goodness and sin are ultimately expressed in the way we treat people (relationship).
The gospel is all about relationships.
John says, “If anyone says, “I love God,” yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.” 1John 4:20
This week we are going to talk about our relationship with God over the next few weeks we will talk about our relationship with the world, then our relationships within the church, each other, our enemies, the government and those who don’t agree with us.
These are Paul’s subjects in the closing chapters of Romans; in short, how we put Christianity into practice.
II. How I Can Discover God’s Will For My Life
This is vital because Paul says. “God’s will is good, pleasing and perfect.” – It’s everything we need.
Q. So how do we discover God’s will?
Well there is no magic formula. God’s will is not a formula and it’s not a feeling.
There are however three very powerful principles that underline and outline God’s will for our life.
Step One – Dedicate your life totally to Christ
“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.”
No compromise. If you want to know God’s will give Him your heart. Don’t be like the person who says;
“Show me what you want me to do and then I will decide”.
We have to settle the big question and surrender to God once and for all. Who is going to be in charge of my life?
Now of course it’s a miracle when it happens because ego and pride have such a powerful hold on us.
Never the less it must happen if we are to grow in Christ.
Q. Have you come to Church this morning having already said yes to God; “Lord tell me what you want me to do”.
Bow what is the reason for such an act of dedication?
Paul says, “It’s, “in view of God’s mercy” to me, that I should dedicate myself unconditionally to Him?
Because of everything He has done for me. (Chapter 4-8 Paul gives us a detailed list of God’s mercies).
If God loves me this much surely I ought to be happy to place my life in His hands.
After all we haven’t made such a great job of our life without God.
So the starting point of knowing God’s will is to dedicate our lives to God.
Paul says there are three characteristics of Christian dedication.
i. It’s voluntary
“Offer your bodies” Could also be translated ‘reserve’ – like we might reserve a table at a restaurant so that it’s set aside for you and no one else can use it.
Paul says “put a reservation card on your life that reads; ‘Reserved for God’s glory.’
So it’s voluntary.

ii. It’s practical – “Offer your bodies.” – why not your soul or your spirit?
Because Christianity is practical; it’s no good saying to someone ‘Sorry I can’t be there to help you but I will be with you in spirit”.
Great sentiment but practically worthless; our spirit can’t do anything without our bodies. When we give ‘our bodies’ it means we are giving ourselves.

Q How do we know if we have dedicated our bodies to God?
Answer. When there is a need, we can be counted on to be there?
iii. It’s complete.
“Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice.”

A sacrifice involves everything – it’s an unconditional dedication to God. (Chicken and pig story)
God doesn’t want us to die for Him but to live for Him.
The problem with a living sacrifice of course is that it can crawl off the altar. This is why it has to be a daily sacrifice.
Otherwise we might be like those who sing ‘Onward Christian Soldiers’ at Church on Sunday and then go AWOL on Monday.
Note Paul says a living sacrifice is ‘holy and pleasing to God’, it literally means ‘well pleasing’ – God loves it.
Paul says when you do this it’s your “spiritual worship”.
Worship is not just something we just do on Sunday. We worship God every time we commit ourselves to serving Him through serving people – giving selflessly of our time, words, talents, money, energy is worship.
Paul is basically saying give your life as a continuous act of dedication and hence worship and then you will hear from God.
So this is our first principle ‘dedication’. The next thing Paul says is;
Step Two – Insulate Yourself From, the World’s Way Of Thinking
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world”.
A reason why we find it difficult to fully dedicate ourselves to God is because we are dedicated to the world (Achieving success or making money).
When Paul talks about the world – he is not talking about people because God loves the people of the world!
He is talking about the world’s attitudes and valves – the world’s philosophies and religions. Don’t be caught up in the spirit of the age – which is a ‘me first’ spirit’.
(Phillips) “Don’t let the world squeeze you into its mould.”
Q. Do you feel pressured by the world to conform? The attitude that says; “Its okay everyone is doing it”.
Peanuts cartoon, “I can resist any pressure except peer.”
God says live in the world but don’t be of the world!
The Christian’s relationship to the world is not one of imitation or ‘isolation’, but insulation.
Isolation says “I don’t want to have anything to do with the world.
I won’t go to the movies, watch TV or do anything else that contaminates me”. (Monastic movement)
But if we isolate ourselves how are we going to win the world?
Imitation says, do whatever the world does in order to fit in; join the materialistic rat race – the dog eat dog world.
But that’s not any sort of witness either.
Instead our relationship with the world is one of insulation.
I enjoy seafood but what’s the first thing you add to your fish and chips you add salt. Don’t you find that strange? The ocean fish has spent its entire life in salt water and yet we still have to have to add the salt.
If God can keep a fish in salt water all its life and keep the salt from contaminating its body, God can keep Christians safe in a non Christian world. That’s insulation.
Paul is saying, ‘what everyone considers right (culture) is a totally unreliable source for receiving guidance in life. Don’t be conformed to this world’.
Q. Because everyone is doing it, does that make it okay? No!
We will receive our guidance from one of two sources; the world or the Word. If you want to know God’s will don’t go to the world for your guidance.
John wrote “The world and its desires pass away, but the person who does the will of God abides forever.” 1Jn. 2:17.
So Paul says don’t imitate the world or isolate yourself from the world but learn how to live in the world without letting it influence your choices.
Step Three: Transform Your Thinking Around God’s Word
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” vs.2
The secret of changing my life is to change the way I think.
The Greek word used for ‘transformed’ is the word from which we get our word – metamorphosis (caterpillars to butterflies).
God also takes us through a metamorphosis of our own. He changes the very nature of our personalities.
Psychologists tell us that our basis personality is set by the age of 3 or 4.
But God is in the business of changing personalities (He is in the metamorphosis business).
You may have had a difficult past with lots of bad experiences or overcomes. But God says I can change you from a lowly caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly.
Q. How does a caterpillar spend its life?
It’s a race for survival gobbling up the leaves as fast as it can. Compare that with a butterfly soaring over the forest that it didn’t even know existed as a caterpillar.
Put your life in God’s hands and you will fly. But the cocoon has got to go; the cocoon of our old ways and bad habits.
Don’t be conformed to the world anymore. Breakout of the mould; Tell God you want to fly instead of struggle, that you want to live instead of exist.
This is eventually going to happen anyway to the believer.
John wrote, “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” 1John 3:2
The Bible says one day we are going to see Jesus and we are going to be instantly changed into his likeness; that’s total metamorphosis.
In the mean time we are being transformed, little by little, into his likeness.
“And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” (2 Cor. 3:18).
Paul says this is true because we reflect the Lord’s glory the more we gaze upon him.
Q. How do we look at the face of Jesus? – Through God’s Word.
The more we read and study the Scripture the more we are changed and will reflect Christ’s character. (We become like the things that influence us).
So the first step is dedication – commit yourself totally to Christ.
Step 2. Insulation – separate yourself from the world’s way of thinking.
Step 3. Transformation – takes place through the renewing of our mind.
The key to changing our life is always, first to change the way we think.
The way we think determines the way we feel and the way we feel determines the way we act.
Most people try to change themselves by changing the way they feel or act; making a new resolution to change.
But we can’t change the way we feel unless we change the cause of those feeling. Feeling simply reflect our beliefs and we get into trouble when we try to operate on the wrong facts.
The same thing is true of our behaviour. We can’t change the way we behave until we change what we belief.
Example: If you have a compulsive habit that you want to change.
Imagine you are in a boat that’s heading south. The boat is running on automatic pilot which is set to head south.
But if you don’t like the way it’s heading so there are two ways you can turn it around. You can grab the steering wheel and force it round – to go in a new direction and as long as you hold on to the wheel you can resist its natural inclination to go south; but this is hard work – it takes a lot of will power because you are fighting against the automatic pilot which creates tension.
Trying to change through will power always creates tension and you will sooner or later get tired of whatever it is you are doing to try to help yourself.
Like the boat we will go back to our old ways because will power is never enough.
Of course the better way is simply to change the automatic pilot. Then it’s a breeze to turn the boat round.
Q. What is the automatic pilot setting in your life – do you need to change it?
Let me give you a clue;
Complete the sentence. It’s just like me to be ….”
Answer this question honestly ten times and I will be able to tell you what your automatic pilot is set at. It’s the way you see yourself.
The Bible’s consistent message is, “Be transformed by the renewal of your mind.”
Ephesians talks about putting on the new mind of Christ.
The question then how do I renew my mind? The Psalmist asked the same question:
“How can a young man keep his ways pure? By living according to your word I seek you with all my heart. Do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Ps 119:9
The way to change our life is to reprogram your minds with the Word of God.
Two truths:
i. God’s Will is found in God’s Word.
Most of God’s will has already been revealed to us.
David Allen said: “When you open your Bible, God opens His mouth. When you shut your Bible, God shuts His mouth.”

ii. God’s Will never contradicts God’s Word.
Never be afraid to challenge anything that someone says about the will of God until you can confirm it in the Bible.
Paul says in Gal 1:8 “Even if an angel from heaven shall tell you some new revelation – if it contradicts God’s word don’t accept it.”
III Why Should I Discover God’s Will For My Life?
Paul said, “Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” 2c
God’s will is three things.
1. It’s good. – God plans a good life for us.
“’For I know the plans I have for you’, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jer. 29:11.
Do you greet life with a positive expectancy? We can.
2. It’s pleasing (acceptable).
A lot of people imagine that God’s will is unpleasing or unacceptable to them. Don’t believe the devil propaganda.
The word used here can also mean ‘satisfying’. We will never be happier than when we are in the centre of God’s will.
3. It’s perfect. Complete.
The implication is that it is tailor made and custom made to fit us perfectly.
On the other hand doing what everyone else is doing is not tailor made, it’s simply following the crowd.
Nothing can improve on God’s will for our life.
See how simple it is to live in the will of God.
Just three simple steps – this is not a hard thing to understand.
Dedicate yourself to God and His will; say Lord “I’m not going to take my guidance from what other people say – the standards see on TV.
I’m going to fill my mind with your Word”.
God says do that and you will begin making decisions just like Jesus and that’s got to be good.
Prayer.
Consider the meaning of these two very significant verses for your life. Have you made a complete dedication of your life to Christ? The key to God’s blessing is a complete surrender of yourself to Him. Every Christian has to learn and relearn this lesson.
If you want to reaffirm your commitment to Christ today make these next words your own, “Lord, I want to dedicate my body to you. I’m making it available to serve others because I know that living in your will is good, pleasing and perfect. That finding the place that you made for me in this life will be the most rewarding place of all”.
Father, thank you for these wonderful verses for they form the basis of all our relationships. We know that the starting point is our commitment to you. Thank you that your will is not something to be confused about but it is simply an act of dedication, insulation and transformation through the study of your Word. Change us, Lord. In Jesus wonderful name we pray. Amen.