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4000 E.
Collins Rd. “Preaching
the Living Word through the Written Word (2Tim 4:2)” |
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LIVING
SACRIFICES IN CHRIST (Romans 12:1-2) 9/14/08 Grace Bible Church, Gillette, Wyoming Pastor Daryl Hilbert I.
THE BELIEVER IS
TO BE A LIVING SACRIFICE TO GOD (1) A.
In light of
Paul’s great argument for God’s sovereign plan for Israel and the Gentiles,
he gives a strong exhortation (parakaléō - call alongside, encourage,
exhort) to believers. The
exhortation is given on the basis of the mercies of God. 1. We have seen in Romans Chs. 9-11 numerous statements
on God’s mercy. a) God will have mercy on whom He will have mercy (Ro
9:15). b) Salvation does not depend on man but on God’s mercy
(Ro 9:16). c) Mercy is given according to God’s desire (Ro 9:18). d) God has shown mercy to the disobedient Gentiles (Ro
11:30). e) God will show mercy to disobedient Israel (Ro
11:31-32). 2. The point is that because believers have been
blessed by God’s sovereign mercy (oiktirmós - compassion), they should commit what is left of their lives to
God. B.
The believer is
to “present” himself to God. 1. “Present” (parístêmi - to place alongside) literally means to place alongside. So, the
believer is to place himself before God, for God’s disposal. 2. The believer is to present himself (Ro 6:16), his
members (Ro 3:13), his labor (2Ti 2:15) to God for His disposal and thus be a
“living sacrifice.” C.
The word
“sacrifice” is used to illustrate the believer’s voluntary offering to God. 1. This type of sacrifice (thusia) is one that stresses the act of offering. It was used in
the LXX for OT sacrifices and offerings (Lev 2:1; Lev 1:9, 13; Lev 2:1; Lev
3:1; Lev 4:10; Lev 7:11; Lev 19:5; Lev 23:18; and its root is used for altar
- thusiastêrion- Lev 1:9,13). 2. The believer is to offer himself up to God as a
sacrifice for God’s disposal. In other words, he is to lay his life on the
altar of God for whatever, whenever, and wherever. D.
Paul describes
what type of sacrifice the believer is to be. 1. “Living” (pres part - zaō - live, Eng. “zoo”) - The believer is an offering that
is vibrantly alive as opposed to the dead sacrifices of the Old Testament. 2. “Holy” (fr hagios
- set apart unto God and set apart from sin) The believer is to be an
offering, sacred and consecrated unto God without the blemish of sin. 3. “Acceptable”
(euarestos - lit. “well-pleasing”)
The believer is to be an offering whose conduct and service is acceptable and
brings pleasure to a holy God (1Pe 2:5; Heb 13:15-16; Eph 5:2; Phil 2:17;
Phil 4:18). E.
In light of
God’s mercies, it is reasonable and logical (logikós - could be
reasonable or spiritual) that the
believer be compelled to be a living sacrifice. This is the believer’s
reasonable service of worship. 1. The phrase, “service of worship” comes from the
connotation of the word, “latreia.”
Latreia in its basic root meant
service for hire or reward. Later it came to be applied to religious service.
It is used for the work of the Jewish temple priests (Rom 9:4; Heb 9:6-7). 2. The believer is to offer himself as a living
sacrifice not only to be willing to die for Christ but especially to live for
Him and serve Him. II.
THE BELIEVER IS
NOT TO BE CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD (2a) A.
Paul commands
the believer not to be “conformed” (pres imper - suschêmatízō) to the world. It is a contradiction to say
one is both holy and worldly at the same time. 1. The word “conform” (suschêmatízō) is used only two times in the NT (Rom
12:2, 1Pe 1:14) and means to fashion an object by using a shaped form or
mold. Metaphorically, it means to change one’s behavior according to a
particular pattern. The pattern is Christ and the Word of God. 2. The Greek negative mê with the present tense carries the idea that Paul is
commanding the Romans to stop being conformed to the world. The world has
such a strong influence upon everyone that they must make a conscious and
continuous effort not to allow t be influenced by it. B.
The word
translated “world” in this instance does not come from kósmos but from aiṓn.
1. Typically, aiṓn
refers to an age or dispensation (Eph 1:21; Eph 2:7) in contrast to kosmos, which refers to people or
space, though they can be synonymous. 2. The significance of aiōn here is that it is referring to the present earthly age
under which a worldly system exists and dominates. a) It is an evil age (Gal 1:4 - aiṓn ponêroú cp. Eph 6:16) b) It is under the dominion of Satan (2Co 4:4). c) It is a system (aiṓn)
in this world (kósmos) (Eph
2:2). d) It includes an earthly wisdom (1Co 2:6, 8). III.
THE BELIEVER IS
TO BE TRANSFORMED BY THE WORD (3b) A.
Believers are
not to be conformed to the world but in contrast (allà), are to be transformed into a Christ-like living
sacrifice. This transformation is a believer’s spiritual metamorphosis. 1. “Transformed” comes from the Greek word, metamorphóō, which
literally means to change from one form into another. 2. However, in Rom 12:2, the idea of transformation
refers to the internal process whereby our inner redeemed nature is
increasingly manifested in the believer’s daily life. 3. Paul commands the believer to be transformed (metamorhóusthe - pres pass imper
from metamorphóō; literally,
“You must keep on being transformed”). B.
Paul tells the
believer to be transformed by the “renewing of the mind.” 1. Renewing (anakaínōsis
from aná - up, again,
i.e. “re” & kainós - new
in character or nature; here in instrumental case) the mind is the activity
of re-thinking with God’s thoughts and point of view. 2. These new thoughts are becoming of the believer’s
new nature and not the world’s point of view (Isa 55:8-12; Col 3:1-2). The
believer does this by meditating on the Word of God. C.
Paul mentions a
design or purpose (“so that” - eis with
an infinitive of purpose RWP) for renewing their minds. It is in order that believers
will be able to examine and discern what is that good, acceptable, and
perfect will of God for their lives. 1. Most versions use the phrase, “prove the will of
God.” Prove is an acceptable translation because it comes from the Greek
word, dokimázō, which means
to test metal, examine. 2. In reference to God’s will (thélêma - desire or purpose), the believer is to examine
and discern proper behavior, ethics, and decisions for his life as a living
sacrifice to God. a) As a living sacrifice, the believer is to be and do
what is morally good (tò
agathós cp. 3Jo 1:11; Gal
6:10). b) Acceptable (euárestos)
literally means, “well (eu)
pleasing (aréskō).” It
emphasizes that it refers to the things that are well-pleasing not to
oneself, but to God (tō theō vs.
1). c) The word “perfect (téleios) often means “mature.” The idea is that it is God’s
will for the believer is to be spiritually mature in his conduct (1Co 14:20; Eph
4:13). IV.
OBSERVATIONS AND APPLICATIONS A.
Christ is the
ultimate sacrifice (Heb 9:26; Heb 10:12) as the Lamb of God. The believer is
to emulate Christ, not in atoning for sin, but in conformity to Christ’s
sacrificial character. Have you dedicated yourself to God as a “living
sacrifice” lately? B.
It is
impossible to love the Father and the world at the same time. It is
impossible to claim to be a living and holy sacrifice while being worldly. Are
you making a conscious and continuous effort to keep yourself from
worldliness, especially in the areas of purity, lifestyle, and materialism? C.
A believer is
either thinking worldly or thinking biblically. However, in order to think
biblically, a believer must be committed to reading, studying, memorizing,
meditating, and applying the Scriptures. Your degree of commitment to the
Scriptures will dictate your degree of spiritual growth. What is your
commitment to the Word of God? How much spiritual nutrition have you received
this week? If our Bibles would be taken away from us, how much of the Bible
could we recall from memory? Transform your spiritual life by committing
yourself to memorizing Scripture. |
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