The Christian Transformation

Romans 12:1-2 (read)

I beseech you-

-Paul said it to these Romans…

-but the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write it for our benefit as well…

-and I, your pastor, am beseeching you as God's children!

-beseech- to beg or earnestly entreat; to encourage; to instruct or teach;

admonish (warn or caution); exhort (to urge)

therefore, brethren-

-therefore; because of what he already said in this book…

-brethren; brothers and sisters in the Lord; and children of God…

by the mercies of God- (the basis for this plea…)

-the mercies of God; as explained in chapters 1-11. Some of these include:

-The Gospel of God (1:16)

-The goodness of God (2:4)

-The law of God (3:19-20) (Gal. 3:24-25)

-The grace of God through faith in Christ (3:21-24)

-Peace with God (5:1)

-The love of God for sinners (5:6-10)

-The deliverance of God from our old sinful nature (7:21-25)

-The Holy Spirit of God, which helps with our infirmities (8:26-27)

-The providence and purpose of God in our lives (8:28-30)

…things in our lives are not by accident!!!!!!

-The eternal justification of God (8:30-39)

-The messengers of God (10:14-15)

-The mysteries of God (11:24-25, 28-33)

-The wisdom of God in salvation's plan (11:33-36)

"I beseech you therefore, brethren by the mercies of God”!…

that ye present your bodies-

-present; as an offering to the priest (Leviticus 1:1-5); to offer up our lives to God as they are no longer our own (1 Cor. 6:19-20)

-bodies; your whole person- body, soul, and spirit…God wants all of us…

-we must worship and serve God with our whole person…

a living sacrifice-

-as opposed to the bloody sacrifices in the O.T.- which Christ Himself fulfilled…

-as physically and spiritually alive; regenerated (made alive) by the Holy Spirit…

-as lively, full of enthusiasm and vigor, full of joy and praise to God…

-as a sacrifice; sacrifice our ambitions, and our sins, and to our wills, and love for the world…

holy, acceptable unto God-

-holy; any offering to God must be without blemish and without spot…

-God will only accept our best; He wants us to be clean and pure from sin;

-compare with Mal. 1:6-14

which is your reasonable service-

-which is your; this is our service, as recipients of God's mercy and grace; it was placed upon us by Christ, not as a heavy yoke, but one that answers to the love and grace and mercies of God!

-reasonable-logical, agreeable to good reason, considering all the Lord has done for us…

-service; speaks of our sacred duties to the Lord as given to us in the N.T.; it is our duty as "living sacrifices", to serve Him in and through His church…

vs. 2

And be not conformed to this world-

-be not- or quit being conformed, as you have been in the past…

-conformed; one's mind or character to another's pattern…

-to this world; to the fads and fashions of it; to the sins and sinful practices of it; to the false teachings of it…

but be ye transformed-

-be ye; be sure to take heed to my advice; do not neglect this your duty…

-transformed; Greek- metamorphose, or English metamorphosis

-means to transfigure, to change to another form

-the butterfly

-transfiguration of Christ

-means a real change in our beings- from glory to glory (2 Cor. 3:18)

-this is what true Christian growth is all about!!!

by the renewing of your mind-

-renew; means a complete renovation (re-modeling)…

-mind; means our understanding of spiritual truth; our spiritual reason; also our spiritual judgment and discernment…

that ye may prove- (the will of God…)

-scrutinize, and recognize the will of God through the Word of God and the leadership of the Holy Spirit…

what is that good- (the will of god…)

-pleasant, joyful, agreeable, upright, honorable: excellent…

and acceptable- (will of God…)

-well pleasing- to the spiritual man in us, and to God…

and perfect- (will of God…)

-mature, lacking nothing…

will of God-

-what God wills for our lives as His born again children…His divine plan and purpose for our lives; it is our life long commitment to the service of God; this is always in accordance with His revealed Will, which is the Word of God!

Conclusion

By nature we don't know the will of God, we only know the will of man, which usually is contrary to God's Will. We therefore need to first quit being transformed to the world like we were in our lost condition; and then we need to be transformed to know and do the will of God.

If you are lost, we beseech you by the mercies of God, by the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ…be ye reconciled to God…believe on Jesus as you personal Savior; and then present your bodies to Him, through serving Him through His Church, in accordance with the Word of God…

(Sermon preached by Pastor Burke at the Faith Baptist Church of Lawtey, Florida)

Additional Scripture References (other than those in Romans):

Galatians 3:24-25 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Leviticus 1:1-5

1 And the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,

2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock.

3 If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD.

4 And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.

5 And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD: and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall bring the blood, and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

Malachi 1:6-14 A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name?

7 Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible. {offer...: or, bring unto, etc}

8 And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts. {for: Heb. to}

9 And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the LORD of hosts. {God: Heb. the face of God} {by...: Heb. from your hand}

10 Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.

11 For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts.

12 But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the LORD is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible.

13 Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the LORD. {and ye have...: or, whereas ye might have blown it away}

14 But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen. {which...: Heb. in whose flock is}

2 Corinthians 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. {by the...: or, of the Lord the Spirit}