By The Mercies of God

Romans 12:1-2  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.  (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.

INTRODUCTION:           We see in these two verses a summary of the previous 11 chapters concerning all that God has accomplished for the believer. 

In           Chapters 1 - 5     Justifying the believer

                Chapters 6 - 8     Enabling the believer to live a righteous life,

Chapters 9 - 11  Being faithful to Israel

NOTE:  The context of these verses is to believers

I.            I BESEECH YOU THEREFORE,                                           (v 1)

Beseech means =  to call near, that is, invite — call for, beg

A.           Brethren,             (brothers in Christ)

1.           By the mercies of God, that

Micah 7:18  Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.

2.           Ye present          

a.           Your bodies

(Is an instrument of sin)

A step up to the altar, it is something that you do

Romans 6:6            Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Romans 13:14   But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

                                            b.           Make Your Body

1.)          A living sacrifice,

Matthew 16:25   For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

                                            c.            Make Your Body

                                                1.)          Holy,

Exodus 32:29  For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to day to the LORD, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day.

                                           d.           Make Your Body 

1.)          Acceptable unto God,

Philippians 4:18  But I have all, and abound: I am full, having received of Epaphroditus the things which were sent from you, an odour of a sweet smell, a sacrifice acceptable, wellpleasing to God.

Cain and Abel each made a sacrifice only one sacrifice was acceptable

B.           Which Is Your Reasonable Service.

                Reasonable is  rational (“logical)

Noah                    His reasonable service was humiliation and six saved souls

Moses                  His reasonable service was asking God to take him, but save the chosen    

                              people.

Paul                     His reasonable service a life of sacrifice and eventually cost him his head.

Matthew              His reasonable service was to leave all to follow Jesus

Peter                   His reasonable service led to his crucifixion Upside down, opposite of Christ

C.           And Be Not Conformed                  (v 2)      

1.           To this world:

Be separated                     Be set aside                       Be different

Ephesians 5:8-11   For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:  ⁹(For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)  ¹⁰Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. ¹¹And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

The roads that led to our home in Palestine, Texas, had what I call tree tunnels, in the early morning and evening you really need your lights on, not to see with but to be seen. 

              That is what this verse is talking about being seen as a Christian.  Light the way for others, don’t you join in with them.

1 John 2:15 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.

D.           But Be Ye Transformed (direction changed

Repentance)

Jonah 3:8   But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God: yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and from the violence that is in their hands.

Zechariah 1:3  Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts.

Psalm 51:10    Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Be transformed, it is our duty not God’s

1.           By the renewing of your mind,

              Repentance changing your direction

Acts 26:20  But showed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

E.           That Ye May Prove          (allow)

Ephesians 5:10   Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.

Ephesians 5:17  Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

1.           What is that good, and a

2.           Acceptable, and

3.           Perfect, will of God.

Matthew 12:50  For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

Ephesians 6:6  Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

James 4:15  For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

CONCLUSION:  We see for all this Paul is asking us to do certain things.

                        1.           Offer Ourselves to Gods service

                             a.           Holy Acceptable to God

              2.           Your Reasonable Service

              3.           Separate Ourselves from Unbelievers

              4.           Change from the old to the new

What I have been talking about through this verse from God, is what we as individual Christians ought to do.

              I want you to remember, that this verse was talking to Christians who weren’t doing God’s Will.  (Christian Sinners)

              This verse Paul gives us is telling each of us what we (as an individual) must do.  What it comes down to is either me or you.

              It always gets to that point doesn’t it.

              You see we as sinners make choices daily.  When we wake up in the morning our attitude may be I want to do God’s will today all day.  But generally something pops up or cuts you off in traffic and you are no longer in God’s will.

              Sometimes, most times, our problem is the world.  If we could just isolate ourselves and keep in a closet where we saw no one, heard no one and spoke to no one, we could be fully separated from the world.

              God does not want that we are to shine for the Lord, show others the way.

              He was tempted as we are.  You say Bro John Jesus wasn’t tempted with what I have been, yes He has.  He was tempted by the world and stood strong and rejected Satan with God’s word.

              Not the word of  some psychiatrist, judge, or some real smart person.

              He chose God’s Word to reject Satan.  Michael the Arch Angel

(Jude 9)  Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.

This Angel who we consider more powerful than we are could not stand-alone against Satan.  What gives you the idea you can?

              The devil is as a roaring Lion

(1 Peter 5:8)  Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

              If you saw an actual lion coming through the Baptistry none of you would stick around to help me. You might say something to warn me but I would imagine the auditorium would be vacated and the doors closed before I had a chance to react.

              Why would you ignore the devil?  He is out to ruin you, ruin your testimony.