Trinity Church Spokane Valley
Romans 12:1-2
Good to see you this morning, summer has started. Who's excited about summer starting? I don't understand that, you know? It's just the same old, same old. Go to work. You know who's excited? People that have to still go to school. That's who's excited because you get out of school. Teachers are really excited because they get a little bit of break and so that's good. During the summer time here at Trinity Church, we break off or stop our normal series. So we have been going through the book of Genesis. We've been walking through the book of Genesis over this last school year. So during the summer because things do change quite a bit. People go on vacation, people go camping, these types of things are all good things. We want people to be able to rest and enjoy their time with their families. But because of that, during the summer we stop our normal series and we start a new series. In the last two summers we have memorized a passage of Scripture together as a church. And this summer we're going to do the same thing. So as a church we are going to memorize together Romans chapter 12 this summer, Romans chapter 12. We're going to memorize it in the ESV, which is really hard because I was trained in the King James. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God that you present your body's living sacrifice, holding it up with God, which is your reasonable service. That's the way I've memorized it. The ESV doesn't say it that way and it's really, really hard for me to switch gears. But Romans chapter 12, we're going to memorize the entire chapter. And over the summer, while we memorize this passage together as a church we're going to preach through Romans chapter 12. I've entitled this series, this summer series, if you will, a life pleasing to God. A life pleasing to God. We want to live lives that are pleasing to God. In Romans 12 shows us what a life that is pleasing to God looks like. Romans 12, very, very important chapter. Really it is the beginning of a section in Romans, Romans chapter 12 through 15, where we see commands that come out of the gospel truth. God has shown us his love and mercy in Jesus, and because of his mercy we are to live in a new way. And Romans 12 through 15 shows us that way. So I'm going to encourage you, memorize. And the reason why this is so, why this is so great is because even if you're at the lake for a weekend you can still memorize Romans chapter 12. And stay with us as we go through the chapter. And so I want to encourage you as you approach the summer, not to take the summer off spiritually. In fact, this is a time where you need to lean in more intentionally, especially if you have more time on your hands. Lean in more intentionally and pursue growth in Christ this summer by memorizing Romans chapter 12 with us. Let me pray for us as we approach. I'm going to read all of Romans 12 here in a moment, but let me pray for us before we begin. Father, we come to you this morning in desperate need of your revelation, of your word. Some of us come this morning like little birds hungry looking for food wanting you to give us what we need and we are hungry for it. We want to hear from you. We are expectant and expecting to hear life giving words from you in your word. Some of us come this morning very distracted, overwhelmed by life, overwhelmed by circumstances. Not sure that your word has everything we need tempted to look other places. Some of us come this morning, Lord, we confess to you and you know this. Some of us come this morning caught in sin. We are sinning and unrepentant in our sin and in our unbelief this morning. I pray that through your word you administer to all of us that are here this morning. Some of us come unable to hear, unable to see your glory because we are still yet dead in sin. I pray that you would give life to those who come this morning still in their sin dead and rebellious. I pray that you would give conviction of sin the gift of conviction and sight exposing sin to us. I pray that you would give encouragement in life to those who are overwhelmed. That you would show how central and important this passage is for our lives. And those who come expecting from you I pray that you would meet their needs this morning in your word and that it would be like a cool drink of water this morning. I pray that you would refresh us and encourage us. And we pray that you would do all of this for your namesake not for the glory of man but for your name. And we give you all the glory and praise this morning for all that you will do in your name. Amen. This morning I want to tell you God's will for your life. When I give you that phrase God's will for your life what do you think of? When I ask you what is God's will for your life? What immediately comes to your mind? I think for many people God's will has to do with life circumstance. Maybe should I take that job or stay in the job that I'm currently in? Should I go to this school or that one? Should I marry this person? Some of you are dating and have that question. How do I know that this person is God's will for my life? When we think about God's will those are typically the type of questions we ask. What is God's will? What would you say to somebody who came to you and asked you that question? I can talk about it up here but what if someone came to you and said I want you to help me understand God's will for my life? Would you pick up the phone and dial my number and say hey Pastor Paul, this guy wants to talk about God's will for his life and I don't feel qualified to answer that question. Well I have good news for you this morning God's will for your life is not fuzzy. It's not about intuitions or gut feelings. God's will for your life is very clear. God's will for your life is given to you clearly in his word. And Romans 12, Romans 12 is one of these places where we find very clearly what is the will of God for the Christian. Romans 12 finds itself in a very important place in this book of Romans. It is a major text. Romans 12, 1 and 2, what we're going to talk about today, Romans 12, 1 and 2 is a major text. This is part of the reason why I want you to memorize it. It is major. Every Christian needs to memorize these two verses. It comes after 11 chapters. Paul has just unfolded. He has just expounded. He has just explained the gospel in 11 chapters. And he is about to begin three chapters, four chapters of commands, imperatives, that come right out of the gospel. Romans 12, 1 and 2 stands at the center. It transitions us from gospel indicative to gospel imperative. Romans 1 through 11 is the exposition of the gospel. In Romans 12 through 15 is the exhortation that comes out of. The exhortations, the exhortations, the exhortations that come out of the gospel. Romans 12, 1 and 2 stands right in the middle of that. It is very important this morning. Let's read through Romans 12. I'm going to ask you to stand out of honor for God's word. I'm going to read Romans 12 starting in verse 1 all the way to verse 21. Okay? Romans 12, 1 through 21. I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that by testing you may discern what is the will of God? What is good and acceptable and perfect? For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than you ought to think, but to think was sober judgment each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. For as in one body we have many members and the members do not all have the same function so we though many are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another, having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us let us use them. If prophecy in proportion to our faith, if service in our serving, the one who teaches in his teaching, the one who exhorts in his exhortation, the one who contributes in generosity, the one who in generosity, the one who leads with zeal, the one who does acts of mercy with cheerfulness. Verse 9, "Let love be genuine, abhor what is evil, hold fast to what is good, love one another with brotherly affection, outdo one another in showing honor, do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord, rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer, contribute to the needs of the saint and seek to show hospitality. Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse them, rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep live in harmony with one another. Do not be hotty but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourself, but leave it to the wrath of God. For it is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord, to the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink, for by so doing you will keep burning coals on his head. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. This is the word of the Lord. You may be seated. And as we read through that, what you find there in Romans 12 is God's will for you. This morning we're going to look only at verse 1 and 2. Let me start there in verse 1. I'm going to read verse 1 and 2 for us again. I appeal to you, brothers, or therefore brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Paul urges, appeals, implores, or like the King James says, he beseeches you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God. None of those words, by the way, are adequate. None of them are strong enough to communicate what Paul is saying. Paul is giving. The apostle Paul is giving an authoritative exhortation. To every Christian, Paul is exhorting every Christian towards complete God word dedication and devotion. Paul is exhorting every Christian to complete God word dedication. The word therefore, and I'm just going to warn you, I'm going to say beseech a bunch because that's how I learned it. I beseech you therefore, brethren. It's just an old English word that means urge or urge. The word therefore, I appeal to you or I urge you therefore, shows that what Paul is exhorting the Christian to do is based on the preceding argument, the argument that comes before. The argument that Paul has made in chapters 1 through 11 and he calls this argument, he summarizes this argument in the phrase, the mercies of God. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God. I beseech you therefore, by the mercies of God, his argument in chapters 1 through 11. What is Romans 1 through 11 about? It would be wonderful if we could just walk through the whole book of Romans, wouldn't it? I've heard that no one under the age of 60, no pastor under the age of 60 should try to preach through the book of Romans. I'm not quite there yet, so you've got to wait a little bit longer for that. But let me remind you, just a little bit, let's just touch on the surface of what Romans 1 through 11 is about, here as we transition into chapter 12. In Romans 1-16 you remember, Paul says, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel. For it the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, the righteous shall live by faith." He says there in his explanation, "For in it, in the gospel," he says, verse 17, "in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith." Chapter 1 of Romans tells us that the gospel is where the righteousness of God is revealed. Chapter 1 concludes with verse 18-32 another very important passage for us to understand. Chapter 1, verse 18-32 shows us that the righteousness of God demands wrath upon the unrighteousness and ungodliness of man. Because God is righteous, the wrath of God is revealed against all unrighteousness and ungodliness of man. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God, or give thanks to him, but they became their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. He goes on to say, "Therefore, God gave them up in the lust of their hearts to impurity to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshipped, and served the creature, rather than the creator who is blessed forever. Amen." So mankind sinned, darkens man's thinking, and their hearts are darkened. They become feudal in their thinking. Their bodies are given over to impurities and dishonor, for they do not worship God and serve him, but rather they worship and serve the creation. Romans 1 gives us the condition of mankind in our sin. The wrath of God is revealed against man, but this is important. Not everyone thinks they belong in the description of Romans 1. Have you ever talked to somebody that doesn't think they belong in Romans 1? Not everyone thinks that they belong in the description of Romans 1. In Paul's argument, he's aiming chapter 2 at the people of Israel. You see, as Israel listens to Romans 1, they go, "That's right! All the nations! All the Gentiles! They're wicked! Absolutely!" But in Romans chapter 2, Paul turns his attention to Israel, the Jewish people. He turns his attention to Israel, and to those who would take confidence in their place of spiritual privilege. Those who see themselves as fit to judge man alongside God. Paul says to them, "You are without excuse, so man. Every one of you who judges concludes this part of his argument in chapter 3 with the famous quote of Psalm 14, "No one is righteous. No, not one." All have sinned, both Jew and Gentile. All fall short of the glory of God. Both Jew and Gentile. All have sinned. Fall short of the glory of God. This is what man was made for. Man was made for the glory of God. Did you know that? That's what you were made for. You were made for God's glory. Sin has sought to rob God of his glory. And all of mankind, every one of us has fallen into sin. All of us have rebelled against God and all of us deserve the judgment of God. All of us. Paul leaves no one accepted. But also at the end of chapter 3, Paul tells us that just as all, both Jew and Gentile, have sinned, all both Jew and Gentile can be justified, can be made righteous by faith. God has satisfied his righteous requirement. He satisfied his wrath against sin by putting forward Jesus to be a propitiation for our sin. Jesus has taken the penalty and the judgment for sin. And those who believe upon Jesus as their substitute they will be justified. They will be declared righteous in God's sight by faith in the finished work of Christ. Not by trying to keep the law, not by trying to please God in our own efforts. Paul puts that whole endeavor to please God in my own efforts. He puts all that to rest. He says there's no way you can keep the law. Christ is the only way to be reconciled to God. Faith in Christ. And Paul quickly demonstrates in chapter 4 that faith has always been the way to be justified. For both Jew and Gentile, faith has always been the way to be justified. For Abraham, we've been talking a lot about Abraham in the book of Genesis, Abraham who preceded the law. Abraham was justified. Remember? Faith. By faith and what God had promised. So you see justification has always been by faith in what God has said. It's always been by faith. Chapter 5 then concludes with what many believe to be the central passage in the whole book of Romans. Romans 5 just as the first Adam. Listen, just as the first Adam brought death by sin. So now the second Adam, Jesus, has brought life for all. Both Jew and Gentile. Sin has torn away our humanity. The doctrines of humanism. That seeks to exalt man and make man the center of the world. This is the essence of sin. Man wants to be like God. Humanism. Which seeks to exalt man has ironically stripped man of his humanity. Sin has torn away our humanity but Jesus in his work undoes the work of Adam and gives us back our life. In Jesus we are returned to be fully human. What humans were meant to be in Christ, in the gospel. Sin strips us of our humanity but Jesus in the gospel. Makes us truly human again. Makes us able to live. In a way that's pleasing to God. Chapters 6, 7, and 8. Such important chapters. Chapters 6, 7, and 8 unfold now after chapter 5. It unfolds now for those who trust in Christ how they are to think for or think of rather themselves and their new life in Christ. In these chapters, chapter 6, 7, and 8 we find an important reality. In Christ the reign of sin over us has been radically broken. The law can no longer condemn us. The flesh no longer has power. It can no longer dominate us. We have experienced a death to the dominion of sin and yet sin still persists. Therefore we must fight against sin. While the desire to live righteously is real the fight is hard. He tells us in Romans 7. While we can live victoriously over the flesh not dominated by its passions and lusts we must consciously live with our mind set on Christ on the spirit of Romans 8. While we have been given the victory in Christ we still groan for the full redemption of our bodies and of all fallen creation. Romans 8. So there's a wonderful promise in these chapters. There's a wonderful promise of victorious life in these chapters and yet along with that the reality of ever remaining sin and the need to fight against sin to submit our bodies to God and to think rightly about who we are in Christ. Chapters 9, 10, and 11 then deal with the question that is hanging over all of Romans 1 through 8. The question. Okay. If both Jew and Gentile have equal access to God by faith in Christ if we all have the same privilege by faith in Christ to come to God both Jew and Gentile then what advantage is there to being a Jew? Well what advantage then is there to being a member of Israel? That's the question he seeks to address in chapters 9, 10, and 11. What about the Jewish people? If all can benefit from the same mercy of God then what privilege is there to being a Jew? Here's his answer. I mean there's some magnificent answer but I'll sum it up this way. He says, who are you? Israel to call and to question the purposes of God in who he decides to give his mercy to. Haven't you been recipients Israel of his mercy? Shouldn't you rejoice that he has extended his mercy to the nations? And he closes chapter 11 this way. Summarizing his argument. For God has consigned all, again both Jew and Gentile. For God has consigned all to disobedience that he may have mercy on all. Oh the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God. How insertible are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways. For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counselor or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid. For from him and through him and to him are all things to him be glory forever, amen. I exhort you, I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God. That's what he means by mercies of God. I exhort you based on God's mercies. So again the gospel indicative, the truths of the gospel lead logically to gospel imperative. It leads to exhortation, it leads to a type of life that now must be pursued because of the gospel. He says I exhort you therefore brothers by the mercies of God and here's the simple command. I appeal to you therefore brothers by the mercies of God to do what? To present your bodies as a living sacrifice only and acceptable to God which is your spiritual worship. Paul calls upon every Christian to present our body. Our life is what he's saying. Our whole life. He's saying present your whole self as a sacrifice. Three descriptions are given to this sacrifice. The character of this sacrifice is described in three words. This sacrifice is a living sacrifice. The sacrifices of the Old Testament you would kill slay the sacrifice you would make dead the sacrifice before offering. He says no that's not this type of sacrifice. This type of sacrifice is a living sacrifice. You have been made alive to God. It is not your death. He requires for he has already accomplished death for you. No now he asks that you give him this life that he has won for you, bought for you. It is a living sacrifice. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 15 says he died for all. That those who live such an important verse, that those who live might no longer live for themselves, but for him who for their sake died and was raised. It's very simple. Christ has died for you and was raised for you. He has given you mercy for we are Romans 1 people. He has given us mercy. He's changed our position and our status. He's made us alive to God. Why? So that now we would no longer live for ourselves, but for him who for our sake died and was raised. This is such a foundational truth and a fundamental truth. Being created by God, our life does not belong to us, but to him who made us. In sin we take that life that he has given us and we use it for ourselves. To rebel against God and his glory, we rebel against him and his authority over our life. But now that we have received mercy, we've been returned to the shepherd and overseer of our souls. Now to live for him. To give our lives for him. You have died for now you live in Christ. The sacrifice then is a living sacrifice. Oh, Christian, this is so important. Some of us talk about dying for Christ. Would you be willing to die for Christ? He's not asking you today to die. He's sending you to live for Christ. Dying is easy. Living is much harder. The words holy and acceptable to God. These again point to the Old Testament sacrifices. The sacrifices that were given to God are to be completely consecrated, set apart for God. The life of a man who has received God's mercy is to be entirely devoted to God. Given over completely set apart for his use and this living holy sacrifice is pleasing to God. The picture here of pleasing God is a picture of a sweet fragrance being offered to God. Sometimes in our right desire to point to the finish work of Christ is the only sacrifice that can please and satisfy God. We forget that there is indeed a post-conversion reality that we as God's people are now to live we've been made alive in Christ we are to be completely given over to God living in holiness pursuing holiness being fully set apart for God for this is indeed pleasing to God. Paul goes on then to say and give reason why he says I appeal to you therefore brothers by the mercies of God to present your bodies as a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God why this is your spiritual worship now I learned this passage in the King James and it says this is your reasonable service there's a little bit of a debate about how to translate this phrase some translators as here translate it as spiritual worship you could say genuine or true worship others like the King James translated it as a reasonable or rational service this is your rational this is your reasonable service given the mercies of God that you've received the NIV I wish the leos were here because they really liked the NIV and I give them a hard time about it the NIV tries to communicate both ideas with the way it translates it so the NIV reads this this is your true and proper worship for my money for was worth I think reasonable service is probably the best translation in other words this is this attitude this disposition is the reasonable or logical conclusion of being a recipient of God's mercy God has been merciful to us so that he's been so merciful so that a failure to devote our life to him is irrational in other words for you to live your life any other way as a recipient of God's mercy for you to live your life any other way is irrational it doesn't make sense what does it look like then to give oneself wholly entirely to God Paul begins to flesh this out in verse 2 in verse 2 you see a negative and a positive command look at it there in verse 2 do not be conformed to this world you could translate the word world there as age do not be conformed to this age Galatians one four helps us a little bit here when it says Jesus died for our sins to deliver us from this present evil age it's important for us to recognize that there is a present evil age we live in the midst of an age of a world that is set against God so Paul says do not be conformed to this present evil age there is another age that we are to live for there is another age that you and I are part of and that is the age to come the messianic age now we could we could spend a lot of time here talking about the questions regarding how the messianic age comes in and when it comes or how it comes but most helpful at this point it's really important most helpful at this point is to see that there is a night and day difference between the present evil age and the messianic age there is a clear night and day difference between the present evil age which is against God and his passions and lusts and desires there's a night and day difference between the present age and the age that is to come which age do you belong to you and I as recipients of God's mercy we are the people of the age that is coming the age that is coming into the world the age of Christ messiah we belong to him so the command is very clear it's really one command given in a negative and a positive we are not to be conformed to the present evil age instead we are to be transformed how? by the renewal of our minds someone to draw a really sharp line between external behavior and internal life so how we live on the outside and what we think and who we are on the inside I think this text here gives us really strong proof that the inward life the inner deeper life the thought life of a man and the external life of a man his behaviors these two things are inseparable Paul says don't be conformed to this present evil age but be transformed by the renewing of your thought life by the renewing of your mind the way you think and then he gives the purpose of this transformation why why is this so important to living as a sacrifice to God well he tells us the purpose of this transformation by renewal is that by testing you may discern what is the will of God that by testing you may discern what is the will of God what is good and acceptable and perfect let me summarize it this way when you and I are thinking according to what God says when you and I are thinking according to what God thinks then we will be in the place of being able to see clearly the true character of things the true reality of existence when you think God's thoughts after him when your mind is renewed by that age to come and by the realities and purposes and plans of God in Christ when our minds are renewed around Christ when we are beholding Christ let me put it that way when we are beholding and seeing Christ and are being shaped around him and our thoughts and our desires and our affections then we are able to see clearly the true character true nature of things then we are in a place to prove by testing to make right improper judgments concerning what is good what is truly good what is pleasing and acceptable to God and what is perfect that word perfect just means not lacking in moral quality by being transformed by being transformed by the renewing of our minds we are able to see clearly what is truly evil and wicked and morally compromising in other words you will understand and see clearly what is the will of God for you we are so cloudy in our thinking so fuzzy in our thinking this befuttles us as we try to understand what is the will of God so let me summarize let me summarize Romans 12 1 and 2 and then I want to give you some implications which is where I've been trying to head the implications but let me first give you the summary chapter 12 verse 1 and 2 Paul here in chapter 12 verse 1 and 2 exhorts Christians to give themselves holy to God completely to God not being conformed to the evil age in which they live but thinking in a new way thinking in a new way that will transform their life Romans 12 then 1 and 2 is nothing short of the will of God for your life I know you are wanting more right? the will of God for your life is this give your life completely to God don't be conformed to the evil age in which you live but be transformed to the evil age in which you live but be transformed by wrapping your mind about all that God is doing in Christ for eternity wrap your mind around that wrap your mind around him and this will transform your life so that then you will be able to see more clearly what you need to see and you will be able to see clearly what is truly good and you will be able to see clearly what is truly pleasing to God and you will be able to see clearly what is morally right and you will be able to live in the will of God that's what God wants for you this is the will of God for your life so let me give you some very hopefully helpful clear implications here they come out of this I have 1 2 3 4 4 4 and really this is for the person who is sitting here this morning and goes I want to live a life pleasing to God I want to live a life pleasing to God and if you are wanting from the Bible I wish God would just tell me which job I am supposed to take I wish God would just tell me who I am supposed to marry I wish God would just have a big sign put it up there what I am supposed to do then this isn't going to be very helpful actually I think it could be very helpful if you would adjust what you're wanting for implications concerning a life that is pleasing to God God's will for your life implication number 1 a life that is pleasing to God a life that is pleasing to God is lived in clear biblical concrete commands which make their appeal to the gospel of Christ let me give that to you again a life that is pleasing to God is lived in clear biblical concrete commands which make their appeal to the gospel of Christ this entire chapter Romans 12 and 13 and 14 and 15 it's just filled with commands these commands are non-negotiables these commands are what God wants for us and from us he hasn't been fuzzy he hasn't been nebulous he has told us exactly what he wants the life that he wants from all of us that have received his mercy so the life that is pleasing to God is lived in clear biblical concrete commands which make their appeals to the gospel of Christ let me give you three types of professing Christians this morning and these are generalizations caricatures I understand that all of us kind of find ourselves in each one of these categories but let me give you three types of professing Christians this morning three types of professing Christians the first type of Christian here this morning they profess faith in Christ in his finished work on the cross in his resurrection they profess faith in Christ but they believe in their inner life in their in their deep thoughts they believe that God remains unhappy with them they sense a great weight upon their shoulders to follow all the commands of scripture so that God will finally be pleased with them everywhere they turn they feel as if there are more rules more commands they have to follow they maintain if you talk to them they maintain that they are thankful for God's salvation but they look to themselves to try to live up to his standards this type of Christian is usually exhausted and discouraged even at times despairing why is it so hard there's all these rules why did he make it easier you see this first type of Christian they see the commands but what they fail to see is what what they fail to see is the work of Christ on their behalf they forget to see the mercies of God they've skipped Romans 1 through 11 they've got the as you hear people say they've got the cart before the horse God never commands you to do the impossible he points you to the finished sufficient work of Christ and he says because this is true now live out of this live as if this is reality some of us know Christians in this room who live that way constantly discouraged constantly not feeling like they've done enough brother and sister in Christ it is your responsibility to come around that Christian and encourage them towards the gospel show them how to live in the power of the gospel and how their mind their renewed mind transforms their desires and their affections giving them the power to live out God's commands let me give you a real quick example how this works in Ephesians it says forgive others, does it stop there? forgive others man that's really hard you don't know what they've done to me no no no read the rest of the verse forgive others as Christ has forgiven you can I forgive others in my own power no no no no that's too hard but when I look at what Christ has done when I look at His mercy and grace for my life then His grace and His mercy and His forgiveness flows out of me who am I to withhold forgiveness when God the God of the universe has forgiven me in Christ see that's gospel powered living so that's the first type of Christian the second type of Christian the second type of Christian professes faith in Christ again and talks a lot actually about God's grace and forgiveness God has little concern for holiness or the commands of Scripture they say things like well no one's perfect after all and doesn't the Bible say somewhere that he who is without sin should cast the first tone? maybe they disparage those who talk about holiness all these people talk about all these Pharisees what we really need to focus on is God's love you know what's ironic about that statement if you did focus on God's love you would realize how important holiness is if you knew of God's love you would pursue holiness what is the need for this believer? if they are a believer they need to understand that the grace of Jesus that has forgiven them the mercy of God that has been given to them in Christ has been given to them for a reason and that is so that we would be a new people living in holiness and righteousness a people of a new age not living in darkness but in the light of the hope of the gospel very quickly I want to give you the third type of Christian the third professes faith in Christ just like the other two they profess faith in Christ but if you listen to them they talk mostly about themselves and what they've done in fact it's very hard to ever get them to talk about anything other than themselves and what they've done when you talk to this person you're reminded of all the ways that they've excelled in their life in comparison to the others they are sure that God is pleased with them because they have figured it out if only people would just listen to them and do it their way this person is typically very hard on others very judgmental they like to pick on people when they see something that doesn't quite meet their standard they love to pick on that and yet in their own life they're very dismissive of their ongoing sin many times it's secret and egregious sin by the way what's this person's need this person needs to see themselves in Romans 1 they need to understand who they really are being in Christ should never produce pride in us pride and anger at other people's failings and discussed with other people this is not the fruit of the gospel and the mercies of God how are we to live then? we are to be a people humbled by God's mercy in all that God that God would save a sinner like me understanding that he has saved me so that I would live for him and that is the desire of my heart to live for him all but I see remaining sin I see this fight with the flesh I see my mind not always focused on the Lord all but I want to please him and I'm going to look to the gospel what Jesus has done daily to empower me to live for him to follow his commands and who gets the glory for following his commands? not me not me but God his work in Christ through me that's the life that is pleasing to God that was the first one a life that is pleasing to God is lived in clear biblical concrete commands there are commands Christian that you are to be living out be burdensome for us they should be our joy to live for the Savior who died for us they should not induce pride but humility and thankfulness giving glory to God second I'll go through this next three very quickly a life that is pleasing to God is lived in clear biblical concrete commands which make their appeal to the gospel of Christ number two a life that is pleasing to God is one that is wholly devoted to him why because this is your rational reasonable response to the mercy that you've been shown in Christ this is what true worship looks like you want to know what worship looks like worship is not contained in Sunday morning when we come and sing some songs that is not what worship is summarized in our worship is our life given in devotion to God that is true worship that's the conclusion of Paul's whole argument you and I were created for God and sin we denied him his glory and do thanks his wrath is revealed against mankind but he has both he has shown his righteousness and mercy by providing a substitute for us we've now been reconciled to God and are alive in him a life that has experienced such mercy should be given wholly to him anything less this is the point anything less than that is abhorrent your understanding here's the connection I'll make for you your understanding this morning of God's mercy towards you corresponds with how rational you think it to devote your entire life to him your understanding of God's mercy to you directly corresponds it corresponds with how rational you think devoting your entire life to him is number three a life that is pleasing to God pleasing to God is a transformed life one that has put off the evil age and put on a new way of thinking according to Christ Christ's way of thinking very quickly just ask you a couple questions do you think the Bible's thoughts or do you think the culture's thoughts do you think the Bible's thoughts or do you think the culture's thoughts maybe even you think after the culture and you have a Bible verse to go along with it let me ask this Christian what governs your thinking how do you make your decisions are you more influenced by cultural pressures and values and standards or is your thinking governed by the realities of Christ and his word what is reality for you be not conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind has your understanding of Christ transformed your life or let's be honest let's be honest I meet so many people like this has your understanding of Christ transformed your life or are you often wondering just how relevant Christ truly is for your life I mean I mean I'm glad that he came and worked salvation I'm glad that I have heaven to look forward to but what about now what does this have to do with right now I don't really see Christ as relevant for right now that may be a sign that you are not being renewed in your mind that you're thinking cultures thoughts after her instead of Christ's thoughts and this leads us to the last implication so a life that is pleasing to God is lived in clear biblical concrete commands with an appeal to the gospel a life that is pleasing to God is one that is holy devoted to him a life that is pleasing to God is a transformed life putting off the evil age and putting on a new way of thinking and a life that is pleasing to God is a discerning life a life that uses the new way of thinking to weigh and evaluate what is truly good pleasing to God and morally sound this requires by the way a healthy distrust of my first reactions and thoughts some of us think we see very clearly and we need to start by starting to question how we see things this implication also tells us that living a life pleasing to God takes work and careful thought this is the opposite of doing what feels right or what's easiest or what feels good again the will of God for us believer is not found in laying out our fleece before the Lord it's not found in a gut feeling or in a sign or some kind of premonition the will of God is discerned as we are renewed in our minds we're able to see clearly what is truly good and acceptable and perfect morally sound and then this last this last part of the point here that I think people skip over Romans 12 1 and 2 and following is written to a community of Christ I think we have a tendency to read this individually don't we but the will of God for us is found in fellowship and community with other Christ followers that is how we live out many of the imperatives this is how we live out God's will for our lives there are no solo Christians a life that is pleasing to God is a discerning life one that works hard to think God's thoughts after him to think according to God's word and not to cultural standards and norms and values but to think Christ's thoughts to think according to Christ to see what is truly good and acceptable to God and morally sound work and careful thought in the context of other believers now that doesn't sound like a lot of fun does it on the contrary as I read that I am so relieved I'm so relieved because God's will for my life is clear it's actually easy to find if I will think rightly carefully I'll close because we are out of time I'll close with him 389 in your book there him 389 this hymn is entitled "All I Have Is Christ" I once was lost in darkness night yet thought I knew the way has that been true of you? I once was lost in darkness night yet I thought I knew the way the sin that promised joy and life had led me to the grave I had no hope that you would own a rebel to your will and if you had not loved me first I would refuse you still but as I ran my hell bound race in different to the cost you looked upon my helpless state and led me to the cross and I beheld God's love displayed you suffered in my place you bore the wrath reserved for me now all I know is grace now Lord I would be yours alone and live so all that mall might see the strength to follow your commands could never come from me oh Father use my ransom life in any way you choose and let my soul forever be my only boast is you hallelujah all I have is Christ hallelujah Jesus is my life that is the will of God and the wonderful again the wonderful believing resting reality of this is that I can be in the will of God no matter what circumstance my life finds itself in no matter what job I'm in no matter what marriage I'm in no matter what circumstance I'm in I can accomplish the will of God I can serve him I can please him because what Christ has done and because what he's clearly told me to do over the summer we're going to be looking and walking through these imperatives these commands and I want you to approach these commands as God's will for your life I think it'll change your life transform your life let's pray Father we thank you for your word we thank you that you have given us unspeakable indescribable mercy you've given us mercy that is hard to comprehend and all you've asked is that we live our lives for you who loved us and gave your son for us I pray that as we read through this chapter as we memorize the imperatives and the commands we would not be burdened but that we would rejoice that the God who loves us so would give us a way to live that we would be satisfied with what you've clearly told us instead of groping about for some nebulous will some secret will that we are never quite sure of give us by your power by the power that's in the gospel give us faithfulness to what you've called us to as your people we thank you for your mercy and your grace towards us all praise to Christ amen