Bible Materials

Romans 12:1-21

by Paul Choi   05/16/2010   Romans 12:1~21

Message


A NEW LIFESTYLE IN JESUS

Romans 12:1-21

Key Verse:12:1 “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.”

  In chapters 1-11 the Apostle Paul taught us how to gain salvation through faith in Christ. We are freely justified by God’s grace and saved through faith in Jesus Christ who died for our sins and rose again from the dead. In chapters 12-15, the conclusion of his letter, Paul teaches us how to live as Christians. Faith is not just theory, but life. Paul urges us to live a life worthy of our Lord Jesus Christ. Today, may God help us to be transformed by renewing our minds so that our worship service may be holy, pleasing, and acceptable to God. Amen.

First, living sacrifices (1). Look at verse 1. “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.” Our first duty toward God as Christians is to offer our bodies as living sacrifices. Offering our bodies as living sacrifices sounds scary, as if we are sheep bound to be slaughtered. In fact, in the Old Testament priests selected lambs without defect and slaughtered them for sin offerings. However, what Paul really meant is found in Romans 6:13, which says, “Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.”  According to this verse, to offer our bodies as living sacrifices means to give ourselves to God and to live our life for the glory of God. In other words, it means to give our whole life to God.

  Then, how can we offer our bodies to God as living sacrifices? We should devote ourselves to learning about Jesus and to imitating his life. Our spiritual goal and aim is to grow into the image of Jesus and to follow his beautiful footsteps. Jesus himself gave his life as a living sacrifice holy and pleasing to God. Although he is God himself, Jesus came as a man like one of us. He served all kinds of sinners with God’s compassion and finally gave his life as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. On the cross, he did not spare his life for himself, but gave his whole life for us as a sin offering. When we learn of Jesus’ love, sacrifice, obedience, devotion and humility, our life becomes a holy, pleasing and acceptable offering to God.

  These days some of our church members are an example of how to offer their bodies as living sacrifices holy and pleasing to God. It is not easy for them to visit campus and invite students to Bible study. It requires them to sacrifice their time, their rest, their family gatherings, and even to curb their pride.  However, they are willing to suffer for Christ and they find happiness in serving the Lord. They are growing in the love of God, in the grace of Christ Jesus and in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

  When we offer our bodies as living sacrifices, we are actually worshiping God. Look at verse 1 again. Worshiping God does not necessarily mean to perform long and tedious ritual ceremonies; it means to express our great love, devotion, and admiration to God. So worshiping God is not only performed in church on Sunday, but also at home, at school, at work any time and anywhere. American Pilgrims started their daily life with morning prayers. They prayed before they started working. They also prayed before each meal. Finally, they prayed with their children before they went to bed. Their daily life was worshiping God itself. They worked as if they worshiped God. So they were happy and thankful when they worked. They lived and worked for the glory of God.  Remember that whatever we do to please God worships Him.

  Of course, worshiping God on Sunday is very important. Worshiping God each Sunday shows our sincere expression of love, devotion, and admiration to God. In worship service, we praise God and pray to Him. In worship service we receive forgiveness of sin and listen to God’s word which provides necessary strength and direction for our life on this earth. In worship service we meet God personally and renew our love relationship with Christ. God is pleased with those who come to him and worship him. Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”   I pray that our worship service may be acceptable and pleasing to God. I also pray that through our worship service our souls may be revived, our faith strengthened and our community and our nation healed.

Second, be transformed by the renewing of your mind. (2) Our second duty as Christians toward God is to be transformed by renewing of our minds, which means repentance. Look at verse 2. “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.” One young girl wants to change her living environment in order to avoid temptations. However, temptation is everywhere and approaches us anytime. We Christians are not immune to temptations. Paul urges Christians not to conform to the pattern of this world any longer. Here the word “conform” means “make the same or similar.” Paul admonishes believers not to follow the pattern of this sinful world, but to imitate the image of Christ Jesus.

These days among young people there are many who conform to the pattern of this world. In other words, they blindly follow others’ sinful life-styles. Recently young people like to expose the midriff of their bodies. So, their shirts and pants become smaller, shorter and tighter. Poor souls! As a result, clothing companies sell expensive torn shirts and pants using a minimum amount of distressed materials. Many tattooed people confess that they engraved their bodies in order just to follow their friends. The word “as everyone does” is the motto of those who conform to the pattern of this sinful world. As everyone does, they smoke. As everyone does, they lose their purity and virginity. As everyone does, they wander in the darkness of sin.

In Tolstoy’s novel, “Resurrection”, a fine and handsome young prince Nekhlyudov had a romance with his aunt’s servant girl Katusha. They shared pure love because they grew up together from their childhood. However, in the army the young man’s purity was stained. Nekhlyudov witnessed lust, immorality, and corruption which prevailed among his peers in the army. After his discharge from the army, he met Katusha again, who had grown up as a lady. He could not see her any longer with purity. One day despite her strong opposition, Nekhlyudov forcefully raped her and justified himself saying, “I did as everyone does.” He meant that he just followed the social consensus. Thus, he denied the voice of his conscience and followed the pattern of the sinful world. Soon his emotional love turned into hatred. He discarded Katusha not knowing that she had become pregnant and had been fired. He did not meet her for ten years after that until he saw her again in the criminal court. Her baby died of malnutrition and she became a prostitute who was involved in a murder case. This tragic story tells of the price of sin and the result of conforming to the pattern of this world.

These days relativistic ideas are the mainstream thought world among young people. They have no absolute truth in their lives. They think, this is good, and that is good, too. If we bring up the issue of unnatural relationships between people of the same gender, they say that this is an acceptable life-style. They deny the only one true God and accept all kinds of religions as their personal way of salvation. This relativistic idea erodes Christian faith and defiles the absoluteness of God’s word.  An easy-going lifestyle is also one of the patterns of this world which we must confront. Today highly developed technologies invent faster, easier and more comfortable devices and goods. I am sorry to say that this makes people more lazy and slow and that this produces many obese men and women.  We must not conform to the pattern of this sinful world. We must not be lazy, but be more diligent than before.

Then, what should we do instead of following this sinful world? We must be transformed by renewing our minds to know what God’s will is. Being transformed means to be changed and to grow into the image of Jesus Christ. As Jesus transformed water into wine, we should be changed from physical men to spiritual men. (Jn 2:1-11) We can be cleansed and transformed by obeying the living words of God.  1 Peter 1:22 says, “Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.” Psalm 119:9-11 says, “How can a young man keep his way 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.” We can be transformed and renewed through repentance according to the living word of God. That is why our young disciples write their testimonies sincerely every week.

Third, respect others’ greatness.(3-8) We have tendency to find other’s weak points and to look down on them thinking that we are better than them. So because of these self-centered and judgmental spirits, the unity among the believers is easily broken. So Paul teaches us how to live as mature Christians in verses 3-8. He said, “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.” In other words, we must learn Jesus’ humility and consider others better than ourselves (Php 2:3). Jesus never looked down on others even though he is the Mighty Creator God while we are merely his creatures. Jesus always served sinners with humility. He said, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mk 10:45)

  More than just bearing others’ weak points, we should find and respect other’s greatness. We never expect all people to be the same. Just as one body has many different parts with many different functions, so in Christ we are one body with many different gifts and greatnesses.  Our duty as mature Christians is to discover other’s greatness and gifts and encourage them to use them for the glory of God. In verse 6, Paul says, “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.” Among us some are good at teaching and correcting. Others are always ready to serve. Still others are very faithful to attend all meetings. Jesus never criticized his disciples’ human weak points. Instead, he found greatness and unique gifts in each of them and encouraged them to serve him. One young man easily got upset. People around him thought that he was proud and rebellious. However, his Bible teacher encouraged him saying, “I was moved by your challenging spirit. I pray that God may use your challenging spirit for the glory of God.” When we find others’ greatness and respect them, we grow in the image of Christ Jesus and form a strong unity of love in the body of Christ, his church.

Fourth, serve God’s people with sincere love (9-13) In verses 9-13 Paul teaches Christians how to love others in Jesus. Look at verse 9. “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.” This verse means that we must overcome our selfishness and serve the Lord and love others whole-heartedly. Look at verse 10. “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.” Our Lord Jesus served a sinful woman whole-heartedly despite his poor physical condition until she was changed and transformed into a new creation. Jesus was never lacking in zeal in serving God. He was always hopeful, patient and faithful in prayer. Like our Lord Jesus we also should never lose our spiritual fervor. When we serve others, we must serve them as we serve the Lord. We also must share with God’s people who are in need and practice hospitality. These days, in the refrigerator of my house I see several different kinds of Kimchi bottles which came from different families. Everyday I taste hot and spicy brotherly love from the Kimchi bottles. Above all, I thank God for our co-workers’ sincere love and their genuine hospitality in Christ.

Fifth, overcome evil with good. (14-21)  Verses 14-21 teaches us how to associate with those who are against us. It also guides us in how to deal with hostile worldly people. Look at verse 14. “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” Worldly consensus is to hate our enemies and punish those who persecute us. But Jesus did not teach in that way. Jesus said in Matthew 7:44, “But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Jesus not only taught us this but also he himself practiced it. On the cross, he prayed for those who nailed him on the cross saying, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Lk 23:34) Not to repay anyone evil for evil is against social consensus. But Paul said, “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.” (17) Those who are freely justified by God’s grace must live in harmony with one another. (16) If it is possible, we must live at peace with everyone. (18) We must do more than just overcome evil with good. If our enemy is hungry, we must feed them. If they are thirsty, we should give them something to drink. (Prov 25:21,22, Ro 12:20). We can do so when we trust in God who is our judge. We can do so when we believe in God who will give us final victory. Look at verse 21. “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

  In the Westminster Confession of faith, there is a saying, “Men’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. As Christians in view of God’s mercy, we should live for the glory of God. Our life is daily worship. Our life goal is to imitate our Lord Jesus Christ. Practically we must overcome worldly consensus and live according to Jesus’ teaching. Then, we offer our bodies as living sacrifices holy and pleasing to God. Amen.


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