Romans chapter 12, let's read
verses 1 and 2. Romans 12, I beseech you therefore
brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies
a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable of God. which is your reasonable
service. 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. Now, we're just going to deal
with these two verses because it's so vital and There's so
much to be learned. All the epistles were written
to the church. Notice he said brethren, written
to believers, those who have been redeemed by Christ and are
led by the Spirit of God, alive under God. And all the epistles
declare or present the gospel first, foremost. And then, All
the epistles tell us to present our bodies, ourselves, because
of the mercy of God. In gratitude and thanksgiving
and because the Lord saved a people that they might be holy before
Him, in love. He's predestined the people to
be just like Jesus Christ. So all the epistles present the
gospel very clearly, then tell us to present ourselves to the
Lord, to conduct ourselves in a manner that is fitting those
that have been saved. It's our reasonable servant,
and it's for the glory of God, and it's for the good of others,
and it's for our good. Romans 11 chapters, you've looked
at it with me. full of gospel truth. Now in the next five chapters,
and they're long chapters if you've looked at them, we're
exhorted to live, to walk, to talk, to act in a manner becoming
those that have been redeemed. To act in a manner that's acceptable. Behavior that's acceptable. That's exactly what he's talking
about. What's wrong with that? Do you want this? I need this. Why is it written to us? Because
we're so, because we need it. We need it. Holy, verse 1 says,
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy. Holy means dedicated,
consecrated, set apart, devoted to God. The only things that
are holy are those things that are consecrated to God. God is
holy. And only holy things have reference
to Him. And so he says in verse 1, I
beseech you, therefore, brethren, I beseech you that you present
your bodies, your bodies. Look at 1 Thessalonians 5. 1
Thessalonians chapter 5. It's very plain, He's telling
us our members, our bodies, isn't it? Look at 1 Thessalonians 5,
because when the Lord came to save His people, He came to save
the whole man. Look at it, 1 Thessalonians 5,
verse 23. He ends this, and we will end
it if we get to it. It says, The very God of peace,
verse 23. the very God of peace, sanctify
you wholly, completely, set your whole person apart. I pray, God,
your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless under
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Isn't that what we want?
Like chaste virgins. This is the principle. A virgin
saves his or herself. for her beloved, and does not
want to give his or herself to another. That's what we want. 1 Peter 2. Look at this. He said, present
your bodies, holy. 1 Peter 2. Look at what he said. Verse 14. As obedient children, Not fashioning
yourselves according to the former lust in your ignorance. But as
he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of
conversation. Conversation in scripture means
your whole man, everything, your walk, your talk, your conduct.
Because it is written, be ye holy, for I am holy. And Peter
said, In chapter 2, that was chapter
1, were you looking at it with me? Did I give you the wrong
version? Okay. Chapter 2, look at it. In verse 11, like Paul, he says,
Dearly beloved, I beseech you, I implore you, as strangers and
pilgrims abstain from fleshly lust. Why Paul? They war against
themselves. The flesh lusts against the spirit. The spirit against the flesh.
So we need this desperately, don't we? We need this exhortation,
admonition, rebuke, and so forth. Present your bodies a living
sacrifice. Let's go back to the text. A
living sacrifice. Sacrifice is what? Sacrifice
is giving up something of yourself. Your own wants and desires and
self. Giving up yourself for the benefit
of another. It has to be something that costs
you something. Sacrifice. He said, present your
bodies as living sacrifices. We sing this hymn all the time. Take my life and let it be. Consecrated Lord, take my hand. These hands that formerly have
served only myself, my own sinful desires, my own wishes. These hands now, this new man,
is not for yourself. Our Lord's hands, He went about
doing good. He took a body. You know why
He took a body? Not to do for Himself. but to
do for others. He took hands. Yes, God has hands. And they're the hands of Jesus
Christ. And what about doing good? Take my hand and let them
move at the impulse of thy love. Take my feet that were once swift
to mischief. Take my feet and put them in
paths of righteousness for thy name's sake. Let me run, not
to evil, but to do good. The whole man, the body, And
in our reasonable servant. God didn't save the people just
to keep them out of hell. He saved the people to make them
like Jesus Christ. To make something good out of
them. To make them do some good on this earth. In a few short
days. This is what Peter said. He that will love life and seek
some good days, then refrain from evil. It's about time we
did something good. It's our reason to serve. Holy,
consecrated, set apart, preserved. Look at the next word in our
text. Verse 1 of Romans 12. I beseech you therefore, brethren,
by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living
sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God. You know this. Like most people
do not know this. That we're accepted in the beloved. That nothing we do will make
us accepted by God, will merit entrance into glory, will save
us. Not by works of righteousness
which we have done. You know that. But it's according
to His mercy and saving. We're accepted in the beloved.
The Lord is well pleased with His righteousness saved. Right?
You know that. What's he saying here? Make yourself
acceptable. Act in a manner with behavior
that's acceptable. That's becoming. Did your parents
ever say to you, that's unacceptable, son. That's unacceptable behavior. Isn't it? That's what he's saying.
Acceptable conduct. That you may know. What is that
good and perfect will of God? That's what he's talking about. Genesis 17. Go there with me.
Genesis 17. We're not trying to make ourselves
accepted by God. Thank God. Christ did that, didn't
He? That's the good news. But we
do want to please our Father. If you love your father, you
want to please him. Now, Genesis 17, when the Lord
called, now the Lord chose Abraham, didn't he? He revealed himself
to Abraham, made a covenant with him, made promises after promises
with him, the sure mercies of God. He said, this is what I'm
going to do. This is what I have done. And
this is what I shall do. And Abraham, you're mine. He didn't ask him to do anything,
didn't tell him to do anything, didn't make himself so that God
would approve of it. No. He said, you're mine. This
is what I have purposed to do. And this is what's going to happen.
Now look at what he said. In verse 1, Abraham was 99 years
old. The Lord appeared to Abraham
and said unto him, I am the Almighty God. Walk before me that is conscious
of me in my sight and be thou perfect. But, but, but what? Be perfect. Be perfect. That's what Peter quoted him.
Be holy for I am holy. But, but, now excuse me. Walk before me,
conscious of me, in my sight. Be thou perfect. Back in our
text, he said, Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable
unto God, for it is your reasonable service. Go back to chapter 6. Remember this in Romans 6? Chapter
6. Reasonable service. We once served
our Savior. And now, as servants of God,
we are told not to serve self. Serve divers lust. Serve this
body. We're debtors not to serve our
body, but serve the Lord and redeem it. Mind, body, soul. Look at Romans 6, verse 11. Let's read a few of these verses.
Romans 6, 11. Reckon yourselves dead indeed
unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should
obey it in the lust thereof. Neither yield ye your members
as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves
unto God as those that are alive from the dead, your members as
instruments of righteousness unto God. Look at verse 22. He said, Now being made free
from sin, free from its penalty, free from its consequences, free
from its reigning power, someday free from its presence, Verse
22, now be made free from sin and become servants to God. You have your fruit and holiness
in everlasting life. So, this is what he's telling
me. Titus 2, go over there. Titus chapter 2. You know, I'm preaching right
now like I'm preaching works. Not for salvation. Because of
it. It's our reasonable servant.
This is what Paul wrote to Titus in chapter 1, verse 1. He said, A servant of God, an
apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect.
You see how he begins salvation. It's always the acknowledgement
of the truth, which is after, for the purpose of. to the end
of, for this end, godliness, which is the opposite of worldliness. There was a time when the words
like godly and holy, I was, ah, ah. Half of the believers did not
like those words. I want to be godly, don't you?
Holy. Like my Lord. That describes
our Lord, doesn't it? Godly. I don't want to be ungodly. I want to be holy, like him. And look
at Titus chapter 2. Now he said in verse 1, speak
of things which become sound doctrine. He began with election. That's the first thing he said,
elect. That's sound doctrine isn't it?
And he said, well here's why God elected a people. And this
is what Ephesians 1, Ephesians 2 says. You know, it's not of
works, lest any man should boast, for his workmanship created in
Christ Jesus unto good work, which God hath before ordained
that we should walk. That's why he saved the people. And I'm looking forward to it.
David said, I'll behold thy face in righteousness. Then, whose
righteousness? Jesus Christ. Not mine. I'm going
to be clothed in Christ's righteousness. Holy, unblameable, spotless,
unapprovable in God's sight, wearing that pristine, holy,
glistening garment. And then David said, I'll be
satisfied when I wake with this likeness. I'm just not satisfied
with myself right now. I want to be like Him. That's
what David said. I want to be like Him. Alright? That's what
this is all about. Titus 2, look at verse 9. It
says, Exhort servants to be obedient to their own masters. Well, what
masters should we be most obedient unto? Our great Master. Read on. To please them. And Paul talked
about it, he said, I please all men. But preacher, I thought if any
man sought to please men, he's not the servant of God. He's
not when it comes to telling the truth. But when it comes
to sacrificing yourself and your own wants and desires and so
forth in order to serve other people, that's what he meant.
And we'll look at that more fully. Not answering again, verse 9,
not talking back. Verse 9, not purloining, that's
stealing and slothful. Showing all good fidelity, that's
truthfulness, I mean, devotion. That they may adorn the doctrine
of God our Savior in all things. Four, now here's what the grace
of God teaches and does. The grace of God that bringeth
salvation hath appeared unto all men, every tribe of people
out of every tribe, nation, kindred, tongue of heaven. And here's
what it does, here's what the Lord teaches us, denying ungodliness
and worldly lusts, that we should live soberly, righteously, and
godly in this present world. I'll just be honest with you,
there was a time early on when I was trying to preach the truth
so clearly so as for no one to misconstrue, no one to think,
I don't want to give anybody the idea that I lived and worked
salvation, that I was afraid to deal with these persons. I've
not been. Teaching us, verse 12, denying
ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously
and godly in this present world. Looking for that blessed hope
and a glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus
Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from
all iniquity and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous. of good work. And he said, look,
read on. Titus, young man, speak these
things and exhort and rebuke with all authority, letting no
man despise you. Don't worry about what anybody
says. You tell what God's Word says.
Brother Gabe and I were talking about this, and I said, it seems
to some men just afraid to say what God says. And we both agreed
that we need to preach the Word like he told Timothy. Preach
the Word. Line upon line. Say what God
says. Don't apologize for it. And insist
upon it. But what? But I can't do it anyway. Like the man with the withered
hand. Stretch out your hand. Well, his hand's withered. He
can't. Stretch out your hand. Look at Titus 3. Now, we ourselves were sometimes
foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving diverse lusts, pleasures,
living in malice, envy, hateful, hating one another, but after. But now, but God, after the kindness
and love of God, our Savior, toward man, all mankind appeared. Not by works of righteousness,
which we have done, but according to His mercy, He saved us by
the washing of regeneration, renewing of the Holy Ghost, which
He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, justified
by His grace, heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
Boy, that's a gospel, isn't it? Don't stop reading. This is a
faithful saying. These things, I will, that they
are affirmed constantly. What? The gospel, yes. That,
and this, that they which have believed in God might be careful
to maintain good works. These things are good. They're
profitable. I was going to have you turn
to Ephesians 2, but you know it, and I'll just quote it to
you. Now, this is why the Lord saved us, to make us like Jesus
Christ, holy, unblameful. And so He says in our text, present
yourself. You say, I can't, I can't, I
can't. I know that. Don't you think I know that?
Don't you think the Lord knows that? He was compassionate and
firm to me. I'm a man of like passions. Yeah,
without Him, I can't do nothing. Did we in our own strength confide,
our striving would be losing. We can't resist one temptation
in ourselves. We can't. I can't. That's right. My dear sister
just quoted you. And you love this verse. I can
do all things through Christ which strengthens me. This is
why it tells us to present our body. I mean, to pray without
ceasing. Lord, here's my body. Forgive me my
sins. Have mercy upon me for Christ's
sake. Let the blood of Jesus Christ be propitiation on the
mercy seat for my soul, my mind, my body, my spirit, my soul,
everything. And Lord, take that blood and
apply it to my ear, apply it to my thumb, apply it to my big
toe, apply it. Make me holy. Make me like Christ. Here's my life. Take my life
and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee. Will he do it? You need to read
the epistles, Paul and the epistles he said. Well, let's see if I can find
it. 2 Corinthians 6. I think I'll
go over here. 2 Corinthians 6. I believe this
is it. No, that's not it. Let's see.
1 Corinthians. Yeah, 1 Corinthians 6. 1 Corinthians
6. Look at it. Do you have it? 1 Corinthians 6. Look at verse
9. Know ye not that the unrighteous
shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived. In another place, you know, he
said this two or three times, didn't he? He said, let no man
deceive you with vain words. Don't be deceived. brother. Fornicators,
habitual, continual, those that live in this, and that's what
Paul wrote in Romans 6, half. So, we that are dead to these
things live in the alone area. Neither idolaters nor adulterers. It doesn't say those who committed
these things, or those who are guilty of these things, but those
who are habitual, continual, do not come out. Nor effeminate, nor abusers of
themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards,
nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of
God. And such were, were some of you. But you're
washed, you're sanctified. You're justified, thank God,
in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our
God. Read on. All things are lawful unto me,
but all things are not expedient. All things are not helpful. All
things are not profitable. Some things are not good for
me. All things are lawful for me, verse 12, but I will not,
Paul said, I will not be brought unto the power of any. saying in his own strength and
power, no. This is Paul. He's the one that
wrote, I can do all things through Christ that's filled with me.
Don't you want that? Read on. Verse 13. Meats for
the belly, belly for meat. God's just going to destroy both
it and them. Now, the body is not for fornication, physical
pleasure, but for the Lord and the Lord for the body. See that? Verse 15, don't take your members,
the members of Christ, and join them in whatever. So, this is,
those of you who know scriptures and read the scriptures, this
is throughout the scriptures. These are extraordinary. This
is sound doctrine. This is sound teaching. So, go
back to the text again. In verse 2 he says, be not conformed
to the Word. Be not conformed to the world,
but rather transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you
may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of
God. Be not conformed to the world,
but transformed, changed, transfigured. We're going to look at our Lord's
transfiguration this morning. Be transformed. Like Paul wrote, well, across
the page, look at Romans 13, 14. Put on the Lord Jesus' crown. Make not provision for the flesh. Deny the old man. Starve him. Feed the new. Starve the flesh. That's what he said. Cut off.
Cut off. Put him down. Mortify him. You know what that
means. I'd like to tell you what that
means. Present yourself. Lord, help. Be with you. Transformed
Not conformed to the world, their ways, their walk, their talk,
their dress, their opinions, their pursuits. No, we're strangers in pilgrimship. You're not conformed. Transformed
by the renewing of your mind. What mind? The mind of Christ. That's right. We're preaching
together. Let this man be in you. What
man? He was holy, unblameable, unrepentant. He was holy, harmless, separate
from sin. Yet he was a friend of sin. He
ate and drank with sin. He was not like them. Does that mean he was holier
than thou? Come not nigh me. Oh no. No. Merciful, loving,
gracious, kind, compassionate, tender, knowing. but not conform
to them. Not conform. This is why we are
told over and over again not to make our companions with people
of this world. We have to live among them. Read
on verse 2, it says, that you may know what is that good, the
good will of God, and the acceptable and perfect will of God. Turn to 1 Thessalonians in closing,
1 Thessalonians 4, and I'll read to you Colossians 1 in closing. Colossians 1, he says, now concerning
the will of God, and it's written very much about
the will of God. In Colossians 1, he says, I don't cease to pray for you
day and night, to desire that you might be filled with the
knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding,
that you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing."
Being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge
of God. He said, I want you to know His
will. This is just wisdom and understanding
to walk worthy. In all pleasing. Say, we can't
please the Lord. Well, you'd better try. You'd
better try. Chapter 4, 1 Thessalonians 1. And let no man say that, because
the Scriptures tells us. Verse 1, Furthermore, then, brethren,
we beseech you, brethren, exhort you by the Lord Jesus Christ.
In other words, He's the One that gave us this Word to say.
He's the One that told us to say that. That as you have received
of us how you ought to walk. I've heard men say that any man
that stands up and tells people how they ought to live is a false
prophet. Then Jesus Christ is a false
prophet. His whole sermon on the mountain
is telling us how we ought, as children of God, to walk in the How you ought to walk. And to
please God. See that? To please God. And He said, I want you, I would
that you would abound more and more. Read on. You know what
commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus Christ. And this is
the will of God. This is the will of God. What? Your sanctification. Set apart. That you should abstain from
fornication. That every one of you should
know how to possess His vessel, His body in sanctification and
honor, not in the lust of concupiscence, not like before. Verse 7, God
hath not called us unto cleanliness, to leave us in that, but unto
holiness. Anybody got a problem with that?
If anybody's got a problem with that, God's got a problem with
you. This is what God's people want.
The leper came to Christ, and he said, I've got one desire.
What is it? I want to be clean. And when our Lord came to Simon
Peter, he said, wash me. What he's saying, Irene, he was
saying, Lord, I want to be just. like you, from head to toe. Would you do that in me? Did
he? You reckon Peter was a, lived,
presented his body for the Lord? Oh yes, oh yes. Is that what
you want? Well, present your body. Here
I am, Lord. Take me. Alright. Thank you.