Romans chapter 12, and we'll look this morning, Lord willing, at verse 1, 2, and 3. I'm using for title for the message three gospel words found in verse 1 and in verse 3. And the three gospel words are mercies, in verse 1, I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God, And then the word grace found in verse 3, where I say, through the grace given unto me. So there's mercies, grace, and then the third word, according as God dealt to every man, the measure of faith. Faith. Now those are three blessed gospel words. Mercies, grace, and faith.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed because His compassions fail not. They're new every morning. Jeremiah weeping that, watching the city being destroyed in his day. So we see the Lord delight to show mercy to such as we are. And then we read of this word grace, grace, grace. Down in verse 6, he uses the word again, having then gifts differing according to the grace that's given unto us. Grace is not earned, not merited. Grace is given unto us. So when we think about grace, we read scriptures where it says where sin abounded, grace does much more abound. Thank God for his grace, sovereign grace. He said, I will have mercy on whom I will. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious.

And then this precious word, faith. Faith. Faith is given of God. The faith of God's elect is given of God. It's the precious gift the Lord gives to whom He will. It's the gift of God. Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Faith does not accomplish salvation. Faith receives the Lord Jesus Christ. who did accomplish our salvation.

Now, we've been blessed of God to study through the first 11 chapters of Romans. For the last several months, I think we started eight months ago. And here we find ourselves in Romans chapter 12. And we have learned, and I could spend the rest of the time this morning talking about the lessons that we have learned. I've jotted down nine of them here, and let me just give them to you briefly. Nine lessons, valuable lessons, gospel lessons that we've learned.

We've learned that the gospel of Christ is the power of God and the salvation, Romans 1, 16. You remember, Paul said, I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. It's the power of God and the salvation to everyone that believe it. I trust we've learned that lesson, and we are learning that lesson. Secondly, we have learned how God justifies the ungodly by His grace alone. You remember that verse I pointed out, Romans 3, 24, one of my favorite verses, being justified freely by His grace through the redeeming blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. I trust we have learned that lesson. how God justifies us by His blood, through His grace. And then thirdly, we have learned this lesson.

In Romans 5, we learned the lesson of how sin entered into this world and into us. In Adam all sinned. In Adam all have come short of the glory of God. We learned how sin was entered into Adam's race by his disobedience, but we also learned in that same chapter how the Lord Jesus Christ, by his obedience unto death, put away our sin. By one man's disobedience, remember Romans 5, 19, by one man's disobedience, we were made sinners by the obedience of another, Our substitute shall we be made righteous.

So we've learned that. We need to keep on learning and learning and learning these things. Fourthly, we have learned that believers are dead to the law through the sacrifice of Christ. What's your position on the law? Dead. Dead to the law. We're crucified with Christ. The law shall not have dominion over you. You're no longer under the law but under grace.

Romans 6, 14. So we're learning that Christ fulfilled the law of God for us. Number five is we have learned that all things in our lives are working for our good and His glory. All things, and we know that all things work together for good to them who love God, to them who are the called, be called according to His purpose. So we're learning that. I've not arrived. I'm learning these lessons.

And then seventhly, well, let's see, number six, we've learned the great lesson of salvation by his sovereign will, sovereign mercy, sovereign grace, Romans 9. Remember, he'll have mercy on whom he will, not of him that willeth or him that runneth, but of God that shows mercy, Romans 9, 15. And then number seven, we have learned or we are learning that there is a remnant according to the election of grace. Romans 11 verse 5 and 6, remember? There is a remnant, a remnant according to God's choosing, according to God's will and purpose. So we learned that lesson. Number nine is we've learned that all our salvation is determined, dependent, and accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ.

You remember Romans 11.36?

You remember Romans 11.36? Right?

Of him and through him and to him are all things. You thought I forgot, didn't you? Of him and through him and to him are all things to whom be glory both now and forever. Now look at the top of the page. If you have the Cambridge I'm using, to whom be glory forever and ever, amen.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, Everything we've learned. He said, now, I exhort you, encourage you, brethren, by the mercies of God, not the law of God, that you present yourselves as a living sacrifice, a lively sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is reasonable, reasonable service. Seems how God saved us by his grace, made us new preachers in Christ. Isn't it reasonable that we should serve the Lord and worship Him?

Sure it is. We see in these chapters closing, chapter 12 through chapter 16, we see the results of God's saving mercy in our daily lives, in our walk, in our talk, in our attitude, in our conduct, in our character before God and men. We see how that faith and conduct cannot be separated. The just shall live by faith. After the doctrines of grace, come the duties of grace. After the revelation of grace, comes the responsibility of grace. After the principles of grace, come the practice of grace. After mercy is given, we're to show mercy to others. Be you kind one toward another, forgiving one another, even as God, even as God, for Christ's sake, has forgiven you. Look at Romans 12 verse 8. The last part of verse 8 in Romans 12. He that showeth mercy with cheerfulness. I'm going to show mercy, but no, with cheerfulness. Cheerfulness. The old country boy said, I don't get mad, I just get even. No. No, we show mercy if you're a believer. Show mercy.

If any man be in Christ, he's a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5, 17. We have a new mind to serve him, a new will, a new attitude, new motives, new desires. We're under new management. There's new management here. We're under the Lord. We're submitted to him.

The Apostle Paul calls upon every believer, as it says in verse one, I beseech you therefore brethren, brethren. Now he's not writing to all men everywhere indiscriminately. He's writing to the family of God. Brethren, brethren. He says down here in verse five, for we being many are one body in Christ. And everyone members one another.

Now I dare say when you are working on the job and you take a hammer, and you try to drive a nail and you miss and hit your finger, that finger's gonna hurt. But you know what? The whole body hurts, doesn't it? I mean, you feel that. And that's the way it is with believers. When one member hurts, the whole body hurts because we're members one of another.

We're part of the household of God. He said, now therefore, you're no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the sanctity of household of God and are built upon the foundation of Jesus Christ himself. We're the same household. We've been adopted into the one family. Christ is our father. Those who've been raised from the dead are made one with Christ, and they desire to live unto the Lord Jesus Christ, as we read in Colossians 3.

Set your mind on things above, not on the things of this earth. Now, that doesn't mean that we're to crawl out somewhere and go live in a cave and just be a monk or something back in a cave somewhere. Priorities. Set your mind, your heart, your will, your affection on things above. We live in this world as believers, and we have the same responsibility, obligation, parents, workers, employees, different things. We just can't neglect all these things, but that's not our life. Christ is our life. Christ is our life.

Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these other things will take place. All these other things will be filled in. But seek ye first him and his righteousness. Paul inspires and motivates us to do so, not by the whip of the law, not By fear of punishment, not even by promise of reward, but by love. By love. Look at verse nine. Let love be without dissimilation. Abhor that which is evil. Cling to that which is good. No higher motive than the love of God. Paul writes this in 2 Corinthians 5. The love of Christ constrains us. It's the love of God that constrains us. It's the love of God that motivates us.

Not by fear of punishment, not by promise of reward, but rather by covenant mercies, the sure mercies of David. He's talking about covenant mercies based upon the covenant sacrifice, that living sacrifice unto God, the Lord Jesus Christ made for us. There's just one sacrifice unto God that is holy and acceptable. Therefore, brethren, we beseech you by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, your reasonable service. Now, there's just one sacrifice unto God that's acceptable, and that's Christ.

That's the Lord Jesus Christ. We're accepted in the beloved. By the one offering he perfected forever them that are sanctified. The only reasonable Jesus Christ in him crucified is all of our salvation in that he established righteousness for us, obtained eternal redemption for us. It's only reasonable, therefore, that we present our whole being, soul, spirit, and body, the faculties of our being, to worship the true and living God.

When he talks here about a living sacrifice, here's what he's talking about. Talking about worship. Worship. Hebrews 13, 15. By Him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. That's the reasonable service. It comes down to worship Him. Look in verse 11. Romans 12, verse 11.

Not slothful in business, the business of serving the Lord, the business of worship, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, serving the Lord. That is worship. David said, bless the Lord, oh my soul, all that is within me, bless his holy name. Serving the Lord, submitting unto his eternal purpose, willing to serve him. How do we serve him? By serving one another. That's how we serve the Lord.

Remember Matthew 25, When the Lord separates the sheep from the goats, and he said, enter into the joy of the Lord, for I was hungry and you gave me meat. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was naked and you clothed me. I was homeless and you provided for me.

And they said, Lord, when did we do such all these things to you? He said, as much as you've done it to the least of these, my brethren, you've done it to me. That's how we serve the Lord, by serving one another. serving one another. Paul called himself the bondservant of Christ. Isaiah said, Lord, here am I, send me. Paul said, after he met the Lord Jesus Christ, Lord, what will you have me to do?

Not to be saved or justified, but rather because God saved him by his grace. Our service unto God is not in and of itself holy, Now listen, our service unto God in and of ourselves is not holy and acceptable. That would make salvation based upon our doing, not His grace. We're not going about to establish the righteousness of our own, for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. Our reasonable service, which is our worship unto the Lord, is only acceptable and made holy unto God through the living sacrifice The Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul writes this, you are not your own, you're bought with a price. You're not your own. Turn just a few pages over. 1 Corinthians 9, I think it is. No, 1 Corinthians 6, verse 19. 1 Corinthians 6, verse 19. 1 Corinthians 6, verse 19. What? No, you're not. Your body is the temple of the Lord. which is in you, which you have of God. You're not your own. You're not your own. You're bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body, in your spirit, which are God's. We belong to Him. He bought us with His own blood. He bought us with His own blood. Turn back to Romans 6 just for a moment. I wrote myself a note here. Read this, okay? Romans 6. verse 11.

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be 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 in it should obey in it in the lust thereof, neither yield your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead. And your members as instruments of righteousness unto God, for sin shall not have dominion over you, for you're not under the law, but under grace.

So reasonable service unto the Lord, because he's made us new creatures in Christ. He's raised us from the dead. which is reasonable. We have a living sacrifice, Christ. It's holy unto God, his sacrifice, and it makes us acceptable unto the Father through what Christ has done for us. Verse two, Romans 12, verse two.

And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed. Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good, acceptable, and perfect will of God. Don't be conformed to this wicked, ungodly world, and that word world there can be rendered age. Don't be conformed to this wicked age in which we live. Don't be conformed especially to this ungodly religious world in which we live.

In its schemes, its plans, its programs, its ambitions, and its goals. Hold your place there in Romans 12 and let's find 1 John. This will be familiar to some of you because we just studied through 1 John. 1 John chapter 2. Verse 15, 1 John 2, 15, be not conformed to this world. 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. For all that is in this world is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life, is not of the Father, but it's of the world. And the world passes away, and the lust thereof.

But he that doeth the will of God will abide forever." What is the will of God? Trust Christ for all salvation. Trust the Lord Jesus Christ for all of salvation. Now, we as believers, we do live in this world, but we're not of this world. But rather, he said, be ye transformed. Be ye changed by the renewing of your mind. Now that has to take place by the sovereign power of God the Holy Spirit making us new creatures in Christ Jesus. You have be quickened who were dead. This is not talking about outward reformation and outward moral character.

Remember our Lord said to those Pharisees, you make the outside look beautiful. And he talked about the gravestone being garnished with flowers and decorated. But what's on the inside? Dead man's bones. So you can clean up the outside. You can put on a good act. You can be a moral person, a good citizen. And I'm all for being moral. I'm all for being a good citizen. Don't fight with your neighbors and don't cause commotion in the community. But those things count for nothing. for salvation. Because if it did, that would make salvation by works and not grace. So this is not talking about an outward reformation, but rather a renewing and regenerating work of God, the Holy Spirit.

Turn to Ephesians chapter four. Ephesians chapter four. Here's what he's talking about. Ephesians chapter four, look at verse 22. Ephesians 4, 22. He said in verse 21, if so be that you've heard him and have been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus, that you put off concerning, put off concerning the former conversation, the old man, that's that old nature that we have, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lust and be renewed in the spirit of your mind.

To put on the new man, which after God has created in righteousness and true holiness. So put off that old man. Talk about that old nature. And then the believer has a new nature in the Lord Jesus Christ, being made a new creature in him. Notice these words that he gives us here in verse 2, Romans 12 verse 2. So be not conformed to this world, but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind. Set your mind on things above, not on the things of this earth, that you may prove or demonstrate what truly is good. Now, what is good? None good but Christ. What is acceptable or accepted in the beloved? What is perfect? Now these words describe Him who is our salvation. He has the perfect sacrifice. He is the perfect man. And He did the will of God for us.

So, He said, let's look at those four words. Good. Prove all things, hold fast to that which is good. We are accepted only in the Beloved, in the Lord Jesus Christ. He made us perfect by that one sacrifice, and the Lord Jesus Christ completely did the will of God for us.

You remember, He prayed, Lord, not my will, Thy will be done. And this is the will of Him that sent me, John 6, 40, that everyone would see it, the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life. I'll raise Him up at the last day. This is His will. Bow to the Lord Jesus Christ. It's good, acceptable, it's perfect, it's the will of God.

Verse 3 in closing. For this I say through grace given unto me. I say this through grace given unto me. To every man that is among you, every believer among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, It's talking about being right-minded according as God has dealt to every man in the measure of faith. Now, let's look at verse 3 for just a minute. I'll let you go. Verse 3, For the grace of God that is given unto me, I am what I am by the grace of God. This is the saving, sovereign grace, powerful grace that's given to every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul comes now to a needed warning about being lifted up with pride. There is what we call religious pride, which is the worst kind of pride. We have pride of face, pride of race, Pride of place, but the worst kind of pride is religious pride, the pride of grace, grace. That which is highly esteemed among men, the Lord said to those Pharisees, is abomination in my sight." Luke 16, 15. Proverbs 16, 5. Everyone that is a proud heart is abomination to the sight of the Lord. So here's a warning.

Let's not think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think. We ought to have right thoughts about ourselves, right thoughts about God, who is holy, sovereign, and right thoughts about self. What did we study in Romans 7? What did Paul say of him? Oh, wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So we think of ourselves as God reveals himself, as we are revealed and described in the Word of God.

Man at his best state is altogether vanity. Altogether vanity. So let's not think more highly than we ought to think. We are what we are by the grace of God. Now, the last part of verse 3. We ought to think soberly. Have the mind of Christ. That's what that word there means, soberly, the mind of Christ. And I thought of this scripture. It means to be right-minded.

Remember that wild... demoniac, dwelt among the tombs, and no one could tame him. They would bind him with chains and he'd just break them loose. He was a naked man running wild in the cemetery until he met the Lord Jesus Christ. And the Lord cast that demon out of him.

And when they found that man later on, he was sitting before the Lord, clothed and sitting in his right mind. The Lord gave him a right mind. And that's what he does to us. He makes us right-minded. Accordingly, as God had dealt to every man, the measure of faith. God has given to the brethren the measure of saving faith. It's the saving faith of God's elect. All believers have the same faith, the common faith, the common hope, the common salvation. The common faith is given to all of God's elect. All believers have been given saving faith that looks to the Lord Jesus Christ alone.

It's not the same degree of faith. Look at Romans chapter 14 verse 1. We all have the same common faith, that is, the object of faith, the source of faith, the Word. But we have strong faith and weak faith. Look at Romans 14 verse 1. Him that is weak in the faith receives you, but not the doubtful disputations. So, there are those who are strong in the faith. There are those who are weak in the faith. I thought about this. How often do we read in the Gospels when the Lord Jesus Christ says to those apostles, O ye of little faith. Many times He says, O ye of little faith.

And then one time there was a woman who came seeking mercy for her sick daughter and she would not She quit. She kept pursuing the Lord. The disciples tried to run her off. And she kept following the Lord. He said, I'm not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And she kept following the Lord. And He said it's not right to take the children's bread and cast it to dogs. And she said, you're right, I'm your dog. But she was seeking mercy and would not let Him go. And you know what the Lord said of her? He said, Great is thy faith. The apostles, John, Peter, you're face weak. This poor woman seeking mercy for her sick child and would not be deterred. She said, great is thy faith.

Another example of the centurion who had a sick servant and came to the Lord and said, my servant is dying. And the Lord said, well, I'll come to your house. I'll just come to your house and heal him. And the centurion said, no, I'm not worthy for you to come to my house.

Just speak the word. He said, I'm a soldier, and I just speak the command, and the soldiers go, and they do what I say. He said, Lord, just speak the command, and my servant will be healed. Just speak the word. And the Lord said of him, I've not found so great faith in Israel. Just speak the word, Lord. So little faith is saving faith.

Some have been granted a little more faith. Now, let me give you a warning here. And this happened to me many years ago, 35, 36, 37 years ago. See the last part of verse 3, and I'll give you this warning so you will know next time if it happens to you. According as God hath dealt to every man a measure of faith. Now here's what happened to me.

When I was in Ashland, and I was working one night late at the church there on 13th Street, And it was a Route 60. It was the main route going through town. And I was there working late one night, and somebody knocked on the door. And I opened the door, and a man, working man, was standing there.

And he said, I'm a paint contractor from out west. He said, I'm headed to Virginia on a job and I'm a paint contractor, and I need some gas money. I need some help. And he said, oh, by the way, he said, I'm a preacher. I said, really? He said, yes, I'm a preacher. And then, of course, right away, there's going to be a conversation about the gospel.

And we got around to talking about how God saves sinners by his sovereign grace in the Lord Jesus Christ. And the man quoted this verse to me. He quoted this last part of this verse. He said, well, every man, you know, the word said every man, God has given to every man a measure of faith. Is that what that means? That's not what that means. This does not mean, as some religious people say, God has given to all men a measure of faith.

They just need to exercise it to make the atonement of Christ work for them. That's false religion. That's false religion. That's works, not grace. He's given you a measure of faith, and you just exercise that faith, and then the atonement of Christ becomes effectual? Oh, if that scheme is right, and thank God it's not, what really makes the blood and atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ effectual? It's not what He did, it's what you did. You see how dangerous that is? My God shall supply all your need according to His riches and glory through the Lord Jesus Christ. God has given to all men everywhere that is His people, the elect of God.

Paul writing to the brethren wrote this in 2 Thessalonians 3 verse 2, that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men for all men have not faith. So that kind of blows, I wish I'd have quoted that verse to the man. I didn't think about it at the time. Later on I did.

But all men have not faith, but the faith of God's elect is given to his people. You see, faith is a precious gift of God given through the blood atonement of Christ. Faith is God giving me to receive the Lord Jesus Christ, for by grace are you saved through faith. True faith acknowledges how God saves sinners by His grace. If any man truly believes in gospel and rests in the Lord Jesus Christ alone, it's because God has given him faith.

Now listen to this carefully. People say, well, believe and you're born again. That's just backwards. He that believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God. We believe the gospel only because God's given us life to believe. We don't believe to be born. We believe because we have been born of God. You see the difference? I pray that you do. Faith, what a precious thing faith is. It's a precious gift it's called. It's a precious gift given to us through the blood atonement of Christ.