Okay, now today we'll begin with
Romans chapter 12, verse 1, 2, and 3. I hope to get that far. Let me give you this introduction
to this study. We have been blessed of God to
study through the first 11 chapters of Romans. The last 15 months
we've been studying through the first 11 chapters of Romans.
And there we learned vital lessons, vital lessons. how God justifies
the ungodly by His grace and His grace alone. Romans 3, 24,
being justified freely by his grace through the redeeming blood
of Christ. There we've also learned another
vital lesson that believers are dead to the law through the sacrifice
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul said, reckon yourself to
be dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God through Jesus Christ
our Lord. We also learned another vital
lesson that all things in our lives, all things in the life
of every believer, all things work together for good to them
who love God, to them who are called according to God's purpose. Vital lesson. Another lesson
we learned, the great lesson of salvation by the will, mercy,
and purpose of God. Remember God said, I will have
mercy on whom I will have mercy. I will have compassion on whom
I will have compassion. So then, it's not of him that
willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy.
We also learned in chapter 11, There is a remnant according
to the election of grace. And if it be of grace, salvation
is by the grace of God. It's no more by works. Cannot be a combination of grace
and works, has to be totally by the grace of God alone. And
that's how God saves sinners, not by works. Now in chapter
12, Through chapter 16, the last chapter, we see the results of
God's saving mercy in our daily walk, in our daily experience,
in our life, right where we live, in our walk, and in our talk,
in our attitude, in our conduct before God and before men. Pastor Mahan always used to have
this statement. I've given it to you over the
years. And he always would say this,
faith and conduct cannot be separated. Faith and conduct go together. Faith and conduct. Now, back
to the introduction. After the doctrines of grace
that we've studied in chapters one through chapter 11, after
the doctrines of grace comes the duties of grace. The duties
of grace. After the revelation of grace
comes a responsibility of grace. After the principles of grace
are established, then we get to the practice of being gracious. The grace of God breeds graciousness
and mercy in our heart to others and love to others. The apostle,
remember, put it this way, if any man be in Christ, He is a
new creature, a new creature. Old things are passed away, and
behold, all things have become new, have become new. Now, let's take a look at verse
one. I beseech you, therefore. Now, that word therefore goes
all the way back to everything he said from chapter one, starting
with Paul, an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, concerning
the Lord Jesus Christ. I beseech you, therefore, brethren,
He's writing to the believers. He's writing to the family of
God. He's writing to the brethren. He's not writing to all men everywhere
in Rome. This letter is not addressed
to them. It's addressed to believers who lived in Rome, and it's addressed
to us today who live right where we are. I beseech you therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God, not the wrath of God, but by
the mercies of God that you present your bodies, your bodies, who
you are, a living sacrifice, a living sacrifice, holy, Acceptable
unto God which is your reasonable service. It is only reasonable
To serve the one who has made us new creatures in Christ the
Apostle calls upon every believer in Christ He calls them brethren. He calls them part of the family
of God Beloved the whole what manner of love the father has
bestowed upon us that we should be called sons of God I beseech
you therefore brethren he's writing to the family of God the brethren
the church of God Those who have been raised from the dead and
who are made one with Christ He's calling upon them to live
unto the Lord Jesus Christ and his glory We live unto him who
died for us. I That's what being a believer
is all about. We live unto him who gave his
life for us. Now don't turn, let me just read
this to you in the book of Colossians chapter three, verse one. If
you then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above
where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection
on things above, not on the things of this earth. Set your affection,
your heart, your love, for you are dead. and your life is hid
with Christ in God. Now, Paul inspires and motivates
us to do so, not by the whip of the law, not by the whip of
the law, not by fear of punishment, but he inspires and motivates
us to live unto the Lord not by the whip of the law, not by
fear of punishment, not even by promise of reward, but rather
by the mercies of God. You see that? By the mercies
of God. Now, the mercies of God, notice
that's plural, the mercies of God In the book of Lamentations
we read about the mercies of God are new every morning because
His faithfulness does not fail. By the mercies of God, these
mercies of God are covenant mercies. They are covenant mercies. You
remember in Isaiah 55 when Isaiah writes about the sure mercies
of David? These are covenant blessings,
covenant blessing based upon the covenant sacrifice, the Lord
Jesus Christ. Paul inspires us to live under
God by the covenant mercies of God. By the mercies of God, the
sure mercies we have in the Lord Jesus Christ. And he's talking
about covenant mercy based upon a covenant sacrifice. A covenant
sacrifice. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
surety of a better covenant based upon better promises. And that
is a sacrifice of himself. He's talking about covenant mercy
based upon that covenant sacrifice. the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord
Jesus Christ made that one offering unto God, a sacrifice unto God
by the sacrifice of himself whereby he obtained eternal redemption
for us. But notice this, what he says
here that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, a living
sacrifice unto God. Now, I believe primarily what
he's trying to focus this on is the only sacrifice that guarantees
our salvation is the sacrifice of Christ. He is that living
sacrifice unto God. His sacrifice lives. We have
salvation by that living sacrifice. He ever liveth to make intercession
for us. His sacrifice is a living sacrifice
unto God that is always prevailing, always powerful, and perpetual
unto God. It's a living sacrifice. You
see what he's saying there? And that is the Lord Jesus Christ.
The God of peace that brought again from the dead, that Lord
Jesus Christ, that great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood
of the everlasting covenant. Now there is just one sacrifice
unto God that is holy and acceptable. Look what it says there, that
you present your bodies a holy living sacrifice, holy and acceptable
unto God, which is your reasonable service. There's just one sacrifice
unto God that is holy and acceptable. Now stay with me, stay with me.
Holy and acceptable. We read in Hebrews 10, for by
the one offering, he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. The only way that we are holy
and acceptable is in Christ, the living sacrifice. Jesus Christ
in him crucified that's why Paul said I'm determined not to know
anything among you but Jesus Christ in him crucified. It is
only reasonable therefore that we present our whole body and
I mean by that our whole person body soul and spirit all the
faculties of our being unto His cause, unto His purpose, under
His service, submitting unto His eternal purpose, and willing
to serve Him. Those people who live unto God
are made willing in the day of His power, and because He died
to put away our sin and never lived to intercede for us, it
is our desire being and planted in our heart to live unto God,
to honor Him by believing Him, and to worship Him in spirit
and in truth. Being a servant unto the Lord,
a reasonable servant unto the Lord, and being a servant of
the Lord is the highest privilege any person can have. Paul often referred to himself
as the servant of the Lord. And that's what we are. We've
been made servants of the Lord. You remember that Old Testament
example of the bond slave, who after he served seven years of
his servitude, after that seventh year, he could go out. if he
desired to do so. But if he loved his master and
loved his family, he could serve his master out of love. We call
that being a bond slave of love, a bond servant of love. Paul
considered himself a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now
I think of two scriptures. In Isaiah chapter 6 verse 8,
when Isaiah saw the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, you remember
what he said, here am I, here am I Lord, send me, send me. He was made a willing servant
unto the Lord. Now again, in Acts chapter 9,
when the apostle Paul, who was known as Saul of Tarsus, that
very jealous Pharisee, when the Lord unhorsed him and put him
in the dust, do you remember what he said? Lord, what would
you have me to do? a willing bondservant unto the
Lord." Now, that's what the Lord makes us by His grace, to serve
Him reasonably. It's only reasonable to serve
the one you love, is it not? It's only reasonable to serve
the one who's called you out of darkness into His marvelous
light. It's only reasonable to worship
the true and living God. Now listen to this, listen carefully
now, our service unto God is not in and of itself holy and
acceptable, is it? In and of ourselves? Is our works,
our deeds, our service in and of itself holy and acceptable
unto God? We're going to see in our Bible
study this morning In Luke 17, where the Lord said, when you've
done all your duty unto God, you know what He says? You're
still an unprofitable servant. Our service unto God is not in
and of itself holy and acceptable. Now listen to me, stay with me.
That would make our salvation based upon works and our doing
and our obedience, not His grace. We are His workmanship created
in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained
that we should walk in them. We're never accepted unto God
by our deeds. We are never made holy unto God
by our deeds. We are accepted in the Beloved,
right? In the Lord Jesus Christ. And
we submit unto the righteousness of God revealed in the Gospel. Our only, our reasonable service,
and that word can be rightly rendered, worship. Our reasonable
worship unto the Lord is only acceptable and made holy under
our God through the living sacrifice, the Lord Jesus Christ. I was
flipping through some channels this morning while we were waiting
to come over here and I flipped through one one channel and there
was a man there that was reading from Ephesians chapter
1 and he read Ephesians chapter 1 verse 3 all the way down to
verse 14, same message, same text that Brother Todd used yesterday.
And he read it pretty close, he didn't read the King James
but he read another version, but he read that word twice predestinated. predestinated and then I listened
to him for just a little bit and then he said salvation is
an offer. Salvation is not an offer. You know what they do,
they read the Word of God, these false preachers, they read the
Word of God and then they totally dismiss it and go over here and
preach their lies. Why didn't he just take the text
and preach it like it is? He blessed us according as He
has chosen us in Christ before the foundation of the world.
That He would predestinate us unto the adoption of children
by Jesus Christ to Himself. How do you get out of that salvation
is an offer? Why don't you just stay with
the text? They try to call themselves gospel preachers because they
read the Word of God and then they totally ignore it. Totally
ignore it. Instead of staying with the Word
of the Lord, we are only accepted in the beloved, the Lord Jesus
Christ. Now look at verse two, Romans
12 verse two. And be not conformed to this
world. Don't be conformed to this world,
but rather be you transformed by the renewing of your mind
that you may prove, demonstrate what is that good and acceptable
and perfect will of God. What is the perfect will of God?
This is the will of God. All those who have seen Christ
bow to the Lord Jesus Christ. Be not conformed to this ungodly
world, this ungodly age, especially in this ungodly religious world
in the day in which we live. Now, things were bad in Paul's
day and things have just got worse. It's just been all downhill
from the time that the Apostle Paul was writing this, be not
conformed to this world. But those people who lived in
Rome, Rome was a whole lot like this country. where everything
goes and nothing matters. Just do your own thing. Paul
is reminding these believers who lived in that age, in that
city, don't be conformed to this ungodly world. Especially this
ungodly religious world in which we live. Don't be conformed to
its schemes. It's schemes, it's plans, or
it's programs. Don't be conformed to the schemes
and plots and plans of this ungodly world. It's philosophy, it's
mind, it's thought, it's politics, it's all just corruption. You wonder why there's corruption
in politics? They're all corrupt. They're
all corrupt. That's right. I don't expect
anything but corruption and scandals and lies and all these different
things. It's quite abusing. What else do you expect when
you've got a pack of thieves? They're going to act like a bunch
of thieves. But don't be, don't be like them. Don't be like them. But rather be transformed, transformed
or changed. By the renewing of your mind,
we've been translated out of the kingdom of darkness into
the kingdom of God's dear Son. We have been brought forth from
the kingdom of darkness that we should show forth the praises
of His glory. Now this can only happen by the
sovereign will and by the sovereign power of God. Be ye transformed
by the renewing of your mind. How are you going to renew your
mind? I mean our mind is so corrupt, it's in bondage to our rotten
nature. How is that going to be renewed? What needs to happen
is he needs to make us a new nature and give us a new heart
and make us a new creature in Christ Jesus. And these things
only happen by the power of God. By the power of God. I'm thinking on this scripture
over here in Ephesians chapter 2 verse 1 where he says, And
you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and in sin,
Where in time past ye walked according to the course of this
world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the
spirit that now worketh in children of disobedience, among whom also
we all had our conversation in time past, in the lust of the
flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind,
and were by nature children of wrath, even as others. But God,
who is rich in mercy, for whose great love wherewith he loved
us, Even when we were dead in sin hath quickened us together
with Christ by grace are you saved and has raised us up and
made us sit together in the heavenly in the Lord Jesus Christ. He's
raised us up in that he quickened us from the dead, from being
dead and trespassed and sinned. He has raised us up by the power
of God and he's given us, we are, as Peter says, we are partakers
of a divine nature. In Adam, we have that old nature.
In regeneration, God has given us a new nature, a new heart,
a new spirit. He's planted within us. Now this
can only happen by the sovereign will and power of God. This is
not talking about outward reformation. You can clean up your act. All
you wanna clean it up. Stop this, stop that, stop this,
stop going here, don't do this, don't do that, do this, do that.
You can reform all you want, you're still dead in sin. God must raise you from the dead.
So we're not talking about outward reformation of character, but
rather the renewing and regenerating work of God the Holy Spirit,
whereby he makes us new creatures in Christ. I've got another reference
here in the book of Ephesians. Ephesians 3.22 I've got written
down, but I know that's not the right passage. Ephesians chapter
4 is what I want. Ephesians chapter 4 verse 22.
Ephesians 4.22. He says in verse 22, that you
put off, Ephesians 4, 22, put off concerning the former conversation,
the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lust,
and be renewed in the spirit of your mind. That you put on
the new man which after God is created, wasn't there before. It's created by the will and
power of God. and be renewed in the spirit
of your mind, put you on the new man which after God is created
in righteousness and true holiness. We've been made a new creature
in the Lord Jesus Christ, having been by his grace partakers of
a divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in this
world through lust. that you may prove, look on Romans
12 verse 2, that you may prove, now that word there prove means
demonstrate, that you may demonstrate what is that good, acceptable,
perfect will of God, that you may demonstrate those four things,
what is good, what is acceptable, what is perfect, and what the
will of God is. Now, let's look at those four
things, that you may prove or demonstrate and experience in
your heart what is really true, right, and good. Now, we know this, there is none
good but God. Now, I know what people say when
they say, well, he's a good man. He's a good person. Well, comparing
one worm to another, he may be a little bit better worm. But
we're not the standard. When you compare a worm, and
that's what we are, thou Jacob worm, a maggot, that's what we
are. When you compare a maggot unto
God who is holy, there is no good maggot. God is holy. We're maggots. You say, well,
that's pretty crude. That's what it calls us. Thou
worm, Jacob. Sinner. So there is none good
but God. How do you demonstrate that which
is good or prove or experience that which is good? By believing
the gospel. Prove all things, the Apostle
said, 1 Thessalonians 5.21. Prove all things and hold fast
to that which is good. My mama was a good person. Well,
I know what you mean. I know what you're saying. But
in comparison to God, there is none good, no, not one. You see what I'm saying? And
then what is acceptable? What is acceptable? Prove, demonstrate
what is acceptable? What is acceptable? Let's see
if we can find out. Let's turn to Romans 14. Romans
14 verse 17. For the kingdom of God, verse
17, the kingdom of God, we're talking about salvation by grace,
the kingdom of God is not meat and drink. A lot of people think
they have the kingdom of God because they don't eat certain
things or don't drink certain things. The kingdom of God is
not meat and drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
For he, for he that in these things serveth Christ, is acceptable
to God and approved of men. What's acceptable unto God? Righteousness,
peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. That's how we're accepted in
the beloved, the Lord Jesus Christ. And then he says, demonstrate
and prove that which is perfect. Experience that which is perfect.
Now, when we talk about perfection, we're talking about holiness.
The only thing that is perfect and holy is the Lord Jesus Christ. The only way that we are made
holy before God is in Christ. He is our sanctification. He
is our holiness. And prove what is that will of
God, or experience what is really and true, what is the will of
God concerning you. Let's see if we can find out.
Turn over here to John chapter 6, John chapter 6, verse 30,
let's begin reading verse 37, John 6, 37. All that the Father
giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me will I
I will and no wise cast out for I came down from heaven not to
do my own will but the will of him that sent me. And this is
the will of him that sent me that of all which he had given
me I should lose nothing but raise it up again at the last
day. And this is the will of him that sent me that everyone
which seeth the sun and believeth on him may have everlasting life
and I will raise him up at the last day. That's the will of
God. that holy, perfect, and acceptable
unto God, the will of God. Of his own will begat he us with
the word of truth. Now back to Romans chapter 12
verse 3. For I say through the grace of
God given unto me. Now that was Paul's testimony.
I am what I am by the grace of God. For I say, through the grace
of God given unto me, to every man that is among you, and he's
talking now, he's talking about, remember who he's writing to,
brethren, he's writing to the family of God, who have experienced
and tasted that the Lord is gracious, through the grace of God given
to me, that is to every believer that is among you, not to think
of himself highly, more highly than he ought to think. Look
right across the page at verse 16. Be of the same mind, one
toward another. Mind not the high thing, but
condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits."
We ought not to think of ourselves more highly. Being full of religious
pride, thinking we're a little bit better than anybody else,
we are not. We only believe the gospel by
His grace. It's not because we're smart
folks. It's not because we figured this thing out. God has revealed
the gospel unto us. He has made us to differ, and
not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think.
God hates a proud heart. God resisteth the proud heart,
and he gives grace to those who are humble. He's died to them
of a broken heart, save us such as be of a contrite heart. Now
listen to the last part of verse three, and this is, but we should
think soberly, Righteously, we should think of ourselves as
we have been revealed in the Word of the Lord, not to be lifted
up with pride and self-righteousness. According, according as God hath
dealt, or God hath granted, God hath given to every man. Now,
who's he talking to? Who are the every man? Does that
mean every person that ever lived in this world? Who's he writing
to? He's writing to the brethren
that God hath dealt or given to every believer the measure
of faith. The measure of faith. Now, faith
we know is a gift of God. And it's a sovereign gift of
God. All the blessings, every good and perfect gift comes from
God above. And faith we know is a gift of
God. For by grace are ye saved through
faith, and that not of yourself, it is a gift of God." Now, when
it says there, I had a man tell me one time when I was talking
to him about the sovereignty of God and salvation and God
will have mercy upon whom He will, he quoted this verse to
me, he said, well God, it says in the Word that He's given to
every man a measure of faith. And then every man takes that
measure of faith, and then he exercises that faith, and he
makes his decision for Jesus, and then he's saved. Most people think that's the
way it works. That is totally contrary to what
this book teaches. Faith is a gift of God. Think
about this. The great atoning work of the
Lord Jesus Christ, is it based as failure or success upon what
the creature thinks of it? It cannot be, my friend. It cannot
be. God has granted faith unto his
people. that they may lay hold of the
Lord Jesus Christ. And faith does not accomplish
salvation. My faith did not die for my sin. Faith does not accomplish salvation. Faith simply receives the Lord
Jesus Christ as all my salvation. And we rest in Him. So God has
given to every one of his children this precious gift of faith that
enables us to lay hold on Christ. Whosoever believeth that Jesus
is the Christ, he's born of God. We don't believe to be born,
we believe because we have been begotten of God. Okay, well that's
a good start. We'll look at the rest next week.
Okay.