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Family Research Council is serving in the kingdom of God by championing faith, family, & freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview.
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Living as a Sacrifice: A Call to Transformation 0:09 Good morning. Welcome to Stand on the Word. Today, we have 1 of those fantastic chapters that we should just read over and over. We're reading Romans chapter 12 today. Verse 1 verse 21. Do0:21 not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. So how in the world do we overcome evil with good? Well, that's what Paul tells us here in chapter 12 and0:33 following. So with chapter 12, we begin the third and final portion of Paul's letter to the Christians at Rome. Now for purposes of review, we had chapters 1 through 8. That was the first part.0:45 It laid out justification by grace through faith, and it included the sanctification of believers or what we would call the doctrine of the church. Then in chapters 9 through 11, it was0:57 almost parenthetical. What we did is Paul stopped to address the issue of Israel and whether or not God had permanently rejected them because of their sin and unbelief. Paul answered1:09 that question with an emphatic no. Chapter 12 then picks back up, actually, where chapter 8 left off, and moves into the duty of the church, being1:21 justified and then sanctified. The question is how shall we then live? So Paul lays out our practical duty to live as followers of Christ beginning with ourselves,1:33 then in the church, followed by how we live in the broader society. And then in chapter 13, he moves into a discussion of our duty toward government. So you definitely wanna join me for that discussion tomorrow.1:46 Verse 1, chapter, verse 1 of chapter 12. I beseech you or I urge you, therefore, brother, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy,1:58 acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. Now the imagery here is rich, but we we don't fully get it because we don't live in an age of animal2:09 sacrifices. But our souls, being saved by the grace and mercy of God, because of that, we should now render selves, our entire being, including this physical structure2:21 called the body to the Lord as a living sacrifice. But it's not just any sacrifice. It says holy and acceptable, like the sacrifices of the old covenant, meaning without blemish.2:33 Now notice that he writes here that this is our reasonable service. This is not for extra credit. It's not for bonus points. This is what is expected of us as followers of Christ. Verse 2.2:45 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Now this is where it2:57 all starts. Without this, the relationships will not be right in the family. They'll not be right in the church. They'll not be right in the broader society. It starts with us internally. Be not conformed to the3:09 world. So what is the focus of the world? What does it mean not to be conformed to the world? Well, in first John chapter 2 verse 16, says this, for all that is in the3:20 world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is not of the father, but is of the world. Now this goes all the way back to the very beginning when Eve was shopping down the wrong aisle at the3:32 grocery store. And verse 6 of Genesis 3, so when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, lust of the flesh, that it was pleasant to the3:43 eyes, lust of the eyes, and a tree desirable to make 1 wise, pride of life, she took of its fruit and ate, and we know the rest of the story.3:55 So we are to be set apart, meaning we're to be different. When Jesus prayed for his disciples and for us in John chapter 17, he said this, I do not pray that you should take them out of the4:07 world, but that you should keep them from the evil 1. They are not of the world just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth. Now4:19 spontaneous synchronization is a is a force of nature by which objects in close relationship exert influence on each other, and they begin to act in sync4:31 with each other. Now according to mathematicians and scientists, spontaneous synchronization seems to be a fundamental phenomenon in nature, occurring not only in the realm of biology,4:43 but also in chemistry and physics. But now, sociologists are now looking at this phenomena to explain the behavior of animals and4:55 people. So they've come to the same conclusion that my grandmother did many years ago when she said birds of a feather flock together. So how do we keep ourselves from marching5:08 to the beat of the world's drum? Alright. Here it is. Paul laid it out. Be transformed by a renewed mind. You see, we're new creations in Christ Jesus. Second5:20 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 17, which we've read before. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new.5:33 So who are who are you going to believe? This is what God's word declares about you. He says you're a new creation. Old things have passed away. So you must put off the old man and put on the5:45 new man that we're gonna read, about in Ephesians chapter 4, which says be renewed. This is an ongoing process in the spirit of your mind. We have to be active5:56 participants in this. It's not just gonna happen by osmosis. So how do we do this? By what we're doing right now, being in the word of God. Remember what Jesus said as he prayed,6:08 sanctify them by your truth. Your word is truth. We have to be in the word of God. We're sanctified by the word as the Holy Spirit is working in our6:20 lives. Verse 3, for I say, through the grace given to me to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly as God has dealt to each6:32 1 a measure of faith. For as we have many members in 1 body, but all the members do not have the same function. So we, being many, are 1 body in Christ and individually members6:44 of 1 another. So Paul returns to this analogy that he's used before. He used it with the Corinthians that we're 1 body but many different parts, and this communicates that we each6:56 have been given a function in the body. Verse 6, having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them. If prophecy,7:08 let us prophesy. If in proportion to our faith or ministry, let us use it. In our ministering, he who teaches in teaching, he who exhorts in exhortation, he who gives7:20 with liberality, he who leads with diligence, he who shows mercy with cheerfulness. The foot shouldn't be trying to be the hand or the knee, the nose, unless you have7:31 a dysfunctional body. Now embrace what God has gifted you to do, and do it to your very best with humility for the purpose of honoring the Lord and building7:43 up the body of Christ. Believe me, I understand this can be a challenge, but as our minds are renewed, that meaning is we're in the word of God, challenged by the word of God,7:55 allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us, and and and by that, we refuse to be conformed to the ways of the world, yielding rather to the Holy Spirit and to the word of God. It can be8:07 done. It's not easy, but it can be done. Next, our faith in Jesus should inform our relationship with other believers. Verse 9, let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil, cling to what is8:19 good. Be kindly affectionate to 1 another with brotherly love in honor, giving preference to 1 another, not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing8:31 steadfastly in prayer, distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with8:43 those who weep. Be of the same mind toward 1 another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own8:55 opinion. Great advice that Paul lays out here. There's a love for the truth, a pouring evil, clinging to the good, a brotherly love. It's a kind of love between a parent and a child. Respectful9:06 love, giving preference to others, a giving love, distributing to the needs of others, showing hospitality, and and treating others with kindness, and emphasizing empathizing love9:18 rejoices with those who rejoice. It weeps with those who weep. A united love, a selfless love, and then other qualities here, diligent, zealous, patient, joyful, and steadfast9:30 in fast in prayer. Our faith in Jesus should also inform our relationship with evil. Look at verse 17. Repay no 1 evil9:42 for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. Now notice it says, as much as depends9:54 on you. Now I know we can't control others, but we can control ourselves. So we should pursue peace. Hebrews 12 14 says this, pursue peace with all men and holiness without which no 1 will see the10:06 Lord. You know, we are not to pursue peace at all cost, that is the cost of truth and holiness, but we should not thrive on conflict and dissension.10:18 And I believe there are some in the body of Christ that do that. They feed on conflict. That should not be that should not be what we're doing. Verse 19, beloved, do not avenge yourself, but rather give place to10:30 wrath, for it is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the lord. Alright. No paybacks. No private revenge. God is the avenger of the greed. Make room for10:42 him. Okay? Matthew 5 44 says, but I say to you, love your enemies. Bless those who curse you. Do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use and persecute you. Verse10:53 20. Therefore, if your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him drink. For in do in in so doing, you will keep keep coals of fire on his head. Look at this. Verse11:05 21 brings us back to where we started. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Prevail. Prevail. We need to prevail11:17 over evil. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. How do we overcome evil with good? By living by and in that which is good. And what is11:29 good? God is good. He defines it. This is what Paul lays out here in this chapter. It begins with our personal relationship with God being transformed in our minds and yielding ourselves11:40 as holy vessels to the Lord, and then it informs our relationships with others because first we have to love God, then we love our fellow man as we yield to the will of God,11:52 as his word reveals to us. Great chapter. I encourage you to, to to meditate upon this chapter and and and think through it and ask the Lord how he would have12:04 you apply this word to your life. Father, we thank you for your word. What a powerful word that Paul has written here of of immediate and essential application to our lives. And so12:16 we pray for the Holy Spirit to guide us and to show us, Lord. I pray you'd show me, even now how I would apply this word to my life even this day. We thank you, Lord, that you have given12:28 us this direction, and I do pray that we would present ourselves, Lord, as a as as sacrifices holy and acceptable to you. And, Lord, I do pray that through your word12:40 and through the Holy Spirit living in us, that we would be transformed by the renewing of our mind, that we would not be, that we we would not12:52 be the product of our fallen nature, but we would be those new creations dwell upon your word, your promises,13:04 Lord, and your direction for us. We thank you for your word, father. For it's in the name of Jesus we pray. Amen. Alright. Thanks for joining me this morning, and until next time, keep standing13:16 on the word.13:20 Today's study comes from the stand on the word bible reading plan available for free at frc dot org slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a day, you13:32 can read through the entire Bible in just 2 years. Learn more and request the free reading guide at FRC dot org slash Bible.In this video 0:00 Living as a Sacrifice: A Call to Transformation
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