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Living as a Sacrifice: Overcoming Evil with Good 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 a 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 ourselves 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, and do not2:45 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 it all2:57 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 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, 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 and people.4:56 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. See, we're new creations in Christ Jesus. Second5:20 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 17, which we 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 active5:57 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 to6:32 each 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 individually6:43 members 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 communicates6:55 that we each have been given a function in the body. Basically, he says, humbly do your part. Verse 6, having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them. If7:07 prophecy, 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, he7:19 who gives 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, unless7:31 you have 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 and7:43 building 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 the7:54 word of God, 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, it8:06 can be 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, cling8:18 to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to 1 another with brotherly love in honor, giving preference to 1 another, not preference to 1 another, not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the lord, rejoicing in8:28 hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer, distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you. You. Bless and do not8:40 curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward 1 another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate8:52 with the humble. Do not be wise in your own 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 of9:04 love between a parent and a child. Respectful love, giving preference to others, a giving love, distributing to the needs of others, showing hospitality and and treating others with kindness, and9:15 emphasizing empathizing love is rejoices with those who rejoice. It weeps with those who weep. A united love, a selfless love, and then other qualities here,9:27 diligent, zealous, patient, joyful, and steadfast in prayer. Our faith in Jesus should also inform our relationship with evil.9:39 Look at verse 17. Repay no 1 evil 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 all9:51 men. Now notice it says, as much as depends 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 peace10:03 with all men and holiness without which no 1 will see the Lord. You know, we are not to pursue peace at all cost, that is the cost of truth and holiness, but we should10:14 not thrive on conflict and dissension. 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. Verse10:26 19. Beloved, do not avenge yourself, but rather give place to wrath, for it is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the lord. Alright. No paybacks. No private revenge.10:38 God is the avenger of the greed. Make room for 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 pray10:50 for those who spitefully use and persecute you. Verse 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 keep11:02 coals of fire on his head. Look at this. Verse 21 brings us back to where we started. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.11:14 Prevail. Prevail. We need to prevail over evil. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. How do we overcome evil with good? By living by11:26 and in that which is good. And what is 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, and11:38 yielding ourselves 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 we11:50 yield to the will of God as his word reveals to us. Great chapter. I encourage you to, to to meditate upon this chapter and, and and think12:02 through it and ask the lord how he would have 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 immediate12:14 and essential application to our lives. And so 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.12:26 We thank you, Lord, that you have given 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 do12:38 pray that through your word and through the holy spirit living in us, that we would be transformed by the renewing of our mind, that we would not be12:50 that we we would not be the product of our fallen nature, but we would be those new creations in you as we yield ourself to you, as we dwell upon your13:02 word, your promises, 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, and13:14 until next time, keep standing on the word.13:20 Today's study comes from the stand on the word bible reading plan available for free at f r c dot o r g 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: Overcoming Evil with Good
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