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Romans 12:1-2 ESV
When we come to faith in Jesus Christ it is not just so that we can have our sins forgiven so that when we die we get to go to heaven and not to hell, even though that is widely what is being taught these days. For Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, and that we might live for him and no longer for self. And he shed his blood for us on that cross to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our lives of sin so we will no longer be slaves to sin but slaves to God and to his righteousness.
So, Paul is making his appeal here to all who are believers in Jesus Christ on the basis of what the Scriptures teach with regard to why Jesus died on that cross, and on the basis of what the Bible teaches with regard to what the end result is intended by him suffering and dying for us on that cross for our sins. And the Scriptures make it quite clear that the purpose for his death on that cross is that we who believe in him will die with him to sin and now walk in his holiness and righteousness and in obedience to his commands.
Therefore, because of what Jesus did for us in dying on that cross and in being raised from the dead, then we, by faith in Jesus Christ, can be crucified and buried with Christ in death to sin, and raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. Thus, sin is to no longer reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its desires. For if sin is what we obey, and obedience to God is not what we obey, we will not have eternal life with God.
[Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Lu 9:23-26; Matt 7:21-23; Tit 2:11-14; Eph 4:17-24; Eph 5:3-6; 1 Co 6:19-20; 2 Co 5:15; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Jn 1,2&3]
Now, I know that all of that was probably not written before Paul wrote this here in his letter to the Christians in Rome, but that is still the foundation behind Paul’s words here, because it is on the basis of God’s mercies, his grace to us, in dying on that cross so that we can die to sin and live to righteousness that Paul is making his appeal. And the appeal begins with an urging from God that we now present our bodies (our lives) to God as living sacrifices to him, holy and acceptable (pleasing) to God.
So, what does that look like? Well, it means that we have forsaken our sins to now follow Jesus Christ with our lives in walks of obedience to him, in submission to him as Lord, in surrender of our wills to the will of God, and in holy and righteous living, by the grace of God, in the power of God. We accept that our lives are no longer our own to be lived however we want, but that our lives are his to be lived however God wants, and according to the teachings of the Scriptures under the New Covenant.
And to live holy lives means to live lives which are separate (unlike, different) from the world because we are being conformed by God to the likeness of character of Jesus Christ. So this goes right along with verse two which teaches us that our lives are no longer to be conformed to the pattern (ways) of this sinful world. We are not, as believers in Christ, to look like, act like, speak like, and think like the ungodly of this world in their ways of thinking, believing, speaking, and behaving. We are to be different!
Now, when our lives are given over to the Lord as true living sacrifices to him, and now he is truly Lord (Owner-Master) of our lives, and we are living in submission and in surrender to his will, and we are no longer living for the will of the flesh, not only is this pleasing to God, but this is our spiritual worship of God. So, although singing praise and worship songs can be worship of God, if our lives are not surrendered to the Lord, and if we are still walking in deliberate and habitual sin, we are not truly worshiping God.
So, we are to surrender our lives to Jesus Christ as living sacrifices to him, holy and acceptable to him, and we are to no longer be conformed to the sinful passions of this sinful world. But we are to be transformed of God out of our lives of living in sin and for self to now walking in holiness and in righteousness and in obedience to our Lord, for the glory of God, and in the power, strength, and wisdom of God. For now our minds are stayed on Christ and no longer on the passions and desires of the flesh (Romans 8:1-14).
And in all of this, as we walk with the Lord in obedience to his commands, and as we live holy lives, pleasing to him, in the power of God, we are learning and we are discerning what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect, because we are obeying the Lord and not the flesh. It doesn’t mean, however, that we are perfect people, for we won’t be perfect until we are in our glorified bodies. But lack of perfection is never to be used as an excuse for deliberate and habitual sin. Please get this!
Seek the Lord
An Original Work / July 20, 2012
Based off Isaiah 55
“Come to Me all you who thirst; come to waters.
Listen to Me, and eat what’s good today,
And your soul will delight in richest of fare.
Give ear to Me, and you will live.
I have made an eternal covenant with you.
Wash in the blood of the Lamb.”
Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him.
Let the wicked forsake his way, in truth.
Let him turn to the Lord, and he will receive mercy.
Freely, God pardons him.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,”
declares the Lord, our God.
“My word that goes out of My mouth is truthful.
It will not return to Me unfulfilled.
My word will accomplish all that I desire,
And achieve the goal I intend.
You will go in joy and be led forth in peace.
The mountains will burst into song… before you,
And all of the trees clap their hands.”
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
When we come to faith in Jesus Christ it is not just so that we can have our sins forgiven so that when we die we get to go to heaven and not to hell, even though that is widely what is being taught these days. For Jesus died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, and that we might live for him and no longer for self. And he shed his blood for us on that cross to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our lives of sin so we will no longer be slaves to sin but slaves to God and to his righteousness.
So, Paul is making his appeal here to all who are believers in Jesus Christ on the basis of what the Scriptures teach with regard to why Jesus died on that cross, and on the basis of what the Bible teaches with regard to what the end result is intended by him suffering and dying for us on that cross for our sins. And the Scriptures make it quite clear that the purpose for his death on that cross is that we who believe in him will die with him to sin and now walk in his holiness and righteousness and in obedience to his commands.
Therefore, because of what Jesus did for us in dying on that cross and in being raised from the dead, then we, by faith in Jesus Christ, can be crucified and buried with Christ in death to sin, and raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. Thus, sin is to no longer reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its desires. For if sin is what we obey, and obedience to God is not what we obey, we will not have eternal life with God.
[Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Lu 9:23-26; Matt 7:21-23; Tit 2:11-14; Eph 4:17-24; Eph 5:3-6; 1 Co 6:19-20; 2 Co 5:15; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Jn 1,2&3]
Now, I know that all of that was probably not written before Paul wrote this here in his letter to the Christians in Rome, but that is still the foundation behind Paul’s words here, because it is on the basis of God’s mercies, his grace to us, in dying on that cross so that we can die to sin and live to righteousness that Paul is making his appeal. And the appeal begins with an urging from God that we now present our bodies (our lives) to God as living sacrifices to him, holy and acceptable (pleasing) to God.
So, what does that look like? Well, it means that we have forsaken our sins to now follow Jesus Christ with our lives in walks of obedience to him, in submission to him as Lord, in surrender of our wills to the will of God, and in holy and righteous living, by the grace of God, in the power of God. We accept that our lives are no longer our own to be lived however we want, but that our lives are his to be lived however God wants, and according to the teachings of the Scriptures under the New Covenant.
And to live holy lives means to live lives which are separate (unlike, different) from the world because we are being conformed by God to the likeness of character of Jesus Christ. So this goes right along with verse two which teaches us that our lives are no longer to be conformed to the pattern (ways) of this sinful world. We are not, as believers in Christ, to look like, act like, speak like, and think like the ungodly of this world in their ways of thinking, believing, speaking, and behaving. We are to be different!
Now, when our lives are given over to the Lord as true living sacrifices to him, and now he is truly Lord (Owner-Master) of our lives, and we are living in submission and in surrender to his will, and we are no longer living for the will of the flesh, not only is this pleasing to God, but this is our spiritual worship of God. So, although singing praise and worship songs can be worship of God, if our lives are not surrendered to the Lord, and if we are still walking in deliberate and habitual sin, we are not truly worshiping God.
So, we are to surrender our lives to Jesus Christ as living sacrifices to him, holy and acceptable to him, and we are to no longer be conformed to the sinful passions of this sinful world. But we are to be transformed of God out of our lives of living in sin and for self to now walking in holiness and in righteousness and in obedience to our Lord, for the glory of God, and in the power, strength, and wisdom of God. For now our minds are stayed on Christ and no longer on the passions and desires of the flesh (Romans 8:1-14).
And in all of this, as we walk with the Lord in obedience to his commands, and as we live holy lives, pleasing to him, in the power of God, we are learning and we are discerning what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect, because we are obeying the Lord and not the flesh. It doesn’t mean, however, that we are perfect people, for we won’t be perfect until we are in our glorified bodies. But lack of perfection is never to be used as an excuse for deliberate and habitual sin. Please get this!
Seek the Lord
An Original Work / July 20, 2012
Based off Isaiah 55
“Come to Me all you who thirst; come to waters.
Listen to Me, and eat what’s good today,
And your soul will delight in richest of fare.
Give ear to Me, and you will live.
I have made an eternal covenant with you.
Wash in the blood of the Lamb.”
Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him.
Let the wicked forsake his way, in truth.
Let him turn to the Lord, and he will receive mercy.
Freely, God pardons him.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,”
declares the Lord, our God.
“My word that goes out of My mouth is truthful.
It will not return to Me unfulfilled.
My word will accomplish all that I desire,
And achieve the goal I intend.
You will go in joy and be led forth in peace.
The mountains will burst into song… before you,
And all of the trees clap their hands.”
