Romans 12:1-2

Famous Company Mission Statements:

Coca Cola: ”To refresh the world...To inspire moments of optimism and happiness...To create value and make a difference.
Google: “to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”
Steve Jobs's mission statement for Apple in 1980 was: “To make a contribution to the world by making tools for the mind that advance humankind.”
Waste Management: “to maximize resource value, while minimizing - and even eliminating - environmental impact so that both our economy and our environment can thrive.”

These verses serve as a mission statement for Romans 12-16: “Our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.”

  • Goal: bodies for the glory of God.
  • Motivation: gospel
  • Obstacle: world
  • Help: mind renewal
  • Result: living in the will of God

Romans 12:1-2

“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. 2 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.”

Goal: My Body For God's Glory (12:1)

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.

Present your bodies as a living sacrifice / holy / acceptable / to God:

Paul’s belief regarding the body:

  • Not Greek — just a receptacle containing the soul.
  • They said things like, “The body is a tomb.” Their body imprisoned their soul.
  • But Biblical/Hebraic — You are a unit. Whole man, including flesh, soul, spirit, mind.

This is gospel power at work.

  • Remember what depravity did to our bodies?
  • Romans 3:9-20 — It influenced our understanding, our mouths, our feet, our eyes.
  • The gospel provides something new for our bodies — minds, mouths, feet, eyes.

As a living sacrifice:

  • Old Testament sacrifices: alive, then dead.
  • New Testament sacrifices: dead, then alive.
  • Give yourself wholly to God!
  • Our nature is to be selective.

Present your bodies / To God / Holy / Acceptable: Consecrate yourself to God.

  • Declare yourself sacred for God.
  • “It does not take great men to do great things; it only takes consecrated men.” — Phillip Brooks
  • Imagine a home where every room had its own key — Give God all the keys.
  • So this is the goal: I am a living sacrifice for God.
  • What is the motivation for this goal?

Motivation: The Mercies Of God (12:1)

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.

Appeal / Therefore / By the mercies of God:
Paul urges use to make this decision. He will not force us.

  • He reasons with us — appeal.
    • This is a tender expression. To call together and talk.
  • This reason is based on the gospel (Romans 1-11) — therefore.
  • This reasonable appeal includes the mercies of God.
    • God’s compassion, as taught in Romans, ought to have overwhelmed us by now.

This is reasonable service (spiritual worship).

  • Logikos — reasonable, rational.
    • Note: Consecration is true worship (not just singing).
  • This is the language of grace, not law.
  • This is the language of the gospel, not religion.
    • Religion: Do and you’ll get.
    • Gospel: You’ve gotten, now do.
    • 2 Corinthians 5:14 (ESV)—14 For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;
    • “Ought to” motivation vs. God’s mercy motivation.
    • Luke 7:47 — But he who is forgiven little, loves little.

But now we face an obstacle to this progress.

Obstacle: Conformity To The Age (12:2)

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.

Do not be conformed to this world: The obstacle is conformity to this world. What is this world?
World: Aioni = Age. What is the present age?

  • Not:
  • Not the earth: this is not possible
  • Not the citizens of the earth: we have no other option.
  • Not the culture or society: partly this, but partly not.
    • There are elements of the culture we gladly receive, even right now — clothing, music, arts, sports, literature, governments, technologies, etc.
  • Not just some sins — if you minimize this to things you don’t do, you’re missing out.
  • What? — Trench’s Synonyms Of The New Testament: "that floating mass of thoughts, opinions, maxims, speculations, hopes, impulses, aims, aspirations, at any time current in the world, which it may be impossible to seize and accurately define, but which constitute a most real and effective power, being the moral, or immoral atmosphere which at every moment of our lives we inhale, again inevitably to exhale."

World/Age: seeking gratification of the self, regardless of the cost.
World: You hate me, I hate you. You love me, I love you. You’re indifferent to me, I’m indifferent to you.

  • Romans 12-14 is opposite the world/age. It is the counterintuitive life.
  • But we are immersed in this world.

Conformed: The world attempts to disciple you.

  • You swim in it! Put on your snorkel!
  • We are imitative by nature — and there are only two options (God or world).
  • We used to follow the course of this world (Ephesians 2:1-2).
  • Exiles: The captivity in Babylon is a helpful picture for us.
    • Daniel 1:8 (ESV)—8 But Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank. Therefore he asked the chief of the eunuchs to allow him not to defile himself.
  • Submarine analogy: Bad on land, bad filled with water, but good if in the water.

Aid: Transformation Through Mind Renewal (12:2)

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.

Be transformed by the renewal of your mind:
Question: Is there anything that can help us avoid being conformed to the world?
Answer — Transformation through mind renewal.
Transformed: This is what we long for. Transformation, not conformation.

  • God: formed man / Devil deforms / World conforms / Education informs / Society reforms
  • Only Jesus: transforms.

What does this look like?

  • Self-centered to Christ-centered.
  • Your body will change, but your inner man might remain the same or worsen. You don’t have to. Be transformed!
    • Ephesians 4:22–24 (ESV)—22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

By the renewal of your mind: Your way of thinking.

How does this occur?

  • The Word of God, thinking God’s way — Colossians 3:10 (ESV)—10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.

Many believers are focused on feeling or doing.

  • This life will never know the transforming power of God. The mind has not been renewed. The spirit of the age is still dominant.
  • What we feel and do must be subservient to the thoughts of God.
  • Psalm 1:2 (ESV)—2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
    Question: What is the result of all this? The best possible life.

Result: The Best Possible Life (12:2)

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.

Discern / Will of God / Good / Acceptable / Perfect:
See the process: Celebrate gospel > Consecration goal > Danger avoided > Aid received > Living in God’s will

Through God’s thoughts we learn: purpose of life, evil, sex, money, singleness, church, community, religion, philosophy, priorities, interpersonal relationships, marriage.

This is good and acceptable and perfect.

  • Before mind renewal we have no accurate diagnostic instruments to gauge life with.
  • Paul will describe this life in Romans 12-15.
  • Our heart cry: I want what God wants!

Wrap Up

Will this be your mission statement? — “My body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.”

My body for God’s Glory.