Romans 12 transitions from Paul’s teaching about what to believe…to…how to behave…what God expects from His people.
The apostle Paul in Romans 12:1 provides a theological framework for what it means to follow Jesus along with the consequential change it demands in response to that decision.
That’s the issue…not only with ‘Christian’ people but people in the church as well…aren’t Christians and people in the Church the same people?…NO.
Some might refer to them as unregenerate church members…so…who are those…church members who profess to know Christ yet do not come to Church…or who come only occasionally…those who have no fruit of holiness …those who consistently bear bad fruit…those who are not repentant…those who do not have persevering faith?
Well hold it Pastor…that’s pretty judgmental…I think you’re a little too critical by categorizing non-attending members as unregenerate…besides not coming to church is not specifically given in Scripture as the mark of a Christian.
Consider what the failure to attend church indicates…it says that the professed believer does not love the brethren…doesn’t need the teaching of the Bible… doesn’t relish the corporate worship of God…going even as far as indicating that the environment of believers is not their preferred environment.
They want the acknowledgment of being called a Christian…of being known as a Christian…but they’re really not prepared to live a life that accompanies that decision…that is exactly what Paul is suggesting [Rom. 12:1]:
I urge you… to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship
I have a burden as a Pastor…it’s something that’s inferred in this verse…it’s not plainly expressed, but is important to know…and unfortunately millions of people on ‘That Day’ are going to experience the reality of what this verse means and the consequences of failing to acknowledge its importance.
This verse is directed at Christians…to those who for their whole lives have lived a lifestyle that was absent of living a life that was pleasing to God… churches are filled with people who do not have the evidence of spiritual life, yet sincerely believe they are right with God.
Some because they’ve been lied to and deceived regarding the lifestyle change that accompanies a profession of faith…others because they just don’t care.
The more I study the Bible the more I’m convinced that the path and the gate leading into Heaven is indeed narrow.
Here Paul presents God’s strongest argument for giving ourselves to God…he says. “I urge you,” to present your bodies…therein lies the difficulty …wanting to make the claim of being a Christian but not willing to completely give ourselves to God.
Statistics show that most people don’t come into a worship service prepared to give their whole selves over to God…truthfully I don’t know why they even come to church…George Gallup contends that fewer than 10% of evangelical Christians could be called deeply committed.
How scary is that…so what is the criteria that makes up this 10%…because I would really like to think that I’m included in the 10%…it’s been suggested that how you answer a survey of 8 questions determines who could be considered –to be an evangelical:
—Do absolute moral truths exist?
—Is absolute truth defined by the Bible?
—Did Jesus live a sinless life?
—Is God the Creator of the universe, and does He still rule it today?
—Is salvation a gift from God that cannot be earned?
—Is Satan real?
—Does a Christian have a responsibility to share Christ with other people?
—Is the Bible accurate in all of its teachings?
Did you answer yes to these? …because a lot of Christians don’t…as an evangelical Church we do answer yes to all eight of those questions and hopefully you did to.
Here’s what’s even more important than your ‘yes’ answer…is whether your life shows it…that should be question number nine…does your life show that you are a Christian?
In my last couple of sermons I have made mention of God’s remnant…goes back to the statement only 10% of evangelical Christians are deeply committed.
That 10% are the people who offer (their) bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God…who are actually committed Christians in the Church today.
But there’s certainly no shortage in ways people identify themselves as being Christian…lapel pins…neck chains with crosses…bumper stickers…all to bring attention that they are believers.
Paul is saying that might be all well and good…but
The most obvious identifying mark of who is a Christian is one living a lifestyle that reflects that commitment.
People don’t identify Church with the idea of offering their bodies as a living sacrifice…that’s too demanding…too confining…too restrictive…preachers don’t want to preach that.
When the average person looks at the spectrum of “Christianity” and all that goes with it…it can be baffling…it can be confusing…especially when looking around at those who claim to be Christian but their life reflects no identifying marks that shows that they are Christian.
Why is that…one reason is the pseudo-Christian religious that claim to be Christian…claim to teach Christian principles but actually distort and deny fundamental Christian doctrines.
That’s the difficulty with those who claim to be religious or spiritual…they often have enough information to be saved…but the teaching that has been added to the truth convinces them that Jesus is not enough so they make great efforts to do all they can to earn God’s favor.
That’s why Christianity is not a religion…we can never earn eternal life by working for it… people are saved by believing in Jesus…not by behaving good enough to earn God’s approval.
We are too deeply stained by sin to ever attain God’s approval…therefore… salvation must be received by faith as a gift from God given through Jesus…a man is justified by faith apart from the works of the Law. [3:28]
The followers of those false religions are in the same spiritual condition as those who think they are true believers but are not.
They both lack the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives which is the true indicator of who is and who isn’t a Christian…should have been question ten.
You can tell me all day long you’re a Christian…but without the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in your life the Bible says you’re no more than a clanging cymbal.
As a result…they just stumble through life believing they are saved when they are actually living outside of God’s presence.
Often times it’s virtually impossible to distinguish a true disciple from a false one…and unfortunately they will probably continue to always do so because the commitment is too demanding.
What Paul is addressing in [1] could be thought of as the three distinguishing marks of a committed Christian:
First, the committed Christian’s purpose for which we exist is to give glory to God.
The only concern we should have is to give glory to God…living so that whatever we do brings glory to the Lord.
Our motives…our goals…our reason …our purpose…is to give the Lord glory in everything we do…so that our life reflects the attributes of God, and God is praised by the way we live.
Second…and perhaps the most distinguishing mark of the committed Christian, is that they are filled with God’s love….not just a superficial love.
The Oxford Dictionary defines superficial as: “existing or occurring on the surface…not thorough…or deep…or complete…as committed Christians…as believers in Christ ours is a God-given capacity to love.
What kind of love marks a true disciple? Jesus said, “Love one another, even as I have loved you.” [John 13:34] …Jesus’ love is selfless…sacrificial… indiscriminate…understanding…and forgiving…that’s the standard.
Unless your love is like that, you have not fulfilled the commandment Jesus gave to His disciples that you love one another, even as I have loved you.
It’s like the person who claims to be a good person…what’s the standard…it’s not to be good…it’s to be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect [Matt. 5:48] …sets the bar a little high doesn’t it?…but that’s one of the identifying marks of a committed Christian and how people will know that you are Jesus’ disciple.
A third mark of the committed Christian is loyalty…discipleship is more than a promised loyalty…discipleship demands a practiced loyalty.
Peter is the example of the gap that exists between promised loyalty and practiced loyalty.
Peter boasted that he would stand by the Lord regardless of the circumstances but failed miserably by denying Jesus to save his own life…something not done in silence either…he did it loudly and with cursing before many witnesses.
That’s why for many…it’s easier to write out a check or even double the amount than to turn themselves over to God…because dropping a check into the offering box is far easier than making the commitment to be a Christian.
Unfortunately…people do identify the Church as an organization that is money oriented…they’re more than familiar with the pressure to give money to the church…no problem in that area…they may not be able to tell you about Christian doctrine but they can tell you the church wants your money.
I don’t preach on money…don’t like to…don’t need to…but I just want to make one comment regarding giving.
Putting money or a check in the offering box represents a commitment to the ministry of the church…BUT NOT…as some preachers like to tell you…as a way to get God to open up the windows of Heaven so He can give you stuff because you’re giving money to Him…no He doesn’t…and no He won’t.
So, what does the Bible say about giving to the Church…Paul addresses this issue in two different letters…in 1st and 2nd Corinthians.
Paul is emphasizing the fundamental principle of giving that’s still the standard for today…it’s a voluntary decision…with no amount or fixed percentage attached as some pastors would have you believe.
Nowhere in the New Testament is a fixed amount or percentage mentioned or even inferred…nowhere is there push by the church to collect money…First… we don’t push…Second…I don’t know who or how much you all give…it’s none of my concern…finance committee wouldn’t tell me anyway and shouldn’t.
So what is the motivation for people to give to the Church… could say they are motivated by human kindness…just wanting to help…but the Bible doesn’t say that…Paul gives the reason why people give in [2 Cor. 9:8].
God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things, at all times, you may abound in every
good work.
There it is…the reason for giving to the church…this verse explains how God works when we give to the church and to others.
It has nothing to do with you giving money in the hopes that…‘you can’t out give God’…so give generously …that’s why some translations incorrectly translate this as…God is able to bless you abundantly…the Bible doesn’t say that…it says…God is able to make all grace abound to you.
Here’s the Peluso Paraphrase of [2 Cor. 9:8]:
…God is able to make all grace abound toward you…when you cheerfully give to assist other Christians God will reward you.
…Always having all sufficiency…having the necessities of life.
…you may abound…being furnished so richly that you have an abundance.
…in every good work…so you can give a donation to share with others.
The key to the three marks of being a committed Christian is found in [2] …to not be conformed to this world…what does that mean?
The word “conformed” essentially means to assimilate the lifestyle or values of the world…to be or become behaviorally or socially similar whereby we become molded into the world’s standards.
The term “world” and secularism are synonymous…it’s not referring to the physical world but rather a philosophical view of how we perceive things according to the world’s values…its beliefs…and morals which are in opposition to God’s.
It is true (not if) …it is true…that we are all created and not merely the result of an accident of nature…everyone is a product of God’s creation.
And because we are all created what happens in this life is not meaningless… you’re not just floating through life…there is life beyond the grave…so then… the most important question is “how do I attain that life beyond the grave?”
The most popular answer is that you have to earn it…that’s where religion comes in…in almost every religion in the world there is some formula for how you can earn God’s favor and gain life beyond the grave.
That’s the difference between faith and works…the Jews tried to earn righteousness by doing things…the Gentiles attained righteousness without trying…what’s the difference? Gentiles attained righteousness as a gift by faith in Jesus.
Jesus’ prayer was not for God to take us out of the world [John 17:15] …or that we live in isolation like some monk…He is asking us to keep ourselves clear of the world’s system of life which is contrary to His Word.
Paul is saying…don’t allow the world to be part of you…Satan is mounting a deadly attack against the body of Christ…it is so subtle that many don’t see it even happening.
Satan is slowly bringing the world into the Church…bringing the behavior of the world into the behavior of Christians…so what was once unacceptable is now considered normal or “acceptable to God.”
It started 2000 years ago…instead of the church influencing the world…the world and its culture have influenced and taken over the church. Paul lists them [2 Tim.3:2-5]
2 People (who) will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good,
4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God
5 having a form of godliness but denying its power.
At first glance we might say… ‘yep, that’s pretty much a good description of lost people…BUT NO…Paul is describing the traits of professing Christians who are in the church but are living like lost people.
That is the issue in the church today…I want to follow Jesus but I’m really not prepared to live with the change that accompanies that decision.
SO…how does one adopt the distinguishing marks of being a Christian?…[2] Paul focuses on that one essential means…be transformed by the renewal of your mind.’
As Paul transitions from teaching theology to teaching on Christian behavior he emphasizes that obedience and sacrifice are the only appropriate responses to God’s merciful work in our lives (Rom. 12:1).
Then building on that idea he commands us to be transformed and changed spiritually (Rom. 12:2).
This is an amazing truth in scripture. This change does not occur because of anything we do…it’s not duty driven because it’s what God commands…it comes by knowing God and His word…we can experience effortless change in our life simply by renewing our minds to the truth of God’s word.
Proverbs 23 says: as a man thinks in his heart so he is…our actions are a result of what we think.
Intellectually we may believe something to be true but the proof is in how we act…this is why it is so important to renew our minds with Scripture…to take it and implant it in our hearts so that it is in alignment with what God has said.
If what is in our heart is scripture then we will act based on that belief.
It is true (not if) …it is true…that we are all created and not merely the result of an accident of nature…everyone is a product of God’s creation…but not everyone is a child of God.
And because we are all created what happens in this life is not meaningless… you’re not just floating through life…there is life beyond the grave…so then… the most important question is “how do I attain that life beyond the grave?”
The most popular answer is that you have to earn it…that’s where religion comes in…in almost every religion in the world there is some formula for how you can earn God’s favor and gain life beyond the grave.
That’s the difference between faith and works…the Jews tried to earn righteousness by doing things…the Gentiles attained righteousness without trying …what’s the difference? …the Gentiles attained righteousness as a gift by faith in Jesus.