Transformed Living! - Romans 12:1-8
By Pastor Lee Hemen
March 11, 2007 AM
Sometimes standing for your faith is tougher than simply deciding between a lesser or greater evil or lesser or greater good. It often requires the individual to make a decision on how they will live their lives. Most of Jesus’ disciples found this out rather quickly. In fact, to the point of their dying for the sake of the gospel message. Sadly, there are those in our day and age who claim to know Jesus, but are very willing to toss Him over board, rather than step out on the water and join Him, in order to be seen or viewed as nice or likable by the world. While we should not necessarily be contrary on purpose, the very nature of our lives lived for Jesus should make us “enemies to the world.” If we as believers are too well liked by those living in the ungodly realm of this world, then we should take a closer look at our faith walk and what it means. Living for Jesus means transformed living.
Transformed living can only come about when the individual has placed themselves at the mercy of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Then the Holy Spirit comes and lives within the individual and His power is displayed as we live for Christ. Many try to fake it by being nice, good, or by being religious. In fact there are those who equate the Christian faith with just being a good person and doing good things. If this were true, Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection were not needed and we are living a lie! Transformed living can only be lived by those who truly have been changed by the power of God! Let’s discover this morning what Paul teaches about transformed living.
READ: Romans 12:1-8
There are some messages that are so important that you wish you could not only make people listen, but that you could also make them fully understand what you are trying to convey. This is true for this passage of Scripture found in the book of Romans. Paul’s message here is so important for the Christian that it should be required reading for anyone that claims Jesus as their Savior and Lord. We can live our lives in such a way that we glorify God or that we are useless for the Lord. Some of us will simply settle with being “okay” in our living for Christ, and will actually think this is a good standard to live our faith by. Shame on us! Do we not know that a life lived in mediocrity for Jesus is a life that is not well lived? Are we willing to tell Jesus here is my mediocre faith, such as it is, use it if You can? Paul related that a life lived for Jesus is a transformed life. A transformed life means…
I. We are to live holy lives! (vv. 1-2)
1. The practicality of the Christian faith is lived in full view of God! Paul urged, beseeched, called along side – with all that was within him to his fellow Christians to live their lives “in view of God’s mercy.” Literally, “by God’s mercy!” Living in the “view of God’s mercy” means the Christian does not live for themselves! They live in full exposure of God’s infinite act of grace! If God sacrificed for us, then the Christian should live accordingly. We are to “offer [our] bodies as living sacrifices.” A living sacrifice dies to self and then lives for God. It voluntarily sacrifices all that it holds dear and gives it “freely over to the Lord Jesus Christ. .” This is “holy and pleasing to God.” This is our “spiritual act of worship!” How is this possible? Paul does not leave us in a spiritual dilemma, but answers: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” The word for “pattern” is "suschematizo" (soos-khay-mat-id’-zo), where we get “schematic” from. By this new life schematic we “will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Rather than be squeezed into the mold that world desires for us, we willingly allow our lives to be transformed and renewed by God through holy living! That’s a transformed life!
EXAMPLE: So much of the world wants to inject itself into our lives that often as Christians we can become confused. We have all heard as children, or used the phrase as a parent, “If your friends all jumped off a cliff, would you?” Yet many of us right now are guilty of this very thing as we live our lives as Christians. We willing “jump off a cliff” spiritually and into sin because those around us expect us to and we do not want to be seen as not being accepting, nice, or socially amiable, which is just another phrase meaning easily pliable. We would rather “fit-in” than live for Jesus. Transformed living means living a holy life!
Like silly putty we allow our lives to be molded by friends, family, or the world around us. However, Paul calls to us to join him. To come along side of him and be “transformed by the renewing of [our] minds.” By the very way we think! Paul warns us to “think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.” Not the ungodly world, not our unsaved friends, nor our acquiescent family – we are to be transformed through holy living. Paul related that a life lived for Christ is a transformed life. A transformed life means…
II. We are to remember we are part of the body of Christ in the world! (vv. 3-8)
1. A believer’s transformed life is lived out in the church! Far too often we think we are the only one that matters. It is only by God’s grace we see ourselves as we truly are and others around us as God really views them! Robert Mounce states that many Christians are “egoholics!” Ungodly self-centeredness infects the “emergent” church of today whereby believers are taught that Jesus revolves exclusively around their meager little lives and is totally engrossed in every minute detail! While I believe God is aware of our lives, I do not think He is interested in what deodorant I use. What it boils down to is how we “feel” about our relationship and not what God desires to use us for. Paul relates that “sober judgment” requires that we take a closer look at ourselves and how we are serving God in His church. Paul reminds us: “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” We are not our own. “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.” This grace is extended to us from Jesus through the Holy Spirit living is us. It is not some mystical or magical power that we can turn off or on at a whim. Rather, it is our act of worship within the confines of the body of Christ in the world! Some of us are called to “prophesy” (proclaim) the word of God boldly, others to “teach,” “serve,” “encourage,” “contribute to the needs of others… generously,” “leadership” by being hard-working, or by displaying joyful “mercy.” When we remind ourselves whom we serve and why we serve, then our spiritual act of worship within the church transforms our lives. We are to remember we are part of the body of Christ in the world!
EXAMPLE: My father would remind us that when we acted up in public, we reflected on the entire family. He would declare, “Do you want the world to think I raised a bunch of monkeys?” Only once did I respond by hunching over, scratching myself, and making simian sounds. My father did not find the humor in my actions. I think this may be true of God as well when He sees individual believers in His church acting so self-centered. Worship is self-centered. Bible study is self-centered. Many of the ministries of the church are self-centered. Everything revolves around what do we need to do to make the crowd happy, rather than what does it do to build the kingdom of God? Many churches today say they allow latte stands, indoor playgrounds, gymnasiums, and worship so that makes it easier for the non-believer to come and be readily accepted. Yet, isn’t worship for believers? Isn’t church “the body of Christ?” In fact the mere word “church” means “those called out to do a specific task.” I fear some Christians have reduced church to a emotional spiritual experience rather than God’s people worshipping, learning, and serving Jesus Christ. Transformed living is remembering we are part of the body of Christ in the world!
Conclusion:
Paul related that a life lived for Jesus is a transformed life. A transformed life means living a holy life and that we are part of the body of Christ in the world!
By Pastor Lee Hemen
March 11, 2007 AM
Sometimes standing for your faith is tougher than simply deciding between a lesser or greater evil or lesser or greater good. It often requires the individual to make a decision on how they will live their lives. Most of Jesus’ disciples found this out rather quickly. In fact, to the point of their dying for the sake of the gospel message. Sadly, there are those in our day and age who claim to know Jesus, but are very willing to toss Him over board, rather than step out on the water and join Him, in order to be seen or viewed as nice or likable by the world. While we should not necessarily be contrary on purpose, the very nature of our lives lived for Jesus should make us “enemies to the world.” If we as believers are too well liked by those living in the ungodly realm of this world, then we should take a closer look at our faith walk and what it means. Living for Jesus means transformed living.
Transformed living can only come about when the individual has placed themselves at the mercy of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Then the Holy Spirit comes and lives within the individual and His power is displayed as we live for Christ. Many try to fake it by being nice, good, or by being religious. In fact there are those who equate the Christian faith with just being a good person and doing good things. If this were true, Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection were not needed and we are living a lie! Transformed living can only be lived by those who truly have been changed by the power of God! Let’s discover this morning what Paul teaches about transformed living.
READ: Romans 12:1-8
There are some messages that are so important that you wish you could not only make people listen, but that you could also make them fully understand what you are trying to convey. This is true for this passage of Scripture found in the book of Romans. Paul’s message here is so important for the Christian that it should be required reading for anyone that claims Jesus as their Savior and Lord. We can live our lives in such a way that we glorify God or that we are useless for the Lord. Some of us will simply settle with being “okay” in our living for Christ, and will actually think this is a good standard to live our faith by. Shame on us! Do we not know that a life lived in mediocrity for Jesus is a life that is not well lived? Are we willing to tell Jesus here is my mediocre faith, such as it is, use it if You can? Paul related that a life lived for Jesus is a transformed life. A transformed life means…
I. We are to live holy lives! (vv. 1-2)
1. The practicality of the Christian faith is lived in full view of God! Paul urged, beseeched, called along side – with all that was within him to his fellow Christians to live their lives “in view of God’s mercy.” Literally, “by God’s mercy!” Living in the “view of God’s mercy” means the Christian does not live for themselves! They live in full exposure of God’s infinite act of grace! If God sacrificed for us, then the Christian should live accordingly. We are to “offer [our] bodies as living sacrifices.” A living sacrifice dies to self and then lives for God. It voluntarily sacrifices all that it holds dear and gives it “freely over to the Lord Jesus Christ. .” This is “holy and pleasing to God.” This is our “spiritual act of worship!” How is this possible? Paul does not leave us in a spiritual dilemma, but answers: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” The word for “pattern” is "suschematizo" (soos-khay-mat-id’-zo), where we get “schematic” from. By this new life schematic we “will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Rather than be squeezed into the mold that world desires for us, we willingly allow our lives to be transformed and renewed by God through holy living! That’s a transformed life!
EXAMPLE: So much of the world wants to inject itself into our lives that often as Christians we can become confused. We have all heard as children, or used the phrase as a parent, “If your friends all jumped off a cliff, would you?” Yet many of us right now are guilty of this very thing as we live our lives as Christians. We willing “jump off a cliff” spiritually and into sin because those around us expect us to and we do not want to be seen as not being accepting, nice, or socially amiable, which is just another phrase meaning easily pliable. We would rather “fit-in” than live for Jesus. Transformed living means living a holy life!
Like silly putty we allow our lives to be molded by friends, family, or the world around us. However, Paul calls to us to join him. To come along side of him and be “transformed by the renewing of [our] minds.” By the very way we think! Paul warns us to “think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.” Not the ungodly world, not our unsaved friends, nor our acquiescent family – we are to be transformed through holy living. Paul related that a life lived for Christ is a transformed life. A transformed life means…
II. We are to remember we are part of the body of Christ in the world! (vv. 3-8)
1. A believer’s transformed life is lived out in the church! Far too often we think we are the only one that matters. It is only by God’s grace we see ourselves as we truly are and others around us as God really views them! Robert Mounce states that many Christians are “egoholics!” Ungodly self-centeredness infects the “emergent” church of today whereby believers are taught that Jesus revolves exclusively around their meager little lives and is totally engrossed in every minute detail! While I believe God is aware of our lives, I do not think He is interested in what deodorant I use. What it boils down to is how we “feel” about our relationship and not what God desires to use us for. Paul relates that “sober judgment” requires that we take a closer look at ourselves and how we are serving God in His church. Paul reminds us: “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” We are not our own. “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.” This grace is extended to us from Jesus through the Holy Spirit living is us. It is not some mystical or magical power that we can turn off or on at a whim. Rather, it is our act of worship within the confines of the body of Christ in the world! Some of us are called to “prophesy” (proclaim) the word of God boldly, others to “teach,” “serve,” “encourage,” “contribute to the needs of others… generously,” “leadership” by being hard-working, or by displaying joyful “mercy.” When we remind ourselves whom we serve and why we serve, then our spiritual act of worship within the church transforms our lives. We are to remember we are part of the body of Christ in the world!
EXAMPLE: My father would remind us that when we acted up in public, we reflected on the entire family. He would declare, “Do you want the world to think I raised a bunch of monkeys?” Only once did I respond by hunching over, scratching myself, and making simian sounds. My father did not find the humor in my actions. I think this may be true of God as well when He sees individual believers in His church acting so self-centered. Worship is self-centered. Bible study is self-centered. Many of the ministries of the church are self-centered. Everything revolves around what do we need to do to make the crowd happy, rather than what does it do to build the kingdom of God? Many churches today say they allow latte stands, indoor playgrounds, gymnasiums, and worship so that makes it easier for the non-believer to come and be readily accepted. Yet, isn’t worship for believers? Isn’t church “the body of Christ?” In fact the mere word “church” means “those called out to do a specific task.” I fear some Christians have reduced church to a emotional spiritual experience rather than God’s people worshipping, learning, and serving Jesus Christ. Transformed living is remembering we are part of the body of Christ in the world!
Conclusion:
Paul related that a life lived for Jesus is a transformed life. A transformed life means living a holy life and that we are part of the body of Christ in the world!
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