Does Your Life Please God ?
Romans 12King James Version (KJV)
12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:
5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
9 Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;
12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
13 Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.
14 Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
15 Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.
16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.
17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12
V 1–2: LIVING SACRIFICES Because of all God’s mercies, Paul pleads with the Gentile believers in Rome to respond to God’s gracious salvation by presenting their bodies as ‘a living sacrifice’. This alone is holy, acceptable and reasonable. It will mean that instead of following the world, they will prove experientially God’s good, acceptable and perfect will through a consecrated body and through a renewed mind which He will give them. V 3–8: LOOK SPIRITUALLY The grace that brings salvation, and enables personal sacrifice in following Christ, also produces a humble and spiritual mindset. This enables the Christian to consider things from a spiritual point of view. Thus self should not be exalted, and one should recognise that whatever God has given is a gift from Him and not a matter for personal pride. Those gifts, given liberally, should be exercised graciously and faithfully within the body of Christ. The gifts mentioned are to glorify God and help other Christians. V 9–21: LOVE SINCERELY Sincere love abhors hypocrisy and extols and exemplifies all the spiritual characteristics in dealings between Christians. The following things result from a spiritual love for Christ: kindly affection, preferring others, diligence, fervent service, rejoicing, hope, patience, continuing prayer, generosity towards the needs of others, rejoicing under persecution, sympathy, single-mindedness, humility, refusal to fight back, peace, compassion, seeking good, and overcoming evil with good. This love will be displayed both to Christian brethren and to the world at large. This can only be done by God’s gracious enabling through bodies presented as living sacrifices and through minds renewed by God’s grace and Spirit.
■Lev. 1:1–9: And the Lord called unto Moses: The and connects Leviticus with the Book of Exodus, thus forming a continuous narrative. The expression is used in practically the same form 56 times in the 27 chapters. Yahweh, the covenant God, is now "sum-moning" Moses as in Exodus 24:16, since God is instructing Moses in connection with the sacrificial rituals and is not calling him in the sense in which Christ called His disciples (Matt. 4: 19-21; Mark 1: 17-20). God spoke to Moses out of the tabernacle of the congregation, which was the place where God appeared in the cloud and spoke to Moses as "a man speaketh unto his friend" (Ex. 33:11; Num. 12:8). Yahweh's meeting Moses and Israel is often for the purpose of revelation (Ex. 29:42; 33:11; Num. 7:89)....
■Deut. 32:34–38: The possibility of compassion is implied as the poet turns his attention to the “impending doom” which would come upon those enemies of Israel whom God would employ as His...
■1 Sam. 18:30: Despite Saul’s jealousy, trickery, and oppression, David’s conduct remained exemplary. He supported properly constituted authority (cf. 1 Pet. 2:13–20) and behaved himself . . .
■ Freedom of God:
Isaiah 40:13King James Version (KJV)
13 Who hath directed the Spirit of the Lord, or being His counsellor hath taught Him?
■Jeremiah 12:1: The problem that the wicked seem to prosper is discussed often in the Scriptures (cf. Job 21:7–16; 24:1–16; Ps. 73:2–14). No definitive answer is given except that, according to....
■ Matthew 5:38-39King James Version (KJV)
38 Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
39 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
The principle of retaliation (lex talionis) is common in both Hebrew and other ancient Near Eastern law codes (cf. the Code of Hammurapi). The judicial penalty of an eye for an eye, and...
●● END TIMES PROPHECIES ●●
■ Matthew 17:1-9: See Mark 9:2–13; Luke 9:28–36. Peter, James, and John represent the “inner circle” of leadership among the disciples (cf.Luke 8:51; Matt. 26:37) and serve here as ample...
■ Mark 9:2King James Version (KJV)
And after six days Jesus taketh with Him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and He was transfigured before them.
Transfigured means to be altered in form, that is, the transformation is outwardly visible. The same word is used in Romans 12:2 and 2 Corinthians 3:18. The site was probably Mount Hermon (9,000 ft.).
■ Mark 9:49King James Version (KJV)
For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.
The first phrase has reference to thefire of testing that every believer undergoes. (See 2 Tim. 3:12; 1 Pet. 4:12.) The second refers to the salting of Old Testament sacrifices (Lev. 2:13)....
■ Introduction to the Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans:
Romans has been called “The Constitution of Christianity,” “The Christian Manifesto,” and “The Cathedral of the Christian...
■ Romans 1:11King James Version (KJV)
For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;
■ Romans 12:1King James Version (KJV)
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
By the mercies of God summarizes all that God has accomplished for the believer in Romans 1—11 in justifying the believer (chs. 1—5), enabling the believer to live a righteous life (chs....
Beseech is a Greek word which comes from a root meaning to “call alongside to help”.
“Mercies of God”: The gracious, extravagant, divine graces Paul expounded in the first eleven chapters, including God’s love, grace, righteousness and the gift of faith.
“Present your bodies a living sacrifice”: Under the Old Covenant, God accepted the sacrifices of dead animals. But because of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice, those are no longer of any effect. For those in Christ, the only acceptable worship is to offer themselves completely to the Lord. Under God’s control, the believer’s yet unredeemed body can and must be yielded to Him as an instrument of righteousness.
“Reasonable service”: Reasonable is from the Greek for “logic.” In light of all the spiritual riches believers enjoy solely as the fruit of God’s mercies, it logically flows that they owe God their highest form of service. Understood here is the idea of priestly, spiritual service, which was such an integral part of Old Testament worship.
I Peter 2:5 "Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ."
Psalms 19:14 "Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer."
We can see from this that God expects our loyalty. We have been bought and paid for with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. The least we can do is live for Him since He ransomed us from death.
■ Dedication to the Will of God:
Romans 12:1, 2. God’s will refers to His purpose for the life of the believer. It implies His guidance or direction in all of life’s decisions. Dedication is an act of...
■ Rom. 12:2: And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Be not conformed (lit., “stop conforming yourselves”): They are to resist being poured into the mold of the present thinking, value systems, and conduct of this world. This term is used only here and in 1 Peter 1: 14
Paul says, “Stop conforming yourselves”. They are to resist being poured into the mold of the present thinking, value systems, and conduct of this world. This term is used only here and in 1 Peter 1:14.
God’s will refers to His purpose for the life of the believer. It implies His guidance or direction in all of life’s decisions. Dedication is an act of surrender or submission to His will for our lives whereby we become a “Living sacrifice.”
The Greek word, for which the English word “metamorphosis” comes, connotes a change in outward appearance. Matthew uses the same word to describe the Transfiguration. Just as Christ briefly and in a limited way displayed outwardly His inner, divine nature and glory at the Transfiguration, Christians should outwardly manifest their inner, redeemed natures, not once, but daily.
The renewing of your mind is the kind of transformation that occurs only as the Holy Spirit changes our thinking through consistent study and meditation of Scripture. (Psalms 119:11)
■ Rom. 12:3: For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
The righteousness of God will cause the believer to conduct himself in humility in the local church (vv. 3–8). Paul meets two dangers that the individual faced in the exercise of his...
Every believer receives the exact gift and resources he needs to fulfill his role in the body of Christ.
■ Rom. 12:5: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
■ Rom. 12:9: Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
Without dissimulation (lit., “without hypocrisy”). The Christian’s conduct in the local church toward fellow believers is to be a volitional caring for others, loving faithfully in...
Rom. 12: 14: Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.
■ Rom. 12:19–21: Give place unto wrath: Paul quotes Deuteronomy 32:35 to show that only God has the right to avenge, and He certainly will avenge. Heap coals of fire on his head (cf. Prov. 25:22): This...
■ Serving Gifts:
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1 Corinthians 7:7 A spiritual gift is a sovereignly given ability to minister to others in the power of God, with an evident manifestation of the Holy Spirit through the Christian as he serves...
1 Corinthians 7:7 A spiritual gift is a sovereignly given ability to minister to others in the power of God, with an evident manifestation of the Holy Spirit through the Christian as he serves...
■ Hebrews 2:4King James Version (KJV)
God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?
God verified the Son’s message withmiracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost. The author states that these sign gifts were given to the first-generation witnesses. He does not suggest that his...
■ Priesthood of Believers:
1 Peter 2:9 Every believer has the privilege and responsibility of direct access to God.Illustration: In the Old Testament the family of Aaron was designated as a priesthood to...
■ 3 John 5King James Version (KJV)
Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers
In 2 John, mention is made of hospitality to traveling Christian workers. This was of crucial importance in the early church. See Romans 12:13; 1 Timothy 3:2; 5:10; Titus 1:8; Hebrews 13:2; 1 Peter 4:9
Incense is often an illustration of prayer (cf. 5:8). The trumpet judgments may be God’s response to the prayers of the saints in 6:10—a cry for revenge against the enemies of Christ...
The hope that we are to rejoice in is the hope of the resurrection; of Christ’s return and our ultimate redemption. We are warned not to be like those that have no hope of the resurrection.
I Thessalonians 4:13-14 "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope." "For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him."
We, also, know that in this life there will be tribulation. Tribulation comes to make us strong.
John 16:33 "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." We see from this that we certainly to face tribulation.
Romans 5:3 " And not only [so], but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;"
Ephesians 6:18 "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;"
Prayer is the power available to the Christian. Prayer is so important that even Jesus went aside and prayed to the Father. The disciples that walked with Jesus saw the importance of prayer and asked Jesus to teach them to pray. When we pray, we pray to the Father in the name of Jesus. We are told that anything we ask in the name of Jesus will be done.
