Pleading with Us

 

You can watch this video here: https://youtu.be/5T318MlJpC8

 

Our text this afternoon again comes from Paul’s letter to the Christians at Rome. Before I begin, I want to say It is important to remember Paul is writing to CHRISTIANS – not to pagans. He is writing to people who’ve been born again, been baptized into Christ, who are new creatures in Christ. People just like you and me.

 

And that is why what the Holy Spirit says through Paul’s pen is so important for us because these words I am about to read from his letter to the Christians at Romans – indeed, ALL of the words of Scripture in both Old and New Testaments – are applicable to us in the 21^st century. That’s why Paul also tells us a few chapters later in 15:4 “For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

 

The Scriptures Paul was referring to here were, of course, the Old Testament. Much of the New Testament had not yet been written or complied.

 

And as an aside, let me say that those who teach we should unhitch ourselves from the Old Testament, that we do not have to concern ourselves with the OT, are false teachers. Plain and simple.  With very rare occasions, such as in 2 Peter 3, the New Testament writers ALWAYS and exclusively were referring to the Old Testament whenever they spoke of the Scriptures in general.

 

Romans 12:1-2  Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

When St. Paul used the word "Therefore", we need to note what he has already told us, because the word ‘Therefore’ connects the things he’s already said with what he now has to say.  And while the apostle has told us many things about faith, holiness, and judgment in chapters one through ten – his comments in chapter 11 immediately precede chapter 12.

 

Chapter 11 of Romans focuses our minds to the imagery of a vine with branches. Jesus tells us in John 15, that He Himself is the Vine: “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit . . . . I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” (verses 1-5)

 

Paul then goes on to tell us that Israel – the natural branch –was cut from the vine because of their unwillingness to believe the message Isaiah prophesied of in Isaiah 53. We looked at that last week. Gentiles, on the other hand, were grafted onto the vine because they chose to receive that message.

 

Of course, as Paul tells us in chapter 11, Israel can be grafted back onto the vine, if they change their hearts and receive the message. But – and this too is important – Paul warned that the Gentiles can be broken off that vine if they change their hearts and no longer receive – meaning ‘obey’ – that message.

 

So, now, having established for his readers the necessity of not only receiving that message, but also OBEYING that message, Paul continues in quite logical fashion in 12:1  Therefore I urge you, brethren . . . to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice . . . which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

A living and holy sacrifice to God who is – or ought to be – their king. You may remember the scenario when Pilate had scourged Jesus and brought Him bloodied and beaten to the mob. Pilate said to them: “Behold, your King!” [and] they cried out, “Away with Him, away with Him, crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “Shall I crucify your King?” The chief priests answered, “We have no king but Caesar.” “So he then handed Him over to them to be crucified.” (John 19:14-16)

Please hear this. We should all be wary of who or what we make our king. Why? Because  choose the wrong king, then we will ALWAYS eventually crucify the good, the right, the just.

That is why we must answer that question every day: Who is our king? Ourselves? Our family? Money? A political party? If Jesus is not our king, then beware lest we crucify Him again.

Notice how Paul started this text in Romans 12: “I urge you.” Other translators render it “I implore you,” or “I beg you” or “I plead with you.”

There is good reason for his use of that phrase, because Paul understood the consequences of disobedience to the message. Again, remember Paul is writing to the CHRISTIANS at Rome.

 

Romans 2:4-5  “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,”

In his letter to the Christians at Ephesus, Paul wrote: Ephesians 5:5-7 For this you know with certainty, that no immoral or impure person or covetous man, who is an idolater, has an inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not be partakers with them;

In fact, you will not find many New Testament letters where the writer is not acutely aware of the eternal destiny of those who not only reject the message of salvation and eternal life, but who also live lifestyles in disobedience to that message.

Paul’s heart was for the salvation of men and women – so strong was his passion to win the lost that he would not stop proclaiming that message until death itself closed his mouth. And, as we know, death finally did silence the man around 66 AD when Nero removed Paul’s head his body.

Do we have that same kind of passion for souls?

It was likely only days – if not hours before his martyrdom – that Paul wrote these final words to Timothy. You’ll find them in 2 Timothy 4:7, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith. In the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

So, no wonder Paul appeals to his readers to present themselves to God in obedience to His commandments. He wants no second best from us. He demands of us all of our hearts and souls and minds and strength. No half-hearted offering is a workable solution when it comes to serving the King.

Further, the presentation of our lives as a holy sacrifice to God is an ongoing, day by day presentation. It is not ever simply a one-time thing – which might be why so many people make a decision at an altar, or at some baptismal font, and rarely darken the door of a church since. And as for living a holy lifestyle, they excuse their sins in every way that comes to their mind.

 

Brothers and sisters – don’t do that. May God ever urge us and move us to decide each day to present our bodies as a living and holy sacrifice to God which is – by the way – our ‘reasonable’ service of worship. After all, what could be more rational, more reasonable, more logical than to turn with enormous thankfulness in our hearts and passionately fall at His feet?

 

Paul continues: Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  In other words, do not let the world system mold you into its pattern. We’ve all used molds – whether for clay or for cooking. Like the Bundt molds for making Bundt cakes. Or even something as simple as ice cube trays – pour water into the molded plastic (aluminum trays decades ago), and when the water froze it left behind molded ice cubes.

 

The world system of Hollywood, the media, and the current political machinations and propaganda all try to mold you and me into the patterns THEY are trying to create for us – although, to be frank, it really is NOT Hollywood or the media or politicians trying to mold us. It is Satan and his evil angels doing so.

 

Even in some churches, in pulpits, in Catechism and Sunday School classes, and denominational publications, Satan sets his own workers to mold us into the patterns he wants for us – all of which lead to our ultimate destruction.

 

That is why Paul writes this to the Christians at Corinth: For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.

 

These are deceivers who try to mold us into godless and worldly practices that are a stench in the nostrils of God. Godless practices in the church such as accepting, for example, sexual perversions for which God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Or adultery. Or fornication. Or killing a baby in the womb because it is our legal ‘choice.’

Do not be conformed, molded by this world, but be transformed – the word Paul uses here is the word that carries the idea of a metamorphosis. Like a caterpillar morphing into something quite different and quite beautiful as a butterfly. 

The Holy Spirit through Paul instructs us to be changed into another form -- changed inside and out, in our thoughts, our beliefs, and our actions. While the godless world around us wants to conform us to itself, God wants to conform us into the image of Jesus.

How does that happen? The method is not complicated and it’s a well-known psychological principle: “Be careful of your thoughts, they become words. Be careful of your words, they become actions! Be careful of your actions, they become habits! Be careful of your habits, they become character! Be careful of your character, they become your destiny.”  

Which is precisely what Solomon wrote in Proverbs 23:7: As a man thinks within himself, so he is. (Proverbs 23:7) In other words: Let Scripture take root in our thoughts, and we WILL undergo a complete renovation of our lifestyle.

 

“For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12

 

And 2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.”

 

Something good happens to our spiritual selves when our lives are informed and guided by the Holy Scriptures. Paul introduces us to that change in the rest of verse two of chapter 12 of Romans.

 

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

 

The Greek word Paul uses here for ‘prove’ means to recognize something to be genuine after examination.” In other words, when our minds are renewed by the Holy Spirit through the Scriptures, we will learn to know God’s will. 

 

In his classic book titled, “Confessions” – which is the conversion story of one of Christendom’s greatest Saints – Augustine tells us of the one incident that set his course from a life running from God to one running toward Him.

As he stood in a garden struggling with the inner call of God, Augustine heard what he thought was a child calling out: “Pick it up and read it. Pick it up and read it.”

He walked back to the place where he’d been reading his Bible, picked it up and read the first text that caught his eye. It was from the thirteenth chapter of Romans: “Not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual excess and lust, not in quarreling and jealousy. Rather, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh.

Those words captured his heart and his conversion occurred on the spot. How much poorer the Church would be today if the man we call St. Augustine had not obeyed the Holy Spirit and read the Scriptures?

What was absolutely vital to St. Augustine’s conversion is no less vital for anyone’s fundamental and ongoing conversion today. Thus, it is no wonder the Holy Spirit continues to call His disciples – you and me – to do as St. Augustine did: Pick it up and read it.

It’s been well said, “The Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible

I have shared what I am about to say many times in the past, and I do so again because I know Bible study and meditation is so important to our spiritual maturation.

 

If you read two chapters of the Old Testament each day (it takes about 15 minutes or so), and two chapters of the New Testament each day (another 15 minutes or so), you will read the Old Testament once each year and the New Testament three times each year (thus: 2+2=1+3). In five years, you will read the OT five times and the NT 15 times. In ten years, well, you can do the math.

Jesus is God’s gift to humanity for the cleansing of our sins. The Scriptures are God’s gift to humanity to lead us to Christ, and then for our maturation in faith.

 

Will you commit yourself to regular reading and reflecting if you are not already doing so? It will work to change your heart, your mind, and your soul. And if you ARE doing so, will you commit yourself to continuing to do so?

 

Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.