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The Right Response to the Mercies of God Romans 12:1-8 |
October 17, 2004 Pastor Tom Marcum |
Over the course of our many mission trips to Mexico I've noticed that virtually everyone who participates is impacted in some positive, significant way, as evidenced by the fact the vast majority of those who participate once want to do so again. And it's not hard to understand why. To know that you have transformed the life of a family for a generation and more by providing them with something as basic as a house is profoundly rewarding.
I remember a moment of impact for me that occurred a couple of years ago during a worship service immediately after returning from one of those mission trips. Pastor Neil was welcoming everyone to the worship hour and as he did so I turned and glanced around the auditorium and as I looked at all of the smiling faces I suddenly flashed back to the faces of the family to whom, just two days earlier, I had handed the keys to their first ever house.
I remembered the exuberant smiles on the faces of those children jumping up and down on the beds in their brand new bedrooms. I remembered the gratitude on the faces of their parents. And I knew in that moment that this was one of the purest expressions of God's love that we as a church family could ever make.
And that was when it hit me--if everyone in the auditorium at that moment would reach into their pocket, take out a $10 bill and drop it in a basket up here we'd have the funds to build another house. $10 that most of us would never even miss could transform the life of an entire family by giving them a home. And as I continued to look around at this auditorium filled with people so abundantly blessed by God, I knew, in the moment, that this was something that we just had to do.
Sometimes in life we learn things, gain information or see an new insight that is interesting and informing, but doesn't really call for any kind of response. But there are other times in life when we learn things, gain information or see a new insight that is not only interesting and informing, but it's also compelling. It's convicting. It demands some kind of response from us.
And, for me, that was one of those moments. When I realized that we could get a family with babies and toddlers off the dirt and into a house for just $10 each, I knew that I had to respond in some way. So, I shared the information with you, you were as moved as I was and this morning there are more than a dozen families in Mexico living in houses that this church family has built and paid for in just the last four years.
This morning, as our journey through Romans brings us to chapter 12 we come to that moment of informed response. In chapters 1 through 11 Paul has carefully told us the incredible story of all that God has done to make it possible for sinful people like you and me to get right with God. It's a story of love, sacrifice, grace, mercy, forgiveness, hope and salvation. Now, as we come to chapter 12, it's time for each of us to decide if this amazing story of God's actions on our behalf is just going to be another nice little story that we listen to and then file away in the back of our minds or if this will be the kind of story, for us, that demands a response. Is the lesson that Paul has taught us simply interesting and informing or is it convicting and compelling?
The Total Commitment of our Life to God
Well, folks, the very first verse of chapter 12 makes the right answer to that question abundantly clear. Once we become aware of all that God has done to make our salvation possible, the only appropriate response is the total commitment of our life to God. In verse one Paul writes, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship."
That phrase, "in view of God's mercy," looks back to and encompasses everything that Paul has told us in the preceding 11 chapters about all that God has done to make our salvation possible. And what did God do for us?
--While we were still sinners…while we were still running from God and wanting nothing to do with God…while we were living as God's enemies, God allowed His Son, Jesus, to be put to death on a cross and He accepted Jesus' death as payment in full for the penalty of our sin.
--Then, with our sins fully paid for, God credited His own righteousness to our account counting His righteousness as our own.
--Then He declared once and for all that we were now right with Him; that we were justified;
--Then, He assured us that once He declares that we are justified, no one else will ever be able to condemn us;
--Then He welcomed us into His family as His children and assured us that there is no power, no force, no presence anywhere in the universe that will ever be able to separate God's children from God's love.
--And all He asks of us is that we believe. Our only contribution to this whole incredible process that moves us from being sinners destined for death to being God's children destined for eternal life is to trust that God's offer of salvation through Jesus is real and altogether trustworthy.
So, when Paul says, "Therefore…in view of God's mercy" he's saying, "In light of all that God has done to make it possible for you to be saved," "I urge you…to offer your bodies (which means, all that you are) as living sacrifices to God." The idea of the "living sacrifice" emphasizes the ongoing daily commitment of every aspect of our lives to God.
And notice that this total commitment, this "living sacrifice" is described here in three distinct ways.
First, it's described as "holy" because it is set apart and offered only to God.
Second, it's described as being "pleasing to God." Folks, there's our motivation for making this commitment. God has blessed us in more ways than we can even begin to count and now, by offering our lives to God, we can bring pleasure to Him. And what child doesn't delight in pleasing their father?
Finally, this sacrifice is also described as "reasonable." That final phrase, "this is your spiritual act of worship," is actually better translated as "reasonable" as it appears in The King James and several other translations. The point that Paul is making is simply this: there's no denying that the total commitment of your life to God is a huge sacrifice BUT "in view of God's mercy" toward you it's also an entirely reasonable sacrifice. In fact, to do anything less would be unreasonable.
Now, as we move on to verse two, we begin to see how this "living sacrifice," this total commitment to God is demonstrated in our daily lives. Verse two begins like this, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world…" In other words, don't allow the world in which you currently live, a world filled with all kinds of corruption and evil, to squeeze you into its mold. Remember, that as a child of God your primary citizenship is not here, but in heaven. Consequently, the primary shaping influences that you welcome into your life should not be those that help you fit in more comfortably during your brief time in this world. Instead, the primary shaping influences that you should welcome into your life are those that prepare you for an eternity in heaven. It's the same point that Paul made in Colossians 3:2 where he said, "Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things…"
Then, verse two continues like this, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." Folks, notice that it doesn't say, "transform your mind." "Get out there and transform yourself." What it says is, "be transformed." Which tells us that this transformation is something that is done to us rather than by us.
So, when you put it all together the big picture looks like this: God's desire is to transform the minds of His children so that our thinking and reasoning begins to reflect God's thinking and reasoning. And, by the power of the Holy Spirit God will accomplish that inward transformation of our minds if we will cooperate with Him by actively and steadfastly resisting the ungodly influences of this world.
And at the end of verse two Paul tells us the result that we can anticipate as this work of transformation begins to happen. He writes, "Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will." As we commit ourselves totally to God, resisting the influences of the world and welcoming the transforming influence of the Holy Spirit, we will be able to discern the will of God with greater and greater degrees of clarity and confidence.
--We will know what God wants from us.
--We will know when God is prompting us.
--We will know where God is leading us.
--We will live with the confidence that our life is in synch with God's will. And, folks, for a child of God, it just doesn't get much better than that.
Careful Self-Assessment and Humility
Now, as we move on to verse three we see that an awareness of all that God has done to make our salvation possible also moves us to careful self-assessment and humility. In verse three Paul writes, "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought…"
Folks, one of the worldly influences that we have to guard against is the temptation to be overly impressed with ourselves...the temptation to constantly feed and stroke our own ego…the temptation to envision ourselves as the center of the universe with everything else existing to serve our needs. That kind of narcissism has no place in a child of God.
And as verse three continues we get the corrective that prevents that kind of over-estimation of self. It says, "Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you." With this phrase, "the measure of faith God has given you," Paul is introducing the theme that he is going to develop in the coming verses, namely, that God gives spiritual gifts to all of His children and these gifts are to be used to build up the Body of Christ. God gives spiritual gifts to all Christians and then expects us to discover what those gifts are so that we can use them for the tasks He gives us to do in the context of our Christian family.
So, Paul's point here is basically this--for Christians, the key to avoiding an over-estimation of oneself is to make sure that your view of yourself is tied to this standard:
--First, that you are faithfully and fully exercising your spiritual gifts to build up the body of Christ and;
--Second, that you are doing so in a spirit of humility recognizing first, that you had nothing to do with the spiritual gifts that you have, rather, they are gifts to you from God; and, second, that God didn't give spiritual gifts to you alone, but rather, to all of His children.
And if we will do that, it will indeed keep us from an overly-inflated view of ourselves.
Form Healthy Relationships with Other Christians
Now, as we move on to verses four and five we see that an awareness of all that God has done to make our salvation possible also moves us to form healthy relationships with other Christians. As we recognize all that God has done to draw us into His family, we will give priority attention to the development of strong, vital and mutually beneficial relationships with our Christian brothers and sisters. Paul illustrates his point by comparing the relationships between fellow Christians to the relationship that exists between the various parts of a healthy body.
In verses four and five he writes, "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." There are three key aspects to note in Paul's description of the body of Christ.
First, notice that Paul emphasizes the fact that while we are "many members" we are connected to one another in such a way that we form "one body." The point is that one of the distinctive characteristics of our corporate relationship is unity. We were all saved in exactly the same way. We are all empowered by the same Holy Spirit. We are all living to the glory of the same God. God's passionate desire is that His people would be characterized by unity.
We see this passion in the prayer that Jesus offers on our behalf in John 17. Beginning in verse 20 Jesus says, "My prayer is…that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you…that they may be one as we are one; I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity…"
Folks, everything we do to strengthen the bond of unity that exists between us is pleasing to God and anything we do that in any way threatens our unity grieves His heart. The people of God are to be characterized by a profound and pervasive sense of unity that is rooted in the fact that we are all bound together "in Christ."
At the same time, God's people are also characterized by diversity. That diversity is seen in verse 4 where Paul says that we are, "…one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function." He's talking here about our spiritual gifts. God gives each of us differing gifts that are perfectly suited for the specific function that each of us is called to fulfill within the body.
Finally, notice that God's people are characterized by mutuality. That's Paul's point at the end of verse 5 when he says that, "each member belongs to all the others." Folks, we are so vitally connected as God's people that the actions of any one of us will produce consequences that ultimately impact all of the rest of us, either positively or negatively.
Folks, we must never forget that God paid for our admission into His family life of His Son. Clearly, His family is important to Him and it needs to be important to us, as well.
Serve God Fully and Enthusiastically
Finally, as we move on to VERSES 6-8 Paul specifically identifies some of the spiritual gifts that God gives and in doing so we see that an awareness of all that God has done to make our salvation possible also moves us to serve God fully and enthusiastically. He writes, "We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully."
The list of gifts that we have here is in no way intended to identify all of the spiritual gifts that God gives. Another key list of spiritual gifts is found, for instance, in 1 Corinthians 12. But rather than simply defining the various gifts that are mentioned I want us, instead, to focus our attention on how they are to be used.
First and foremost, please note that all of the gifts were given with the expectation that they would be used to the fullest. So, Paul says if your gift is serving, serve; if it's teaching, teach…if it's giving, give. Every gift given but not utilized weakens the body and every gift that is fully used strengthens the body. So put the gifts that God has given you to use and use them to the fullest.
Finally, notice that Paul ends his lesson, here, encouraging us to use our gifts "cheerfully." The Greek word translated here as "cheerfully" is the same root word from which we get our English word, "hilarious." Folks, here's the point--if you have little or no interest in serving God or if ministry feels to you like an obligation or drudgery, you need to step back immediately and ask God what went wrong because the biblical picture of ministry is that the opportunity to use whatever gift God has given us to strengthen the body of Christ ought to be one of the most joyful experiences in the life of a believer.
In view of God's mercy, how could it be anything else?
So, what is the right response to the mercy of God? What is the appropriate response for people who are fully aware of all that God has done to make it possible for them to be saved? I think the most moving, compelling and convicting answer to that question is found in the final verse of Isaac Watts' great hymn, "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross." As he envisioned the holy Son of God offering up his life for our salvation, Watts captured perfectly the best response of all in these words:
Were the whole realm of nature mine, that were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all.
© Copyright 2004 Pastor Tom Marcum