Romans 12:2,3

1. Romans 12:2,3 Our Body a Living Sacrifice • Rom 12:2 NKJV “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” • ‘Conformed’ – imperative, present, passive/middle voice • To be fashioned according to – to form or mold after something else – being part of the crowd • 1 Pet 1:14 - ‘as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, asin your ignorance;’ • Who’s doing this? • Passive voice indicates that the believer is being acted upon, but the middle voice implies that the subject is acting in some way upon or concerning himself/herself • ‘world’ or ‘age’ aion not kosmos is actually used in the Greek here • Distinguish age from world • Let’s look where both words are used together • Eph 2:2 – ILG ‘In which once you walked according to the age of this world,’ • STOP!!!!! - allowing the world to fashion or shape your lifestyle toward the depraved spiritual and moral characteristics of the time – now How????? 1 June 17, 2007 Bob Eckel

2. Romans 12:2,3 Our Body a Living Sacrifice • It’s all wrapped up InChrist • Gal 1:4 – ‘who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,’ • So what is the problem – ‘ye have not so learned Christ’ • Let’s examine Eph 2:17-20 • The alternative – ‘be transformed by the renewing of your mind’ • be transformed, metamorphoo - present, passive, imperative • Change into another – a totally different kind • Hal liked the caterpillar/butterfly comparison – perhaps the best natural example of metamorphosis • Outward evidence of what we are internally • A similar word, but same root word – symmorphos is in Rom 8:29 – ‘For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate [to be] conformed(having the same form) to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.’ • II Cor 3:18 played out • by the renewing of your mind • Vine – ‘To adjust ones spiritual mindset to be in line with the mind of God for the purpose of a transformed life’ We live in, but are not of it! 2 June 17, 2007 Bob Eckel

3. Romans 12:2,3 Our Body a Living Sacrifice • Thayer – a renewal, renovation, complete change for the better • Who’s being renewed here? • If it’s a complete change for the better, who’s getting better? • anakainosis – to make new in quality not time • The mind – ‘comprising alike the faculties of perceiving and understanding and those of feeling, judging, determining’ – Thayer • ‘the intellectual faculty, the understanding’ • ‘reason in the narrower sense, as the capacity for spiritual truth, the higher powers of the soul, the faculty of perceiving divine things, of recognizing goodness and of hating evil’ • ‘the power of considering and judging soberly, calmly and impartially’ • The process for the believer • Titus 3:5 ‘not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewingof the Holy Spirit,’ • Gal 5:25 ‘If we live (present active) in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.’ 3 June 17, 2007 Bob Eckel

4. Romans 12:2,3 Our Body a Living Sacrifice • Eph 1:18 ‘the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,’ • How do we do this? • ‘That I may know Him’ – Phil 3:10 • Walk by faith – ‘believing what God has revealed’ – founded in God’s Word • Incorporate God’s frame of reference into our new man (inner man) – it’s a matter of ‘citizenship’ – Phil 3:20 • As we act on these truths, God’s intent of having ‘Christ formed in you’ - Gal 4:19 will ensue • that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. • prove - the saint, transformed and renewed will show forth in his/her life "the will of God.” – see I Cor 3:13 • ILG – the good, and well-pleasing and perfect (will) • will is best interpreted complete 4 June 17, 2007 Bob Eckel

5. Romans 12:2,3 Our Body a Living Sacrifice • And what in God’s eyes is perfect or complete? • Col 1:28 – ‘Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.’ • And what is God’s perfect/complete will? • Rom 8:29 comes up again • And Rom 8:30-31 ‘Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?’ • Do you believe this? • And by His Grace are you walking uplifted in this truth? • more than conquerors – Rom 8:37 • Some call this ‘SELF CONSECRATION in our whole spirit and soul and body to Him who hath called us into the fellowship of His Son Jesus Christ.’ • Agree, agree in part, or disagree? 5 June 17, 2007 Bob Eckel

6. Romans 12:2-3 Our Body a Living Sacrifice • Rom 12:3 NKJV “For I say, through the grace (having been) given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” • Notice the basis on which Paul introduces the gifts – it’s all grace! – Eph 3:7,8 • and with grace, there’s absolutely no room for self is there? • Only NT use - indirect negative in the Greek, ‘over-think’ or ‘estimate’ • The contrast is soberly – 1 Pet 1:13 • 1Cor 4:6,7 and Gal 6:3, are other reminders of this important principle • according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith • Dealt – aorist active – to bestow or impart to every, not just some • JFB – ‘Faith is here viewed as the inlet to all the other graces’ And what is your gift? – stay tuned 6 June 17, 2007 Bob Eckel