“Where the ‘Doing’ Comes From”

Text: (Romans 12:1-2) “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. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will”

• This passage is, in my view. a picture of the discipleship process in a nutshell. We see God’s mercy. As we see, we present ourselves to Him. As we present, we are transformed by His power and become displays of His good and perfect will to the world.

I. Keep God’s Mercy in View.
a. His love for you. Paul is primarily referring to keeping the gospel in view, but I think Paul would heartily agree that it also includes keeping the day-to-day expressions of God’s love in view as well.

II. Present your bodies to Him.
a. God’s mercy always calls us to Himself. As it did before we became believers. So it does afterwards.
b. Presenting ourselves to God involves an attitude such as this: “I Present my body to You Lord, as Your dwelling place, as Your temple, to be who You want to be to me, in me and through me.”

III. Be transformed
a. Lit. “Be being transformed.” It’s the Lord’s work in us. Not our work in ourselves.
b. Don’t be conformed to this world, by a “do-it-yourself” approach to life and spirituality. Instead present yourself to God, let Him transform You by renewing Your mind.
c. Do not be conformed by not presenting, be transformed as a result of presenting.
d. God not only knows you by name, He knows everything about you. He knows what YOU need to see, experience and understand in order to “get it,” in order to “get Him.”

And the results of this process: Verse 2, “Test and approve God’s will.” You will be a display of God’s good and perfect will.

What I’m asking you to do is spend more time presenting yourself this month. Don’t assess yourself by your “results” for God but by your faith in Him. That’s where the healthy doing comes from.