Homily Pastor
Righteousness
Practiced Personally (Romans 12)
We’re into double-digits; this is the 10th sermon of our
13-week series in the book of Romans… By Faith Alone.
Our key
verse comes from
We’re in the 12th Chapter of Romans working under the title:
Righteousness Practiced Personally.
This passage is one of those that is familiar to many of us.
Chapter 12 is packed-full of straightforward, practical stuff. I
suppose we would really have had no problem at all spending 12 weeks here… or
12 hours… I’ll try to keep it closer to 12 minutes.
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.
We don’t like to take advantage of the easy clichés… but this once
really fits. In this case, it is really important that we ask ourselves,
What is the therefore there for?
The previous verse?
The previous idea?
In this case, I think we can see that this therefore is a sort of “in conclusion.” This therefore is
based on all of Romans that has come before:
This is the fourth “therefore” in the letter.
·
Romans
·
Romans 5:1
is the “therefore” of justification, and
·
Romans 8:1
the “therefore” of assurance.
·
In Romans
12:1, we have the “therefore” of dedication
What is the directive?
- Offer
bodies as living sacrifices
o
Just as
Christ was our living sacrifice… we are called to be a living sacrifice
- Alluding to the sacrifices
of the law, but in this case…
We are temple, priest, and sacrifice, as Christ was in his peculiar sacrificing.[1]
o
Lest we misunderstand,
and somehow get the idea that this is an atoning sacrifice, Paul clarifies for
us right away… this is worship.
§ Living
- Holy
It is the soul that is the proper subject of holiness; but a sanctified soul communicates holiness to the body it actuates and animates.[2] - Do not conform
o
Succumbing
to the pressure from without
- Be transformed by renewal
o
Demonstrating
the power from within
What is the benefit?
Test and
approve what God’s will is
- This signifies not just a surrender of body… or
mind… but will.
You might expect a “how” here
- finally... a rule book
o
This is how
to sacrifice…
o
Pray like
this… fast like this… give alms like this…
- but rather than rules... we get relationship
Paul was writing to Christians who were members of local
churches in
Relationship
in the Body
- Honest Evaluation
- Exercising Gifts
a.
Make Room
b.
Receive
c.
Be a
faithful steward
- Loving Participation
Just like 1 Corinthians 12 is followed by the love chapter
Love is the circulatory system of the spiritual body, which enables all
the members to function in a healthy, harmonious way. [4]
Relationship to Enemies
As children of God, we must live on the highest level—returning good for evil. Anyone can return good for good and evil for evil. The only way to overcome evil is with good. If we return evil for evil, we only add fuel to the fire. And even if our enemy is not converted, we have still experienced the love of God in our own hearts and have grown in grace. [5]
We’ll end today where we started… I’ll make it personal and
I’ll ask us:
What are you there for?
- Worship
- Exercising Gifts
- Enduring Hardship