Romans 12- Living Sacrifice

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I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service Romans 12:1

Recently I just preached on Luke 9 What Is A Christian? In this chapter Jesus lays out what he requires of us to be a disciple of Christ. Just an example Jesus said “If anyone wants to come after me (be my disciple), they must deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow me (Christ) (Luke 9:23) Jesus is saying if you really want to be a Christian, you must carry your cross and follow Christ. How many of the billions of people, who identify as Christians, carry their cross on a daily basis?

So as we look at our text today, the Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, continues this theme. “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice” Wow this seems pretty extreme right? Well our sin is so extreme that the Son of God had to die on the cross for your sins, so yes salvation is extreme. Today’s Christianity is all about self worship and self glorification.

Most people don’t want to sacrifice anything, they want things added to them. Most peoples view on Christianity today is my life plus Jesus added as a bonus, but if you are truly a Christian, Jesus is your entire life. Consider what the Apostle Paul said here “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” (Galtians 2:20) You are not your own, you were bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

So going back to this theme, present your bodies as a living sacrifice, first understand your body is a temple of the Living God, as a Born Again Christian, the Holy Spirit lives inside of you. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17) How can you be pleased to continue to live in sin if God lives inside of you? While we battle against the sins of the flesh, we sacrifice the daily pleasures of the flesh to give glory to God. 

Lets consider this, if you are a Born Again Christ, the Holy Spirit lives inside of you, you are now a Temple of God. If you were at your local Church, would you be watching pornography? Would you be drunk? Would you be continually cussing? No, because you have respect for the house of The Lord, so if you’re a Temple of God, why don’t you treat your body with the same reverence?

As the Apostle Paul says “Holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” Many will cry “Legalism” but No you are honoring your Lord, this is your service, to crucify the flesh daily and live for Jesus Christ as a living sacrifice, Amen!

Romans 11- All Glory to God

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O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counseller? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen.  Romans 11:33-36

After several chapters of difficult teachings, the Apostle Paul ends this section with worship to our God! What a beautiful and humble way to end this section of scripture, remember our God is an awesome God who reigns! The reason we wrestle with these scriptures is as the Apostle Paul states here “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God” The mind of God is beyond our human comprehension, as The Lord stated through the prophet Isaiah ““For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.  “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9)

Job stated “Can you fathom the deep things of God or discover the limits of the Almighty?” (Job 11:7) This is why when we come to the Word of God, we must come with all humility and reverence, and be willing to learn by the Holy Spirit. Just as we look out into the universe, can we fathom how it all began? Or when we look from the shore of the ocean, another whole world is going on under those waters, we are just a grain of sand on the seashore, fill us Lord with your Spirit so we may comprehend your ways and thoughts!

How unsearchable are His judgements and His ways unfathomable! How can we fathom the mind of our Heavenly Father? When you open your Bible, Thank the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit for this unspeakable gift, to learn and know the thoughts of God. “Who has known the mind of The Lord? Or who has become His counselor?” Who can possibly know the mind of God, the Creator of the Heavens and the Earth? The one who breathed your soul into existence? Yet many believe they are Gods counselors! They say well I have this degree and that degree, I was raised in the Church from a child, I know the Word of God! Do you really? “Fear of The Lord is the beginning of wisdom and understanding!” (Proverbs 9:10)

The Apostle Paul actually quotes Job here “Who has given to Me that I should repay him? Everything under heaven is Mine.” (Job 41:11) Everything belongs to The Lord, including You! God doesn’t owe us anything, and we owe Him everything! Humble ourselves before The Lord and you will receive understanding of His word by the Holy Spirit. The Apostle Paul ends this perfectly  “For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things, to whom be the glory forever, Amen!”

Romans 11- Grace and Mercy

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As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief: Even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy. For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all. Romans 11:28-32

The Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, continues to explain the “Mystery of Israel”, as many Christians find it hard to understand how God can still have a plan for the nation that crucified The Lord (Acts 2:36) “As concerning the gospel, they (Israel) are enemies for your (Church) sakes” So it’s no surprise that a majority of Christians today consider Israel to be their enemies, because they haven’t been Born Again yet

However what most Christians forget is election and the sovereignty of God, For He says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whomever I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I will have compassion.” (Romans 9:15) Many who claim Israel has been “done away with”, are not only denying the Word of God but they are also denying the sovereignty of God. As God can raise up an army in a valley of dry bones (Ezekiel 37)

“But as touching the election, they (Israel) are beloved for the fathers sake” There is still a remnant that God has saved (Romans 9:27) And just because you can’t understand it or maybe you don’t like it, doesn’t mean its not happening. “For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable or without repentance”  This is the grace of God being fully demonstrated on Israel, none of us deserve mercy , all of us deserve eternal Hell-fire, but its because of the grace of God through faith in Christ we are saved (Ephesians 2:38)

“For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience,” before you condemn Israel, before you condemn anyone, remember your calling. Remember when you were unsaved headed to eternal damnation. But Christ choose you and gave you grace and mercy, you didn’t do anything to deserve mercy, but its by the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ “even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy.”

“For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.” God will use Israel as an example to the world, that no matter how far away we have strayed, mercy is still possible though our Lord Jesus Christ, who is calling all the prodigal sons and daughters home (Luke 15:11-32) so all of heaven can rejoice! (Luke 15:7) Amen!

Romans 11- Mystery of Israel

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For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. Romans 11:25-27

The Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, sends a message to the Church, that is very relevant even today. “For I would not, brethren (Church), that you should be ignorant/unaware of this mystery” So what is the mystery that the Church is ignorant of? It’s the same “mystery” that even todays Church seems even more ignorant of. As Paul warns the Church “lest you should be wise in your own opinion” How many Christians today, disregard what scripture says by the Holy Spirit, and are wise in their own eyes? Paul is calling out the Church!

So what is the mystery? The Holy Spirit continues to tell us “that blindness is part is happened to Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles (Church) come in” Its no suprise to God that the majority of Israel has rejected Christ, because they are under a spiritual blindness of God. Is this forever? No, until the fullness of the Church, God is not finished with Israel, God has not done away with Israel, this is the mystery that many can’t comprehend. 

If this is not clear enough for you, the Apostle Paul states, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit “And so All Israel shall be saved” This destroys modern day dispensationalism, many people will try to inject that the Church is Israel, this is not found anywhere in scripture. Even here, Paul is speaking of Israel and the Church separately. Make no mistake, salvation only comes through Jesus Christ, in Gods timing, the spiritual blindness will be lifted on the elect of Israel and they will be saved in Christ

This is not a new revelation, this has been Gods salvation plan since the beginning, as the Apostle Paul quotes Old Testament prophecies “The deliverer (Christ) will come out of Zion (Israel), He (Christ) will turn away ungodliness from Jacob (Israel)” (Isaiah 59:20-21) This is nothing new the Apostle Paul is revealing here, this is the same the prophet Isaiah fortold, the same the prophet Jeremiah fortold (Jeremiah 31:33-34) The New Covenant has come!

“For this is my covenant with them (Israel), when I take away their sins” (v27) Christ the Deliverer will save His remnant of Israel, they will be saved the same way we are saved, by the cross and resurrection of Christ, don’t be ignorant of this mystery, Church! Amen!

Romans 11- The Natural Branches

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Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in. Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again. For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree? Romans 11:19-24

Many “Christians” today will boast that Israel has been done away with, they will proclaim that they are the “New Israel” , however this arrogance should be a warning to them! As the Apostle Paul states they say “The branches (Israel) were broken off, that I (Church) might be grafted in” Why? “Well because of unbelief they were broken off, and I stand by faith” Because of Israel’s rejection of Christ , because they have crucified The Lord, many were broken off (Acts 2:36) 

However the Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit , gives a strong warning about this “Do not be arrogant/haughty/conceited but tremble/fear”! While most of the Church seems to celebrate the “breaking off of the natural branches”, the Church should instead be in fear and trembling? Why? “For if God did not spare the natural branches (Israel) He will not spare you either” (v21) If Gods elect, Gods chosen people can be cut off because of their disobedience and lack of faith, you can be cut off also!

Understand this warning is from the Holy Spirit, I can already hear many Christians arguing this statement. Consider what The Lord Jesus said “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matthew 10:28) Israel should be a warning to the Church, and the Church should be a light to Israel, however instead many just boast in their arrogance and have no fear of their Lord and God

However the gospel is good news, while many were cut off, they can also be grafted in through Christ as the Apostle Paul reveals “And they also, if they do not continue in unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.” (v23) This is like Jesus’ parable of the prodigal Son, (Luke 15) the Father had 2 sons, not just one. When the prodigal son came home, what was the response of the other son? He was angry, he had hatred in his heart, instead of rejoicing like the Father and all of Heaven, when one sinner comes to repentance (Luke 15:7)

“how much more will these, who are natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?” (v24) Many natural branches that were cut off, will be grafted back in through Jesus Christ, instead of hardening your hearts, rejoice brothers and sisters, because of God’s great mercy He demonstrated to us! Amen!