Living Like a Christian in Our Relationship with God - Part 1

Does it matter how someone lives in the world today?

Think about it.

Does it really matter how you live?

Generally speaking, you know, there are people who think in today's world,

we're not like we used to be.

Everybody just sort of does what they want to do.

So just do what you want to do.

Don't worry about it.

There shouldn't be a problem doing that.

Well, if you think that way, I don't know where you've been.

You certainly have not read or listened to any news.

It seems that almost every week, a politician, a business executive,

a TV personality, or an athlete is caught saying or doing something that just ruins their life.

Some of you most probably in here know some of this.

A state senator in Florida forced to resign this past week for his outburst.

Some of his colleagues, racial slurs, just hard, tough things he said.

And the outcry was such.

It mattered.

He's no longer a state senator.

Bill O'Reilly, number one show on Fox.

Forced out.

No more the O'Reilly factor.

Accusations of sexual immorality.

The list can go on and on.

Politicians.

Business leaders.

Church leaders.

And on lower levels, not so much in the big headlines,

but situations that we're familiar with.

People say things, they do things, and it misrepresents,

or it causes the wrong kind of attention to their company,

or their colleagues, or their school, or their team.

And they pay for it.

They suffer for it.

Now, many people who this happens to,

they'll come out and they'll apologize.

They'll apologize for the way they have reflected so poorly

on certain people or organizations that they represent.

University of Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield

has been a very public example of this.

He was arrested back in February

for public drunkenness, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest,

and a few other infractions, the story goes.

Three days later, he issued a very lengthy apology

that demonstrates his awareness

that it matters how you live.

It matters a lot

how you represent certain people, organizations.

I want you to look at part of his statement.

He said,

I sincerely apologize for my actions early Saturday morning.

I apologize to President Boren, Coach Stoops, and Coach Riley

for conducting myself in a manner that does not correctly represent

the way the University of Oklahoma should be represented.

I know better than to bring bad attention and scrutiny

to the school and people that I love.

Next, I apologize to my family and close friends.

To my parents and brother,

I am extremely sorry for bringing this embarrassment

to the Mayfield name.

I was raised better.

I want you to think.

If it matters how athletes and politicians

and business executives and go on and on,

if it matters how they live,

if it matters how they represent their company

or organization or whatever,

how much more should it matter

how we as Christians live

and reflect on our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Today and for the next four weeks,

I want us to turn to Romans chapter 12

Romans 12 · chapter mention

and look at how God calls us to live in this world

as his children.

And I want us to understand he calls us to do this

because it matters.

It matters how we live.

It matters how we represent him,

how we represent the Lord Jesus.

What we're going to do

is we're going to do a study

of the entire chapter of Romans

or the 12th chapter of Romans.

The whole thing is going to be called

Living Like a Christian.

And we're going to break it down into five studies,

possibly six.

Here's the goal.

Today, Living Like a Christian

in Our Relationship with God, Part 1.

We're really just going to look at verse 1

and come back next week and look at verse 2.

Then Living Like a Christian

in Our Understanding of Ourselves,

beginning in verse 3 through verse 8.

And then we'll spend the last two weeks,

possibly three,

Living Like a Christian

in Our Relationships with Others.

Romans 12, verses 9 through 21.

Romans 12:9–21

Today, I want us to begin by reading Romans 1,

or Romans 12, verses 1 and 2.

Romans 12:1

And as we read this,

if you've been in church anywhere,

I'm going to guess,

for any length of time,

these two verses are very familiar.

Romans 12, 1 and 2

is one of the most important passages

in the entire Bible.

Certainly one of the most well-known

in the book of Romans.

If you've been a member of this church

for any length of time,

for a few years at least,

as we read this,

if they don't sound familiar,

don't tell me.

Please don't tell me

that you're not familiar

with Romans 12, 1 and 2.

Let's read it.

I appeal to you, therefore, brothers.

It could be translated

brothers and sisters.

It includes both.

I appeal to you, therefore, brothers,

by the mercies of God,

to present your bodies

as a living sacrifice,

holy and acceptable to God,

which is your spiritual worship.

Do not be conformed to this world,

but be transformed

by the renewal of your mind,

that by testing

you may discern

what is the will of God,

what is good

and acceptable

and perfect.

Paul wrote this letter

to the church at Rome.

He wrote this letter

to Christians.

And the first 11 chapters,

he is explaining to them

how all people are sinners

in need of a Savior

and that God graciously provided

the Savior we need

in the person of His Son,

Jesus.

Paul explained in great detail

how salvation is by the grace of God

through faith in Jesus,

through faith alone

in Jesus.

Now,

in chapter 12,

he starts applying

what he's taught.

You could put it this way.

In chapters 1 through 11,

Paul explains a lot

in great detail,

answers questions,

objections even,

to what God has done

for us in Christ

and how we should respond

by repentance and faith.

And it could be

that you get to the end

of chapter 11

and you think about

all he's said

and you ask the question,

so what?

Well,

in chapter 12,

verse 1,

Paul starts answering,

so what?

He explains,

he applies

what he's been teaching.

What he's going to do

is tell us

how we need to respond

to what God

has graciously

and mercifully

done

in our lives.

And he's going to say

that we need to respond

by making a commitment

of our whole lives

to God.

That's how we demonstrate

we're God's children.

That's how we express

our love and appreciation

to God

for what he's done

for us

by making a great

commitment,

a real,

wholehearted commitment.

But I want you

to understand,

that word commitment

is falling on hard times.

We live in a day

where we don't like

to make commitments.

A lot of people

won't make a commitment

to somebody

or something

next week.

commitment.

But commitment

is not

a bad word.

Now sometimes

it's just not

everything

that is cracked up

to be.

For example,

there's a such thing

as a try your hardest

because you've got

to do it

kind of commitment.

That's the kind

of commitment

where

you go to the doctor

and he tells you

you've got

high blood pressure.

Your blood sugar

levels are too high.

And what you've got

to do

in order to avoid

going on medication,

what you've got

to do

maybe to avoid

becoming a diabetic

or having a stroke,

you've got

to lose

30 pounds.

And so you think

to yourself,

well I don't want

to have a stroke,

I don't want

to be a diabetic,

I don't want

to have to take

medication,

so I'm going

to lose the weight

and I'm going

to make a commitment

but I absolutely

hate the thought

of dieting,

of exercising,

of doing all

I've got to do

to lose that weight.

Yes,

I want to do it,

yes,

I want to make

a commitment

but I'm going

to hate

every single day

that I don't get

to eat what I want

to eat

and every single day

that I have to run

where I don't want

to run,

do what I've got

to do that way.

That is not

the kind of commitment

that God is calling

us to make

in verse 1.

I want you to get

out of your mind

any kind of

coerced,

do your best

even though you

don't want to

kind of commitment.

I want you to look

at what kind

it is.

Number 1,

our commitment

to God

is based on

a loving

relationship

with Him.

The first place

that we begin

as we think

about the commitment

He's calling us

to make,

it is based

on a loving

relationship

with Him.

Look at verse 1,

the first phrase.

I appeal

to you

therefore

brothers

by the mercies

of God.

This is not

really a

command

command.

Paul is

urging,

strongly

encouraging

these people

that he calls

brothers and

sisters.

It's like he's

saying to them,

I'm urging you,

I'm encouraging you.

It's strong.

He's an apostle.

He has the authority

to do that.

It's the Word

of God.

We ought to do it,

but Paul is

making the appeal

because it's

something based

on the mercy

of God,

the mercies

of God.

Look at the word

therefore for a

moment.

That recalls

what Paul has

been describing

verses 1 through

11,

which can be

summarized

the mercies

of God

or the

merciful acts

of God

in providing

for our

salvation.

Paul is

trying to

motivate us,

trying to

motivate those

people originally

and us today

to commit

ourselves

wholeheartedly

to God

by pointing

out to us

what God

has so

mercifully

and graciously

and lovingly

done for us.

This is

positive

motivation.

Paul's already

pointed out

in this letter,

first 11

chapters,

how God

has,

from His

own initiative,

from His

own love,

from His

own grace,

chose us

to be His

children

through faith

in Jesus.

Paul has

explained how

God has

called us

by His

grace

to enjoy

the privileges

of being

His children,

being able to

call Him

Heavenly Father.

God has

shown us,

or Paul

has written

here about

what God

has done

in offering

us,

giving us

salvation

as a

gift

that we

receive

through

faith in

Jesus.

Paul has

explained

while that

gift is

free to us,

it was very

costly to

Him.

He sent

His Son

into this

world to

actually die

a horrible

death.

on a cross,

but to die

as our

substitute,

suffering the

punishment that

our sins

deserve,

that we

deserve.

God offers

forgiveness,

wiping the

slate clean,

a new start,

a new life.

God offers

eternal life

as a gift

through faith

in His Son,

Jesus.

forgiveness.

Now,

if you

have

received

that gift,

if you

truly know

Christ as

your Lord

and Savior,

I want you

to think

about what

God has

done for

you,

and He

didn't have

to.

He was

under no

obligation.

But I want

you to know

that God

has forgiven

you.

God has,

in His sight,

made you

new.

God has

put His

Spirit in

you.

God now

thinks of

you as

His son

or His

daughter.

You are

His child.

And God

promises to

be with you

and take care

of you every

step of the

way in this

world.

That doesn't

mean life's

going to be

easy by no

means.

But God

promises to

be with us,

to never leave

us nor forsake

us.

sometimes He'll

just have to

carry us

through a

situation.

God promises

not only to be

with us in

this life,

but to bring

us into His

real presence

after death

where we

will enjoy

eternity

in heaven

with Him

and with

all of His

people.

So the idea

is, when Paul

says, I appeal

to you,

therefore,

brothers,

by the

mercies of

God, the

idea is, in

light of God's

great mercy

and grace

and love,

all this,

He is calling

us to

willingly

commit

ourselves to

Him and

live the

kind of life

that will

honor Him,

that will

please Him.

And there's

other things

in Romans that

tell us it'll

be the most

satisfying life

that we could

live as well.

It matters how

we live in this

world.

God really

wants us to

live like

His children,

to have a

right kind of

relationship with

Him.

And to have a

right kind of

relationship with

Him day by

day, it requires

that we commit

ourselves to

Him.

But understand,

He's calling us

to commit

ourselves to

Him because

He's the one

who loves us

more than anyone

could.

He's the one

who's already

done for us

what no one

else could do

and will for

all eternity

do for us.

there is no

greater one

than Almighty

God and His

Son Jesus

Christ who is

for us, who

is with us.

There's no

greater one,

greater thing that

should motivate us

to want to say,

Lord, I am

yours.

I am committed

to you, to

your way, to

your will.

The motivation

should come from

the relationship

we have with

God based on

His mercy.

Number two, our

commitment to God

is to be a

total life

commitment.

God's not

playing around.

It is a

great, a

great urging.

He wants us to

be motivated from

within.

Spirit of God

Himself motivates

us from love

and gratitude.

But God is

calling us to

make, make no

mistake, a

total, 100%

commitment to

Him.

He says, look

at it.

I appeal to you

therefore, brothers,

by the mercies of

God, to present

your bodies as a

living sacrifice,

holy and

acceptable to

God.

Look at the

first phrase,

present your

bodies.

On one hand,

that refers to

everything that

you are.

you, your

life.

But He uses

that word

body for a

purpose.

That literally

means use

your body

in sacrificial

service to the

Lord.

Use your eyes,

use your mouth,

hands, use your

feet, use your

mind to

please God

instead of

pleasing yourself

or fulfilling

your sinful

desires.

Paul talks about

that earlier in

Romans in chapter

6.

I want you to

look at one

verse where he

sort of explains

this.

He says,

do not offer

any part of

yourself to

sin as an

instrument of

wickedness, but

rather offer

yourselves, some

translations say

your members,

members of your

body, but rather

offer yourselves to

God as those who

have been brought

from death to

life and offer

every part of

yourself to Him as

an instrument of

righteousness.

And I want you to

think about what he's

saying here.

He's calling us to

make a total

commitment of

ourselves, of

our bodies.

God wants us to

commit to using

our mouth to

speak truth, not

lies.

God wants us to

use our mouth to

speak encouraging

words to people,

not put-downs.

God wants us to

use our mouth to

speak words of

the gospel, of

life, of hope to

people, not just

talk about just the

things of this

world.

God wants us to

use our hands in

serving people,

meeting needs,

actually touching

people's lives, not

just taking care of

ourselves, meeting

our own needs.

sacrifice.

This verse

specifically says to

present your bodies

as a living sacrifice.

And when Paul wrote

that, everybody

understood the idea

of animal sacrifice.

Not just Jews, it was

just the way of the

times.

Pagans, everybody

worships, always have,

always will.

And there was animal

sacrifices in the pagan

temples.

In the most extreme

abuses of the system,

there were human

sacrifices offered.

But as Paul wrote

this, there was a

Jewish element in the

church, and for sure

it brought to mind the

animal sacrifices that

were killed, blood

spilt, as an atonement

for their sins.

Problem was, in the

Old Testament, it had to

be done over and over

and over again.

It really was not, it

was God's plan, it was

part of the law, but it

wasn't God's final word.

It wasn't the fulfilled

plan.

If you read in Hebrews

Hebrews 8 · chapter mention

chapter 8, 9, and 10,

for example, those animal

sacrifices are no longer,

they're obsolete.

Jesus Christ, all those

sacrifices, they actually

pointed to Him.

He is the Lamb of God, who

by His death, by the

shedding of His blood, that

really removed sin, that

really atoned for our

sins, the sins of those

who trust in Him, the

sins of His people.

Well, now, God calls us,

forget the animal

sacrifices, present

yourself, present your

life, present your body as

a living sacrifice.

sacrifice.

And look what He says, how

to do it.

As holy and acceptable to

God.

We're to present ourselves

to God.

The word holy here is

talking about being set

apart.

We're to present ourselves

to God as a living

sacrifice.

We're holy.

We're set apart.

We're not like the world.

We'll get into that next

week.

We're to be God's unique

people.

And as we present

ourselves to God as a

living sacrifice, holy, set

apart, not like everybody

else, it will be

acceptable to Him.

Or some translations say

it'll be pleasing to Him.

That's another positive

motivation.

I want you to think

about this.

There's some people you

know that no matter what

you do, you cannot please

them.

Some of you, you may be

thinking, that's my mama,

that's my daddy.

Some of you may be

thinking, that's my husband,

that's my wife.

Or my boss.

Or someone in my life.

They just cannot be

pleased.

And some people would

have the idea, you can

never please God, but

that's not true.

We can be pleasing to

God.

We can be acceptable to

Him.

In fact, if you want to

do some more reading on

that, 1 Thessalonians

1 Thessalonians 4 · chapter mention

chapter 4, beginning in

verse 1, talks about

living a life that

pleases God.

In fact, a few years

ago, a couple of years

ago, we did a little

short series on pleasing

God.

I want you to

understand what Paul is

saying here about

committing ourselves to

Him because we love

Him, because we're

appreciative of what

He's done for us,

committing ourselves to

Him wholeheartedly as a

living sacrifice, that

pleases God.

You can leave here this

morning as one in whom

God is pleased.

A smile comes across

His face because you are

trusting in His Son for

your salvation.

That means the penalty

for your sins paid.

That means God credits the

righteousness of Jesus to

you.

And if you're trusting in

Jesus this way, and you

want to express your love

and thanks to God by

committing yourself to

Him 100% as a living

sacrifice, separated from

this world, you will leave

here pleasing God.

Now, this kind of commitment

to God requires that we

have to be intentional in

how we live in this world.

We have to be intentional

about what we do as we do

what we do at home and work

and school and on the ball

field and everywhere else.

We've got to be intentional

about, I am seeking to please

God in the way that I am

committed to Him in just

doing what I've got to do

wherever I am and go in

life.

We've got to be intentional.

Our goal has to be more

than just trying to be good.

Just trying to be good

citizens, good Americans,

morally upright, or even good

church members.

Jerry Bridges, the Christian

author, written a lot of

books on living Christian

life.

Great, great guy.

Lots of help.

He talks about, in one of his

books, there's a lot of people

who are committed to doing

good.

They're, what you might call,

they're committed to moral

values.

They're committed to morality.

Or they're committed to the

church.

church.

I want you to know that you

can be an atheist.

And you can be committed to

doing good.

There's a lot of people who

don't believe in God, who

don't care about God, and

they're basically good,

morally upright people.

What the Scripture is calling

us to do is not be committed

to some vague sense of

goodness and moral values, or

even being committed to the

church, standing alone.

We're supposed to be committed

to God, to Him, in a

relationship.

And if we are, we'll be

committed to His Word.

We'll be committed to the

moral teachings and truth

that He reveals in His Word.

We'll be committed to His

church.

But the commitment is really

to Him.

It's really to the Lord Jesus.

And we just live it out by

obeying the moral principles.

By participating in worship

and study and fellowship that

we do in church.

Now this commitment to honor

God and please Him.

You know this kind of

devotion cannot be forced.

You can't just decide,

I'm just going to do the best

I can and be committed to God

this way.

You can't make yourself

have this inner love and

gratitude, appreciation to God

for what He has done for you

and saving you.

You can't do it.

This will only come from a

heart that has been changed,

from a person who's been

changed by the Spirit of God.

This can only happen in the

life of a real Christian.

This is one way to tell if you

have a real relationship with

God.

If you think to yourself,

I don't really have a clue

what you're talking about

this morning.

This idea of having a

relationship with God,

having this inward motivation

to love Him and show thanks

to Him because of what He's

done for me.

If you say,

I don't understand that,

I want you to understand,

I just don't see that you

could be a Christian

possibly.

Because if you're a Christian,

the Spirit of God lives

within you.

If you're a Christian,

you understand what God has

done for you in sending

Jesus.

You understand the

forgiveness.

You understand the freedom.

You understand His love.

You've experienced it.

And there's something within

you that causes you to want

to express your love back

and show Him your gratitude

by the way that you live.

Now, you don't always do

that and no one does.

We still have this sinful

nature that we have to

battle.

Some days I just want to

please me more than God.

You know that.

But you also know if the

Spirit of God lives within

you, that it's He who gives

us the desire, the ability

to want to be committed to

our Heavenly Father for these

right reasons.

Let's look at one more

thing.

Our commitment to God makes

sense.

If we are His children.

This whole, this call to

wholehearted commitment to

God is not something

fanatical, unrealistic that

Paul just made up because

he was a fanatical, unreal

kind of guy.

No.

It makes sense.

Look at the last phrase

here.

He says, which is your

spiritual worship.

worship.

Or, in the footnote of the

ESV, which I'm reading from,

it says, it is your rational

service.

New American Standard says,

which is your spiritual service

of worship.

The Net Bible, the New English

translation, says, which is your

reasonable service.

service.

What Paul is saying here that

this call to commit yourself to

God as a living sacrifice

wholeheartedly, because God's

shown His mercy to you and you

love Him and you just want to do

this because you know it will

please Him.

Paul is saying that this is

reasonable service.

This is rational worship.

It just makes sense if you know

who God is and what He's done.

It's not fanatical.

It's not over the top.

It's not crazy at all.

Now, I want you to think with me.

This call to commitment.

It's a call to, it says here,

to worship God, which is your

spiritual worship, which is your

reasonable service, service of

worship, whatever you want to say.

I want you to look with me at what

Doug Moo, New Testament

commentator, how he explains this

idea of our commitment to God

being an act of worship or

worshipful service.

Look at it.

He says, worship is the way we

live, not what we do on Sunday

morning.

Now, he goes on.

I'm not going to do it because we

don't have time.

He talks about what we do on Sunday

morning is corporate worship and it

matters how we worship.

So he's not discounting God's people

gathering for worship.

He's not discounting us having a

devotional life where we worship God

and praise Him.

Look at it.

Worship in this context is the way we

live, not what we do on Sunday

morning.

We worship God, says Paul, by

giving ourselves in sacrificial

service to our Lord.

We are to serve Him every day, every

hour, every minute.

Paul deliberately uses the word

body to describe what we are to

offer to God.

He gives some examples.

Look at it.

As we eat our food, we worship God

by thanking Him for what He has

given us, honoring Him with our

conversation and providing for the

bodies He has given us.

As we sweat on the treadmill, we

worship God by seeking to be good

stewards of the body He has given

us.

This next one is for me, but I know

it's for some of you as well.

As we seek to avoid driving with the

same egotistical aggressiveness as

others, we worship God by displaying

the fruit of His Spirit.

We do our work to the best of our

ability, worshiping God by giving our

best to our employers.

All of our life is to be a

continuous worship of the God who

created and redeemed us.

The commitment that God calls us to

make in order to live like His

children in this world is a total

commitment.

Touches every aspect of our lives

every day.

And no one can force you or

manipulate you to make this kind of

wholehearted, willing commitment.

This kind of commitment calls on you

to look within.

Think about your relationship with

God, what He's done for you.

Think about how much He loves you and

has shown His mercy to you.

And when you do, that's when you'll

make that kind of commitment.

So I just want to ask you here as we

wind down, is this the kind of

relationship you have with God?

If it is, you just thank Him.

If you understand fully what I'm

talking about this morning and

there's just that within you that

understands God has been so

merciful and loving and kind and

gracious to you and you appreciate

it, you know that your salvation,

your trust in Jesus is because of

what God's done in you to enable

you to understand that and believe

that and because of what God's done

to forgive you and make you His

child and always be with you, you do

love Him and you want to be committed

to Him.

You want to serve Him.

You know you don't do it perfectly

by any means.

But if you understand this, this is

your heartfelt desire, you just thank

Him for what He's done, what He's

doing and keep on.

If you understand what I'm talking

about this morning and that

commitment used to be true about you

but you've let other things or

people or something get in the way,

your priorities aren't what they

used to be.

Your level of commitment has just

fallen off drastically to what it

used to be.

What you know right now, you really

want it to be because you know God

wants it to rise.

I want you to search your life.

If there's sin, confess it.

Repent of it.

If there's some wrong priorities, even

wrong relationships, abandon them.

Ask God to give you the wisdom to know how

you need to rearrange your life and make

the commitment that by His grace, you're

going to seek to show Him your love and

your gratitude.

By the way, you are committed to being a

living sacrifice in every aspect of your

life every day.

Now, if none of this is true about you but you

want it to be, humble yourself before God and

admit that it's not.

Even if you're a church member, admit that

it's not.

Admit your sin, your failure, your rebellion,

whatever it is.

Change your mind.

Turn from this way of life, this sinful way of

life.

Put your trust in Jesus.

Call upon Him to save you.

Surrender your life to Him as Lord.

If you do that, the Scripture says,

whoever calls on the name of the Lord will

be saved.

God will change you and He will so work in

you that you will want to be committed because

of the love you have for Him, His grace and

mercy.

It really does matter how we live as God's

children.

We represent our Heavenly Father.

We represent the Lord Jesus Christ.

If you want to live a life that pleases Him,

make sure you leave here today wholeheartedly

committed to Him now because you love Him and you

want to please Him.

make that kind of commitment.

Would you pray with me?

Dear God,

help us to see how we should respond to You,

to what You've said to us this morning about how we live

and the necessity of

a commitment from our heart

to You out of love

for Your great mercy and grace.

show us,

show us,

help us

to make the kind of commitment You want us to make.

And in an attitude of prayer,

do that.

If I could pray with you,

I'm happy to do that here at the front.

But let's just listen to the Lord

and obey Him as He speaks to us

from His Word and Spirit this morning.

Thank you.