God’s Perfect Will
6 October 2013 AM – Romans 12:1-2 – Romans – Scott Childs
Introduction: If you are a Christian, God has a perfect will or plan for your life. If you find and follow that plan, you will have a fulfilling life now and in heaven you will hear God’s “well done.” The question is, “Are you living in God’s perfect will?”
Transition: Paul identifies three stages that we must go through to find God’s perfect will. This morning we are going to examine those stages.
I. The 1st Stage is Our Surrender
A. Paul begins with the motive for the surrender
1. By his opening words, “I beseech you therefore”, Paul is begging us to look back on what he already wrote.
a) He may be referring to the immediate context in Romans 11:32-36 that describes God’s mercy despite His all-knowing, sovereign character.
Romans 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.
b) If he was referring to the broad context of the book, chapters 1-11 describe God’s merciful salvation offered us by grace through faith alone.
2. God’s mercies are the motive for our sacrifice.
a) Mercy is withholding what we deserve. We deserve God’s judgment in hell for eternity, yet God is merciful to everyone who by faith trusts Christ’s payment for sin.
b) Because God has been merciful to us, we are greatly indebted to Him.
B. Paul then presents the method of the surrender
1. God wants us to present our bodies a living sacrifice to Him.
a) During the OT, God required animal sacrifices to cover man’s sin until Christ would pay the full sacrifice. In those sacrifices, the animals died.
b) God is not asking us to die physically. Instead, He wants us to die to self and offer our lives to Him.
2. Presenting our bodies sacrifice to God is placing our bodies at God’s disposal. Jesus put it this way…
Luke 9:23 … If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
a) Our sacrifice of self is to be holy. Holy means it is set apart for God’s use. He now controls it.
b) An acceptable (well-pleasing) animal sacrifice required the very best, whole animal, without any blemish. God does not ask for part of us or for our leftover time. He wants our all and our best.
3. Paul reminds us that this is our reasonable service. When we consider all that Christ has done for us, it is the only rational thing we can do. Refusing to surrender our bodies to God after He died on a cross to pay our eternal hell, is like slapping Him in the face.
II. The 2nd Stage is Our Submission
God gives us two clear commands to which we must submit.
A. And be not conformed to this world
1. The “world” is literally “the age” referring to the present sinful age in which we live. It is the ungodly society all around us. Here are a few Bible verses describe the characteristics of the world.
1 John 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness [uncontrolled lust], Idolatry, witchcraft [all forms of sorcery], hatred, variance [discord], emulations [jealousy], wrath, strife, seditions [divisions], heresies [factions], envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings [wild parties], and such like: …
2. To be conformed is to press into a mould. It is to pattern after another. It is to imitate. It is to adopt a similar mindset and lifestyle. Conforming is an outward change to blend into the godless age.
3. Satan is constantly trying to get us to conform to our world’s ungodly language, immodest dress, unisex haircuts, lustful thinking, immorality, evolutionism, dishonesty, materialism, greed, fighting, the occult, pornography, broken families, hatred, bitterness, cheating, and filthy music.
Morris writes that… Christians have been introduced to the life of the world to come; what a tragedy, then, if they conform to the perishing world they have left. (Precept Austin)
4. If we have submitted our bodies to Christ, we have no right to be conformed to the world.
B. But be transformed by the renewing of your mind
1. The word BUT emphasises the opposite.
2. The word translated “transformed” is metamorphoō that describes a total inward change, like that of a caterpillar into a butterfly.
3. The change can only take place by allowing God to renew our mind or our thinking. This “renewing” is a complete change for the better.
a) It is the Holy Spirit who does the renewing.
Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
b) Note that it is our minds that need renewing. We cannot act right until we think right. God cannot transform our character until we allow the Holy Spirit to give us a mind like that of Christ.
Galatians 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
Bob Utley says, This new biblical worldview, along with the indwelling Spirit, is what transforms the mind and lifestyle of new believers. … A new redeemed, Spirit-led mind results in a new lifestyle!
c) If you have surrendered your body to God, do not hide that fact by allowing yourself to be conformed to the world, BUT let God so transform you by renewing your thinking that it becomes obvious to everyone.
III. The 3rd Stage is Our Search
A. Surrender and submission do not reveal God’s will.
1. The phrase “that ye may” indicates that surrender and submission are prerequisites to finding God’s will. You will never find God’s will concerning a vocation, a marriage spouse, purchases, choices, or any other decision you face until you first surrender your life to God, stop being conformed to the world, and let God transform you.
2. Surrender and submission thus allow you to prove for God’s will. Finding the will of God is not a onetime event but an ongoing task throughout the Christian life.
B. You must search and discover God’s will
1. The search is a proving process. The word “prove” means to examine and select only that which is good. If we let God transform us and control our minds, we will know and choose the things that please Him.
2. We will discover three facts about God’s will.
a) God’s will is good. It has good qualities. It is pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy, upright, and honourable. It is good for us. Even when God’s will allows for trials, every one of them are for our good. (Ro 8:28)
b) God’s will is acceptable or well-pleasing to Him.
c) God’s will is perfect. God’s will is complete. It lacks nothing. It is just right.
Conclusion: You can daily live in the perfect will of God if you will go through the three stages of finding His will outlined in this text. You must surrender, submit, and search.
If God has identified a need in your life this morning, now is the time to deal with it. If you are not a Christian, that is where you must begin.
Song: I Surrender All – 394