GOD'S RIGHTEOUSNESS FOR MAN FROM START TO FINISH

Part VI: God's Righteousness Applied To Practical Living, Romans 12:1-15:13

A. God's Righteousness Applied To Living In Proper Relation To Oneself

(Romans 12:1-2)

I. Introduction

A. Having established the rich doctrines of how the righteousness of God is made available and workable both to save the believer from hell and to equip him to function as God's beloved child, Paul shifted to the important practical application of that impartation of God's righteousness to the practical aspects of the Christian life.

B. Accordingly, the believer must first apply the righteousness of God in his position in Christ to the proper view of and the proper relation to himself, and Romans 12:1-2 covers this very important truth (as follows):

II. God's Rightousness Applied To Living In Proper Relation To Oneself, Romans 12:1-2.

A. First, the believer should realize that God has expended great mercy on him when he trusted in Christ for salvation and spiritually positioned him to be a child of God as explained in Romans 1:18-11:36; Rom. 12:1a.

B. Second, based on this realization of the great expenditure of God's mercy unto him, the believer should respond by presenting his body to God in a sevenfold manner (as follows), Romans 12:1b-2:

1. First, the believer should present his body, the temple of God the Holy Spirit, as a living sacrifice to God, Romans 12:1b. Such a sacrifice contrasts with the Old Testament sacrifices that involved slain animals, but it still implies the relinquishing all rights regarding the use of one's body unto the Lord.

2. Second, the believer must present his body as holy (hagian), "pure," separate from sin, Theol. Dict. of the N. T., v. I, p. 107-108; Romans 12:1c. This separation from sin applies to every action (1 Peter 1:15 ESV), every thought (2 Corinthians 10:5) and every association (2 John9-11; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15) as taught elsewhere in the New Testament, what is an acceptable offering to God, Romans 12:1d.

3. Third, the believer must view this presentation of his body as his spiritual ministry (logiken latreian), his sacred service performed for God as a believer-priest, Romans 12:1e; Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 487.

4. Fourth, the believer must stop conforming himself to the world system (middle voice of suschematizo, "form; to fashion in accordance with," The Analyt. Grk. Lex., 1972, p. 393-394, with the subjunctive negative adverb me; U. B. S. Grk. N. T., 1966, p. 563; Dana & Mantey, A Man. Gram. of the Grk. N. T., 1957, p. 301), Romans 12:2a. This involves no longer conforming one's self to gratifying the lust of the flesh, the lust eyes and the pride of this earthly life so typical of the world system out of which the believer has been graciously saved by God, 1 John 2:15-16 with John 17:14-15.

5. Fifth, the believer must rather (alla, "but rather," Ibid., U. B. S. Grk. N. T.; Arndt & Gingrich, A Grk.-Eng. Lex. of the N. T., 1967, p. 37-38) let himself be transformed by God's work in his mind and heart (present infinitive passive of metamorphoo, "to change one's form; be transformed," Ibid., The Analyt. Grk. Lex., p. 266) through his exposure to Scripture and the Holy Spirit's influence. (Rom. 12:2b)

6. Sixth, the believer must let himself be transformed by his exposure to the Scripture under the Holy Spirit's influence in order to prove by testing (dokimazein, Ibid., Bible Know. Com., N. T.) God's truths in his Christian walk, applying Scripture to life, Romans 12:2c.

7. Seventh, the believer must by this proving by testing come to realize what is God's good, pleasing and perfect will in his walk, Romans 12:2d.

Lesson: Applying God's positional righteousness to himself, every believer should first realize the great mercy God has expended toward him to save him and position him as a child of God upon his trust in Christ for salvation. This realization should then produce in the believer the decision to present his body to God as (1) a living sacrifice in which he relinquishes all personal rights and agendas for himself to God, (2) he separates from sin in every action, every thought and every association, (3) he views this presentation as his sacred service to God, (4) he stops conforming himself to the world system in no longer indulging the lust of the flesh, of the eyes or the pride of this life, (5) he rather lets himself be transformed by God's work in his mind and heart, (6) to prove by testing in his experience as he applies God's truths to his walk (7) what comprises God's good, pleasing and perfect will.

Application: In view of God's great mercies unto us, may each of us who believe in Christ realize that our duty and sacred service to the Lord involves relinquishing all rights and privileges of our bodies to Him, separating from all sin, replacing conformity to this world to being transformed in mind and heart through our exposure to Scripture under the Holy Spirit's power that we might prove by testing in our walk God's good, pleasing and perfect will.