YOUR REASONABLE SERVICE
Lesson 1 - What the Bible teaches
This falls under the category of truth,
what the Bible says and what it means by what it says.
Rom.11:32 in speaking of all people,
Jews and Gentiles alike, says “God enclosed all in disobedience
in order that He may show mercy to all.” God shows us mercy by taking
pity on us instead of treating us as we deserve. Rom.12:1 continues “Therefore brothers, I urge
you through the compassions of God [the inward
feelings that that move Him to show mercy] to present your bodies a
living holy sacrifice well-pleasing to God, your reasonable service.” This is
speaking of what is the logical offering we bring as part of our worship as Christians. Naturally going along with this, “and stop being
conformed to [molded to fit] this age, but
instead be transformed1 by the
renewal of the mind2 [similar to the idea of repentance] so that you may approve
what the good and well-pleasing and perfect will of God is.” We who began
as disobedient and unappreciative of God are to undergo change so we come to
approve His will as good and
well-pleasing and perfect.
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1.
The same word is used to describe the revelation of Christ’s glory on the mount
of transfiguration in Mt.17:2 & Mk.9:2.
But in the parallel passage at Lk.9:29 the correct translation is became qualitatively different.
2.
The instrument or means by which the action is performed.
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Compare this discussion is to that of Rom.6
where Paul is also addressing Christians.
12Let not sin
therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. 13Do
not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but
present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life,
and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. 14For sin
will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
15What then? Are we to sin
because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16Do you
not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are
slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or
[notice
the contrast] of obedience, which leads to righteousness?
17But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin
have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which
you were committed, 18and, having been set free from sin,
have become slaves of righteousness. 19… For just as you once
presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness
leading to more lawlessness, so now present your members as slaves to righteousness
leading to sanctification.
20For when you
were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. 21But
what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now
ashamed? For the end of those things is death. 22But now that you
have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the
fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. 23For
the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ
Jesus our Lord. (Rom.6:)
What is the result
of this molding process in
Rom.12:2? Disobedient people who fit right in and are a part of this
evil age – the blind and deaf who are ignorant of eternal life
How does the
molding process work? Since conforming is to this age [see Correlating The Kingdom with The
Church & with the Age http://pop.eradman.com/], something external to us must necessarily be inseminating us with
its ideas and ways of thinking to effect hardening toward God from within
surreptitiously.
How long has this
process been going on? since long before you were born;
How do we resist
or stop that continuing pressure to conform us?
By embracing the truth
with mind and body, we reject the lie.
Lets ask some questions about the transforming process.1
How long has this
process been going on? since you were born again by the Spirit of God
List
other terms and phrases that refer to being born again.
Saved, regeneration3 (Tit.3:5); in Christ, new
creation (2 Cor.5:17); heirs,
children of God, born [by the will] of God (Jn.1:12-13);
alive (Col.2:13); brought us forth [gave birth to us] (Jas.1:18).
What about Old Testament terms?
New heart, new spirit (Ez.36:26)
How does the
transforming take place? The renewing of your mind is complementary to repentance [change of mind, heart, and attitude] and rebirth, and is knowingly and
willingly embraced by learning about God and His ways. The truth works change in us regardless of the
degree of molding we have already undergone.
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3.
Regeneration - rebirth; the work of God that makes us new creatures, alive to
God
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Lets continue in Rom.12 to see if we can
discover what the renewal of our minds is accomplishing and what we are being
transformed into.
3For by the
grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more
highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according
to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4For as in one body
we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5so
we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members
one of another. 6Having gifts that differ according to the grace
given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7if
service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8the
one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity;
the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with
cheerfulness.
9Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10Love one another with brotherly affection.
Outdo one another in showing honor. 11Do not be slothful in zeal, be
fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12Rejoice
in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in
prayer. 13Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show
hospitality.
14Bless those
who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15Rejoice
with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16Live
in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the
lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17Repay no one evil for
evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18If
possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably
with all. 19Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the
wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says
the Lord." 20To the contrary, "if your enemy is hungry,
feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you
will heap burning coals on his head." 21Do not be overcome by
evil, but overcome evil with good. (Rom.12:)
1Let every
person be subject to the governing authorities. For there
is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by
God…8Owe no one anything, except to love each other… (Rom.13:)
What are your
observations and conclusions regarding our transformation? We are joined to a community of believers by incorporation into a
single body as an integral member. We no
longer think of ourselves as autonomous individuals pursuing their own
happiness. We belong to one another and
our function is to serve one another by taking our place in the body of
believers and ministering there by means of the gifts Christ gives us and in
our dedication to mutual affection. In
serving one another we are serving His body and thereby the Lord. Such is our worship - the offering of lour
lives as holy and well-pleasing, our reasonable service to God. This is our new-life CALLING. See Great Commission at Cultural Mandate http://pop.eradman.com/
We are also learning
to think about and respond to events and circumstances throughout the world as
well as those that affect our lives as being under God’s supervision. We are coming to trust Him and appreciate His
wisdom and knowledge in all things rather than our own (Rom.11:33).
YOUR REASONABLE SERVICE
Lesson 2 – My obedience
This falls under the category of authority,
the right of God’s word to judge my heart and work.
Rom.12:3ff invite us to ponder
another set of questions in the area of wisdom and knowledge that are more
personal and practical. As always the
first question is “what does the passage mean by _________.” Because the Bible isn’t only concerned with
truth, once we have some grasp of teaching of a passage, we are called to
follow Christ and obliged to allow the light of the truth to examine us. Am I doing the things described and am I
doing them with the right attitude?
Since we are not perfect, we will often be in need of repentance. We will also find we need instruction on how
to best proceed in these matters.
Therefore our method is formulate questions
from the passage and seek the Lord’s help as we study His word.
How can I best go about serving
in my place; How shall I respond to persecution and
worldly authorities; How shall I take heed to the repeated warnings about not
becoming proud or high-minded?
What can I do to encourage
_________ in the faith; What is the best way to
exercise my gift in _________ or with _________; What steps can I take that
will help me to be patient in tribulation; etc.
It is here in doing our
homework in preparation for seriously ministering that we first give ourselves
to the service of others. In both the
areas of truth and obedience or submission we enjoy the help of other
Christians as they perform their reasonable service in ministering to us. Nevertheless each of us is called individually
to walk with the Lord regardless of what others are doing with the real
possibility that we will even need to stand against our friends and/or the
consensus in order to be true to what we understand and believe.