"The Good, Acceptable, and Perfect Will of God"
Romans 12 - 15 NKJV
“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. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
— Romans 12:1-2
A Living Sacrifice
“When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”
Mark 8:34 NKJV
A Living Sacrifice - a Sacremental Life
What is a simple definition of a sacrament?
a Christian rite (such as baptism)
- believed to have been ordained by Christ
- is held to be a means of divine grace or to be a sign or symbol of a spiritual reality.
The Spectacular is not the same as Supernatural
The Supernatural is not the same as Spectacular.
What is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God for our lives?
- Serve God with your gifts.
“Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.
Romans 12:6-8
- Behave like a Christian.
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- Let love be without hypocrisy.
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- Abhor what is evil.
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- Cling to what is good.
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- Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;
3. Submit to Government
“Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God. Therefore whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves.”
Romans 13:1-2 NKJV
4. Love Your Neighbor
Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.
Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Romans 13:8, 10
5. Put on Christ
Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy.
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.” Romans 13:13-14
6. The Law of Liberty
“Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things.
Don’t receive them to argue with them or enlighten them.
7. The Law of Love
“Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.
Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for the man who eats with offense.”
Romans 14:16-20 NKJV
8. Bear one another’s burdens.
“We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.
Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, leading to edification. For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on Me.”
Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus,”
Romans 15:1-3, 5 NKJV
9. Glorify God Together
“Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.
Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written: “For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, And sing to Your name.” And again he says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!”
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”
Romans 15:7-10, 13 NKJV
Do you know Christ? Are you living in His will?
His will for your life includes
- serving him through your gifts,
- behaving in a way that honors him,
- submitting to government for the peace of our land,
- loving our neighbors - all those we come in contact with,
- putting on Christ (wearing robes of righteousness every day).
- giving one another liberty to work out our salvation
- working out our salvation in the context of love,
- bearing one another’s burdens,
- glorifying God together, not fractured by our differences.