Romans 12:1-8

• 1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship.
• 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will.
• 3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.
• 4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,
• 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
• 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.
• 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach;
• 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

There are three things we must do to live out the will of God for our lives.

I. It is God's will that we offer our bodies as living sacrifices.

Your body is all you have with which to serve God. If you will serve Him, you must do it with your hands, your feet, your eyes, your ears, your tongue, your brain and your heart.

If your body is your instrument, are you keeping it in good condition? Are you keeping your health? Are you keeping your mobility? Are you gaining skills with your hands? Are you learning to think with your brain and speak with your tongue?

It is not for nothing that Scripture uses the word SACRIFICE. The word "sacrifice" implies death. Jesus told us to "take up your cross and follow me." How are we doing? Have we died to self, and begun to live for Christ? Or are we still seeking selfishly the things of this world?

Which leads us to Paul's next thought. We cannot give our bodies sacrificially to Christ until our minds have been renewed.

II. It is God's will that we have our minds renewed.

The Greek word translated "mind" in verse two is "no-os," (accent on the second syllable.) It comes from the Greek verb "no-e-o," which means to know, to perceive, to understand."

So both the NIV and the NASB have a good translation here with "mind." In verse three, Paul uses three forms of the Greek "phro-ne-o," ...."to think." So Paul is clearly saying to us that THINKING RIGHTLY, USING OUR MINDS LOGICALLY, is very important in learning how to live for the Lord.

On the other hand, both the NIV and the NASB have a bad translation of verse one "your spiritual act or service of worship." The word "spiritual" in Greek is "log-i-kein." It comes from the Greek root "logos" which means word, and from which we have our English word "logical." In other words, verse one of Romans twelve is also about using YOUR MIND, and thinking right, logical thoughts, in order to serve the Lord well.

We must have our minds renewed. Why? Because we live in a world in which people don't think straight, but they think they DO. We live in a world which thinks wrongly about abortion; and thinks wrongly about homosexuality; thinks wrongly about evolution and creation; thinks wrongly about the purpose of government; thinks wrongly about educating children; thinks wrongly about marriage and divorce; thinks wrongly about the Bible; thinks wrongly about sin, and salvation and religion.

How can we get our minds renewed? By hearing and reading the Word of God. By absorbing the Word of God. By studying the Word of God. By conforming our opinions to the teachings of the Word of God.

• Col 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.
• 1Th 2:13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.
• Heb 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
• 22 Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
• 23 Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror
• 24 and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.
• 25 But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-he will be blessed in what he does.
• Ps 119:89 Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.
• Ps 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
• Jer 8:9 The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the LORD, what kind of wisdom do they have?

III. It is God's will that we use our gifts to serve each other.

Romans 12:6-8 contains a list of spiritual gifts...abilities that are given by the Holy Spirit to Christians. We all don't receive the same gifts. In this list are included....

• prophesy -- the ability to preach the Word of God
• service -- the ability to help others in practical ways
• teaching -- the ability to teach the Word of God
• encouraging
• contributing financially
• leadership/governance in the church
• showing mercy -- helping people in need

There are other lists of spiritual gifts in I Co 12:8-10, 28-30; and Ephesians 4:11-12; I Peter 4:9-11

• 8 To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit,
• 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit,
• 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.
• 28 And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues.
• 29 Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles?
• 30 Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret?
• 11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers,
• 12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up
• 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.
• 10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.
• 11 If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.

In Romans 12:3 Paul encourages us to "think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you." That means, take a good look at yourself. Be humble, but be truthful. What gifts has God given to you? What natural talents; and what gifts from the Spirit that you didn't know you had. God wants you to discover yourself. A good way to do that, besides thinking soberly, as to ask your friends, your family, and your fellow church members. What are you good at? How has God used you already? What are you capable of doing for God and others?

We are all different, and that is a good thing. We are the body of Christ. If your whole body were an arm, you would be good for nothing. You also need legs, and hands, and eyes and ears. We need each other. We need to help each other. And we need to learn to work together to serve Jesus.

So when you ask yourself the question (what does Jesus want me to do with my life?), you will find the answer NOT by waiting for a phone call from God, or a sign like a fleece, or a still small voice on the inside. No, just look at yourself and THINK. What has God prepared me to do? What am I good at? Those are your spiritual gifts. They tell you what God wants you to do with your life. If you are really good at music, then use your music for God. If you are a whiz-bang accountant, then use that ability for God. If you can learn foreign languages well and quickly, maybe God wants you to be a foreign missionary. If you can understand the Bible, and can preach and teach it, maybe God wants you to be a seminary professor, or a pastor.

SUMMARY: How can I know the will of God for my life? Easy!

• 1. It is God's will for you to give your body to Him for His service.
• 2. It is God's will for you to transform your thinking to come in line with the Word of God.
• 3. It is God's will for you to use the spiritual gifts, and the natural talents, that God has given to you.

Now, go serve God!