THE ONLY LOGICAL THING TO DOTHE ONLY LOGICAL THING TO DO

Romans 12:1-2Page 965 in Pew Bibles

Romans 12:1-2Page 965 in Pew Bibles

1. Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship.

2. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

THE ONLY LOGICAL THING TO DOTHE ONLY LOGICAL THING TO DO6 MARKS OF CHRISTIAN COMMITMENT6 MARKS OF CHRISTIAN COMMITMENT

Romans 12:1-2Page 965 in Pew Bibles

Kent HughesKent Hughes

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“[This bold call to commitment] is applies equally to all… We must put away the medieval thinking that makes a distinction between clergy and laity – the idea that ministers and missionaries should have 100 percent commitment, but the laity is permitted 75 percent, or 30, or… The truth is all believers are called to be totally committed to Christ.”

The Logic of CommitmentThe Logic of Commitment

• Vs. 1, NKJV “…which is your reasonable service.”

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The Logic of CommitmentThe Logic of Commitment

• Vs. 1, NKJV “…which is your reasonable service.”

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Some translations, “Spiritual”Word where we get logical

Fits the context

The Logic of CommitmentThe Logic of Commitment

• Vs. 1 “Therefore…”• First 11 chapters are theological and tell us what

God has done for us in Christ • 11:36 “For from Him and through Him and to Him

are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.”

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The Logic of CommitmentThe Logic of Commitment

• Vs. 1 “Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice…”

• Vs. 1 in NLT ends: “…When you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask?”

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The Level of CommitmentThe Level of Commitment

• Vs. 1 “I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God”

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Living SacrificeLiving Sacrifice

• [John Alexander Clark]

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James Montgomery BoiceJames Montgomery Boice

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“Sacrifice is an utterly unpleasant word in our day! No one wants to be a sacrifice. In fact, people do not want to sacrifice a single little thing. We want to acquire things instead. Nevertheless, this is where the Christian life starts. It is God’s instruction and desire for us, and it is ‘good, pleasing and perfect’ even if it does not seem to be.”

HolyHoly

• Set apart from all else for God• Sam Shoemaker: “To be a Christian means to

give as much of myself as I can to as much of Jesus Christ as I know.”

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Pleasing to GodPleasing to God

• Ray Stedman: “Here common philosophy, ‘My life is my own to live as I please,’ meets headlong with the philosophy, ‘My life is God’s to do with as He wills.’”

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The Decisiveness of CommitmentThe Decisiveness of Commitment

• Vs. 1, Wuest “Make a decisive dedication of your bodies”• Amplified: “I therefore beg of you, please, brethren… by a

once-for-all presentation to place your bodies at the disposal of God”

• [Crisis or Process?]

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What Commitment RejectsWhat Commitment Rejects

• Vs. 2 “Do not be conformed to this age”• Phillips: “Don't let the world around you squeeze

you into its own mould…”• [Band member out of step]

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What Commitment RejectsWhat Commitment Rejects

• Vs. 2, Wuest: “And stop assuming an outward expression that does not come from within you and is not representative of what you are in your inner being but is patterned after this age…”

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What Commitment EmbracesWhat Commitment Embraces

• Vs. 2 “…but be transformed by the renewing of your mind”

• [Barber supply company]• Amplified: “…but be transformed (changed) by the

[entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude]…”

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• Vs. 2 “…so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.”

• Weymouth: “…so that you may learn by experience what God’s will is—that will which is good and beautiful and perfect.”

VI.

The Discovery of CommitmentThe Discovery of Commitment

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• [Stephen Olford and young lady]• [Ray Stedman and football player on bus]

VI.

The Discovery of CommitmentThe Discovery of Commitment

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• [Embrace the Cross]

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