THE DIVINE COURTER'S QUESTION

Romans 12:1-3
November 5, 1995
Bob Bonner

Courtship when taken to its end, usually leads to the question "Will you marry me?" which in turn, requires a response. This was true for Becky and me before we got married. 

During the three years before we got married, Becky and I spent a lot of time together getting to know each other, discovering what each others' thoughts were about Jesus and how Christians should live for Christ in this world. We talked about individual goals for our lives and later on, we talked about marriage. We analyzed a lot of marriages and tried to discern why some of them succeeded and why others failed. Our courtship was truly an educational experience and it really set a solid foundation for us in preparing to get married.

As far as my part went in the early days of our courtship, I wanted to demonstrate to Becky that she could count on me to always be there for her, no matter what. No matter if she was having a good day or bad, no matter if she knew exactly what she wanted or was in a state of confusion, no matter if she was happy or mad at me, I wanted her to know that I was committed to her and committed to what was best for her. Mind you, it took a long time for this clod to convince her of my commitment, because I didn't have a clue as to what was in her best interests. And I am still getting an education as to what is best for her.

Finally, after a rather roller coaster relationship and feeling that I had convinced her of my commitment to her, I popped the question, "Will you marry me?", and she said, "Yes." So you see, courtship usually leads to the question which requires a response.

As I look at the book of Romans, it reminds me of a tremendous love story, of a courtship that has The "Courter", God, proving His trustworthiness and love to us, and then asking a question that demands a response from each of us.

[CHART] In the first 2 1/2 chapters of Romans, the apostle Paul reveals the serious problem of humanity: basically, that we have all turned our backs on God, ignored Him, and as a result of this, we were separated from God with no hope of ever earning the right to have a relationship with Him again. We are dead spiritually.

But then, from the middle of Romans 3-11, we see God's courtship of the human race. We see how He has loved us beyond reason. We see how He has provided a solution to our sin, our rebellion against Him, in the person of Jesus Christ. He has shown us that should a person put their complete trust and confidence in what Jesus has done for them, then that person would be saved, reconciled to God, and justified or immediately made righteous. When a person commits his or her life to Jesus Christ, they are given a new identity, they become a saint, a child of God, the bride of Jesus Christ. 

Without a doubt, God, like a faithful courter, has demonstrated His commitment to us. He has proven His love for us and that He knows what is best for us and that He has our best interests in mind, and that He alone can provide for all our needs and protect us from the evil forces of darkness that surround us. 

Now, in chapter 12:1-2, God asks "The courter's question"---"Will you marry me?" Or, "Will you commitment your life to Me? Will you turn over the rights of your life to Me?" And that question demands a response from each of us in this room. This morning, we want to look closely at this divine courter's request and what it entails. If you have not yet given Him your answer, I challenge you to do so today.

These first two verses of Romans 12 clearly mark the transition from the doctrinal emphasis of the book of Romans to the practical emphasis of the book. In other words, Paul is going to deal with the "So what?" or "What difference should what Paul said in these first 11 chapters make in our lives today?"

As we look at this doctrinal versus practical emphasis in the book of Romans, it is a clear reminder of two things: First, that true Christianity involves both “believing” and behaving the Gospel. The history of Christendom reveals the tragic results when the vital relationship between doctrine and conduct is lost. James 2:26, says, "For just as the body without the spirit is dead, [explain the uselessness of corpses in a cemetery] so also faith without works is dead." Doctrine is that which gives enforcement to duty.

The second reminder that comes from merely looking at the division of this book is that the basis of correct behavior as Christians is always founded upon the correct understanding of doctrine. You cannot identify and live correct behavior without understanding correct doctrine. They go hand in hand. And we will see this more clearly as we look at Romans 12:1.

Let's begin our study this morning by first looking at God's appeal for the presentation of our bodies to Him, in verse 1. Notice right off, the intense sense of a life or death issue with which Paul writes these words. He states, "I urge you therefore, [based on everything Paul has said up to this point] brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, {which is} your spiritual service of worship."

In the original, the stress of these words is even clearer. Paul says literally, "present your bodies a sacrifice, living, holy and acceptable to God." The term "present" has a more specific meaning than just to present something to someone. It means "to place at someone else's disposal." We are giving something to someone else to do with as that person pleases.

Furthermore, the verb tense in the original language denotes a deliberate action involving the thought of finality. In other words, once you place your body at someone else's disposal, you cannot later retrieve it. The presentation that Paul is urging every believer to make is one that is to be made for life. As marriage was meant to be for life, so is our presenting our lives to God. It is a permanent choice, never to be revoked. God is to do with our lives as He wishes. [Bib Sac, p. 313-314, July-September 1994]

But what would motivate a person to turn over their bodies to God? The motive that Paul gives us is the mercies of God that Paul has been previously writing about from chapters 3-11. In other words, because of God's proven love through His courtship of faithfully serving us by sending us the provision we need in a savior, because of these mercies He showed us when we had ignored Him, these mercies demand a response from us. And the only correct response is that we should give back our bodies to God. We should say "Yes God, You can have all of me!"

This service of presenting our very bodies to God so that He can use us, as this verse says, this is real worship. Worship is much more than just singing and praying. Worship is sacrificial service. If there is not visible works of service in which our bodies are involved in doing what God holds up first as a priority, then folks, there is no worship. Don't try to convince yourself or others or God that you truly worship Him by simply giving up your Sunday mornings to come to church. Yes, that is necessary and a part of worship. But the heart of worship that He calls for is our total service to Him. 

When you look at the rest of the book of Romans, there is not one instruction to go to church. Did you know that? In fact, in all of the New Testament, there is only one clear cut verse that commands you to go to church. Everything in Romans and the rest of scripture demands that our worship be demonstrated through our obvious sacrificial Christian service. Not just good moral humanitarian efforts, but service that all those around us will recognize is being done out of reverence for Jesus Christ.

The rest of Romans 12 speaks to service through using spiritual gifts, serving those who have wronged you; the next chapter deals with serving God under His leadership through a local government. Then the next chapter deals with serving shoulder to shoulder with other Christians with whom you may not see eye to eye on concerning the gray areas of the Christian life. Worship is submitting your body to God and serving Him in all areas of your life. 

This applies equally to every one of us. Get out of your mind, that lie that comes from the pit, that says there are two classes of people in the church: the clergy and the congregation. Get that foolish notion out of your mind that the ministers and missionaries are to be committed 100% to the Lord, and then the rest of the people can get off with 75%. Folks, total commitment to Christ is for every believer---from kids to adults. Furthermore, God has the right to ask us to serve Him this way. His leverage for making this appeal to us for this sacrificial offering of our bodies for worshipful service to Him is His proven mercies.

Let's look even closer at the specific kind of presentation of ourselves that God has in mind here and why. Paul literally says that God wants our bodies. He doesn't say that he wants our lives, but our bodies. Why does he specifically mention our bodies? Because in making this appeal, God is concerned that the very same body through which sin once found its foothold now must be presented to God as the vehicle of righteousness (Romans 6:19). Paul is simply echoing something he said back in Romans 6:13 where we are challenged to offer up our bodies as weapons of righteousness rather than weapons for evil. Specifically, that means your tongues, your hands, your eyes, your feet, your sexual organs, your brain, etc.. We are born again, newly made alive spirits, indwelt by Jesus, we have a new identity, but we live in these same old bodies that we use to use for our own selfish sinful purposes. "Now," God says, "based upon My mercies shown to you, give Me your bodies."

In addition, Paul tells us that these are to be "living bodies". In other words, God wants to use us now, not when we are dead and have our resurrection bodies. He wants you to serve him, today. However, we seem to forget that our lives have been permanently impacted by the "newness of life", by the fact that the very life of Jesus Christ is now living in us. And when we do forget that, we, the living sacrifices, climb off the altars of God, and start living for ourselves and following our own agendas. We, the bride of Christ, commit spiritual adultery by abandoning our first love, or husband, so to speak, Jesus.

Another characteristic of the presentation of ourselves to God that we are to keep in mind is that we are "a holy sacrifice" to God. So often, when we think of the word "sacrifice" we think of giving something that belongs to us at great personal cost or inconvenience. But the Old Testament view of sacrifice, which is what Paul has in mind here, is giving to God that which already belongs to Him. By giving back to God what already belongs to Him, the worshiper is acknowledging that God is Lord of all.

In addition, our bodies are called a holy sacrifice. When the Greeks used the term "holy", they used it to refer to something that was separated from common usage and devoted to the service of their gods. In the NT, the term carries with it a moral significance. It is saying that we are holy, in the sense that we are set apart by God from sin and devoted to God, for His moral and spiritual purposes.

And all of this describes the only kind of sacrifice that is "acceptable to God." In other words, this is the only kind of sacrifice that God finds honoring and pleasing to Him. Remember, it is not the condition of the physical body that makes it acceptable to God, but rather the motives and the character of the "sacrificer" that makes our presenting of our bodies to God pleasing or honoring.

We are hung up on physical beauty and strength and what great accomplishments we can achieve with our bodies. That's not what interests God. What interests Him, is what's on the inside. He knows and we should remember that this outside shell is only temporary. One day it will be dust. It matters not, in comparison to the immaterial eternal part of our earthly being. 

So, the kind of presentation that we are to make to God is our Holy, living bodies. 

Furthermore, Paul adds one more insight to how we should respond now, right here on earth, to God's offer of living eternally with Him, now and forever more. He says that this type of presenting of our bodies to Him "is your spiritual service of worship." Now, that is a very unfortunate translation. The word for "spiritual" is literally the word, "logical". In other words, Paul is saying that this kind of presenting of our bodies to God for service is consistent with a proper understanding of the truth of what God has done for us, the courtship if you will as explained by Paul in chapters 3-11. To give ourselves over totally to the Lord's control and purposes is the only reasonable thing we can do in light of what extremes God has gone to in order to save us.

When you look at everything Paul is saying in this verse about our commitment to Christ, our only proper response to God's question of "Won't you entrust your entire life to Jesus as Lord and savior?" is the total commitment of our lives to Him. And as Paul points out at the end of verse 1, it is the only rational or logical course to take. Nothing else makes sense in light of what God has done for us through His mercy.

In verse 2, Paul now moves from the subject of turning our physical bodies over to Him, appealing to us to now turn over to God the right for Him to control our minds. If we don't allow Him to reprogram our minds with His truth, then our bodies won't know how to function. Remember, first comes doctrine, then comes duty. First comes correct belief, then correct behavior. One commentator put it this way, "A man's thought determines the moral climate of his life, and will settle the question whether his conduct is to be poisonous marsh or fertile meadow, fragrant garden or barren sand. The pose of the mind determines the dispositions, and will settle whether a man shall soar with angels in the heavenlies or wallow with the sow in the mire." [THE EPISTLES OF ST. PETER, pp. 280-81, John Henry Jowett, (London, England: Hodder and Stoughton, 1906)].

Because of that logic, Paul warns us about the use of our minds. Verse 2 reads, "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

Paul begins this verse with first a negative command, a warning, and then a positive command of instruction and direction. He tells us that we have to make a choice. One choice is wrong and the other is correct. The wrong choice is conformity. He says, "Don't be conformed to this world." More literally, don't be conformed to the patterns and schemes of this world. It's philosophy or ways of looking at life.

Most Christians who read those words, believe it or not, wrongly think that that this means you shouldn't be seen smoking, drinking, gambling or going to movies. They wrongly think that if they can stay away from participating in such practices that that will make you spiritual. And if you really want to be spiritual, sell your TV set and never drink coffee or tea!

Yet, I know Christians who have given up all of those things, and they are still saturated by the spirit of this age (which is really what these words "conform to this world" mean). The term for "world" refers to the world of fallen humanity, characterized by sin and the resultant suffering. It is marked by self-will and self-seeking, and characterized by a disregard for or open rebellion against what God says is right in scripture. 

Many Christians have never stopped following after the spirit of this age which is the advancement of themselves for their own glory. It is this world's goal to seek one's own happiness, regardless of what traveling down that trail may do to someone else's happiness. I know Christians who would never gamble, drink or chew, but they will tell little white lies, they will gossip, slander, seek revenge against others, just so their kids can get ahead in school, sports or at work, and in turn, give them glory. They will back bite, become divisive or be bitter towards others, refuse to forgive past hurts because their ideas didn't get the nod, or they weren't given a place of prominence. But, oh, they think they are spiritual because they don't drink!

The spirit of this age, the thinking only of getting one's needs met or desires fulfilled has found its way into the church. How many times have I heard people say to me from other churches, (I know none of you would ever say this, but others have come to me and said), "I'm thinking of leaving my church and coming over to yours." When I ask them why, they respond, "Because this one doesn't meet my needs!" as though the only reason for ever going to church is to have your needs met!

That's the thinking of this world. It is self centered thinking. To be conformed to that kind of thinking is to be conformed to the spirit of this age. It really doesn't have much to do with whether you play cards, gamble chew, smoke or drink. It's more of an attitude thing than an action thing.

Then there are the methods of the world: just look around you and you see them everywhere: rivalry and competition, even among churches. And I am not talking about competing in a softball tournament with others. I am talking about the competition for having the best, the largest program or the most influential people in the town at your church. Thank God there have been some major changes taking place in this town over the last three years in this area. But there is still more to be done in this area. But we see this unhealthy competitive drive that says, "I'm getting ahead of the other guy, grabbing what's mine before someone else gets it. I'm hanging on to what I've got not matter what pain or hurt it causes others. These are my rights!" That is the spirit of this age.

The apostle Paul is saying here, "Don't let the world around you pressure you into its way of thinking any longer." The very verb form that is used here suggests that in order for you to conform to the world, you must choose to be involved with the world's ways. It is not something forced upon you by someone else, but rather it is a choice that you and you alone are responsible for making. Furthermore, the verb form reveals that this choice is an ongoing choice. It is something that you are faced with every day. You can either choose to be conformed to the world's ways or not.

But if not, if you don't want to be conformed to the world's ways, what is the other choice you can make? What's the correct choice? Paul tells us that the correct choice is to be transformed. "But isn't that hard?" you may be thinking. Absolutely! You can't go on thinking the way the world thinks and not be conformed to what it does. In fact, left to yourself, it is impossible to be transformed. But with the person of Jesus living in you, it is not. The secret, as Paul alludes to here, is to have your mind changed or transformed from the inside out.  

This term "transformed" is a word from which we get our word "metamorphosis". It refers to a change that comes from the inside out. For instance: a tadpole doesn't get transformed into a frog because of certain pressures or laws from the outside world demanding that it become a frog. Rather, it is transformed because of something that is going on in the inside of the frog. The same thing is true of caterpillars and butterflies. 

God is saying here to the Christian, "Look, I created you to be a butterfly to live in a world above the caterpillars. I want you to respond to higher laws that will free you to fly high above the ground."

The change or metamorphosis is not some superficial change of fashion or conduct, but rather a vital change that comes from within, revealing that a new life has taken over. Again, the verb form of "transformation" also has implications that need to be mentioned. The verb form here is totally different than the verb form for conformed. The verb form of conformed said it was completely your responsibility for being conformed to the world. But the verb form of this word "transformed" shows us that this transformation is not something done by a person's own efforts; rather, the verb form reveals that someone else is doing the transforming of your life as you submit your mind, your thoughts to Him for changing.

For the Christian, it is allowing the Lord Jesus to live His life through you and therefore change you. It's what Paul refers to when he says, in Galatians 2:20, "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the {life} which I now live in the flesh I [choose to] live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me." It is a faith walk, moment by moment, asking Him to live out His new life in you, in such a way for everyone else to see. He is the one who will transform you.

But how are those thoughts, the mind of this world transformed by Christ? Don't I have any responsibility in this matter? Absolutely. Those thoughts will be changed by the spirit of God as you choose to continue to expose yourself to the study of the Word of God. This is what is meant by the "renewing of your mind." 2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that that is what the purpose of the scriptures is. It states, "All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness;". All of those things deal with the re-education of your mind.

Furthermore, this verb form also implies that this is an ongoing process. The more you submit your mind to being renewed by the word of God, then the more God will transform you. Your only responsibility in this matter is to either choose to follow the spirit of this age by not studying the word of God, or you choose to submit yourself to the mind of Christ, by reading His word and allow the Holy Spirit to transform your thinking which will transform you as a person. 

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 reminds us of the importance of having the ability to detect lies and to discern truth. And when we detect a lie, submit it to Christ, and by faith deny it and follow after Jesus. It says, "We are destroying speculations [worldly philosophies and ideas] and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, [notice, those are mental concepts] and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ." For instance: Someone slanders you and you find an opportunity to get revenge and to slander them back. But then the truth comes to your mind that slander is not what Jesus would do, and that revenge belongs to God alone. So you take the thought captive to Jesus by saying, "Lord, that is not a thought that came from you. I choose not to take revenge and slander back. I choose instead, to submit my life to you, by faith so that You can live your non-slandering, non-revenge taking life through me. I have died, and give you the right to live through me."

Allow me to read to you Neil Anderson's explanation of the process of "renewing your mind" and what you can do to help or hinder this process. He writes, "Think of your polluted mind as a pot filled to the brim with black coffee. Sitting beside the coffeepot is a huge bowl of crystal-clear ice, which represents the Word of God. Your goal is to purify the contents in the pot by adding ice cubes to it. Every cube displaces some of the coffee and dilutes the rest, making it a little purer. You can only put in one or two cubes a day, so the process seems futile at first. But over the course of time the water begins to look less and less polluted and the taste and smell of coffee is greatly diminished. The process continues to work provided you don't add more coffee grounds." [A WAY OF ESCAPE, Neil Anderson, p. 169]

Colossians 3:16 adds some insight to this. It reads, "Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you," The Psalmist gave similar instruction when he wrote, in Psalm 119:9-11, "How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your words in my heart that I might not sin against you."

Merely trying to stop thinking wrongly won't work. We must fill our minds with the crystal-clear word of God.

With the end of this verse, Paul shows us the benefit of choosing correctly to be transformed rather than to conform. He says that the benefit is "That you may prove [really the word is discern] what the will of God is," In other words, with a renewed mind, you will have the benefit of discerning what the will of God is and what it is not. You will be able to tell what the spirit of this age is and what is of the spirit of God.

Furthermore, this verb "prove" implies that this discerning of God's will be an ongoing practice. In every new situation in which a believer finds himself, he must ask what God's will is for him. Each believer stands personally before God. He cannot leave to others the decision of what God's will is for him at that moment and what it is not. 

Paul gets into this in Romans 14, when he clearly teaches that there are many gray areas in the Christian life, where the scriptures do not clearly state that something is wrong for every believer. Some areas are always going to be wrong for certain Christians to participate in, while for others, they will be God's will. Certain Christians will be free to participate in certain activities and others will not. And furthermore, we are not to condemn or look down upon another Christian for what God says is His will for them to do or not to do, because each of us "shall give account of himself to God." We will not give account to God for what another person does. That's between that person and God.

But if we renew our minds with the word of God, God's spirit will enable you to discern for yourself what is right for you.

Paul goes further by adding three terms that describe God's will for the individual. He says that as we get into God's word, we will be able to discern that God's will for our lives is "good [meaning morally good and beneficial in such a way that it is consistent with God's character] and acceptable [meaning honoring to God] and perfect [meaning His will is complete, it lacks nothing. It does not overlook or ignore any matter or area in the believer's life that might plunge him or her into needless destruction]."

There you have it. The primary Love of your life, the One who knows you best and has done everything for you asks you a question that demands a response. His question to you is "Will you give me the total commitment of your life? Will you give Him your body, and quit turning over your tongue, you mind, your sexual organs, your hands, your feet to evil and submit it once and for all completely to God? Will you do the same for your mind? Will you quit putting more "coffee grounds into your mind through what you read, watch or listen to, and in its place commit yourself to a more diligent study of God's word?" That's His question to you this morning.

I want you to think about that question for your own life for a moment as I read to you about one man who said "Yes" to Jesus his Lord. And then when I am finished reading, I'll take a moment to pray. Afterwards, Howard will lead us in a closing song. When that song is over, if you want to, stay in your seat for moment to answer that Divine question for yourself. And if you have never asked Jesus Christ to be Lord of your life, or you are not sure that you have, but you want to respond to His question, Yes Lord, I want to commit my life to you, then come up after the song is sung, and there will be someone here to meet and pray with you.

The following note comes from an African pastor who was overwhelmed by rebels who demanded that he renounce his faith or die. He refused. The night before they killed him, he wrote these words: "I am part of the "fellowship of the unashamed. I have Holy Spirit power. The die has been cast. I've stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of His. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I am finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking, chintzy giving, and dwarfed goals!

I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by presence, lean by faith, love by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, diluted, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won't give up, shut up, let up, or burn up till I've preached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up and stayed up for the cause of Christ.

I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops.

And when He comes to get His own, He'll have no problems recognizing me. My colors will be clear." [DAILY IN CHRIST, Anderson, 8/21]

Father, thank you for considering me to be your bride. Thank you for showing mercy to me, for saving me, for giving me a new identity, from changing me from a sinner to a saint, who admittedly still struggles with sin. God, I declare once more my "yes" to your question, of will you give me all of you. God, thanks for your Divine question of asking me to be your bride. Amen.

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