1.     There is a pattern, which we see in all of Paul’s epistles.  First comes doctrine, then comes duty.  First comes Biblical principles, then comes Biblical practice.

2.     In the first eleven chapters of Romans, Paul was dealing with Christian character; now he deals with Christian conduct.  In the first part of the epistle, Paul deals with the inner man; here it is the outward man.  Doctrine is not simply something we know; it is also something we do.  Our Lord said, “If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them” (John 13:17).

3.     Some Christians say we should never preach about the outward man, only the inner man.  But that is unscriptural.  First of all, what we are on the inside will be reflected by how we act on the outside. 

4.     Also, look at our text – “present your bodies…” (that is outside).  In Romans 12:2, “conformed” literally means “fashioned.”  The Bible is speaking here of the outward man.

5.     In the first eleven chapters of Romans, it was who the Christian is; now it is what he does.  The first eleven chapters concern the condition of the Christian; here it is the consecration of the Christian.

6.     There is a pivotal word found in our text this morning – “therefore” (12:1).  There are three key “therefores” in the book of Romans:

(1) There is the therefore of justification (5:1).

(2) There is the therefore of sanctification (8:1).

(3) This morning we will look at the therefore of consecration.

7.     This is the Biblical order.  I suppose before we move on I should define these great doctrinal words.

(1) “Justification is the judicial act of God whereby those who put faith in Christ are declared righteous in His eyes, and free from guilt and punishment”  (William Evans, The Great Doctrines of the Bible).

(2) Sanctification means holiness.  Justification is intended to produce sanctification. Justification is instantaneous but sanctification is a lifelong process.  Justification is for us; sanctification is in us.  Justification declares the sinner righteous; sanctification makes the sinner righteous.

(3) Consecration means “an act by which a person or thing is set apart to a sacred cause or purpose” (cf. Romans 12:1).

8.     There is a word we heard often during our revival meetings.  It is the word “surrender.”  It is the key to revival. 

I.             SURRENDERING TO GOD’S WILL IS HOLY

II.          SURRENDERING TO GOD’S WILL IS REASONABLE

III.      SURRENDERING TO GOD’S WILL IS PERFECT

I.    SURRENDERING TO GOD’S WILL IS HOLY (12:1, 2).

1.     Before I speak on the subject of holiness, I should stress that this is a subject totally foreign to lost sinners.  Unregenerate sinners are unholy and will remain unholy until they repent of their sin and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour.

2.     Only those that are saved can understand Biblical holiness.  Paul writes in Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren…” He could never say this to the unsaved.

3.     “Present” here (12:1) means to “present for service to God.” The same word is translated “yield” in Romans 6:13 and 19.

4.      “Yield (“present for service”) yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead” (Rom. 6:13).  This is the true place of surrender and consecration. 

5.    “Even so now yield (“present for service”) your members servants to righteousness unto holiness” (Rom. 6:19b).

6.    Romans 12:1, 2 can be better understood by studying Romans 6:13 – “as those that are alive from the dead” (cf. 12:1 – “a living sacrifice”).

7.    Our “old man” was crucified with Christ (6:6), and our new man should be presented to Christ as a living sacrifice.  This is genuine Biblical holiness (Rom. 6:19-22).

II.    SURRENDERING TO GOD’S WILL IS REASONABLE (12:1).

1.     Romans 12:1 teaches us that the vicarious sacrifice of Christ should now finds its response in our sacrifice of complete surrender.  This is our “reasonable service.”

2.     You will notice as you study the apostle Paul’s epistles that he does not command his readers – he “beseeches” them (Rom. 12:1; cf. Eph. 4:1; I Thess. 4:1; Philemon 8, 9).

3.     After all, this is the reasonable thing to do.  Millions of people go through various religious rituals that are not reasonable.  They are not logical.  They are not intelligent.

4.    For example, many RC’s make pilgrimages to one of their shrines, and they climb up the stairs on their hands and knees till their hands and knees bleed.

5.    Muslims have many unreasonable practices, such as wrapping themselves in explosives and then blowing themselves up.  Our God wants us to present ourselves a living sacrifice!

6.     Orthodox Jews throw bread into the ocean, which they think is the same as throwing out their sins. On the day before Yom Kippur, they wave live chickens over their heads and then slaughter them, saying, “This is my change, this is my compensation, this is my redemption. This chicken is going to be killed, and I shall enter upon a long, happy and peaceful life.”

7.     The slaughtered chicken is then donated to charity. In recent years, some Jews have been waving a bag of coins over their heads instead of a chicken, because they feel silly waving a chicken over their head.

8.     These rituals seem unreasonable to those of us who know the Bible. But surrendering to the will of God is reasonable, logical, and intelligent.  In fact, Berry’s Interlinear Greek-English NT translates it as “your intelligent service.”

III.    SURRENDERING TO GOD’S WILL IS PERFECT (12:2).

1.     On the basis of Romans 12:2 I could say that surrendering to God’s will is “good.”  But it is more than simply “good.”

2.     I could say surrendering to God’s will is “acceptable” but it is more than merely “acceptable.”

3.     Romans 12:2 says it is “that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God.”

4.     There are many Christians who miss out on the perfect will of God because there is one area in their life they will not surrender to the Lord.

5.     Perhaps it is money (cf. II Cor. 8:1-5).  Notice the Christians in Macedonia gave “liberally” (8:2) and “beyond their power (ability)” (8:3).

6.     How were they able to do that?  First they “gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God” (8:5).

7.     There you have it!  They surrendered everything to God.  They first gave (presented, yielded) themselves to the Lord, and then to their fellow believers (“and unto us”) by the will of God (8:5).

8.     Then they became channels for God’s use to bless others.

9.     You can only know the perfect will of God by surrendering to it (II Cor. 8:5; Rom. 12:1, 2).

10.Maybe you have surrendered everything to God regarding your finances but there is some other idol in your heart – some worldly music or TV show or some inappropriate worldly clothing style.  Maybe it is some friend who is hindering you from serving God.

11.I was talking to a young lady recently and she told me what a blessing it was for her to enjoy total surrender to God’s will.

12.Do you have that joy?  Have you been “transformed” by the Spirit of God?  Has your mind been “renewed”?

13.A few weeks ago I preached on “the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost” (Titus 3:5).  Regeneration is instantaneous.  Renewing your mind continues on after regeneration. 

14.The Holy Spirit renews our mind through the Bible.  The Holy Spirit transforms us from “world-conformity” to “Christ-conformity,” i.e., He gives us the mind of Christ.

15.Griffith Thomas said, “The mind of Christ takes the place of the mind of self.”  Do you have the mind of Christ?  If not, you need to surrender (cf. II Cor. 3:18).

CONCLUSION:

1.     Surrendering to God’s will means rejecting this world with all of its charms (Rom. 12:2).  The spirit of this world is selfishness and too many Christians are caught up in it.

2.     Christian friend, the choice is yours: gratification of self or surrender to the will of God.  What will it be?

3.     I have been preaching against worldliness ever since God called me to preach and I am amazed at the resistance I have met.

4.     In the Bible, this world is always referred to as “evil.”  And we are told to be separate from it (Galatians 1:4).  This is “the will of God our Father” (Gal. 1:4).

5.     Furthermore, this evil world is ruled by the devil (II Cor. 4:3, 4).   He is “the god of this world” (II Cor. 4:4; cf. Eph. 2:1, 2).

6.     Satan has developed his own worldly system and it is in opposition to God.  It has its own philosophy (e.g., humanism); its own science (evolution); its own government, which exalts man and defies God; its own music (rock and roll, jazz and other sensual sounds); its own entertainments, which numb the mind and keep people from Christ; and even its own religion, which soothes man’s conscience and prepares his soul for hell.

7.     Christian friend – are you surrendered to God’s will?

8.     Unsaved friend – the reasonable thing for you to do is to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Isaiah 1:18).