Because of God’s Mercy…Be Transformed
Romans 12:2
September 6, 2020
If you know me, you already know this is true for me; if you don’t know me, this is just a little self-disclosure: I don’t like change. I like regular. I thrive under routine. Sameness is my friend.
And that means that Raye Jeanne and I have had conversations where I have said things like, “Why do you want to get rid of that wallpaper — we just put it up 18-20 years ago.” You can pretty much set your clock according to where I am on a given day or at a given time. If it’s Monday morning at 6:15, I just left on my run (I’ve been running the same route for years, and I park in the same spot every time). If it’s Saturday at 2:00, I’m talking to my dad on the phone. If it’s Wednesday, I’m either counseling or getting ready for counseling. If it’s Sunday night, Raye Jeanne and I are likely eating stove-popped popcorn and watching a movie.
I like routine. I come from a long-line of people who don’t handle change well. Maybe you’re like me. (Or maybe you’re like my wife and you don’t understand me at all.) But if you are like me, I have some hard news for the two of us — we need to change. We have to change. We have been called to change. Change is necessary for the one who is in Christ Jesus.
As Paul transitions in the book of Romans to teaching theology to drawing out the implications of theology, the first thing he does in Romans 12 is to state that obedience and sacrifice is the only appropriate response to God’s merciful work in our lives (Rom. 12:1). And building on that idea, he also commands us to be transformed and changed spiritually (Rom. 12:2). He will say it this way:
Because God is merciful, let God transform the practices of your life.
In this well-known verse, the apostle Paul exhorts believers to change by revealing three characteristics of biblical transformation:
- The Obstacle to Transformation
- The Nature of Transformation
- The Benefits of Transformation
- You will Know God’s Will
- You Will Know Goodness in God’s Will
- You Will Know Delight in God’s Will
- You Will Know Maturity in God’s Will
Download the rest of this sermon on Romans 12:2.
The audio will be posted on the GBC website by tomorrow.
Words of Grace 