Coffee House Chapel #5

March 4

Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

There are three words that are often found together: goodness, grace and mercy. Goodness is a general term and refers to all that emanates from God, and that includes His decrees, His creation, His laws, and His providences. These things extend to all - the elect and the nonelect, but in different ways. God is good, and everything He does is good. Grace bespeaks favor, especially towards the undeserving. There is common grace - grace that is extended to all, such as He sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. There is special grace (saving grace), which He shows on those whom He saves from their sin. Mercy is an aspect of grace, but it has this unique quality - it is given to the pitiful.

Arthur W. Pink writes, “Mercy .... denotes the ready inclination of God to relieve the misery of fallen creatures. Thus ‘mercy’ presupposes sin.”

One example of mercy is Adam. Adam and Eve had just eaten of the forbidden fruit in the garden. The fruit that God had told them not to eat - and as the Hebrew text says, “On the day you eat of it you will die.” God comes to them - as He had been accustom - and asks, “Where art thou?” (Gen 3:9) Both must have expected to die - so they hid - and Adam told God, “I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” (3:10) God asked, “Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?” (3:11) Adam blames his wife. God confronts Eve and she blames the serpent. (3:9-13)

God began His judgments. He cursed the serpent and promised his (Satan’s) head would be crushed. (3:14-15) God told Eve she would suffer in childbirth and have harsh struggle within marriage. (3:16) To Adam, God promised painful toil in providing for his family until in death he returned to the dust from whence he came. (3:17-19)

God had promised death to Adam and Eve. They died spiritually - but God in mercy withheld physical death for a period of time. There had been judgments - but God in His mercy promised that a Redeemer would come, Who would one day crush the head of Satan. God illustrated the nature of the atonement by killing innocent animals (substitution) and clothing the sinful pair in the skins of the substitutes. This is a picture of imputed righteousness.

“Adam must have been overwhelmed by an awareness of God’s mercy. Adam deserved to die, but instead of killing him, God spared him and promised a Savior instead.

“No wonder Adam then named his wife ‘Eve,’ meaning life-giver or mother. It was his way of expressing faith in God’s promise, for God had said that it was from the seed of the woman that the Redeemer would come. The memory of God’s mercy must have kept Adam looking to God in faith and living for God by faith through his long life from that time forward, for Adam lived to be [nine hundred thirty] years old and was the father of the line of godly patriarchs that extended from him through his third son Seth to Noah.” (Boice)

Adapted from “Romans” by Boice.

In Christ,
Dan Todd

 

March 7

Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

Another example of mercy is the Apostle Paul. Before his salvation - Paul was known as Saul - and he was a fierce opponent of Christianity. Saul was a Pharisee - the strictest sect among the Jews. Like all other Pharisees - Saul was zealous for the traditions of his fathers (often placing tradition above the written Word of God). Saul participated in the martyrdom of Stephan, and he followed that by arresting and persecuting many of the early Christians. (It is interesting how God sovereignly works in the life of men. Before Saul was saved - he was partly responsible for the spreading of Christianity. His persecution of the church in Jerusalem led to the dispersal of Christians away from Jerusalem - spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ as the Christians fled Jerusalem.) Having wrecked havoc in Jerusalem - Saul received authority from the religious leaders in Jerusalem to go to Damascus and continue his persecution in that city.

On the way to Damascus - Saul was stopped “dead in his tracks.” A bright light from heaven drove Saul “to his knees.” A voice asked him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” Saul replied, “Who are you, Lord?” The voice answered, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”

Do you suppose that Saul had feelings similar to those of Adam when God appeared to him in the garden? God did not tell Saul (Paul) that he would die - but Paul no doubt thought that Jesus was going to judge him then and there for his persecution of Christians. Certainly Paul deserved judgment - he had done great harm to the cause of Christ - even if he had done it in ignorance.

Jesus sent Paul to Damascus, where a disciple named Ananias told Paul what God had in store for him. He was to become God’s “chosen instrument to carry [God’s] name before Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel” (Acts 9:1-15).

What mercy - Paul never forgot it. In later years, Paul wrote to his young son in the faith, Timothy, and told him, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.” (1 Timothy 1:15-16) “It was because he knew himself to be a sinner saved only by the mercy and grace of God that Paul joyfully gave himself to God as a living sacrifice and worked tirelessly to please Him.” (Boice)

Adapted from “Romans” by Boice.

In Christ,
Dan Todd

 

March 8

Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

Our third example of God’s mercy is nonbiblical, John Newton. As a boy, Newton ran away from home and went to sea. He went to Africa to work in the slave trade. In his autobiography, Newton stated his reason for going to sea - that he might “sin his fill,” and that he did. Newton eventually found himself a slave in his master’s compound. His master’s wife, an African who hated white men, vented her anger on Newton when her husband was off on slaving expeditions. Newton was forced to eat his food off the floor - like a dog. Emaciated, he fell sick and nearly died.

When Newton escaped from his master - he went back to the sea and transported slaves from the west coast of Africa to the New World. On a return trip from one of these slave voyages, Newton was marvelously converted.

The ship Newton was on was taken in a fierce storm. The rigging was destroyed and the ship’s hands tried to seal its many leaks. Newton was sent to the hold to pump water. Newton pumped for days and was sure that the ship would sink, taking him down with it. While he was pumping, God brought to mind Scripture verses that his mother had taught him as a child. These verses, learned as a child, led to his conversion. The ship survived the storm. Newton arrived in England, left the slave trade, studied for the Christian ministry, and became a great preacher. “He even preached before the queen.” (Boice)

What motivated John Newton? It was a profound awareness of the grace and mercy of God. Newton wrote these words:

Amazing grace – how sweet the sound –
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found –
Was blind, but now I see.

Once, a friend complained about someone who was resisting the gospel and living a life of great sin. “Sometimes I almost despair of that man,” the friend remarked. Newton never forgot God’s mercy to him, and commented, “I never did despair of any man since God saved me.”

“In his most advanced years Newton’s mind began to fail and he had to stop preaching. But when friends came to visit him he frequently remarked, ‘I am an old man. My mind is almost gone. But I can remember two things: I am a great sinner, and Jesus is a great Savior.’ Certainly the mercy of God moved Newton to offer his body as a living sacrifice to God and to seek to please Him.” (Boice)

Adapted from “Romans” by Boice.

In Christ,
Dan Todd

 

March 9

Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

In the past three devotionals we’ve looked at God’s great mercy to Adam, Paul, and John Newton. I trust that you’ve been aware of the mercy of God as it swept over these three men. “But if you are a Christian, you should be feeling the same things yourself even without reference to Adam or Paul or other characters.” (Boice)

Ephesians 2 describes the experience of every one who has been saved. You see, God revealed His mercy to us when we “were dead in trespasses and sins” - ver 1. We had “walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air” - verse 2. We “were by nature the children of wrath” - verse 3. We “were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world” - verse 12. This is the state of hopeless people!

But look what God did for us! “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” - verses 4-7.

Dr. Boice writes, “That is the nature of the goodness, love, grace, and mercy of our great God. If you are a Christian, shouldn’t it motivate you to the most complete offer of your body to Him as a living sacrifice and to the highest possible level of obedience and service? How can it do otherwise? In my opinion, you can never understand and accurately appreciate what God has done in showing you mercy in Christ without replying wholeheartedly, as did Isaac Watts in his great hymn ‘When I Survey the Wondrous Cross’ (1709):”

“Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.”

Adapted from “Romans” by Boice.

In Christ,
Dan Todd

 

March 10

Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

Among the various translations - there is some difference on what is the proper translation. Today I will quote Dr. Boice on this subject.

“The Greek words of the last phrase of Romans 12:1 are ambiguous and have been translated different ways. For example, there are two ways the words ‘spiritual act of worship’ (NIV) in Romans 12:1 may be understood. The noun translated ‘worship’ is ‘latreia,’ which can either mean service or worship. The plural of ‘latreia’ can even mean rites or duties. The adjective in this important combination of words is ‘logikos,’ however, which can mean either spiritual or rational, and when it is coupled to the noun two rather different meanings are possible.

“One meaning is preserved in the King James Version: ‘your reasonable service.’ The newer translation is ‘your spiritual worship,’ which appears in the New International Version.

“What is it? Is it ‘reasonable service’ or ‘spiritual act of worship’? One answer is that the Greek words may actually embrace both ideas at the same time, spiritual worship being thought of also as rational service. But if I am forced to make a choice, I find myself siding with John Murray, who notes that ‘reasonable or rational is a more literal rendering.’ ‘Logikos’ has given us the English word logical, which means reasonable or according to reason, and this should also be the preferred meaning, if for no other reason than because in the next verse Paul talks about Christians being transformed by ‘the renewing of [their] mind.’

“So Paul really is talking about something reasonable, saying that the living sacrifice that he is urging upon us here is logical.

“Even more, the service itself is to be performed reasonably, or with the mind. ‘The service here in view is worshipful service and the apostle characterizes it as rational because it is worship that derives its character as acceptable to God from the fact that it enlists our mind, our reason, our intellect. It is rational in contrast with what is mechanical or automatic ... The lesson to be derived from the term rational is that we are not spiritual in the biblical sense except as the use of our bodies is characterized by conscious, intelligent, consecrated devotion to the service of God.’ (Murray)

“To understand these words well we must comprehend two things. First, we must understand the kind of service that is required. Second, we need to see why such demanding service is so reasonable.”

In Christ,
Dan Todd

 

March 11

Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

What kind of service does God require of us? Our service must involve three things: (1) It must be a living sacrifice; (2) It involves the offering of our bodies; and (3) We must be holy. When our service involves these three things - it is pleasing to God. But there always seems to be a problem - and that is that we do not want to give God ourselves. We are often willing to give God some of our money and we are willing to give God some of our time. But “without ourselves, these other ‘gifts’ mean nothing to the Almighty. You will begin to understand the Christian life only when you understand that God does not want your money or your time without yourself. You are the one for whom Jesus died. You are the one He loves. So when the Bible speaks of reasonable service, as it does here, it means that you are the one God wants. It is sad if you try to substitute things for that, the greatest gift” (Boice)

Jacob’s return to Canaan in Genesis 32 is a good illustration of substitution of things for ourselves. Jacob had cheated Esau of his father Isaac’s blessing some twenty years before. Esau had threatened Jacob with severe bodily harm (death). During the time of his exile, Jacob seems to have forgotten Esau’s threats, but as he neared home, he remembered the threats and was terrified. Jacob had to return home, as he’d worn out his welcome in his father-in-law’s land. What was Jacob to do?

First he sent servants to find out what Esau was up to. They met Esau on the way and he had four hundred men with him. To Jacob - that army might as well have been a million men - and Jacob was convinced that Esau was coming to kill him. Jacob divided his troop into two groups. If Esau met one group and killed them - the other group might escape.

Jacob’s second plan was to appease his brother with gifts. The first gift was two hundred female goats sent with a servant and a message, “ And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee? Then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacob's; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he is behind us. (Genesis 32:17-18)

Jacob also sent twenty male goats and a servant with the same instructions. Then he sent two hundred ewes and twenty rams. After this, Jacob sent “Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals.” (Verse 15) “It must have been an amusing picture – all Jacob’s possessions stretched out across the desert going toward Esau.” (Boice)

Then Jacob sent his wives and children on ahead - while he stayed alone - trembling. “I suppose that if he had known the chorus, he might have been singing ‘I surrender all.’ All the goats, that is. All the sheep. All the camels. All the cows. All the bulls. All the donkeys. He had given up everything, but he had still not given himself. That is what some of us do. We tell God that we will give Him some time. We volunteer to help with something around the church. We give Him our money. We do not give ourselves.” (Boice)

The rest of the story is that Jacob wrestled with the angel that night. Finally Jacob was brought “to the point of submission, after which this scheming, stiff-necked man was never the same again.” (Boice) Must the “angel” come and wrestle with us before we are willing to “present our bodies a living sacrifice” to God?

Adapted from “Romans” by Boice.

In Christ,
Dan Todd

 

March 14

Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

Last time we ended our discussion with Jacob wrestling with the angel! Friends, we should never wait until God has to send an angel to get our attention! We should be willing to do that which is our reasonable service!

Why is it reasonable to serve God sacrificially?

1. It is reasonable because of what God has already done for us. Romans paints a very disturbing picture of man without God. We are first and foremost - sinners. We are under the wrath of God because of our sin, and we are on a downhill path to destruction - and unable to help ourselves. Paul further indicated that we are not even inclined to help ourselves. Sinful man runs from the One who is his hope - instead of running to Him. We even suppress the truth that God has planted within us and ignore His revelation of Himself in nature.

God could easily have left us to our own wicked devices, He certainly would have just, perfectly just, in doing so! But God, for reasons known only to Himself, intervened to save us. He sent His only Son - in the form of human flesh. That Son, the Messiah - the Lord Jesus Christ, took upon Himself our sin - and suffered the death for that sin that we deserved. God further sent His Holy Spirit, Who enables us to understand what Christ did for us, and Who convicts us of our sin, that we, through His prompting might repent of our sin, and trust Christ for salvation. Then that same Holy Spirit joins us to Jesus Christ, and makes us different people than we were before.

Paul spends eleven chapters going into the details of our salvation. When he gets to chapter twelve, he says, “Look what God has done. Is it not reasonable to give yourself utterly and sacrificially to a God who have given Himself utterly and sacrificially for you?”

Dr. Boice writes, “Let me make that personal. Are you a believer in Jesus Christ? Are you trusting Him for your salvation? Has the Holy Spirit made you alive in Jesus Christ? If He has, what can be more reasonable than to give yourself to Him? What is more logical than to serve God wholeheartedly in this way?”

Adapted from “Romans” by Boice.

In Christ,
Dan Todd

 

March 15

Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

Why is it reasonable to serve God sacrificially?
1. It is reasonable because of what God has already done for us.

2. It is reasonable because of what God is continuing to do. Our salvation is not just a thing that happened in the past - God continues to work in those whom He has brought to faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, and He will continue that work in us until we see His Son - face to face - in glory. It is difficult for us to make changes in our lives, to break destructive habits, to form new ways of thinking, and above all, to please God. Thankfully, we do not have to attempt these changes by ourselves - rather, God is working these changes in us. This is what this text is all about. A portion of my mother’s testimony is that she was saved in a certain mainline denominational church, and then she was left on the doorstep to starve to death. Some churches may treat its people in that way, after all, every church is made up of fallible human beings. But God is not that way. He does not start a work in a person, and then abandon them. God brings to completion everything that He starts. That is exactly what He is doing in each believer. “Therefore, it is absurd to oppose His purposes. It is futile. The only reasonable thing is to join God and get on with what He is enabling you to do.” (Boice)

Adapted from “Romans” by Boice.

In Christ,
Dan Todd

 

Charles - be my guest!

 

March 16

Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

Why is it reasonable to serve God sacrificially?
1. It is reasonable because of what God has already done for us.
2. It is reasonable because of what God is continuing to do.

3. It is reasonable because such service is God’s will for us, and His is a good, pleasing, and perfect will. Of course - this point anticipates Romans 12:2, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

There has been much discussion over the years as how to find God’s will for the life of the believer. Such phrases as “His perfect will” and “His permissive will” have been bantered about. Some spend so much time, using well meaning formulas, trying to find out God’s will that they have little time for doing anything else. Others state that because God has not shown them His will for their lives, they are free to do what they want to do.

So just what is the answer? This one thing I am sure of, Romans 8:28-29 specifically tells every believer one very important aspect of God’s will for our lives, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” That very important aspect is - “be[ing] conformed to the image of his Son.” That is the will (Perfect will - if you please) of God for every believer - and there are no exceptions. Secondly, Matthew 28:19-20 gives marching orders, again, to every believer. “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Every believer is to be a witness. The problem with the vast majority of believers is that they are not doing the “general” things that God has commanded every believer to do. If we are not obedient to the “general” things, why would God ever reveal to us what the “specifics” are that He has in mind for us?

God’s will for our lives is not difficult. In fact, Paul gives us three “adjectives to describe the nature of God’s will.” (Boice)

A. It is GOOD. “God is the master of the understatement. So if God says His will is good, He means good with a capital G. He means that His will for us is the best thing that could possibly be.” (Boice)

B. It is ACCEPTABLE. “That means acceptable to us, since the fact that God’s will is acceptable to God goes without saying. Do not say that the will of God is hard. Or difficult. Or irrational. If you are thinking along those lines, it is because you have not yet learned to surrender to it. Those who do surrender to God’s will, offering their whole selves as sacrifices to Him, find that the will of God is the most acceptable thing there can be.” (Boice)

C. It is PERFECT. “No one can say more than that. Our ways are not perfect. They can always be improved upon and often must be corrected. God’s ways are perfect. They can never be made better. So isn’t it the most reasonable thing in the world to serve God and to do so without reservation, with all your heart?” (Boice)

Adapted from “Romans” by Boice.

In Christ,
Dan Todd

 

March 17

Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

Why is it reasonable to serve God sacrificially?
1. It is reasonable because of what God has already done for us.
2. It is reasonable because of what God is continuing to do.
3. It is reasonable because such service is God’s will for us, and His is a good, pleasing, and perfect will.

4. It is reasonable because God is worthy of our very best efforts. The “beloved Apostle” records the following in the Book of Revelation:

Revelation 4:11, “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”

Revelation 5:9-10, “And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”

Revelation 5:12, “Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, honour, and glory, and blessing.”

The above passages record the testimony of the elders, the four living creatures, the angels, and the entire company of the redeemed. Briefly stated - they are telling us that God is worthy of all honor - and that includes the very best that we have to offer.

Dr. Boice asks, “Do you believe that? I think that is the problem. If we did believe it, we would judge it reasonable to live for Jesus now and we would do it. Instead, in many cases we only say, ‘Jesus is worthy of all honor,’ and then go out and fail to live for Him. Our actions refute our profession. On the other hand, if you do live for Him, giving God all you can ever hope to be, then you are testifying that God truly is a great God and that He is worthy of the best you or anyone else can offer.”

Adapted from “Romans” by Boice.

In Christ,
Dan Todd

 

March 18

Romans 12:1, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

Why is it reasonable to serve God sacrificially?
1. It is reasonable because of what God has already done for us.
2. It is reasonable because of what God is continuing to do.
3. It is reasonable because such service is God’s will for us, and His is a good, pleasing, and perfect will.
4. It is reasonable because God is worthy of our very best efforts.

5. It is reasonable because only spiritual things will last. Everything else will pass away, everything we touch, handle, and see - everything, without exception. “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” (Matthew 24:35) “If that is true of the heavens and the earth, it is certainly true of the small perishable things you and I give so much of our lives for.” (Boice)

“And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” (1 John 2:17) Not only do believers live forever, so do their works, “And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.” (Revelation 14:13) We must learn, as believers, to think along these lines, that is to think spiritually.

Jim Elliot, missionary who lost his human life in South America, serving God as a missionary, wrote, “He is not fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” Elliot “gave his life to God in what he judged to be the most reasonable service, and he gained a spiritual inheritance forever.” (Boice)

William Borden, came from a wealthy family, graduated from Yale, and could have had, by the world’s standards, a wonderful and lucrative career. Borden felt the call of God to serve as a missionary to China. He was obedient to God’s call, even though his family and friends thought him to be a fool for doing so. Borden never made it to China. On the way, he contracted a fatal disease and died. “He died possessing nothing in this world. But Borden of Yale did not regret it. We know this because he left a note as he lay dying that said, ‘No reserve, no retreat, and no regrets.’ Like so many others, he found the service of Christ to be eminently reasonable, and he gained a lasting reward.” (Boice)

Adapted from “Romans” by Boice.

In Christ,
Dan Todd