Weekly Sermon

James 1:16-18 reads, “Do not err, my beloved brethren.  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.  Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”

James 1:16-18 brings the third paragraph of the epistle to its conclusion.  As we have not-ed, the subject matter of this paragraph is arranged in order to move our focus and understanding from the outside toward the center.  Even so, verse 12 & verses 17-18 give counsel concerning our right motivation for endurance in godliness.  Then verse 13 & verses 16-17 give counsel concerning our right attitude toward the Lord our God.  Finally, verses 14-15 give counsel concerning our right understanding of temptation to sin. 

James 1:16 serves as a turning point in this paragraph with the loving, pastoral admonition, “Do not err, my beloved brethren.”  This admonition renews that of verse 13 and returns the focus of the paragraph to the counsel concerning our right attitude toward the Lord our God.  Yet with this admonition the focus of this counsel turns from the negative truth that the Lord our God never tempts anyone with sin and turns to the positive truth that the Lord our God provides every good and perfect gift.  On the one hand -- “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man” (verse 13).  On the other hand -- “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning” (verse 17).  On the one hand, we must never attribute to the Lord our God or accuse Him of any sinful temptation.  On the other hand, we must acknowledge and appropriate the truth that He is eternally good and that He is the Source of all good.

This truth concerning our Lord God’s eternal goodness is revealed in the declaration of verse 17 and illustrated in the declaration of verse 18.  Grammatically, verses 17-18 provide two separate declarations of truth, wherein verse 17 may be divided into three parts and verse 18 may be divided into two parts.  First in verse 17, there is a revelation of our Lord God’s care through the opening declaration -- “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above.”  Second in verse 17, there is a revelation of our Lord God’s character through the second verb phrase -- “And cometh down from the Father of lights.”  Third in verse 17, there is a revelation of our Lord God’s constancy through the adjective clause -- “With whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”  Then in verse 18, there is the illustration of our Lord God’s good provision through the main clause -- “Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth.”  Second in verse 18, there is the illustration of our Lord God’s good purpose through the adverb clause -- “That we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.”

Weekly Sermon

1 Peter 2:6 – “Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.”

 I.  Our Lord Jesus Christ is a Living Stone. (1 Peter 2:4)
II.  In Christ we also are lively (living) stones. (1 Peter 2:5)

Weekly Sermon

This sermon is a companion to a previous sermon:  By the Renewing of Your Mind (Part 1) - Romans 12:2    

Romans 12:1-2 reads, “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.  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.”

In Romans 12:1 God the Holy Spirit pleads with us to present ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto the Lord our God.  Then in verse 2 God the Holy Spirit gives two commands that we must obey if we are truly to present ourselves as such a living sacrifice unto the Lord our God.  The opening portion of the verse presents the first command – “And be not conformed to this world.”  Then the second command follows – “But be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.”  Brethren, we are not to be “conformed to this world.”  We are not to be in the same form or in agreement with this present evil world.  Rather, we are to be “transformed.”  We are to be changed into a different form and a different character than this present evil world.  Yea, we are to be changed into the same form and character as our Lord Jesus Christ.  Even so, 2 Corinthians 3:18 declares, “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image [as the glory of the Lord] from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

In addition, Romans 12:2 reveals that the means of this transforming work is “by the renewing of your mind.”  We are commanded to be “transformed by the renewing of [our] mind.”  This means that we ourselves must involve ourselves in the renewing of our minds.  We ourselves must seek out, and commit ourselves to the things that will make for the renewing of our minds.  What then are the things that will make for the renewing of our minds?  Already in the first part of the message, we have considered three answers to this question of these things – (1) We must commit ourselves to the truth of God’s holy Word; (2) we must commit ourselves to put away from us any and all sin; and (3) we must commit ourselves to live wholly unto the will of God.  Now in this second part of the message, let us consider one additional answer to this matter.

Weekly Sermon

Romans 12:1-2 reads, “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.  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.”

In Romans 12:1 God the Holy Spirit pleads with us to present ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto the Lord our God.  Then in verse 2 God the Holy Spirit gives two commands that we must obey if we are truly to present ourselves as such a living sacrifice unto the Lord our God.  The opening portion of the verse presents the first command – “And be not conformed to this world.”  Then the second command follows – “But be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.”  Herein the word “transformed” means “to be formed over,” that is – “to be changed into a different form or a different character.”  Brethren, we are not to be conformed unto this present evil world.  We are not to be in the same form or in agreement with this present evil world.  Rather, we are to be “transformed.”  We are to be changed into a different form and a different character than this present evil world.  So then, let us consider the need for our transformation, the objective of our transformation, and the means to our transformation.

Weekly Sermon

This sermon is a companion to two previous sermons:  Be Not Conformed to This World (Part 1) - Romans 12:2
                                                                                      Be Not Conformed to This World (Part 2) - Romans 12:2

Romans 12:1-2 reads, “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.  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.”

In Romans 12:1 God the Holy Spirit pleads with us to present ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God.  Then in verse 2 God the Holy Spirit gives us two commands that we must obey if we are truly to present ourselves to live unto the Lord our God.  The first of these two commands is found in the opening portion of the verse – “And be not conformed to this world.”  The word “conformed” means “to be formed together,” that is – “to be made into the same form, or to be brought into agreement.”  Brethren, we are not to have the same form as this present evil world; and we are not to be in agreement with this present evil world.  We are not to think like this world thinks, feel like this world feels, behave like this world behaves, talk like this world talks, or look like this world looks.  We are not to have the same philosophy, the same priorities, the same purposes, the same desires, the same interests, the same habits, or the activities that this world has.  Brethren, we are not to make our decisions or have our mind set like this world does.  We are to “be not conformed to this world.”

Yet the question might be asked – Why are we not to be conformed to this world, and how important is it to our Christian lives that we not be conformed unto this world?  God’s holy Word reveals a great number of answers to this question.  Already in the first two parts of this message (see above), we have considered six of these answers.  We are to “be not conformed to this world” (1) because this world stands opposed to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, (2) because this world stands opposed to true Christianity and the true followers of Christ, (3) because this world is willfully without God, (4) because this world is under Satan’s deception, (5) because this world is following Satan’s direction, and (6) because this world is evil and wicked by nature.

Weekly Sermon

Romans 12:1-2 reads, “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.  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.”

In these two verses of God’s holy Word, our Lord gives us three instructions.  First, our Lord instructs us to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto Him.  Second, our Lord instructs us not to be conformed unto this present evil world.  Third, our Lord instructs us, rather, to be transformed into His own image by the renewing of our minds.  Yet all three of these instructions are built upon one foundation.  That foundation is presented in the opening phrase of Romans 12:1, where the apostle Paul states under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God.”  The foundation for our obedience to our Lord God’s instructions is the foundation of our Lord God’s mercies toward us.  Indeed, when we truly meditate upon “the mercies of God,” then we will be moved and motivated to obedience.

What then is involved in “the mercies of God” toward us?  Mercy can be defined either as a holding back of a punishment that is certainly deserved, or as a helping compassion for an individual in desperate need.  In “the mercies of God” toward us, we find that both elements are involved.  Under the inspiration of God the Holy Spirit, the apostle Paul presented the elements of “the mercies of God” throughout Romans 1-11.  Thus we shall find the answer to our question in these chapters – What is involved in “the mercies of God” toward us?

Weekly Sermon

Romans 6:11-13 reads, “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.  Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.  Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.”

In Romans 6:12-13 we who are God’s children are instructed, “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.  Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.”  Yet is this really possible for us in this life?  Can we really refuse to allow sin to reign in our mortal bodies?  Can we really refuse to obey sin and the lusts of sin?  Can we really refuse to yield ourselves to be used by sin?  Can we really refuse to walk in the ways of unrighteousness?  Can we really say, “NO,” to sin?  On the other hand, can we really yield ourselves to God to live for Him?  Can we really yield our members to be used of God for His glory?  Can we really walk in righteousness so as to be pleasing unto the Lord our God?  The answer to all of these questions rings back from the Lord our God Himself through His holy Word – Yes, we can!  

The Biblical assurance that in our daily lives we really can refuse to yield ourselves unto sin and really can yield ourselves to serve God is founded upon the fundamental change that the Lord our God produced in us at that moment of our faith in Christ for salvation.  Even so, the first half of 2 Corinthians 5:17 declares, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature.”  In the context of Romans 6, this fundamental change is presented in Romans 6:11, wherein we are instructed, “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.”  This is the believer’s foundation for daily Christian living.  Brethren, whether or not we know it and whether or not we believe it, through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ every single one of us is spiritually “dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God.”  Let us then consider these truths.

Weekly Sermon

Romans 5:17 reads, “For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.”

In Hebrews 9:27 God’s Word reveals that “it is appointed unto men once to die.”  In the opening portion of Psalm 89:48, Ethan the Ezrahite asked the rhetorical question, “What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death?”  In the opening portion of 2 Samuel 14:14, the wise woman Tekoah stated unto King David, “For we must needs die, and are as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again.”  In 1 Corinthians 15:26 God’s Word declares, “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.”  Death reigns all around us.  Yea, death reigns within us.  Yet we might ask – Why does death reign?  Why does death even exist in this world? 

Did the Lord our God and Creator originally create this world as a world of disease and death?  No, He most certainly did not.  The opening portion of Genesis 1:31 reveals the opposite.  It reveals that after the Lord our God and Creator had completed His work of creation, He looked upon “everything that He had made, and, behold, it was very good.”  So then, if the Lord our God and Creator did not originally create this world as a world of disease and death, why does disease and death now exist in this world?  The answer is given in Romans 5:12 – “Wherefore, as by one man [that is – the first man Adam] sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”  Again the answer is given in the opening line of Romans 5:17 – “For if by one man’s offence [that is – the first sin of Adam] death reigned by one [that is – by the first man Adam].”

So then, in this message let us consider a matter of death and of life.  Yea, let us consider the Biblical truth concerning the reign of death and the reign of life.