Sep11-17: Love and Law

Teaching Points

1.  For what reason does Paul entreat us to present ourselves as living sacrifices to God? And why is it our reasonable service?

ANSWER:

• Rom. 12:1—Therefore—What point did he previously give?
• Rom. 11:25-32—God’s great mercy.
• Rom. 11:33-36—God’s rightful ownership and wisdom.
• The reason Paul is pleading with us to surrender ourselves to God, is God’s great mercy and wisdom and rightful ownership. It is our reasonable service because of God’s ownership and great mercy toward us. 

2.  What is a beautiful example of a living sacrifice familiar to the Jews?

ANSWER:

• Gen. 22:2, 9-12—Issac surrendered himself as a living sacrifice, willing to die, if it was God’s will. 

3.  What is the key to being transformed and proving what is God’s good, acceptable, and perfect will?

ANSWER:

• Rom. 12:2—The renewing of our mind.
• We cannot continue our old thoughts, desires, and actions. Our mind must be made new. Our mind must be brought in harmony with God’s perfect will!

4.   When we have surrendered ourselves as living sacrifices and our minds are being renewed how are we to relate to others (Jews and Gentiles in Christ)?

ANSWER:

• Rom. 12:4-21—We are to treat them with love as part of Christ’s body—without hypocrisy. We are to be in harmony of mind and humble, not thinking we are better than others. We are to let God take care of revenge and we should repay evil with good. 

OBSERVATION:

• We should be willing to surrender ourselves like a living sacrifice because we realize God’s rightful ownership and His great mercy toward us.
• The submission of Isaac to be a sacrifice, trusting that his father was guided by God, is a beautiful example of how we should be willing to surrender all to Christ.
• The renewing of our mind is the essential key to bringing us into harmony with God’s will. This is the opposite of harmony with the world.
• We cannot be God’s and continue to follow the practices of the world.
• When we have surrendered all to Christ and our minds are being changed to follow God’s will we will treat others as part of Christ’s body. We will love them without hypocrisy. We will be humble and peaceable, returning good for evil, even with our enemies, letting God take care of the consequences. 

5.  How are we to relate to those in authority over us?

ANSWER:

• Rom. 13:1-7—We are to submit to them, honor them, pay them what is due.

6.  How does Paul summarize proper human relations?

ANSWER:

• Rom. 13:8-10—Owe no one anything but love. True love fulfills the Ten Commandments.

7.  What reason does Paul give for the urgency of being ready?

ANSWER:

• Rom. 13:11-13—It is high time to awake—our salvation is nearer than when we believed.
• The night is far spent. 

8.  How can we be fully prepared to walk honestly?

ANSWER:

• Rom. 13:12-14—casting off the works of darkness and putting on the armor of light. Putting on the Lord Jesus and making no provision for the flesh (sinful desires).

OBSERVATION:

• We are to submit to those in authority over us and pay them what is due.
• We are not to owe anyone anything but love. We are to love as the commandments show us.
• Paul urges us to wake up because time is short. There is no time for sleeping, or drinking, or getting upset with people.
• We should throw off the works of darkness and put on Christ (the armor of light) and not make ways to act on our sinful desires.

SOP

• It is displeasing to God for any who profess to love him to work so hard with their hands and brains in their own business as to unfit themselves to render to God that service which comes from a fervent spirit. Christians should not make it a practice to urge their families to work until their energy is exhausted, and there is no vitality left to devote to the service of God, who requires soul, body, mind, and strength. If you employ the powers of your entire being to serve your own interest, what have you reserved to offer to God? Is it not a lame sacrifice? "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."  {RH, March 29, 1870 par. 16} 
• The apostle exhorts the church, "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." Man, then, can make the body unholy by sinful indulgences. If unholy, they are unfitted to be spiritual worshipers, and are not worthy of Heaven. If man will cherish the light God in mercy gives him upon health reform, he may be sanctified through the truth, and fitted for immortality. If he disregards light, and lives in violation of natural law, he must pay the penalty.  {PH138 3.3} 
• But if the body is neglected, if unsuitable hours are consumed in study, if the mind is overtaxed, if the physical powers are left unemployed and become enfeebled, then the human machinery is trammeled, and matters that are essential for our future welfare and eternal peace are neglected. Book-knowledge is made all-important, and God is dishonored. The student forgets the words of inspiration, and does not follow the instruction of the Lord when He says: "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." The minds of many need to be renewed, transformed, and molded after God's plan. Many are ruining themselves physically, mentally, and morally, by overdevotion to study. They are defrauding themselves for time and eternity through practicing habits of intemperance in seeking to gain an education. They are losing their desire to learn, in the school of Christ, lessons of meekness and lowliness of heart. Every moment that passes is fraught with eternal results. Integrity will be the sure result of following in the way of righteousness.  {FE 351.2} 

CONCLUSION:

• Because of God’s rightful ownership and amazing mercy, it is our reasonable duty to surrender ourselves to Him as living sacrifices.
• God wants to renew our mind—to bring us into harmony with His will.
• God wants us to treat others as part of Christ’s body with true love, humility, and harmony.
• God wants us to respect and submit to those over us paying them what is due.
• Our proper relationship with other is to treat them with love. True love fulfills the Ten Commandments.
• There is no time for sleeping, drinking partying or getting mad at people. Time is too short.
• We need to join the side of Christ, put His armor on, and let nothing give the enemy a foothold in our heart.

APPLICATION QUESTIONS:

• Are you realizing the amazing mercy of God to you and His right to ownership of you? And are you acknowledging this by surrendering to Him?
• Are you treating your church family as part of the body of Christ?
• Do you with a humble, grateful heart realize your unworthiness and seek to live peacefully with others?
• Are you respecting your leaders and living up to the law of love?
• Are you losing focus on Christ by getting angry or being jealous of another person?
• Is anything—spiritual sleep, friends, parties, arguments, or jealousy—keeping you from clearly joining Christ?
• Are you giving a foothold to Satan in your life or are you closing every possible door for temptation?