Part VI Conclusion

Review

Romans 12:1-2:

¹I 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.²And 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.

We commonly quote Jeremiah 29:11 and we don’t understand this scripture. Let’s look at it in two different versions of the Bible:

Jeremiah 29:11-13(KJV)

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (NIV)* favorite for many people

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Seek me with all your heart, can only be accomplished by fulfilling the first commandment... “Hear, O Israel: THE LORD OUR GOD IS ONE LORD. AND THOU SHALT LOVE THE LORD WITH ALL THY HEART, AND WITH ALL THY SOUL, AND WITH ALL THY MIND, AND WITH ALL THY STRENGTH: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF. There is none other commandment greater than these. Mark 12:29-31

Matthew 22:40 states On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets

Now going back to Jeremiah 29: 11 let me summarize: God has plans for your life is nothing like your plans.

Read: Isaiah 55:8-9 (KJV)

⁸For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

⁹For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

To fulfill Romans 12:1-2 in our lives and Jeremiah 29:11 for our lives according to the will of God, we must resolve within our hearts Isaiah 55:8-9. God’s thoughts, plans, and ways are not like ours and through the midst of our trials we are to love God with all that is within us and our neighbor likewise. It is in our fiery trials that we will either be conformed to the world or be transformed into the image of Christ: we are to be an exact reflection of Jesus Christ.

Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you (test you, prove you), as though some strange thing happened unto you: ( I Peter 4:12)

Fiery Trail Example 3: Solomon Northup sold into slavery: not knowing the will of God for his life

I’m going to talk about my brother Solomon Northup, Twelve Years a slave (memoir and movie). You might be asking, “Why would I talk about an 18^th century person?” Well, Solomon Northup is an excellent example of the fulfillment of God’s will in his life: a man of faith, perseverance, and prayer.

Summary of his history:

Born a free man
Captured/(kidnapped) and sold into slavery
Separated/taken from wife, children, love ones, friends,
Excellent violinist.

Solomon Northup: Solomon is an 1841 biblical example of Romans 12:1-2: When he realized he was captured and had been sold into slavery, he prayed and said, “I commit myself unto the will of God”.

I commit myself to the will of God

He had to fight the good fight of faith, and he did it by the grace and power of God, presenting his body as a living sacrifice…..

· Enduring the pain of separation from his family and friends (white friends too)

· Enduring the pain of the beatings of slavery, pain and humiliation of dehumanizing: being treated like an animal.

Although enslaved he did everything unto the Lord: his masters testified: he was equal to 100 slaves. For one of his masters, Solomon came up with an invention that made his master very rich: looks like Joseph.

Solomon presented his body as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which was his reasonable service. He never conformed to the world: he was transformed by the renewing of his mind, he kept his faith and trust in God.

Romans 12:1-2 Solomon Northup clearly fulfills this scripture:

Solomon Northup proved that acceptable and perfect will of God: He was able to bring a lawsuit against his captures, which was illegal for a black man to sue a white man (but he did): Shed light on the slave trade of free born blacks.

This is how Solomon proved what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. He shed light on the slave trade of free born blacks. But, what does Solomon’s Northup’s life have to do with me spiritually? Think about it. If you saw the movie or read his memoir, you know Solomon is an example of what Christ did for all of us. Because of Joseph’s sacrificial life that paved the way for Christ and Jesus’s sacrifice that he paid for our sins and sending the Comforter who endues us with power from on high to live a righteous and holy life no matter what circumstances and obstacles we face, Solomon is an encouraging example for us. He committed himself to the will of God, trusting God for his life and one day to be returned to his family: he was returned to his family. Solomon endured hardness as good soldier just like the scripture teaches us. The bible teaches, He that endureth to the end the same shall be saved.

Matthew 10:22

And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

James 1:12

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

2 Timothy 2:3

Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.

Can you think of others in the bible that endured hardness as a good soldier?

Here are a few: Ruth and Naomi, David, Paul the Apostle, Peter, Jeremiah, Stephen who was stoned to death.

God has chosen a suffering way, if we suffer with Christ we shall reign with him. We all have cross to bear. Remember God’s plans, ways, and thoughts are not like our plans, ways, and thoughts. His are higher. He knows what he is doing and he won’t put more on you than you can bear. Trust him in your circumstances.

What cross are you bearing?

Have you been kidnapped and sold into slavery like Joseph and Solomon?
Have you received a terminal diagnoses?
Are you going through a divorce?
Have you lost a love one to death?
Is one of your love ones on drugs?
Has someone hurt, wounded, or abused you emotionally, physically, or spiritually?
Have you lost your job, home, or vehicle?
Have you walked away from God?

For every question I can ask, for every obstacle or challenge you can face, there is an answer in the Word of God for what you are going through. Can you imagine, Solomon Northup being kidnapped and sold into slavery and forced into hard labor with very little food, stripped naked many times, beaten with no mercy and forced to work although injured and weakened from the beatings? Not being able to see his wife and children, friends, and other family members.

Yet though all of this, he committed himself to the Will of God. That’s pretty tough to swallow, was it the Will of God? As we look at Joseph, we clearly saw, when his brothers sold him into slavery, God meant it for his good. So it was with Solomon also, God meant if for his good. But, things are never just for us, it is also for others.

God’s plans, his will and purpose for our lives are always for his glory. Just like with Jesus, God loved us so much, that he gave his only begotten Son’s life for us to be able to receive eternal life in heaven instead of eternal damnation in hell, which we all deserve for our sins.

All three of these men were holy living sacrifices.

They had something in common, that enabled them to present their bodies as a living sacrifice unto the perfect will of God:

“TRUST” - TRUST IN GOD

Key: Trusted in God (Matthew 27: 43)

Bigger picture:

Joseph- preserved the bloodline of the Messiah
Jesus- died for the world – giving us salvation, hope for heaven.
Solomon-shed light on the inside slave trade of free blacks being sold into slavery

Luke 24:46-47…

⁴⁶And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:

⁴⁷And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

Isaiah 53:3-5 (KJV)

³He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

⁴Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

⁵But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Conclusion:

Hebrews 10:35-37King James Version (KJV)

³⁵Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.

³⁶For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

³⁷For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

Romans 12:1-2

I pray this short study of Romans 12:1-2, has been a blessing to you. Allow God to perfect all that is lacking in you and remember, we all have a cross to bear and we all are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice.

Prayer:

Lord, help us That we may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.

Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: thy spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness. Psalm 143:10

Amen.

This is the conclusion of “Sacrifice Your Life unto the Perfect Will of God” bible study.

For further study on this topic, contact Evangelist Waters for preaching and teaching or a bible study series of live classes.

“I pray this study will continue helping you fulfill Romans 12:1-2 for your life. As you study the Bible, remember it’s not just a bible story; it is your road map to eternal life.”

Evangelist Waters

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Galatians 6:1-2
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Sacrifice your life unto the Perfect Will of God

Part V

As we reflect upon Jesus presenting his body a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which was his reasonable service and not conforming to this world nor the will of his flesh: in the garden there was a transformation: his mind was renewed in prayer when he struggled against the will of flesh, after his crucifixion on the cross he proved what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Isaiah foretells us of Jesus purpose, which was that good and acceptable and perfect will of God of Christ’s life. He is that worthy Lamb of God, slain for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities. Read below.

Isaiah 53:2-12 (KJV)

²For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.

³He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

⁴Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

⁵But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

⁶All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.

⁷He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.

⁸He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.

⁹And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.

¹⁰Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand.

¹¹He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.

¹²Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

As Jesus struggled, in the Garden of Gethsemane, in Matthew 26:36-46, he submitted himself to the perfect will of God, to become a living sacrifice for the sins of the world. He said in verse 39, “O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, bus as thou wilt. In verse 42 the second time he prayed, he said, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. And in verse 44, Jesus prayed a third time saying the same words. He surrendered to God’s will. That’s how you prove, the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. We overcome the flesh by the Spirit through obedience to God’s will.

It was God’s will for Jesus to die for the sins of the world, but it was also God’s will for Jesus to rise from the dead, giving him power. Matthew 28:18-20:

Matthew 28:18-20 (KJV)

¹⁸And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

¹⁹Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

²⁰Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Jesus fulfilled (proved) the perfect will according to all that was written of him in the law of Moses, in the prophets and in the psalms. Jesus dies for repentance and remission of sins to be preached in his name among all nations and he promise to send the Promise of the Father to us, which is the Holy Ghost power. This is the power. This is the power to enable you to live a righteous life according to the standards of the Word of God. Read Acts Chapter 1 and Acts Chapter 2 for the fulfillment of the promise from the Father, of the outpouring of the Holy Ghost/Holy Spirit.

Luke 24:44-53King James Version (KJV)

⁴⁴And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

⁴⁵Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures,

⁴⁶And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day:

⁴⁷And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

⁴⁸And ye are witnesses of these things.

⁴⁹And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

⁵⁰And he led them out as far as to Bethany, and he lifted up his hands, and blessed them.

⁵¹And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.

⁵²And they worshipped him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy:

⁵³And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

In Chapter 2 of Acts verses 14-42, Peter’s address at Pentecost is the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy concerning the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and God’s promise in John 14, 15, 16 chapters and Matthew 3:11 to be baptized with the Holy Ghost by Jesus.

Romans 12:1-2 Jesus clearly fulfills this scripture:

God’s perfect will is for every person that desires to be saved to be able to come to him through his Son, Jesus, our perfect sacrifice. Jesus, who knew no sin but became sin for us, that we can be saved. For further study: The Book of Hebrews.

Due to technical difficulties, this segment of our study has been shortened. We will resume on 7/14/15, the Lord willing.

May the Lord God, bless you as your continue to study his word, working out your salvation.