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.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.
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. 13 You 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)
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your
ways my ways, saith the Lord.
9 For 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 18th 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:
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.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.
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.
And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he
that endureth to the end shall be saved.
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.
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…
46 And said unto them, Thus
it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead
the third day:
47 And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Isaiah 53:3-5 (KJV)
3 He 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.
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But 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)
35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompence of reward.
36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.
37 For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.
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.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.
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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October 6, 2015
Galatians 6:1-2
Two-Part Series
October 6, 2015
Galatians 6:1-2
Two-Part Series
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