Will you please turn to Romans 12? We will read from verse 1 through verse 5.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the compassions of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service.
And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
For I say, through the grace that was given me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but so to think as to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to each man a measure of faith.
For even as we have many members in one body, and all the members have not the same office:
So we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and severally members one of another.
Heavenly Father, we do want to pray, thanking Thee that we can gather here tonight in the name of Thy beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Lord, we pray that Thou wilt grant to us the spirit of wisdom and revelation, that Thou wilt open the eyes of our heart, that we may know Thee in a true way.
We do ask Thy Holy Spirit to breathe upon Thy Word once again, that Thy Word will become light and spirit to us.
We do look to Thee to fulfill Thy work and bring all glory unto Thyself. We ask in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.
We mentioned last night that our times together will be on one subject: this matter of consecration.
Last night we mentioned that consecration is the first call of God to those who believe in Jesus Christ. Having received all the mercies of God, we are called by God to present our bodies a living sacrifice.
Consecration is not doing something for God. Consecration is giving ourselves to Him, allowing Him to do whatever He desires in our lives.
We are redeemed of the Lord, and it is by right that God owns us. We have no right to live for ourselves.
But thank God, He does not deal with us by law; He deals with us by grace. In other words, even though by right we belong to Him, God beseeches us.
He wants to constrain us with His love. And because we are constrained by His love, we will willingly give ourselves to Him.
This is holy. This is well pleasing to God, and this constitutes our reasonable service of spiritual worship.
I do pray that before we came tonight, there was a transaction between you and the Lord—that you have really presented your body a living sacrifice to Him.
Now, if you have done this, you will find there is a transformation beginning in your life.
The Bible tells us in verse 2:
And be not fashioned according to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
It tells us that immediately after we have presented our bodies a living sacrifice, something will happen in us. There will be a renewing of the mind. Your understanding will be renewed.
You will begin to see things very differently from what you saw before. The way you look at things, the way you estimate the value of things—you will find there will be a drastic change.
Because of that drastic change, you will find your whole life transformed.
Now, brothers and sisters, it is true that when we repented of our sins and believed in the Lord Jesus, there was a change of mind. The word repentance means a change of mind.
Formerly, your mind was set upon the pleasures of sin. Now you begin to be convicted by the Holy Spirit of the sinfulness of your sin. Your face turns around toward Christ Jesus, and you receive the Lord Jesus as your personal Savior.
So, when we believe in the Lord Jesus, there is some change in our mind. Yet we find that even though our mind underwent a change, that change was superficial.
Because it was not as drastic as it should have been, you will very quickly discover that even though you have a new spirit, your soul still needs to be saved.
You remember Ezekiel 36:26–27. We are told that God will give us a new heart, and He will give us a new spirit. He will put His Spirit within our spirit.
You know, when we are born again, what happens to us? When we are born again, we receive a new spirit. Formerly, our spirit was dead in sins and transgressions.
Our spirit was so dead that it had lost its contact with God. There was no communication between our spirit and God the Spirit.
But when we repent and believe in the Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit renews our dead spirit, and it becomes a new spirit. Immediately, you find that there is communication between you and God’s Spirit.
The Bible says:
That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
John 3:6.
The first “Spirit” is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of God. The second “spirit” is the new human spirit.
So, when we believe in the Lord Jesus, we receive a new spirit, and the Holy Spirit comes to dwell in our spirit. The Bible says that the Holy Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
Brothers and sisters, when we believe in the Lord Jesus, what happens is in our spirit.
But in Ezekiel 36, it also says that He will give us a new heart. He will take away the stony heart from us and give us a heart of flesh.
Now, what does that mean? You know, in the Old Testament there was no word for conscience. In the Old Testament, the heart was the conscience.
You remember one day David’s heart smote him when he cut off the skirt of Saul’s robe. Now, what does that really mean? It means the conscience told him that he had done something he should not do.
So we know that conscience is of the spirit, because in our spirit there are the functions of conscience. But conscience is also part of the heart. Therefore, in the Old Testament, it simply uses the word heart.
In other words, our wicked conscience was cleansed by the blood of our Lord Jesus. Our conscience was no longer stony—having no feeling toward God and no feeling toward sin. We are given a heart of flesh, a heart that is sensitive.
When the Holy Spirit indicates something to us, immediately we are sensitive to what He is saying.
So here you find that when we believe in the Lord Jesus, He gives us a new spirit and a new heart. The new heart points to the conscience.
So far as our soul is concerned, it did not undergo any change. You know, the mind belongs to the soul.
Our soul has three faculties:
These three things represent what we are. They express our personality: my will, my thought, and my feeling. These belong to our soul, and they represent what we are.
But when you believe in the Lord Jesus, there is a great change in your spirit, because the dead spirit is quickened into life. Even though your mind undergoes somewhat of a change, it is superficial and temporary.
So far as your soul is concerned, your soul still needs to be saved. And so far as your body is concerned, your body also needs to be redeemed.
When you believe in the Lord Jesus, what happens at that moment happens in your spirit. You know it because the Holy Spirit bears witness with your spirit, and now you are a child of God. You are able to cry out to God, “Abba.”
The real change is in your spirit; it is not in your soul or in your body.
Of course, our soul does have somewhat of a change, because repentance is a change of mind. But again, we emphasize that this change is superficial.
So far as our body is concerned, our body remains the same mortal body. We wait until the day of resurrection, and then we will have an immortal body.
At the same time, our body also undergoes a little change. Before you believed in the Lord Jesus, you probably had a long face. But after you believed in the Lord Jesus, you had a round face, because there was joy in your heart.
So you find that in the body there is some change, but it is not a drastic change.
After we believe in the Lord Jesus, you will discover that you have a new spirit, but you still carry an old head.
You may not find it in the very beginning of your Christian life, because when you first believe in the Lord, you are in first love. Because of that first love, it seems as if your mind is in subjection.
It seems that you are able to think of things heavenly and not things earthly. But do not be deceived. After a while, you find that your old mind begins to rise up and try to dominate your life again.
You discover that the way you look at things has not been changed. You still value the things of the world rather than the things of God.
The Bible says, “Be not conformed to this world.” Now, the world here is not cosmos; it refers to the fashion of this world, the current of this age.
Brothers and sisters, the world is like a mold, and everybody is squeezed into that mold. You are conformed to this age.
What the age is, that is what you are. You want to be fashionable. You do not want people to look at you as though you are from a past century.
Whenever a new style comes out in Paris, immediately you find that you have to wear that kind of clothing. That is the world.
Brothers and sisters, naturally we love the world. We look at the world and find that the world is full of attractions: the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. This is what the world is, and we belong to it. We follow it. We are in its current.
Now, to say, “Do not be conformed to the world,” is impossible in ourselves.
Let me use an illustration. Many years ago, I was in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Some brothers and sisters were gathered in a sitting room, fellowshipping with one another.
In the center of that room there was a table, and on the table there was a dish of candy. This brother had a little boy.
As we were talking, we found that the boy began to make circles around the table. The circles became smaller and smaller until he came to the table.
He looked at the candy, took one, and said, “I shouldn’t do it, but I love it.” Then he began to widen the circle.
But the circle became narrow again. He said, “I shouldn’t do it, but I just love it.”
Brothers and sisters, that is what we are. We cannot help it. We are conformed to this world.
Now the Bible says that we are to prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God. The word prove means to test and approve.
You are supposed to find out what is the will of God, approve of God’s will, and consider it good, acceptable, and perfect.
Is that natural to your mind? Many young brothers and sisters often have this question: “How can I know the will of God?”
I remember one answer: “Whatever is against me is the will of God.” You know, that is the way we look at the will of God. We do not like to prove and approve of it. That is our mindset.
In order to live a Christian life, you should not be conformed to this age, but you should prove the perfect will of God.
Now, how can you do that? It is not something that you can force yourself to do. Other people may tell you what is the will of God, but to you it is not good, it is not pleasing, and it is not perfect.
Something must happen within you, and that which happens is the renewing of your mind.
In other words, there is such a renewing of our minds that we begin to see things differently.
What we considered precious to us, we now look at as refuse. What we considered gain to us, we now regard as loss. Your viewpoint, your very evaluation, completely changes.
When that is changed, you will find it is supernaturally natural not to be conformed to the world.
You remember Philippians 3. Paul said that what he considered gain in the past, he now considered loss.
Formerly, he treasured his Jewish tradition. He treasured his achievements in Judaism. Now he considered these as refuse.
Nobody likes refuse. For you to get rid of refuse is very easy. Even if people do not advise you to do it, you will do it. It is so natural and so easy.
The apostle Paul, after he was converted, treasured the Lord Jesus Christ—the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ. For that knowledge, he was willing to lose everything.
Why did this happen? Because he had a renewing of his mind.
You remember, on the road to Damascus, the Lord appeared to him and said, “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? It is hard for thee to kick against the goad.”
Paul knew that this must be the Lord, but he did not know Who He was. So he said, “Lord, who art Thou?” The Lord said, “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.”
You remember his second question. He said, “Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?”
In other words, the moment he knew the Lord, he surrendered his life to the Lord. In the past, he lived for himself. He was his own master. Now he surrendered his life to the Lord Jesus.
He said, “Lord, tell me what You want me to do. I am Yours, at Your disposal.”
Brothers and sisters, because of that consecration, there was a renewing of his mind. That is the reason why he could say, “What I considered as gain before, now is loss. What I considered as loss to me, now becomes gain.”
He was no longer conformed to this age. He proved and approved of the perfect will of God.
A transformation will come to you, and that transformation is the work of the Holy Spirit. You cannot change your mind. It is the work of the Holy Spirit.
But when will the Holy Spirit do this work of renewing your mind?
It is when you present your body a living sacrifice. Consecrate your life to the Lord, and the Holy Spirit will come and transform you. He will renew your mind and make it a new mind.
Then you are able not to be conformed to this age, and you will begin to prove what is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.
Now, you know, the will of God is singular in number.
When we talk about the will of God, we often think, “What is God’s will for me? What is God’s will for you? What is God’s will in this matter? What is God’s will at this time?”
We think of wills in the plural number. But here you find that the will is singular in number.
There is an overall, all-conclusive, supreme will of God, and that will includes all the particular wills of God.
So, with the renewing of your mind, you begin to prove and test it. You agree that this will is good, acceptable, and perfect.
When are you able to see the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God? It is after you have presented your bodies a living sacrifice and had your mind renewed.
Then you begin to see the perfect will of God.
Now, what is that will? We are talking about the supreme will of God.
God has a will in Himself. It is the mystery of God. It is the mystery of Christ. It is a mystery that was hidden throughout the ages, but Paul said it has now been revealed to the apostles and prophets.
That will is the mind of God. It is the heart of God. It is the eternal purpose of God. It is something that God has set His heart upon, and He will perform it.
Brothers and sisters, do you know what that will is?
Why is it that we find it so difficult to know the will of God? Something happens, and you want to know what God’s will is. You pray over it, but it seems as if God is silent and does not want you to know His will.
Do you know why? It is because you do not know the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.
That will controls and governs every particular will of God. It is very important that we know what that will is.
But you will not be able to prove that will until your mind is renewed. And your mind will not be renewed if you have not offered your body a living sacrifice.
Let me put this another way. We need to surrender our life to the Lord. After we have surrendered our lives to the Lord, then He will reveal to us what His will is.
According to Romans 12, what is that will? Read verse 5:
So we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and severally members one of another.
Do you notice that in verse 1 it says, “Present your bodies”? Bodies is plural in number. I have my body, and you have your body. I cannot present your body to the Lord, nor can you present my body for me.
Everyone has his or her own body, and you need to present it to the Lord as a living sacrifice.
But the wonder of wonders is this: when you present your body as a living sacrifice, the Lord begins to open your eyes to see body in the singular number.
It is the body of Christ. Having presented your body as a living sacrifice, you discover that you are in that one body of Christ.
What God wants for His Son is a body.
You know, God loves His only begotten Son. He wants to give His Son a companion, just as God said to Adam, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him,” a counterpart.
Likewise, God so loves His Son that He wants to give His Son a companion.
But because our Lord Jesus is so full and so rich—all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him—no one person, or even a number of people, can really be His companion.
He needs a body: many people, but one body.
This is what the Lord is doing today. Our Lord Jesus came to this world to seek His bride, but He could not find His bride.
Just as God brought all the animals before Adam and Adam named each animal, Adam could not find his counterpart.
So you remember that God put Adam to sleep. Out of his side, God took something and used it to build a woman. He brought the woman to Adam.
Adam looked at the woman and said:
This is now bone of my bones,
And flesh of my flesh.
They were united into one.
Now, brothers and sisters, our Lord Jesus came to this earth to seek for His bride, because He is the Bridegroom. But He could not find His bride. He found sinners.
So He had to give His life on the cross. Out of His side came blood and water, and He used that to build His church, which is His body, the fullness of Him that filleth all in all.
What is this acceptable and perfect will of God? It is the one body of Christ.
We do not see this one body because we are naturally very individual. We think of ourselves. But God will deliver us. He will enlarge our hearts to see that there is the one body of Christ.
This is God’s will for His beloved Son.
There are many members, but one body. A body is composed of many members. Even though there are many members, there is only one body.
Just think: from the first one who believed in the Lord Jesus to the last one who will believe in Him spans twenty centuries. It covers the whole earth.
All those who are called of God, all who are redeemed of the Lord—how many there are! Nonetheless, even with so many members, there is only one body, not many bodies. They all belong to that one body.
Maybe we narrow it a little bit. Think of today, on this earth, all over the world. Those who believe in the Lord Jesus are many, many, many; yet there is one body.
Even if we narrow it still more and think of a city, a village, or a community, there are many Christians, and yet there is only one body.
In other words, there is no division. All who believe in the Lord Jesus belong to that one body of Christ. We are many, and yet we are one.
Now, this is the will of God.
When you think of members of the body, immediately you notice that they are not members of an organization. Membership comes organically.
You have to be born into the body. You cannot join that body, because you are born into the body. Therefore, you belong to the body.
Again, when you speak of members, look at your body. One body, many members. Are all the members exactly alike?
If they were alike, it would be a lump of meat. You find that every member is different. My hands and my feet are different. Even my right hand and my left hand are different.
Every member is unique. Even though we have the same life, everyone is unique. So do not copy one another. You are unique.
God, in His great wisdom, has made us members of that body. But you are not a body; you are only a member.
Remember this. Sometimes we think that we are the body and do not need other members. But you are not the body; you are only a member of the body.
In other words, you need to see your limitation. No matter how big a member you are, you are very limited. You need the other members of the body.
We are related to one another. You cannot stand alone.
Now, if a hand were standing alone, you know, it would be horrible. Once I was in a friend’s home, sitting in the kitchen. His daughter was an artist.
Hanging on the wall was a picture of a table with bread and cups. But in the midst of that table there was a hand standing there.
When I looked at that picture, I asked my friend, “What does it mean? On that table you have food. Why is there a hand standing up there?”
My friend could not explain it. He said his daughter simply felt that there was something and put it there.
Now, suppose you really saw a hand on your kitchen table. Would you be able to eat your food anymore?
Brothers and sisters, if you stand by yourself, it is terrible. You must be related to your brothers and sisters. They need you, and you need them too.
We are members one of another. You cannot stand by yourself.
We need to encourage one another. We need to exhort one another. We need to help one another. We need to love one another.
Every one of us has a function to fulfill, and we need to function together under the headship of Christ.
If we hold fast the Head, then the whole body will be united together and will minister together for the increase of God.
So, dear brothers and sisters, this is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.
Thank God, by His grace, He has put us in this body. We are born into this body, and we are members in that body. We are members one of another.
Let us hold fast the Head, and let us minister to one another, that God may have increase in that body.
This is the will of God. After you see the will of God, then you find every little item of the will of God is controlled by that will.
All the different items of the wills of God contribute to that purpose.
So first of all, present your bodies a living sacrifice. Then you have the renewing of the mind. Then you will prove what is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.
This is the vision of consecration.
You know why people do not see the body of Christ today? It is because their mind is not renewed. It is because they have not presented their body.
So may the Lord help us.
Dear Lord, we need to have our mind renewed. We thank Thee that it is the work of Thy Holy Spirit. We cannot do it.
But Lord, we thank Thee that Thou hast shown us the way: Thou dost desire that we present our bodies a living sacrifice, so that Thy Holy Spirit can renew our mind.
Make it so natural and easy for us not to be conformed to this age, but to prove the perfect will of God.
We pray that the eyes of our heart may be opened, that we may see the body of Christ, that we may thank Thee for putting us in that body, and that Thou wilt enable us to live that body life.
We ask in the name of our Lord Jesus. Amen.