Somebody Loves You

Raul Ries: And we need to learn to hate the world, but to love God. And to come into that situation in myOwn personal life, when I look at myself and I stand back and I say to myself, hey, am I really consecrating my life? Am I really serving God? Am I really moving forward or am I standing still or am I going backwards? Where are you today?

Guest (Male): Welcome to Somebody Loves You Radio, the Bible teaching ministry of Raul Reese in Diamond Bar, California. Today's lesson is part of our ongoing series highlighting obedience in the life of the Christian. Raul will explain what it means to be consecrated and will assure us that the Holy Spirit can help us effectively represent Jesus as we seek his transforming power. We'll get encouragement to mirror Christ's righteousness and compassion in our attitudes and actions. In Romans chapter 12, here's Raul Reese with our study, The Consecrated Life.

Raul Ries: When you look at the church today and you look at people's lives today, how do we know that their lives have been consecrated? You think your life has been consecrated. Paul in Ephesians 5:8 says, for you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light. We got to remember that at one time, or maybe you still are, we walked in darkness. But because we've been born again of the Holy Spirit and Christ has touched my life, your life, then we have a new life in Christ Jesus. Our position is in Christ.

42 times Paul in the book of Ephesians speaks about our position in Christ. But then when I look at the church or I look at believers, many times I wonder if they really are walking with God or not. And I'm not God, so I can't judge. But in my mind I wonder because I see their lifestyles. I see the way they operate, the way they communicate with people sometimes with dirty language. Or maybe they're into different things, you know, like stealing drugs, alcohol, whatever it may be, but they call themselves a believer. But if your life has been consecrated or been set apart, okay, the Holy Spirit has touched my life.

I've been born again of the Holy Spirit. This is what John says. It but if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ, his son, cleanses us from all our sins. If we walk Let's see what he says this morning to us. Let me read chapter 12 verses 1 and 2 and then we'll break it up. He says, I beseech you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, that you, and I notice individually, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable, notice, and perfect will of God. Are you in God's perfect will today? Do you really believe that? Well, one of the things first of all that I see here is he's going to give us five facts concerning consecration. First of all, let's look at the appeal of my consecration to this morning. Let's start again with verse one. I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God. Let's just stop there for a second.

Here Paul the apostle is not only making an appeal, he has an exhortation. Because what he wants to do in the word therefore, he's taking you back from chapter 1 to chapter 11 that we've already studied. In a chapter 12 now, we already studied doctrine. Now we're going to study what a Christian If I am a Christian, this is the way I should live because I know doctrine. This is the way I should live. And when you look at people, people in the church, not outside but in the church, do we really understand what is to live for Christ and how to live for Christ?

I mean, here Paul, he uses the word I beseech you, which means I beg you earnestly. I entreat you, brothers and sisters. I'm begging you. Therefore, notice, brothers, by the mercies of God. Notice the mercies of God are given here. When you talk about the mercies of God or I beg you, it has a real deep meaning as if God was on his knees before his people begging them to give themselves over to him when he has given himself to us. Look what he's done in your personal life individually. We're not here by coincidence. We've been coming because we want to learn.

We want to develop. We want to grow spiritually. But like Paul says here, if I'm not really in that place where I beg you by the mercies of God, is that you present presenting my body, my life to him. Because many times when you think of yourself as a Christian, am I really presenting myself as a sacrifice to Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior? Now you got to remember that the mercies of God are everlasting. The mercies of God. For example, God's mercy is great. Great. Isaiah 54:7 says, for a mere moment I have forsaken you, but with great mercies I God will gather you.

Speaking to Israel. So when Paul says, I beseech you therefore, brethren, when he speaks about not only presenting ourselves, now you see the second part here, the act of my consecrated life, notice the second part that you present your bodies a living sacrifice holy and acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service to God. And I was reading this and going over my notes. I read it again and I thought, wow, here's Paul's urgency and Paul urging us completely individually. He's saying, look you guys, yield present yield yourselves. Yield your bodies. Know you not that you're the temple of the living God and if any man defile the temple of God, God himself shall destroy him.

If I am the temple of God, should I not watch and take care of his temple? Should I not only watch over his temple but always do what's right so the Holy Spirit does not become grieved in my life? Which the Holy Spirit becomes grieved when I begin to sin against God. And so as I was looking at this chapter in verses 1 and 2, I thought, wow, I want to consecrate my life to Jesus Christ. I don't want to be like I used to be before, but I want to be separate. The word consecration means to be separate.

Have you and I separated ourselves from the world, from our friends that are trying to bring us down? You notice that word that he uses here also, living sacrifice. It takes you back to the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, the priest would be at the temple door. And you as the worshiper would come down to the temple bringing a turtle dove, a pigeon, or a lamb, or a goat. And when you came to the door where the actual temple was, the priest would be outside and what he would do, he would have an examination of your sacrifice looking for a blemish.

And if I saw a blemish in your lamb, I would say, you know what, you can't really offer this lamb here. So you have to give one from over here. You can buy one from us. But what he's doing is if the sacrifice was accepted, he would take it, he would go inside and he would stick the knife on the throat, cut the throat. The blood would be coming out and actually bled. And then he would take the animal, skin it, cut it into pieces and give a portion to the priest and a portion for the Lord as the person was outside waiting for his forgiveness.

And he would take the sacrifice and the offering of the sacrifice, the smoke would go up to heaven as God would receive it as a consecration of my life. And it was a dead sacrifice. Here he says a living sacrifice. Why? Because Christ has made us alive. We're not dead. We're alive. And when he uses that word to present that I read to you already, it means to yield in the Greek to yield. For example, Romans 6:13 says, and do not present do not yield your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead that your members as instruments of righteousness to who?

To God. The temple of God. We are the temple of the living God. So the word present is a temple term here that is bringing of God in my life and for God to live in my life, in my heart as I become the temple of the living God. And here the issue is referring to the dedication of our bodies to the Lord to be used as he sees fit. Lord, however you want to use my life, here it is. Take it. I give it to you. But yet we have to remember that not only we are the temple of God, but we have on the other side the darkness to the light.

And we have to be careful with the darkness. The darkness is always trying to take on our lives. Satan's always looking for some kind of a scam to come against you, to come against me so that he can not only take us back as captives, but because I have come to Christ and the Holy Spirit lives in my life, for sure I do not want to grieve the Holy Spirit of God. The word to grieve means to bring pain. How do I do that? By living a life of sin. It grieves the Holy Spirit of God.

You have to remember first of all that we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God. Second Corinthians says, and by what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God had said, I will dwell in them, walk among them. I will be their God. They shall be my people. Notice that. Therefore, come out from among them. Be separate, saith the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean and I will receive you. I will be a father to you. You shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord God Almighty.

Be you separate, saith the Lord. Don't touch the unclean. Let come out from among them.

Guest (Male): You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Reese. For Bible based resources to instruct and inspire you in your faith walk, connect with us anytime at somebodylovesyou.com. Raul's 10 part series titled Called, Chosen, and Committed is available on either CD or flash drive. Now back to more of our lesson, The Consecrated Life.

Raul Ries: Secondly, we have the Holy Spirit indwelt by Christ. Ephesians 3:17 says that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith that you being rooted, grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width, the length, and the depth, and the height. And then we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit himself. Ephesians 2:21 says, in whom the whole building being fit together grows into a holy temple in the Lord in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. So my body becomes the temple where the Holy Spirit lives 24/7 365 days.

And why is it that we can't get that in our minds? That God desires that my reasonable service would be not only to him, but it would be a praising and worshiping him. In the Old Testament, when David was worshiping the Lord, worship has a big place not only in the church, but among the believers. Because worship is setting the time and the place for the teaching of the word of God. So that when we come out here, you've been worshiping the Lord, you now open your hearts to be able to receive the word of God and as you receive the word of God, you become convicted.

Not condemn, convicted. It is a reasonable service, a logical result of our worship and praise to God. First of all, it's voluntary. Present yourself. Secondly, it's personal, your bodies. Thirdly, it's sacrificial, a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God. Isn't that cool? For example, voluntary present. When I present myself to Jesus Christ, I'm presenting myself because I want not only his covering my life, but I want him to dominate my life. I want to have his presence all the time in my life so that when I do feel down or you're going through some depression, that you will know that Jesus is there for you.

Because it's his temple, not your temple. The temple of the living God, presenting yourself to him. And then your body, your flesh and blood. People say, well, how can God live when you're human and your body, your your flesh and blood, how can that happen? But what they don't realize is that when you're in the world, you were lost. You were lost to the world. But when you came to Christ, you had a transformation, which means the Holy Spirit not only convicted you, but you ask Christ to come into your hearts. And that's why Nicodemus in chapter 3 of John's Gospel, Jesus says, you must be born again of the Holy Spirit.

You can't get into the kingdom of God unless you're born again. And being born again of the Holy Spirit is coming to repentance. Lord, forgive me for this, for that. Lord, cleanse me for this and that. Lord, I accept you for as my Lord and my Savior. And as you began to give your heart to Jesus Christ, he begins to work in your heart, into your heart. He wants each one of us individually. And then look again the argument here of my consecration in verse 1 again. He says, which is your reasonable service. I am consecrated.

I made the choice again by saying, Lord, I am a sinner repenting and then receiving his love and grace and mercies. We all need comfort in our lives. I don't know what you 're going through today, but have you really consecrated your life to Jesus Christ? Because look at verse 2 now, the attitude of my consecration in verse 2. He says, and do not be conformed to this world. Isn't that interesting? Do not be conformed to this world, but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

So it is our decision that we make to be conformed or not to be conformed. Obedience, disobedience, light or darkness. We have that right as we see the world. We see this huge world that is really emptiness. I mean, what has the world really given to you? Zero. Nothing but heartache. And when you come to Jesus Christ and you say you become a born again Christian, he says do not be conformed to this world because the world will destroy you and will continue to destroy your life. Transform, renewed of mind. And then when you talk about a negative attitude, he says this.

Be you not, he says Now again, watch what he says. Be you not conformed or be transformed into the world, but have a new transformation of life. Because the world not only is after me every single day, but think of the people you know in the world. Are they happy? Do they know where they're going in eternity? Do they really believe you because they see a transformation in your lives? Or are they in doubt of what you say to them? Do they really really believe that you've been born again of the Holy Spirit of life?

You know what's cool about that word transform here? Literally it means a total change from inside out. I love that word. Transform a total change from inside out. 2 Corinthians 3:18 you can find that. So if we have been transformed, total change from the inside out, then what? By the renewing of our minds. By the renewing of my mind. When I looked at that word again, world, you know, which is referring to the age that we're living in today. And I think of how the world affected me before I came to Christ. And how Satan is always trying to get us back into the world.

But we've been transformed. Total change from within inside out where people can say, you know what, something happened to him or to her. He says, I don't know what it is, but they're different. They're not the way they used to be. And that is why Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, therefore, if anyone is in Christ Jesus, all things are passed away. Baby hold everything is brand new. That word to conform again, he says we are not to fashion our lives after this present world. 1 John 2:15 says, do not love the world or the things of the world.

If anyone loves the world, the love of the father is not in him. Underline that. For all that is in the world is the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life. And it is not of the father, but it is of the world. And the world is passing away. And the lust of the two. But he who does the will of God abides forever and ever and ever and ever. My attitude has to be positive. A mental transformation. Look how Satan deals with people's minds. Some people go crazy the way Satan deals with their minds.

But if we put on the mind of Christ Jesus and we read the scriptures and I stick by the scriptures, then how can my mind go crazy when I have Christ in my heart and he dwells, notice, and he's working through my mind. My mind which is in Christ Jesus. 2 Corinthians 3:18 says, but we all with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory just as by the spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ. Being transformed. I love that. And then how about in achievement of my consecration verse 2 again?

That you may prove that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. When I was looking at this, something caught my attention that you may prove What is the word prove there? By testing, by being tested. That you may be tested and approved in the testing that you're going through by being victorious. What is good and acceptable and perfect by the will of God. And the word approve here means approve acceptable means to be approved by God. That I pass the test. I've been approved by the Holy Spirit. And then when he talks about the dedication of my life, dedication leads me to discernment.

Discernment leads me to the light, to the light, to the light in God's will. I surely want to be light in the will of God in my life. I don't want to be miserable. I want to be joyous. I want to be at peace with God. And when you have peace in your life, and you have joy in your life, then when you open the scriptures, it's in a better way to read the scriptures because then God can speak to my heart. When you're upset, you want to read the Bible, Satan comes along and says, that's the last thing you should be able to read.

Why don't you listen to this, listen to that? When immediately the urgency is to go to the scriptures and to come to Jesus Christ, to put our faces to the floor and say, Lord, here am I. Here am I, Lord. Touch my life. I want to be touched by you, Lord Jesus. I want you to transform me. I want to be used in such a way that I have no regrets, no regrets in my life.

Guest (Male): Well, we hope you've had time to reflect today on what Raul has taught us about the kind of message that our lives are sending to those around us. You're listening to Somebody Loves You Radio with Raul Reese. If you'd like to hear today's lesson, The Consecrated Life, in its unedited form, we'll be happy to send a copy to you for a donation of $5 or more. To get that, simply call us at 800-634-9165. And as you think about any adjustments you might need to make to be a more positive witness for the Lord, we'd like to tell you about Raul's 10 part series Called, Chosen, and Committed.

It's available on both CD and USB. Exploring what it looks like to fully surrender to God, you'll find that he will direct your steps and fill your life with rich eternal purposes as you maximize the talents and opportunities he gives you. To order Raul's 10 lesson series Called, Chosen, and Committed, visit somebodylovesyou.com or call 800-634-9165. We'll send you the CD collection for $22 or if you'd like the flash drive for just $13. Our number once again is 800-634-9165 or write to Somebody Loves You Radio, Post Office Box 4440, Diamond Bar, California 91765. Our Somebody Loves You resources are easily accessible 24/7.

For podcast of all of these programs, check us out on iTunes and Spotify. You'll also find these podcasts on the Somebody Loves You Worldwide YouTube channel along with Raul Straight Talk streaming Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. West Coast time. Your partnership in this ministry is critical as we keep sharing the good news of the Lord Jesus Christ and every dollar you give is tax deductible. We invite you to join us next time for more uplifting transforming truths from the pages of God's word. Let's rejoin Raul now for a closing thought from today's study.

Raul Ries: Do you have any regrets here this morning in your life? Especially the life you've been living today or the life that you're going to be living even at the present time when you leave here this morning. He says in my life or the characteristic is what it is good, it is acceptable and perfect. When you say that it is good, it always is beneficial. Beneficial in its effect upon my life. Acceptable, this means that with our minds adjusted to God's mind, we will never find God's will an obnoxious thing in my life. I will enjoy it.

I will want it in my life. And then perfect, that's a hard word. It's a flawless and mature way of life. We don't have to be perfect, but I am maturing Jesus Christ. I'm not in my stages, my young stages as a Christian, as a baby, but I mature. And as I mature in Jesus Christ and I'm able to not only discern, but I handle situations in a different way because of the word of God. Why? I know the word of God and I know God.

Guest (Male): This program is sponsored by Somebody Loves You Radio in Diamond Bar, California. statcounter