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12:1-2

• Romans 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

ROMANS 12:1-2

• The Christian Worldview?• A living sacrifice?• Not conformed, but transformed?• God’s will?

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WORLDVIEW

• A network of your basic beliefs (pre-suppositions) that are assumed to be true without proof by which you interpret and do life.

• Your basic beliefs (pre-suppositions) determine how you do life

• Everyone has a worldview & no one is neutral

• Everyone consciously or unconsciously, consistently or inconsistently, logically or illogically uses a worldview to interpret and do life.

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WORLDVIEW• METAPHYSICS–What is real?

• EPISTEMOLOGY–What is true?

• ETHICS–What is right and

what is wrong?

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CHRISTIAN WORLDVIEW• METAPHYSICS: What is real?–Supernatural: One Holy Triune Personal God–Natural: Everything God created

• EPISTEMOLOGY: What is true?–General Revelation: What God created–Special Revelation: Jesus Christ & God’s Word

• ETHICS: What is right and what is wrong?–How we are to live

• Romans 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

SACRIFICES• Old Testament Sacrifices– For Sin– For Praise– For Thanksgiving

• New Testament Sacrifices – For Sin: Jesus Christ’s substitutionary death – For Praise: The Believer’s life– For Thanksgiving: The Believer’s life

FOOLISH & DARKENED

• Romans 1:21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools

• Romans 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

IN BUT NOT OF THE WORLD

• John 17:15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, so I have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sake I consecrate myself, that they also may be sanctified in truth.

YOUR MIND

• Colossians 3:1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

• 2 Corinthians 10:5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ

YOUR MIND

• Psalm 119:9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. 10 With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! 11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. 12 Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your statutes!

• Romans 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

GOD’S WILL

• Secret, sovereign decrees –Cannot be broken–Always happens

• Revealed, desired commands–Can be broken – disobeyed –Does not always happen

• Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’

APPLICATIONS• Christians should make their life choices because

of who God is and what God has done

• Christians should be in the world but not of the world; relying on the power of the Holy Spirit and what they put in their minds.

• Christians should learn and submit to God’s revealed will in order to praise Him and thank Him

PRINCIPLES

• What are you basing your life choices on?• What are you doing to prevent being

conformed to the current age?• What are you doing to be transformed by the

renewal of your mind?• How do you distinguish God’s will from the

current culture?