🙏

Dying to Self Part 4

May 23, 2025

Lecture Notes: Romans 12:1-2 and the Concept of Living Sacrifice

Key Verses

  • Romans 12:1-2: Emphasis on presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice and not conforming to the world but transforming by renewing our mind.

Main Themes

Living Sacrifice

  • Living Sacrifice: Presenting our bodies as a sacrifice that is holy, acceptable, and reasonable service to God.
  • Dying to Self: Essential for a deeper union with Christ and experiencing His resurrection power.
  • Intimacy with God: The fuel for a life lived on the tracks of dying to self and renewing the mind.

Renewal of the Mind

  • Interconnectivity: Renewal of the mind and dying to self are mutually reinforcing; essential for not conforming to the world.

Key Concepts

Intimacy and Walking in the Spirit

  • Intimacy with God: Crucial for maintaining a lifestyle that is holy and acceptable.
  • Walking in the Spirit: Crucial to not fulfilling the lust of the flesh.

Paul's Exhortation

  • Beseeching Brethren: Paul's plea to believers to present their bodies as living sacrifices.
  • Mercies of God: God's compassion helps us in our endeavor to be a living sacrifice.

Practical Applications

Dying to Self

  • Romans 8:13-14: Living according to the Spirit leads to life.
  • Galatians 2:20: Key principle of living by faith in the Son of God.

Practical Living Patterns

  • Fasting and Prayer: A lifestyle of fasting helps subdue the flesh.
  • Generosity: Being generous counters the flesh's desire to hold onto things.
  • Serving Others: Prioritizing others over self.

Biblical Standards

  • Faith in Action: True faith is exhibited through a life that denies self.
  • Conformity to Christ: True transformation comes from self-denial and following Jesus's example.

Conclusion

  • Holiness and Acceptability: Living a life that God finds holy and acceptable is not about personal gain but about becoming aligned with Christ's example.
  • Simplicity and Service: Finding contentment in serving God and others rather than seeking personal recognition.

Reflections

  • Personal Application: Examine areas of life where self is still predominant and apply biblical principles to die to self.
  • Community Application: Encourage others in the faith to live sacrificially for the good of the Body of Christ and God's glory.

Full transcript