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REASONABLE SERVICE

Boyce Mouton · 8 pages · 4,473 words

REASONABLE SERVICE

“I 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. 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.” (Romans 12:1-2)

The Greek word translated as “reasonable” in this passage is “logikos”. It refers to a service that is rational, logical, and intelligent as compared with idolatry and meaningless rituals. Becoming a Christian is one of the most “reasonable” things you will ever do!

This word is only used two times in the Bible. First in our text of Romans 12:1, and then in 1 Peter 2:2. Please consider: “Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” (1 Peter 2:1-3) The underlined word is “logikos”. That which is “spiritual” is also “reasonable” Thus the new Christian craves “spiritual” milk, that is, spiritual nourishment that is “reasonable.”

IDOLATRY IS NOT REASONABLE

Idolatry is obviously not reasonable! Please consider these inspired words of Isaiah: “The carpenter measures with a line and makes an outline with a marker; he roughs it out with chisels and marks it with compasses. He shapes it in human form, human form in all its glory, that it may dwell in a shrine. He cut down cedars, or perhaps took a cypress or oak. He let it grow among the trees of the forest, or planted a pine, and the rain made it grow. It is used as fuel for burning; some of it he takes and warms himself, he kindles a fire and bakes bread. But he also fashions a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it. Half of the wood he burns in the fire; over it he prepares his meal, he roasts his meat and eats his fill. He also warms himself and says, “Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.” From the rest he makes a god, his idol; he bows down to it and worships. He prays to it and says, “Save me! You are my god!” They know nothing, they understand nothing; their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see, and their minds closed so they cannot understand. No one stops to think, no one has the knowledge or understanding to say, “Half of it I used for fuel; I even baked bread over its coals, I roasted meat and I ate. Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left? Shall I bow down to a block of wood?” Such a person feeds on ashes; a deluded heart misleads him; he cannot save himself, or say, “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?” (Isaiah 44:13-20)

It is not reasonable to use half of a tree to warm yourself and cook your food, and the other half to make a god that you believe will save you!

THE EARLY CHRISTIANS MADE FUN OF IDOLATORS

Minucius Felix was originally a Roman orator. When he became a Christian, however, he used his talent in defense of Christ and embarrassing idolators. The following quotation is taken from a treatise published in 210 A.D. Following the best style of the day Minucius is moderating a debate between an unbeliever named Caecilius, and a Christian named Octavious.

After a lengthy harangue by the pagan Caecilius, Octavious, the Christian, admits that he held in contempt the gods of the heathen. Here are some of his reasons:

“The mice, the swallows, and the bats, gnaw, insult, and sit upon your gods; and unless you drive them away, they build nests in their mouths; the spiders weave their webs over their faces. You first make them, then clean, wipe and protect them, that you may fear and worship them. Should we view all your rites, there are many things which justly deserve to be laughed at – others that call for pity and compassion.

When you lift up your eyes to heaven and survey the works of creation around you, what is so clear and undeniable, as that there is a God, supremely excellent in understanding, who inspires, moves, supports, and governs all nature. Consider the vast expanse of heaven, and the rapidity of its motion, either when studded with stars by night, or enlightened with the sun by day; contemplate the almighty hand which poises them in their orbs, and balances them in their movement. Behold how the sun regulates the year by its annual circuit, and how the moon measures round a month by its increase, its decay, and its total disappearance. Why need I mention the constant vicissitudes of light and darkness, for the alternate reparation of rest and labor? Does not the standing variety of seasons, proceeding in goodly order, bear witness to a divine author? The spring with her flowers, the summer with her harvests, the ripening autumn with her grateful fruits, and the moist and unctuous winter, are all especially necessary. What an argument for providence is this, which interposes and moderates the extremes of winter and summer with the alloys of spring an autumn – thus enabling us to pass the year about with security and comfort, between the extremes of parching heat and of cold? Observe the sea and you will find it bounded with a shore, a law which it cannot transgress. Look into the vegetable world, and see how all of the trees draw their life from the bowels of the earth. View the ocean, in constant ebb and flow; and the fountains running in full veins; with the rivers perpetually gliding in their wonted channels. Why should I take time in showing how providentially this spot or earth is cantoned into hills, dales, and plains? What need I speak of the various artillery for the defense of every animal – some armed with horns and hedged with teeth or fortified with hoofs and claws, or speared with stings, while others are swift of foot or of wing? But, above all, the beautiful structure of man most plainly speaks of God. Man, of stature straight, and countenance erect, with eyes placed above like sentinels, watching over the other senses with the tower?

That the most of us are poor, is not to our dishonor, but to our glory. The mind as it is dissipated by luxury, so it is strengthened by frugality. But how can a man be poor, who wants nothing, who covets not what is another’s, who is rich toward God? That man is rather poor, who, when he has much, desires more. No man can be so poor as when he is born. The birds live without any patrimony; the beasts find pasture every day, and we feed upon them. Indeed, they are created for our use, which, while we do not covet, we enjoy. That man goes happier to heaven, who is not burdened with an unnecessary load of riches. Did we think estates to be useful to us we would beg them of God, who being Lord of all, would afford us what is necessary. But we choose rather to condemn riches than to possess them. Preferring innocency and patience to them, and desiring rather to be good than prodigal. Our courage is increased by infirmities, and affliction is often the school of virtue.”

THE FIRST MENTION OF WORSHIP IN THE BIBLE INVOLVED REASON

The first use of the word “worship” in the Bible is in Genesis 22:5 and it involveD reason. Abraham said to his servants: “Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you.” These words of Abraham reflect his faith and also

his ability to reason. God had commanded Abraham: “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the regions of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” (Genesis 22:2) Even though Abraham was planning to sacrifice Isaac as God commanded, he still reasoned that “both” of them would come back down from the mountain.

Let’s go back in time a few years before when Abraham “believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6). Abraham at the time was known as “Abram”. Perhaps reviewing this history will help us to understand Abraham’s “reasoning.”

Genesis 15 describes a time when Abram was very discouraged. Years before God had promised him a son and now he and his wife were so old that he believed that God was not going to keep his promise.
In the absence of a son Abram assumed that his servant, Eliezer of Damascus, would become his heir.
“Then the word of the Lord came to him: “This man will not be your heir, but a son who is your own flesh and blood will be your heir.” He took him outside and said, “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
Abram was an old man. He had seen those stars thousands of times. On that night, however, he saw them in a different light. On that night it dawned on Abram that if God could make the stars of the heaven he could also allow his wife Sarai to have a baby!
That’s when “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6)
Paul made reference to this to prove that Abraham was justified by faith and not by works of law: “What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, discovered in this matter? If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about—but not before God. What does Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” (Romans 4:1-3)
James also wrote about the same event: “Was not our father Abraham considered righteous

for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.” (James 2:21-24)

Later Abram’s faith was strengthened when he was 99 years old. At this time God gave to Abram the covenant of circumcision. This covenant would be a constant reminder to Abram and all his descendants that God kept his promise for Abram to have a son.
At that same time Abram’s name was changed from “Abram” (exalted father) to “Abraham” (father of multitudes). And “God also said to Abraham, ‘As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.” (Genesis 17:15-16)
Still later Abraham’s faith was again strengthened when the Lord appeared to him near the great trees of Mamre. At the same time three heavenly visitors ate with Abraham and promised that about the same time in the next year Sarah would have a son (Genesis 18:1-15).
Abraham’s faith in the promises of God was again strengthened when God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:1-29).
Finally Isaac was born, just as God had promised (Genesis 21:1-7).
Isaac, however, was not virgin born: “Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.” The words “it was credited to him” were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness—for us who believe in him who

raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.” (Romans 4:18-25)

So when God commanded Abraham “Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.” (Genesis 22:2) This command prompted Abraham to do some serious thinking.
The book of Hebrews provides insight into what happened next. “By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead, and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.” (Hebrews 11:17-19)
It seems that Abraham loved God with all of his “mind”. He focused all of his mental and spiritual energies on this apparent contradiction and “reasoned” that God would raise Isaac from the dead. As far as we know no one had ever been raised from the dead at this time. Yes! Worshiping God involves “thinking”!
Yes! Believing that God will keep his promises is “reasonable”.

METAMORPHOSIS

The Scriptures are clear! Our transformation from the pattern of this world comes from the renewing of our mind. Nobody becomes a Christian by accident. You must “think” and “reason” in

order to become a Christian! The most important commandment in all the Bible is to “Love the Lord your God will all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.” (Mark 12:30) These four components, heart, soul, mind, and strength are overlapping and redundant.

For example, we “think in our heart” (Proverbs 23:7).
Further, your soul is really yourself. Jesus said: “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? (Matthew 16:26). Luke recorded his words this way: “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world and yet lose or forfeit his very self.” (Luke 9:25)
Loving God with all your “strength” involves physical strength, intellectual strength, and spiritual strength.
Yes! Loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength involves everything about you.
In this particular study, however, we will focus on loving God with “all your mind”.

Those conformed to the pattern of this world and those transformed by the renewing of their minds are totally different, like caterpillars and butterflies. In fact, the Greek word “metamorphoo” (metamorphosis) is used in Romans 12:2 to describe how we are “transformed” from the pattern of this world by the renewing of our mind. A butterfly can naturally do things totally impossible for the caterpillar to do. For example, if you drop a caterpillar out of an airplane it will kill it. A butterfly, by contrast, will fly and not fall! Caterpillars will destroy your garden but butterflies will help it. In fact, more than 80 percent of land plants are pollinated by animals such as butterflies. Just as the non- Christian is characterized by the “works of the flesh”, the Christian is characterized by the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:19-26). Yes! This is something reasonable to think about.

THE FIRST COMMANDMENT WITH A PROMISE

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.“Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise—“so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” (Ephesians 6:1-3)

Children who do not obey their parents grow up to be poor leaders. When children do not honor and obey their parents the nation is only one generation from disaster. God promises, however, that if children honor and obey their parents their nation will be secure.

Eli, was a bad example. He was a priest of God at Shiloh (1 Samuel 1:9).
Eli had two sons, Hophni and Phinehas (1 Samuel 1:3).
“Eli’s sons were wicked men; they had no regard for the Lord.” (1 Samuel 2:12)
“Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons were doing to all Israel and how they slept with the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting. So he said to them, “Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. No, my sons; the report I hear spreading among the Lord’s people is not good.” (1 Samuel 2:22- 24)
A man of God came to Eli and warned him that Hophni and Phinehas would both die on the same day because of their wickedness (1 Samuel 2:34).
God also gave a similar message to the boy Samuel about Eli and his sons: “And the Lord said to Samuel: “See, I am about to do something in Israel that will make the ears of everyone who hears about it tingle. At that time I will carry out against Eli everything I spoke against his family —from beginning to end. For I told him that I would judge his family forever because of the sin he knew about; his sons blasphemed God, and he failed to restrain them. Therefore I swore to the house of Eli, ‘The guilt of Eli’s house will never be atoned for by sacrifice or offering.’” (1 Samuel 3:11-14)
The destruction of the family brought disaster to the nation: “So the Philistines fought, and the Israelites were defeated and every man fled to his tent. The slaughter was very great; Israel lost thirty thousand foot soldiers. The ark of God was captured, and Eli’s two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, died.” (1 Samuel 4:10-11)

THE BLESSINGS OF OBEDIENCE

Moses promised the people: “If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God: You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country. The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks. Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed. You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out. The Lord will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven. The Lord will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The Lord your God will bless you in the land he is giving you. The Lord will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the Lord your God and walk in obedience to him. Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they will fear you. The Lord will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you. The Lord will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them.” ( (Deuteronomy 28:1-14)

PARENTS ARE TEACHERS

There are 168 hours in a week. If our children spend 3 hours a week in church and 40 hours a week in school, that still leaves 125 hours to be at home. Every day that parents spend with their children is filled with opportunities to teach. It is a good and godly thing to have family devotions and teach your children the word of God in a home Bible class. It is also important to make your home a where God is honored. Please invest in Christian music and literature. If you have a radio or television make sure your children are not poisoning their minds by what they see and hear. If your children have a smart phone they are only a click away from Sodom.

“These are the commands, decrees and laws the Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess, so that you, your children and their children after them may fear the Lord your God as long as you live by keeping all his decrees and commands that I give you, and so that you may enjoy long life. Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you. Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6:1-9)

When Paul was in Ephesus in a brief period of only two years everyone in Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks (Acts 19:10). A silver smith named Demetrius who made silver shrines to the goddess Artemis was concerned that this would not only affect the income of those who made idols, but that it would also concerned that the goddess Artemis would be discredited. Consequently he started a riot which involved the whole city. Luke reported: “The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there.” (Acts 19:32)

Sadly, riots are quite common in our modern world, and many of our young people participate in them without even knowing the purpose of the riot. Perhaps God will punish parents for not controlling their own children!

IT IS SAD TO DIE AND GO TO HELL, BUT IT IS EVEN WORSE TO DIE AND GO TO HELL AND FIND THAT YOU BROUGHT YOUR CHILDREN WITH YOU!

JESUS IS GOD!

When the rich young ruler came to Jesus he said: “Good teacher . . . what must I do to inherit eternal life?” “WHY DO YOU CALL ME GOOD? JESUS ANSWERED. NO ONE IS GOOD EXCEPT GOD ALONE” (Mark 9:17-18)

THE POINT IS – JESUS IS NOT JUST A GOOD TEACHER – JESUS IS GOD!

Jesus asked a similar question to the Pharisees: “While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?” “The son of David,” they replied. He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says,“‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.”’ If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.” (Matthew 22:41-46)

THE POINT IS – JESUS IS NOT JUST DAVID’S SON – JESUS IS DAVID’S LORD!

On the night before Calvary Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us. Jesus answered: ‘Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? ANYONE WHO HAS SEEN ME HAS SEEN THE FATHER.” (John 14:9)

PHILIP HAD BEEN WITH JESUS FOR THREE YEARS WITHOUT SEEING THAT HE WAS REALLY GOD! DO YOU SEE IT?

Jesus said: “I and the Father are one. Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, ‘I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?’ We are not stoning you for any of these, replied the Jews, but for blasphemy because you, a mere man, claim to be God.” (John 10:30-33)

The Jews understood that Jesus claimed to be God. Do you understand it? Believing that Jesus is God is not optional! It is absolutely essential to your salvation!

Jesus said: “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins.” (John 8:23-24)