Romans: Christian Duty, Authority, and Brotherly Peace

Proving God And His Will

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2014-04-13

Synopsis: Pastor John Weaver teaches from Romans 12:1-2 and Malachi 3:8-10 that while God is absolutely sovereign and owes no one an explanation, He graciously invites His people to prove Him and His will through obedience. The sermon first establishes God's right to test His people for their good, then explains that proving God is not a blasphemous challenge but a commanded act of trust and obedience, particularly in tithing. The core of the message unpacks Romans 12:1-2, showing that proving God's will requires understanding His mercies, presenting our bodies as living sacrifices, living holy lives, refusing conformity to the world, and being transformed by the renewing of our minds. Only through such obedient, transformed living can believers personally experience and prove the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.

[John Weaver] Let's open our Bible's day to the book of Romans chapter 12, verses 1 and 2. And listen carefully to the title. And I'm certainly going to explain it. But the title is Proving God and His Will. Proving God and His Will. Look in Romans 12, verses 1 and 2. The Apostle Paul says, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not 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. The title of this message, Proving God and His Will, would be an absolutely blasphemous thing to say and a blasphemous act to perform if the truth was not so clearly revealed in his word. Who in the world would have the audacity to call God to task? Who in the world would have the audacity to ask God just simply to prove himself? You remember it was the Apostle Paul in the book of Romans chapter 9 in verse 20 who said this, Nay, but O man, who art thou that replies against God?

[John Weaver] shall the thing formed say unto him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus? In other words, the thing formed has absolutely no right to complain or to criticize to the one who's done the forming. God is God and therefore he is the most absolute independent being that exists. And God does not need to prove himself For God is fully aware of His capabilities. We must understand that God is absolutely sovereign. In His sovereignty, God is not accountable to nor is He answerable to anyone.

[John Weaver] And let me shock you. Moreover, God does not owe anyone an explanation for what He does or for what He commands. God is not only not accountable and not answerable, He does not owe anyone an explanation. If you would look in your Bibles, whole Romans 12, but turn to the book of Job chapter 33, and look if you would please at verse 13. Job 33 and verse 13. Watch carefully. Notice what the Word of God says, Job 33 verse 13. The Bible says, Why dost thou strive against Him? In other words, why are you fighting against God? Why are you fussing and feuding with God? Why dost thou strive against Him?

[John Weaver] For He giveth not account of any of His matters. Ah! God does not owe us any explanations. Thankfully, often times in His Word, God does indeed explain things for us. But it is His grace and His mercy that He does so. He does not owe us any explanation. God is so high. God is so exalted. So magnificent. So glorious. And so absolute. He is not obligated to anyone or anything.

[John Weaver] And if you would look in your Bibles very quickly to the book of Romans chapter 11. Just a few verses before our text. In Romans chapter 11. Notice if you would it verses 33 through 36. And here's a passage that demonstrates the fact that no one can bring God into obligation to himself. Romans 11 verse 33, Paul exclaims, Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God, how unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out. Now watch closely.

[John Weaver] For who hath known the mind of the Lord? The answer is no one who has been his counselor. The answer is no one or who is first given to him and it shall be recompensed unto him again. And the answer is no one can first give unto God. Then he says, for off him, and through him, and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. So if you cannot give God advice, if you cannot counsel God, if you cannot inform God, if you cannot first give to God, certainly you cannot bring God into obligation to yourself. Why? God is absolutely sovereign.

[John Weaver] He is unaccountable and unanswerable to anyone but Himself. Moreover, he does not owe an explanation to anyone. Charles Haddon Spurgeon wrote this many years ago. Listen to these two short paragraphs. He says, there is no attribute more comforting to his children than that of God's sovereignty. Under the most adverse circumstances, in the most severe trials, they believe that sovereignty has ordained their afflictions, that sovereignty overrules them, and that sovereignty will sanctify them all.

[John Weaver] There is nothing for which the children ought more earnestly to contend than the doctrine of their master over all creation, the kingship of God over all the works of His own hands, the throne of God and His right to sit upon that throne. On the other hand, there is no doctrine more hated by worldlings, no truth of which they have made such a football, as the great, stupendous, but yet most certain doctrine of the sovereignty of the infinite Jehovah. Men will allow God to be everywhere except on His throne. They will allow Him to be in His workshop to fashion the worlds and to make the stars. They will allow Him to be in His almonery to dispense His alms and bestow His bounties. They will allow Him to sustain the earth and bear up the pillars thereof.

[John Weaver] or light the lamps of heaven, or rule the waves of the ever-moving ocean. But when God ascends His throne, His creatures then gnash with their teeth. And we proclaim and enthrone God and His right to do as He wills with His own, to dispose of His creatures as He thinks well without consulting them in the matter. Then it is that we're hissed and execrated And then it is that men turn a deaf ear to us, for God on His throne is not the God that they love, but it is the God upon the throne that we love to preach. It is God upon His throne whom we trust. You see, God is God, as Spurgeon pointed out. Men may not like the doctrine of God's absolute sovereignty, but God is still God, and God is still sovereign. And since God is absolutely sovereign, God has the absolute right to test and try His people. He is the master. He is the Lord. He is the sovereign. He is the ruler. He is the creator.

[John Weaver] He is the potentate. And He has the absolute right to test, to try, to prove us in any way that He chooses. However, When we prove God, that is a different story. And when we talk about proving God and His promises, it is a subject that we must tread lightly upon so as not to presume upon God's sovereign rights and arrogantly think that He is at our command.

[John Weaver] Now I have just two simple thoughts today. I want you to see the first one, and that is that God does prove His people. God does prove His people.

[John Weaver] Now let me tell you what the word prove means both in the Hebrew and in the Greek because basically they mean identically the same thing. The word prove literally means to test or to try or to establish or to experience or to find out by experience. Sometimes the word prove is translated in our Bibles as test or tempt or temptation. Anytime you find God in the Bible testing or tempting someone, it is always for their good. Let me explain. Look in your Bibles to the book of Genesis chapter 22 and verse 1. Genesis 22 verse 1.

[John Weaver] Here is a very leading illustration of this. Because unhappily when most people read this, they think opposite of what is meant in the scripture. In Genesis 22 and verse 1, we read about God's testing of Abraham. Look carefully at this passage. Genesis 22 and verse 1. And it came to pass after these things that God did tempt Abraham And he said unto him, Abraham, and he said, Behold, here I am. Now notice the Bible says that God did tempt Abraham. Well, most people read that and they think that God is trying to tempt Abraham to do that which is wrong and wicked.

[John Weaver] And the answer is no. The word literally means that God did test Abraham. God was proving Abraham. Let me give you an illustration. Turn over to Genesis 45 you will remember how Joseph's brethren had sold him into Egypt they have come down to buy corn and of course you remember how Joseph as He knows his brethren, but they certainly do not know him and he asked them about their father and they tell him that they have a younger brother at home and He tells them that if you don't bring that younger brother I'm not going to sell you any more corn. So look at it. It's Genesis 42. I'm sorry. It's Genesis 42, beginning there with verse 15. Genesis 42 and verse 15. Look what he tells them. Verse 14, and Joseph said unto them, that is that that I've spoken to you saying you are spies. Now watch.

[John Weaver] Hereby you shall be proved. By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go forth hence, except your younger brother come thither. Send one of you and let him fetch your brother, and you shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you. Or else by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies." But notice what he says in verse 15. Hereby you shall be proved. And again he said in verse 16, that your words may be proved. In other words, Joseph is saying is this, I am weighing the veracity of your words. I'm proving whether or not you're speaking the truth. I'm proving whether or not you are spies. So when God tested Abraham, He was proving Abraham.

[John Weaver] Now, if you will turn in your Bibles to the book of James chapter 1, because it's important that you see this in light of, in light of what I've just been saying, James chapter 1, Anytime God is said to tempt anyone, it is always in reference to testing them. It is never ever, never ever in reference to trying to get someone to sin. Notice James chapter 1, beginning there in verse 13. James says it like this, Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, For God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth any man. Now watch verse 14. But every man is tempted, this is to sin, when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death. Now I want you to note, in verse 13 he says, let no man say when he is tempted, that is a temptation to sin. Now if you look back in verse 12, We have the same word, but I want you to notice how it's used.

[John Weaver] He said, Blessed is the man that endureth temptation, that is a trial or a test. For when he is tried or tested, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised them that love him.

[John Weaver] Now notice verse 13, there's a change. Let no man say when he is tempted that he is tempted to sin. Why? Don't let him say, I'm tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted of evil, neither tempteth any man. And then he goes on to tell you that every man is tempted to sin when he's drawn away of his own lust. So God does tempt man, but the word tempt in that instance means to test or to try or to prove. It has nothing to do with trying to get someone to sin and to violate his word.

[John Weaver] Let me spell it out again. God does not tempt men to sin, to rebel, or become disobedient. He does, however, test them to prove their mettle, to prove their veracity, to prove their character, and to prove their faithfulness. So, let's look in our Bibles. Let's go to the book of Exodus chapter 16 to begin with. We'll look at several passages just in the Old Testament. to show you how the word prove is used. Notice Exodus chapter 16, and let's begin there with verse 4.

[John Weaver] Of course, this is in reference to the manna. Exodus chapter 16, notice verse 4. God says, Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you, And the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day that I may prove them whether they will walk in my law or no.

[John Weaver] Now I want you to note what he said. I'm going to let the man of Paul, they can get a certain amount of day that I may prove them, that I may trust them, or that I may test them to see whether or not I can trust them whether they'll walk in my law or no. Look if you would please in verse, chapter 20 in verse 20 of Exodus. Exodus 20 and verse 20.

[John Weaver] And again, Moses said unto the people, watch carefully. And Moses said unto the people, Fear not, for God is come to prove you, that is to test you, and that His fear may be before your face, that you sin not. Note, God is said to prove them, but He's proving them in order that they might not sin. So, it is a testing. Turn right over to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 8.

[John Weaver] Everyone knows that the children of Israel wandered around in the desert for 40 years. Deuteronomy chapter 8. And I want you to note how God explains this temptation, this testing of the children of Israel as they wandered. Deuteronomy chapter 8 and verse 2, we read this. And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, look, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments or no. Now certainly God already knows whether people will obey or not. God is omniscient. God knows everything. But we really don't know what we would do. You know, I've heard people say, Well, I can say one thing, if I was ever in that situation, I know what I would do. No, you don't. You really don't know what you would do until you get there. Look, if you would, Deuteronomy 8 in verse 16, God says it again. Deuteronomy 8 in verse 16, Who fed thee in the wilderness, God fed them.

[John Weaver] who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers do not, that he might humble thee, that he might prove thee." Now notice,"...to do thee good at thy latter end." Every time God proves, or tests, or the word sometimes tempt, it is always for their good. Turn right over to the book of Judges. Joshua, Judges. Notice if you would, Judges chapter 2. You remember, The children of Israel were supposed to drive all of the heathen out of the land, but they did not. And notice if you would in Judges chapter 2 and verse 22. In fact, let's read verse 21. Judges 2 verse 21. God says, I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died. that through them, that through them I may prove Israel whether they will walk in the way of the Lord to walk therein as their fathers did keep it or not. God said, I left these heathen around here to prove you. Whether you're going to go after them or whether you're going to obey me.

[John Weaver] Now look in Judges chapter 3 and verse 1. Now these are the nations which the Lord left to prove Israel by them. even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan. Skip down to verse 4. And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the Lord, which He commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

[John Weaver] Now, in each of these verses that I've just read, the Hebrew word is Nasa, which means to prove, to test, to try, to assay, to put to the test. The old English word assay, A-S-S-A-Y, is used in several different ways. In metallurgy, it means to analyze an ore or an alloy in order to determine the quantity of gold or silver or other metal in it. It literally means to judge the quality of, to assess, to evaluate, or to test something's So God is saying, look, I'm leaving these Canaanites and Hivites in the land to test your strength, to test your character as to whether or not you're going to obey me.

[John Weaver] Now, there are times not only when God's people need to be tested, but there are some times when God's people even ask to be tested. You say, what? Well, look in your Bibles to Psalm 26. You see, it is true that God knows what's in our hearts, but we do not know what is in our hearts. And I want you to notice what David prayed in Psalm 26 and verse 2. Psalm 26, verse 2. Look what David says. In fact, we can read verse 1. David prays, judge me, O Lord, for I have walked in mine integrity. I've trusted also in the Lord, therefore I shall not slide. Now look at this prayer request in verse two. Examine me, O Lord, and prove me.

[John Weaver] Try my reins and my heart. So David is asking God to prove him. In other words, Lord, you make sure that I'm genuine. You make sure of my character and of my willingness to obey you. And then if you would turn right on over to Psalm 139. Oh, look at this prayer. This is a wonderful prayer. Psalm 139. He says in verses 23 and 24. Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts.

[John Weaver] And see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting. What a prayer. There can be no argument against, there can be no denial of, there can be no hesitation to admit that God does indeed have the right to try, to test, and to prove His people. He is the potter, we're the clay. We're His creatures, we are at His command, and He may do with us as He wills, as He pleases. For He is God. My first point was very simple, God does prove his people. Here's the second point, and I'm going to spend most of my time right here. God does invite us to prove his person and his promises.

[John Weaver] Now as I said in my introduction, it would be blasphemous to think such a thought. or even more blasphemous to try to perform such an act if God did not clearly and plainly invite us to prove Him and His promises. So there's a question that has to come to your mind. If God has invited me to prove Himself, if God has invited me to prove His promises, how do I prove God? How do I prove His promises? You want to know whether God is real and genuine? You want to know whether or not His word is authentic and true? Well, God says, I'll tell you how that you can prove Me and prove My promises.

[John Weaver] Now, if you would look in your Bibles to the book of Malachi chapter 3, last book in the Old Testament, I'm sure that you will be extremely familiar with this verse because this is the classic verse where God invites people to prove Him. Notice if you would, Malachi chapter 3 and verse 10. We're going to come back and look at the context in just a moment. But look in Malachi 3 and verse 10. Look what God says very plainly, very clearly.

[John Weaver] Bring you all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. Now God says, bring you all the tithes in the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me herewith. You prove me in this thing, says God. And see, he said, if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

[John Weaver] Now, let me make several comments about this verse. First, when God says prove me herewith, this is not a blasphemous challenging of God to do something that he has not ordained or promised. This testing or this proving is by the command of God.

[John Weaver] Thirdly, the way that he is to be proved, and I shall demonstrate it in the context, is by our obedience. Fourthly, we must understand that trust and or faith is to be included in our obedience. And fifth, we must ascertain and understand the context to really know what it means to prove God. In the context which I shall show you, Israel had sinned against God. How did she sin against God?

[John Weaver] The answer is by failing to give him the tithes that he demanded. Let me give you a simple definition of a tithe. Listen carefully. A tithe is God's tax for the use of his earth. That's very simple. Everyone is obligated tithe, even the unbelievers. Now they will not, but they are obligated to because they breathe God's air and they use God's earth just like we do. But now listen carefully. I want you to understand that in giving a tithe, There is a recognition of God and His sovereignty. Now, I want you to hold Malachi chapter 3. Hold it, please.

[John Weaver] Turn in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy 26. We're coming right back to Malachi chapter 3. But I want you to note what God says about tithing. I want to show it to you in black and white from the Scripture. Deuteronomy 26. If I were to take the time To read all of Deuteronomy chapter 26, you would find that it deals with tithing. Notice if you would please, in fact, just to show you, verse two, that it deals with the tithe, that thou shalt take the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the Lord by God giveth thee, thou shalt put it in a basket and shalt go to the place which the Lord by God shall choose. The place is named there. And thou shalt go unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him, I profess this day unto the Lord thy God that I am coming into this country which the Lord swearing to our fathers were to give us."

[John Weaver] If you were to read all the way down, you're going to find that this passage then deals with giving of tithes. Notice, if you would, verse 16. This day the Lord thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes and judgments, dealing with not only the tithe, but everything else. Thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thy heart, with all thy soul. Now I want you to note what happens when you give a tithe, especially when you obey God. Here it is. Verse 17, thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God and to walk in his ways. and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, to hearken unto his voice. And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be as peculiar people as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments. Now watch, and to make thee high above all nations, which he hath made in praise, and in name, and in honor, that thou mayest be a holy people under the Lord thy God, as he hath spoken.

[John Weaver] Now note if you would, when you give tithes, when you obey God, you are avouching the Lord thy God to be your God. And in the next verse, He avouches us as we render our tithes and as we obey Him to be His people.

[John Weaver] Now the word for avouched in the Hebrew literally means to say. to declare, to affirm, to profess in a solemn manner. So when we tithe, then what are we doing? We are saying in a very solemn manner that we're recognizing that God is the one true and the living God, that He is absolutely sovereign, and that He has given us everything that we have. and in giving Him His tax, we are recognizing that He is the Sovereign. We are vouching that we recognize Him and that we bow to Him and that we are acknowledging that He is our God.

[John Weaver] Now, go back in your Bibles to Malachi chapter 3 because I want you to see the context. Here's what has happened now. In verse 10, God tells them to bring you all the tithes in the storehouse that there may be need in mine house, and prove me herewith, that is, prove me in this thing, says God, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall

[John Weaver] not be room enough to receive it." Now, Israel had refused to tithe unto God. Israel was refusing to avouch that God was her sovereign God.

[John Weaver] Now, look at verse 8, Malachi 3 verse 8. Here's God's complaint against the people. Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me. But you say, wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Now look what God says. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed me, even this whole nation."

[John Weaver] Now, notice if you would, when they refused to tithe, what were they doing? They were robbing God. They were stealing, not just God's tithe. Listen, God owns everything. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He created the world. All the gold and silver and diamonds are His. It's not money that God necessarily needs. What God is saying is this, I don't want necessarily just your money.

[John Weaver] That's part and parcel of it, yes. But he's saying, I want the recognition. I want you to honor me as the sovereign God of heaven and earth. And when you refuse to recognize me, I'm going to curse you with a curse.

[John Weaver] Now look what he said. Verse 8, you've robbed me. What's the result of robbing God? You're cursed. Now watch verse 10. Bring you all the tithes in the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house, And prove me now herewith.

[John Weaver] Now let me just kind of tell you what God is saying to these people. Here's what He's saying. Do you want to go on living like this? Do you like living in scarcity and want and hunger? Do you think that I'm unwilling or unable to bless you? Prove me, saith the Lord herewith. That is, you honor me, you obey me, and you see whether or not I will open the windows of heaven and pour out such a blessing upon you that you will not be able to receive it. Prove me in this, saith the Lord. Now, I want you to note something. Proving God and His promises is related to obedience, not disobedience. The only thing that you can prove by your disobedience is the judgment of God.

[John Weaver] Because you will find in Proverbs 13 in verse 15, that the way of the transgressor is hard. So God is telling these people in the book of Malachi, if you want to prove me, you want to prove that I exist, you want to prove that my promises are true, obey me. That's a simple way. Just do what I tell you. And you can have proof enough for yourself.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to turn to Romans chapter 1 to our text. Because I want to take everything that we have just learned and apply it in verses 1 and 2. In Romans 12, let me read verses 1 and 2 again. Paul said, I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies, a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but that you transform by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Now, let me tell you something about proving God and his promises again, again, in Romans 12, verses one and two, we're not judging God. We're not challenging God. We're not endeavoring to manipulate Him. We're just simply obeying Him in order to prove His will.

[John Weaver] You've got to remember that the word prove means to test, or to try, or to establish, or to demonstrate, or to find out by experience. Now, I ask you this question. Do you really want to know the will of God? I can go further. Do you really want to obey and to do the will of God? If you say yes, then you have to ask this question.

[John Weaver] How can you discern it? How can you test it? How can you know it? How can you prove it? How can you experience the will of God fully in your life?

[John Weaver] Now it may surprise you when I tell you this. But according to Romans 12 verses 1 and 2, not just anyone can prove God and His promises. Not just anyone can prove the will of God. There are prerequisites. We've already seen one of them in the Old Testament. The first prerequisite is obedience. That's what he said in Malachi 3, 8 through 10. Now, let me show you if you really want to prove the will of God in your life, what is required. First, look in Romans 12 verses 1 and 2. First, if you really want to prove the will of God, you must understand the mercies of God. Paul said, I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God. So Paul is beseeching us by the mercies of God. What are the mercies of God? In the context, the mercies of God are everything that Paul has taught from Romans chapter 1 through Romans chapter 11. If we understand the mercies of God, we must understand our depravity, our wickedness, our sin, We must understand our election, our salvation, our reconciliation, our calling, our justification, our sanctification, our preservation, our glorification.

[John Weaver] Each one of these truths and many more are taught in Romans 1 through 11. Now notice what Paul said. Paul said, I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God. If you do not understand the mercies of God, if you're unaware of the mercies of God, how can Paul beseech you by them? I mean, what good is beseeching someone of these mercies if you're totally ignorant of them?

[John Weaver] Do you realize that ignorance only leads to apathy and destruction? If you are unaware of the abundant mercies of God that have been bestowed upon us as believers, you're in no position to prove What is that good and perfect and acceptable will of God? God's mercies are the starting point for proving God's will. We have to recognize the mercies of God. And I've quoted this verse. I've preached from this verse so many times. You remember lamentations three, it is the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed.

[John Weaver] Because his compassions, they fail not. They're new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness. The only reason you and I made it through the night is because of the mercies of God. So Paul is saying, I'm beseeching you by the mercies of God. You've got to understand the mercies of God. What God has done for you. That doesn't mean that you have to go to college. Doesn't mean that you have to go to a Bible school. Doesn't mean that you have to be a theological scholar. No. It just means in some degree that you've got to understand those abundant mercies that God has given to us through Jesus Christ our Lord. You've got to grasp in some measure the grace of God in your life.

[John Weaver] He says in order to prove the will of God you must be willing to present your body a living sacrifice. Now the word present here is the word commonly used to denote the action of bringing or presenting an animal or other sacrifice before an altar. It implies that action is free and voluntary and there is indeed real genuine freedom in Christ and the act of devoting ourselves to God is one of the most free that we will ever perform by His grace and by His mercy. Now I want you to note what he says, I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice. So what is it that we're to present and the answer is our bodies. You've got to understand by the word bodies, the word bodies is representative of our entire person. Everything that we are and everything that we have is to be given to God as a living sacrifice. If we present our bodies, we present ourselves. We present the totality of our being.

[John Weaver] You remember in the Old Testament, there was the whole burnt offering. That is everything in that offering was fully consumed by the flames because it was fully given and devoted to God. Well, that's what God wants from us, a whole burnt offering, except it's a whole living offering.

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask, why does the apostle Paul say, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies. Why didn't he say that you present your minds or your will or your spirit? Well, let me ask you a question. How do you express your love for each other, for your family, for your friends? How do you work? How do you play? How do you eat? How do you drink? How do you minister?

[John Weaver] It is all with your body. Now, I want you to look back to Romans 1 and verse 9. Here's what I mean. Here's what Paul means. Look in Romans 1 in verse 9. Paul says, For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers. Now notice, For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit. Wow.

[John Weaver] Well, let me ask a question. Was it Paul's spirit that was running all over the Roman Empire preaching the gospel? No. It was his body. Yes, he served the Lord with his spirit. But the manifestation of that inward service was with the outward manifestation of his body. It could not have been expressed outwardly without the body. Now you could say, well, Brother Weaver, is it possible for someone to hypocritically present their body as a place of service and really have no heart for God and no heart for the ministry? And the answer is yes, it's possible for someone to do that temporarily. It is possible for someone to do that in the sense of John 12 and verse 43. When our Lord charged those Pharisees of loving the praise of man more than the praise of God. Yes, there can be a hypocritical presentation temporarily.

[John Weaver] You've got to remember what the Bible says in Jeremiah 17 in verse nine, the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it. And the answer of course is obvious. Only God can know it. But how do we know that the presentation of our body is not a hypocritical act? Well, here's the answer. Look back in Romans 12 verse one. Paul said, I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice. Our presentation is to be a living sacrifice. What does that mean? That means our presentation of our bodies is to be a lifestyle.

[John Weaver] It is to be a world and life view. It is to be a constant and continual presentation of our bodies to the Lord. Our Lord does not call upon us to die for Him. He may as a martyr later on, but generally He just simply calls upon us to live for Him. A hypocrite may last temporarily, but a hypocrite is not going to do continually and constantly that which is repugnant to him and that which he has no heart for. A hypocrite is going to always fall by the wayside.

[John Weaver] Now it's true the Apostle Paul said, I die daily. But when the Apostle Paul said, I die daily, he had reference to the mortification of his flesh, which was a continual turning from sin that he might present his body unto the Lord. Moreover, if you'll look back in Romans 12 in verse 1 and 2, verse 1, he says, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. You see, this world and life view, this lifestyle of the presentation of our bodies is to be one of holiness and spotlessness. were to be holy and without blemish, just as God demanded that of the Old Testament sacrifice, He demands of the living sacrifice that we be holy, that we be godly, that we be sanctified. Now, let me just read a couple of verses for you. Philippians 2 and verse 15. Here's what the Apostle Paul said. Listen carefully now. that you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation among whom you shine as lights of the world."

[John Weaver] Notice he said that you may be blameless and harmless. And then in 1 Thessalonians 5 and verse 23, listen carefully now. Paul said, the very God of peace sanctify you wholly. W-H-O-L-L-Y. Or the very God of peace sanctify you completely. He says, I pray God that your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 3 and verse 14. Peter writes, Wherefore, beloved, seeing you look for such things, be diligent that you may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless.

[John Weaver] Now, how do we present our bodies a living sacrifice? In holiness. In righteous, obedient living. My question is, is the hypocrite going to do that constantly and continually? No. No. Because what God is demanding is a complete lifestyle. A total world view. Now, He says that we're to present our bodies living sacrifice acceptable unto God. The word acceptable in the Greek literally means well pleasing. I can assure you of one thing. If you present your body a living sacrifice and live a holy, godly, obedient life, it will be well-pleasing to God. And the Apostle Paul, in verse 1, makes it clear that such a lifestyle, such a worldview, is the only reasonable one in light of God's mercies that have been extended to us. There can be nothing more consistent with reason than that the work of God should glorify Him.

[John Weaver] We are not our own. We've been bought with a price. We're the property of the Lord. We are His by right of creation. We're His by right of redemption. And it would be unreasonable if we live wicked and ungodly lives.

[John Weaver] Now, by the way, the word reasonable is the Greek word logikos. It is where we get our English word logical. Paul says the presenting of our bodies to the Lord as a living sacrifice because of His mercy is the only logical thing that we can do. Now, I want you to follow Paul's logic. Listen, here we are in Romans chapter 12 verse 1. Here's Paul's logic. An understanding and a comprehension of God's mercies should lead us to present our bodies a living sacrifice. If we present our bodies a living sacrifice, we understand that God requires holiness. Holiness is acceptable unto God. Therefore, to live a holy, obedient life is our only reasonable or logical service in light of what God has done for us. Now, look at verse 2. He said, and be not conformed to this world, but you transform by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Now, such a presentation of our bodies unto the Lord will enable us not to be conformed to this world or this age.

[John Weaver] Now the word conformed, as I told you before, literally means to be pressed into a mold. Some of you ladies have butter molds. When you make butter, you put it in that mold. And when that butter hardens, you take the mold off. It's exactly in the shape of the mold. Same thing with clay. Same thing with anything that you use molds for. Literally, he says, be not conformed to this world. Don't be conformed to this age. Don't be pressed into the world's pattern. Those who understand the mercies of God should have nothing but absolute contempt for the humanism and the wickedness and the fashion of this age.

[John Weaver] Now when the Apostle John wrote in 1 John 2 and verse 15, Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world, If any man loved the world, the love of the Father is not in him. When he wrote love not the world, he's not talking about God's creation. He's talking about the age of the world. He's talking about the world system. We don't think like the world. We don't act like the world. We don't dress like the world. We don't live like the world. The world is not to dictate our fashions or our attitudes or our ideas or our understanding.

[John Weaver] The word of God does that. But don't you note something? It is not simply enough to not be conformed to the world. That's a negative. Every negative has a positive. The positive is that we're to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. And I've told you before, but I still like the word. The Greek word for transform is metamorphosis. It's where we get our English word metamorphosis.

[John Weaver] The butterfly, your member goes through changes, starts out as a cocoon and turns into a larval stage and caterpillar. And next thing you know, he's flying away. He's going through changes. The word is sometimes translated as transfigured or transformed. You remember Jesus Christ was on the Mount of transfiguration and he was transfigured. He was metamorphosized in front of them. So he says, it's not enough now just not to be conformed to this world. We must be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

[John Weaver] Now the word renewed and the Greek means a renewal, a renovation, a complete change for the better. So as our minds are renewed, we learn to think like Christ. We learn to think biblically. We have biblical attitudes, biblical dispositions, and that biblical attitude and that biblical disposition affects our body and our conduct and our actions.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to note the progression. I want you to look at this again. Here it is, very simply stated in Romans 12, 1 and 2. He says, once you comprehend the mercies of God, That's going to lead you to present your body a living sacrifice. Once you present your body a living sacrifice, you understand that God is a holy God. So therefore, God requires holiness. And therefore, as long as you obey him, then you understand it as well pleasing or acceptable in his sight. And you understand in light of all of the fact that God has blessed you and given you mercies, it's your only reasonable or logical service.

[John Weaver] That leads you then not to be conformed to this world, but it then impresses upon you the absolute necessity of the importance of renewing your mind. Once you have understood the mercies of God, watch it. Once you have presented your body of living sacrifice, once you've learned to obey, once you've learned to be pleasing unto God, once you understand it's your reasonable service, once you are not conformed to this world, once you are transformed by the renewing of your mind, then and only then may you prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Isn't that interesting? You've got to remember now, the word prove has the implication of personal experience. If you want to personally experience the proving of the will of God in your life, you must understand Romans 12, 1 and 2.

[John Weaver] I want to give you two short paragraphs by John Calvin. Here's what Calvin said in Romans 12, 1 and 2. Here you have the purpose for which we must put on a new mind, that bidding adieu to our own counsels and desires, and those of all men, we may be attentive to the only will of God, the knowledge of which is true wisdom. But if the renovation of our mind is necessary, In order that we may prove what is the will of God, it is hence evident how opposed it is, that is our mind, by nature to God. The epitaphs which are added are intended for the purpose of recommending God's will, that we may seek to know it with greater alacrity. In order to constrain our perverseness, it is indeed necessary that the true glory of justice and perfection should be ascribed to the will of God.

[John Weaver] Now listen, the world persuades itself that those works which it has devised are good. Paul exclaims that which is good and right must be ascertained from God's commandments. The world praises itself and takes light in its own inventions. But Paul affirms that nothing pleases God except what he has commanded. The world, in order to find perfection, slides from the Word of God into its own devices. Paul, by fixing perfection in the will of God, shows that if anyone passes over that mark, he is deluded by false imagination.

[John Weaver] And that is true, folks. When you go over and above and beyond the Word of God, you've gone too far. And when you want to go over and above and beyond the Lord Jesus Christ, You've gone too far. How do we prove God and His will? And the answer is by obedience. By giving ourselves to Him as a living sacrifice, living a holy life after we've comprehended His mercies, not conforming ourselves to this world, but having our minds transformed submitting our minds to the Word of God. Once that occurs, then and only then are we in a position to prove what is that good and perfect and acceptable will of God.

[John Weaver] Now listen, what I've preached today, proving God and His Word, is not a tempting of God, it's a sin to tempt God. It's not a challenging of God, it's a sin to challenge God. It's not a provoking of God, it's a sin to provoke God. Those are sins of the highest degree. But what I've preached today is what God has said Himself, prove me now herewith. And the way we prove God and His will is by obedience to His Word. If we genuinely sincerely and truly want the will of God in our lives proved, evidenced, manifest. It can only be done by obedience. And God said, you just trust me and see, if I won't open the windows of heaven and pour you out such a blessing, you will not be able to contain it.

[John Weaver] I don't know about you, but I sure would like to have to build bigger barns. I'd like to have the blessings of God in my life. And those blessings only come through obedience. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee this day. We thank You for Your love, for Your truth, for Your Word, for all of Your blessing to us. And Lord, I pray today that you would help us to prove thee by obedience, to prove thy will by obedience, that we may indeed have your blessings upon our lives. It's a principle of scripture that blessings follow obedience and curses follow disobedience.

[John Weaver] Make us holy and godly. In thy name we pray. Amen.

Proving God And His Will

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	rHH93WGFBrs
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Christian Duty, Authority, and Brotherly Peace
Genre	Sermon
Date	2014-04-13
Dictation Name
Book	Book 133: Romans: Christian Duty, Authority, and Brotherly Peace — Chapter 5
Source Timed Segments	79

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Audacity of Proving God

Weaver introduces the seemingly blasphemous idea of proving God, but notes that Scripture itself invites it. He emphasizes God's absolute sovereignty and that God owes no one an explanation.

Let's open our Bibles today to the book of Romans chapter 12, verses 1 and 2. And listen carefully to the title. And I'm certainly going to explain it. But the title is Proving God and His Will. Proving God and His Will. Look in Romans 12, verses 1 and 2. The Apostle Paul says,

Scripture Reading — Romans 12:1-2

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not 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."

The title of this message, Proving God and His Will, would be an absolutely blasphemous thing to say and a blasphemous act to perform if the truth was not so clearly revealed in his word. Who in the world would have the audacity to call God to task? Who in the world would have the audacity to ask God just simply to prove himself? You remember it was the Apostle Paul in the book of Romans chapter 9 in verse 20 who said this, "Nay, but O man, who art thou that replies against God?"

Scripture Reading — Romans 9:20

"Shall the thing formed say unto him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus?"

In other words, the thing formed has absolutely no right to complain or to criticize to the one who's done the forming. God is God and therefore he is the most absolute independent being that exists. And God does not need to prove himself. For God is fully aware of His capabilities. We must understand that God is absolutely sovereign. In His sovereignty, God is not accountable to nor is He answerable to anyone. And let me shock you. Moreover, God does not owe anyone an explanation for what He does or for what He commands. God is not only not accountable and not answerable, He does not owe anyone an explanation. If you would look in your Bibles, hold Romans 12, but turn to the book of Job chapter 33, and look if you would please at verse 13. Job 33 and verse 13. Watch carefully. Notice what the Word of God says, Job 33 verse 13. The Bible says, "Why dost thou strive against Him?" In other words, why are you fighting against God? Why are you fussing and feuding with God? "Why dost thou strive against Him?"

God's Sovereignty and Right to Test His People

God is unaccountable and has the right to test His people. The word 'prove' means to test or try, and God's testing is always for our good, as seen in Abraham, Israel, and David.

He is the potentate. And He has the absolute right to test, to try, to prove us in any way that He chooses. However, when we prove God, that is a different story. And when we talk about proving God and His promises, it is a subject that we must tread lightly upon so as not to presume upon God's sovereign rights and arrogantly think that He is at our command.

Now I have just two simple thoughts today. I want you to see the first one, and that is that God does prove His people. God does prove His people. Now let me tell you what the word prove means both in the Hebrew and in the Greek because basically they mean identically the same thing. The word prove literally means to test or to try or to establish or to experience or to find out by experience. Sometimes the word prove is translated in our Bibles as test or tempt or temptation. Anytime you find God in the Bible testing or tempting someone, it is always for their good. Let me explain. Look in your Bibles to the book of Genesis chapter 22 and verse 1. Genesis 22 verse 1.

Here is a very leading illustration of this. Because unhappily when most people read this, they think opposite of what is meant in the scripture. In Genesis 22 and verse 1, we read about God's testing of Abraham. Look carefully at this passage. Genesis 22 and verse 1.

Scripture Reading — Genesis 22:1

"And it came to pass after these things that God did tempt Abraham. And he said unto him, Abraham, and he said, Behold, here I am."

Now notice the Bible says that God did tempt Abraham. Well, most people read that and they think that God is trying to tempt Abraham to do that which is wrong and wicked.

And the answer is no. The word literally means that God did test Abraham. God was proving Abraham. Let me give you an illustration. Turn over to Genesis 45. You will remember how Joseph's brethren had sold him into Egypt. They have come down to buy corn and of course you remember how Joseph, as he knows his brethren, but they certainly do not know him, and he asked them about their father and they tell him that they have a younger brother at home. And he tells them that if you don't bring that younger brother I'm not going to sell you any more corn. So look at it. It's Genesis 42. I'm sorry. It's Genesis 42, beginning there with verse 15. Genesis 42 and verse 15. Look what he tells them. Verse 14, "And Joseph said unto them, that is that that I've spoken to you saying you are spies." Now watch.

"Hereby you shall be proved. By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go forth hence, except your younger brother come thither. Send one of you and let him fetch your brother, and you shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you. Or else by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies." But notice what he says in verse 15. "Hereby you shall be proved." And again he said in verse 16, "that your words may be proved." In other words, Joseph is saying is this, I am weighing the veracity of your words. I'm proving whether or not you're speaking the truth. I'm proving whether or not you are spies. So when God tested Abraham, He was proving Abraham.

Now, if you will turn in your Bibles to the book of James chapter 1, because it's important that you see this in light of what I've just been saying, James chapter 1. Anytime God is said to tempt anyone, it is always in reference to testing them. It is never ever, never ever in reference to trying to get someone to sin. Notice James chapter 1, beginning there in verse 13. James says it like this, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth any man." Now watch verse 14. "But every man is tempted, this is to sin, when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death." Now I want you to note, in verse 13 he says, "let no man say when he is tempted," that is a temptation to sin. Now if you look back in verse 12, we have the same word, but I want you to notice how it's used.

He said, "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation," that is a trial or a test. "For when he is tried or tested, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised them that love him." Now notice verse 13, there's a change. "Let no man say when he is tempted" that he is tempted to sin. Why? Don't let him say, "I'm tempted of God," for God cannot be tempted of evil, neither tempteth any man. And then he goes on to tell you that every man is tempted to sin when he's drawn away of his own lust. So God does tempt man, but the word tempt in that instance means to test or to try or to prove. It has nothing to do with trying to get someone to sin and to violate his word.

Let me spell it out again. God does not tempt men to sin, to rebel, or become disobedient. He does, however, test them to prove their mettle, to prove their veracity, to prove their character, and to prove their faithfulness. So, let's look in our Bibles. Let's go to the book of Exodus chapter 16 to begin with. We'll look at several passages just in the Old Testament to show you how the word prove is used. Notice Exodus chapter 16, and let's begin there with verse 4.

Of course, this is in reference to the manna. Exodus chapter 16, notice verse 4. God says,

Scripture Reading — Exodus 16:4

"Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day that I may prove them whether they will walk in my law or no."

Now I want you to note what he said. I'm going to let the manna fall, they can get a certain amount a day, that I may prove them, that I may test them, or that I may test them to see whether or not I can trust them, whether they'll walk in my law or no. Look if you would please in verse, chapter 20 in verse 20 of Exodus. Exodus 20 and verse 20.

And again, Moses said unto the people, watch carefully. "And Moses said unto the people, Fear not, for God is come to prove you," that is to test you, "and that His fear may be before your face, that you sin not." Note, God is said to prove them, but He's proving them in order that they might not sin. So, it is a testing. Turn right over to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 8. Everyone knows that the children of Israel wandered around in the desert for 40 years. Deuteronomy chapter 8. And I want you to note how God explains this temptation, this testing of the children of Israel as they wandered. Deuteronomy chapter 8 and verse 2, we read this.

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 8:2, 16

"And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments or no."

Now certainly God already knows whether people will obey or not. God is omniscient. God knows everything. But we really don't know what we would do. You know, I've heard people say, "Well, I can say one thing, if I was ever in that situation, I know what I would do." No, you don't. You really don't know what you would do until you get there. Look, if you would, Deuteronomy 8 in verse 16, God says it again. Deuteronomy 8 in verse 16, "Who fed thee in the wilderness," God fed them.

"Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, that he might prove thee." Now notice, "...to do thee good at thy latter end." Every time God proves, or tests, or the word sometimes tempt, it is always for their good. Turn right over to the book of Judges. Joshua, Judges. Notice if you would, Judges chapter 2. You remember, the children of Israel were supposed to drive all of the heathen out of the land, but they did not. And notice if you would in Judges chapter 2 and verse 22. In fact, let's read verse 21. Judges 2 verse 21. God says, "I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died, that through them I may prove Israel whether they will walk in the way of the Lord to walk therein as their fathers did keep it or not." God said, "I left these heathen around here to prove you. Whether you're going to go after them or whether you're going to obey me."

Scripture Reading — Judges 2:21-22; 3:1, 4

Now look in Judges chapter 3 and verse 1. "Now these are the nations which the Lord left to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan." Skip down to verse 4. "And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the Lord, which He commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses." Now, in each of these verses that I've just read, the Hebrew word is Nasa, which means to prove, to test, to try, to assay, to put to the test. The old English word assay, A-S-S-A-Y, is used in several different ways. In metallurgy, it means to analyze an ore or an alloy in order to determine the quantity of gold or silver or other metal in it. It literally means to judge the quality of, to assess, to evaluate, or to test something. So God is saying, look, I'm leaving these Canaanites and Hivites in the land to test your strength, to test your character as to whether or not you're going to obey me.

Now, there are times not only when God's people need to be tested, but there are some times when God's people even ask to be tested. You say, what? Well, look in your Bibles to Psalm 26. You see, it is true that God knows what's in our hearts, but we do not know what is in our hearts. And I want you to notice what David prayed in Psalm 26 and verse 2. Psalm 26, verse 2. Look what David says. In fact, we can read verse 1. David prays, "Judge me, O Lord, for I have walked in mine integrity. I've trusted also in the Lord, therefore I shall not slide." Now look at this prayer request in verse two. "Examine me, O Lord, and prove me."

Scripture Reading — Psalm 26:2

"Try my reins and my heart."

So David is asking God to prove him. In other words, Lord, you make sure that I'm genuine. You make sure of my character and of my willingness to obey you. And then if you would turn right on over to Psalm 139. Oh, look at this prayer. This is a wonderful prayer. Psalm 139. He says in verses 23 and 24. "Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts."

"And see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting." What a prayer. There can be no argument against, there can be no denial of, there can be no hesitation to admit that God does indeed have the right to try, to test, and to prove His people. He is the potter, we're the clay. We're His creatures, we are at His command, and He may do with us as He wills, as He pleases. For He is God. My first point was very simple, God does prove his people. Here's the second point, and I'm going to spend most of my time right here. God does invite us to prove his person and his promises.

God Invites Us to Prove Him and His Promises

God commands His people to prove Him through obedience, specifically in tithing (Malachi 3:10). Proving God is not a challenge but a response to His command, involving trust and recognition of His sovereignty.

Now as I said in my introduction, it would be blasphemous to think such a thought, or even more blasphemous to try to perform such an act if God did not clearly and plainly invite us to prove Him and His promises. So there's a question that has to come to your mind. If God has invited me to prove Himself, if God has invited me to prove His promises, how do I prove God? How do I prove His promises? You want to know whether God is real and genuine? You want to know whether or not His word is authentic and true? Well, God says, I'll tell you how that you can prove Me and prove My promises.

Now, if you would look in your Bibles to the book of Malachi chapter 3, last book in the Old Testament, I'm sure that you will be extremely familiar with this verse because this is the classic verse where God invites people to prove Him. Notice if you would, Malachi chapter 3 and verse 10. We're going to come back and look at the context in just a moment. But look in Malachi 3 and verse 10. Look what God says very plainly, very clearly.

Scripture Reading — Malachi 3:8-10

"Bring you all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

Now God says,

Scripture Reading — Malachi 3:8-10

"bring you all the tithes in the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me herewith."

You prove me in this thing, says God. And see, he said,

Scripture Reading — Malachi 3:8-10

"if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

Now, let me make several comments about this verse. First, when God says prove me herewith, this is not a blasphemous challenging of God to do something that he has not ordained or promised. This testing or this proving is by the command of God. Thirdly, the way that he is to be proved, and I shall demonstrate it in the context, is by our obedience. Fourthly, we must understand that trust and or faith is to be included in our obedience. And fifth, we must ascertain and understand the context to really know what it means to prove God. In the context which I shall show you, Israel had sinned against God. How did she sin against God?

The answer is by failing to give him the tithes that he demanded. Let me give you a simple definition of a tithe. Listen carefully. A tithe is God's tax for the use of his earth. That's very simple. Everyone is obligated to tithe, even the unbelievers. Now they will not, but they are obligated to because they breathe God's air and they use God's earth just like we do. But now listen carefully. I want you to understand that in giving a tithe, there is a recognition of God and His sovereignty. Now, I want you to hold Malachi chapter 3. Hold it, please.

Scripture Reading — Malachi 3:8-10

Turn in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy 26. We're coming right back to Malachi chapter 3. But I want you to note what God says about tithing. I want to show it to you in black and white from the Scripture. Deuteronomy 26. If I were to take the time to read all of Deuteronomy chapter 26, you would find that it deals with tithing. Notice if you would please, in fact, just to show you, verse two, that it deals with the tithe, "that thou shalt take the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt put it in a basket and shalt go to the place which the Lord thy God shall choose. The place is named there. And thou shalt go unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him, I profess this day unto the Lord thy God that I am coming into this country which the Lord sware unto our fathers to give us."

If you were to read all the way down, you're going to find that this passage then deals with giving of tithes. Notice, if you would, verse 16. "This day the Lord thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes and judgments," dealing with not only the tithe, but everything else. "Thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thy heart, with all thy soul." Now I want you to note what happens when you give a tithe, especially when you obey God. Here it is. Verse 17, "Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, to hearken unto his voice. And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments. Now watch, and to make thee high above all nations, which he hath made in praise, and in name, and in honor, that thou mayest be a holy people unto the Lord thy God, as he hath spoken."

Now note if you would, when you give tithes, when you obey God, you are avouching the Lord thy God to be your God. And in the next verse, He avouches us as we render our tithes and as we obey Him to be His people. Now the word for avouched in the Hebrew literally means to say, to declare, to affirm, to profess in a solemn manner. So when we tithe, then what are we doing? We are saying in a very solemn manner that we're recognizing that God is the one true and the living God, that He is absolutely sovereign, and that He has given us everything that we have. And in giving Him His tax, we are recognizing that He is the Sovereign. We are vouching that we recognize Him and that we bow to Him and that we are acknowledging that He is our God.

Now, go back in your Bibles to Malachi chapter 3 because I want you to see the context. Here's what has happened now. In verse 10, God tells them to

Scripture Reading — Malachi 3:8-10

"bring you all the tithes in the storehouse that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me herewith,"

that is, prove me in this thing, says God,

Scripture Reading — Malachi 3:8-10

"if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

Now, Israel had refused to tithe unto God. Israel was refusing to avouch that God was her sovereign God. Now, look at verse 8, Malachi 3 verse 8. Here's God's complaint against the people.

Scripture Reading — Malachi 3:8-10

"Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me. But you say, wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Now look what God says. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed me, even this whole nation."

Now, notice if you would, when they refused to tithe, what were they doing? They were robbing God. They were stealing, not just God's tithe. Listen, God owns everything. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He created the world. All the gold and silver and diamonds are His. It's not money that God necessarily needs. What God is saying is this, I don't want necessarily just your money.

That's part and parcel of it, yes. But he's saying, I want the recognition. I want you to honor me as the sovereign God of heaven and earth. And when you refuse to recognize me, I'm going to curse you with a curse.

Now look what he said. Verse 8, you've robbed me. What's the result of robbing God? You're cursed. Now watch verse 10. "Bring you all the tithes in the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house, and prove me now herewith."

Now let me just kind of tell you what God is saying to these people. Here's what He's saying. Do you want to go on living like this? Do you like living in scarcity and want and hunger? Do you think that I'm unwilling or unable to bless you? Prove me, saith the Lord herewith. That is, you honor me, you obey me, and you see whether or not I will open the windows of heaven and pour out such a blessing upon you that you will not be able to receive it. Prove me in this, saith the Lord. Now, I want you to note something. Proving God and His promises is related to obedience, not disobedience. The only thing that you can prove by your disobedience is the judgment of God.

Because you will find in Proverbs 13 in verse 15, that the way of the transgressor is hard. So God is telling these people in the book of Malachi, if you want to prove me, you want to prove that I exist, you want to prove that my promises are true, obey me. That's a simple way. Just do what I tell you. And you can have proof enough for yourself.

Prerequisites for Proving God's Will (Romans 12:1-2)

Not everyone can prove God's will. It requires understanding God's mercies, presenting our bodies as living sacrifices, living holy lives, and recognizing this as our reasonable service.

Now, I want you to turn to Romans chapter 12 to our text. Because I want to take everything that we have just learned and apply it in verses 1 and 2. In Romans 12, let me read verses 1 and 2 again. Paul said, "I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not 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." Now, let me tell you something about proving God and his promises again. Again, in Romans 12, verses one and two, we're not judging God. We're not challenging God. We're not endeavoring to manipulate Him. We're just simply obeying Him in order to prove His will.

You've got to remember that the word prove means to test, or to try, or to establish, or to demonstrate, or to find out by experience. Now, I ask you this question. Do you really want to know the will of God? I can go further. Do you really want to obey and to do the will of God? If you say yes, then you have to ask this question. How can you discern it? How can you test it? How can you know it? How can you prove it? How can you experience the will of God fully in your life?

Now it may surprise you when I tell you this. But according to Romans 12 verses 1 and 2, not just anyone can prove God and His promises. Not just anyone can prove the will of God. There are prerequisites. We've already seen one of them in the Old Testament. The first prerequisite is obedience. That's what he said in Malachi 3, 8 through 10. Now, let me show you if you really want to prove the will of God in your life, what is required. First, look in Romans 12 verses 1 and 2. First, if you really want to prove the will of God, you must understand the mercies of God. Paul said, "I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God." So Paul is beseeching us by the mercies of God. What are the mercies of God? In the context, the mercies of God are everything that Paul has taught from Romans chapter 1 through Romans chapter 11. If we understand the mercies of God, we must understand our depravity, our wickedness, our sin. We must understand our election, our salvation, our reconciliation, our calling, our justification, our sanctification, our preservation, our glorification.

Each one of these truths and many more are taught in Romans 1 through 11. Now notice what Paul said. Paul said, "I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God." If you do not understand the mercies of God, if you're unaware of the mercies of God, how can Paul beseech you by them? I mean, what good is beseeching someone of these mercies if you're totally ignorant of them? Do you realize that ignorance only leads to apathy and destruction? If you are unaware of the abundant mercies of God that have been bestowed upon us as believers, you're in no position to prove what is that good and perfect and acceptable will of God. God's mercies are the starting point for proving God's will. We have to recognize the mercies of God. And I've quoted this verse. I've preached from this verse so many times. You remember Lamentations 3, "It is the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed."

"Because his compassions, they fail not. They're new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness." The only reason you and I made it through the night is because of the mercies of God. So Paul is saying, I'm beseeching you by the mercies of God. You've got to understand the mercies of God. What God has done for you. That doesn't mean that you have to go to college. Doesn't mean that you have to go to a Bible school. Doesn't mean that you have to be a theological scholar. No. It just means in some degree that you've got to understand those abundant mercies that God has given to us through Jesus Christ our Lord. You've got to grasp in some measure the grace of God in your life.

He says in order to prove the will of God you must be willing to present your body a living sacrifice. Now the word present here is the word commonly used to denote the action of bringing or presenting an animal or other sacrifice before an altar. It implies that action is free and voluntary and there is indeed real genuine freedom in Christ and the act of devoting ourselves to God is one of the most free that we will ever perform by His grace and by His mercy. Now I want you to note what he says, "I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice." So what is it that we're to present? And the answer is our bodies. You've got to understand by the word bodies, the word bodies is representative of our entire person. Everything that we are and everything that we have is to be given to God as a living sacrifice. If we present our bodies, we present ourselves. We present the totality of our being.

You remember in the Old Testament, there was the whole burnt offering. That is everything in that offering was fully consumed by the flames because it was fully given and devoted to God. Well, that's what God wants from us, a whole burnt offering, except it's a whole living offering. Now, let me ask, why does the apostle Paul say, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies"? Why didn't he say that you present your minds or your will or your spirit? Well, let me ask you a question. How do you express your love for each other, for your family, for your friends? How do you work? How do you play? How do you eat? How do you drink? How do you minister?

It is all with your body. Now, I want you to look back to Romans 1 and verse 9. Here's what I mean. Here's what Paul means. Look in Romans 1 in verse 9. Paul says,

Scripture Reading — Romans 1:9

"For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers."

Now notice,

Scripture Reading — Romans 1:9

"For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit."

Wow. Well, let me ask a question. Was it Paul's spirit that was running all over the Roman Empire preaching the gospel? No. It was his body. Yes, he served the Lord with his spirit. But the manifestation of that inward service was with the outward manifestation of his body. It could not have been expressed outwardly without the body. Now you could say, "Well, Brother Weaver, is it possible for someone to hypocritically present their body as a place of service and really have no heart for God and no heart for the ministry?" And the answer is yes, it's possible for someone to do that temporarily. It is possible for someone to do that in the sense of John 12 and verse 43. When our Lord charged those Pharisees of loving the praise of man more than the praise of God. Yes, there can be a hypocritical presentation temporarily.

You've got to remember what the Bible says in Jeremiah 17 in verse nine, "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it." And the answer of course is obvious. Only God can know it. But how do we know that the presentation of our body is not a hypocritical act? Well, here's the answer. Look back in Romans 12 verse one. Paul said, "I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice." Our presentation is to be a living sacrifice. What does that mean? That means our presentation of our bodies is to be a lifestyle.

It is to be a world and life view. It is to be a constant and continual presentation of our bodies to the Lord. Our Lord does not call upon us to die for Him. He may as a martyr later on, but generally He just simply calls upon us to live for Him. A hypocrite may last temporarily, but a hypocrite is not going to do continually and constantly that which is repugnant to him and that which he has no heart for. A hypocrite is going to always fall by the wayside.

Now it's true the Apostle Paul said, "I die daily." But when the Apostle Paul said, "I die daily," he had reference to the mortification of his flesh, which was a continual turning from sin that he might present his body unto the Lord. Moreover, if you'll look back in Romans 12 in verse 1 and 2, verse 1, he says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." You see, this world and life view, this lifestyle of the presentation of our bodies is to be one of holiness and spotlessness. We're to be holy and without blemish, just as God demanded that of the Old Testament sacrifice, He demands of the living sacrifice that we be holy, that we be godly, that we be sanctified. Now, let me just read a couple of verses for you. Philippians 2 and verse 15. Here's what the Apostle Paul said. Listen carefully now. "That you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation among whom you shine as lights of the world."

Notice he said that you may be blameless and harmless. And then in 1 Thessalonians 5 and verse 23, listen carefully now. Paul said, "The very God of peace sanctify you wholly." W-H-O-L-L-Y. Or the very God of peace sanctify you completely. He says, "I pray God that your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 3 and verse 14. Peter writes, "Wherefore, beloved, seeing you look for such things, be diligent that you may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless."

Now, how do we present our bodies a living sacrifice? In holiness. In righteous, obedient living. My question is, is the hypocrite going to do that constantly and continually? No. No. Because what God is demanding is a complete lifestyle. A total world view. Now, He says that we're to present our bodies living sacrifice acceptable unto God. The word acceptable in the Greek literally means well pleasing. I can assure you of one thing. If you present your body a living sacrifice and live a holy, godly, obedient life, it will be well-pleasing to God. And the Apostle Paul, in verse 1, makes it clear that such a lifestyle, such a worldview, is the only reasonable one in light of God's mercies that have been extended to us. There can be nothing more consistent with reason than that the work of God should glorify Him.

We are not our own. We've been bought with a price. We're the property of the Lord. We are His by right of creation. We're His by right of redemption. And it would be unreasonable if we live wicked and ungodly lives.

Now, by the way, the word reasonable is the Greek word logikos. It is where we get our English word logical. Paul says the presenting of our bodies to the Lord as a living sacrifice because of His mercy is the only logical thing that we can do. Now, I want you to follow Paul's logic. Listen, here we are in Romans chapter 12 verse 1. Here's Paul's logic. An understanding and a comprehension of God's mercies should lead us to present our bodies a living sacrifice. If we present our bodies a living sacrifice, we understand that God requires holiness. Holiness is acceptable unto God. Therefore, to live a holy, obedient life is our only reasonable or logical service in light of what God has done for us. Now, look at verse 2. He said, "And be not 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." Now, such a presentation of our bodies unto the Lord will enable us not to be conformed to this world or this age.

Transformation Over Conformity

Proving God's will demands we are not conformed to the world but transformed by the renewing of our minds. This transformation leads to a biblical worldview and holy living.

Now the word conformed, as I told you before, literally means to be pressed into a mold. Some of you ladies have butter molds. When you make butter, you put it in that mold. And when that butter hardens, you take the mold off. It's exactly in the shape of the mold. Same thing with clay. Same thing with anything that you use molds for. Literally, he says, be not conformed to this world. Don't be conformed to this age. Don't be pressed into the world's pattern. Those who understand the mercies of God should have nothing but absolute contempt for the humanism and the wickedness and the fashion of this age.

Now when the Apostle John wrote in 1 John 2 and verse 15, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loved the world, the love of the Father is not in him." When he wrote love not the world, he's not talking about God's creation. He's talking about the age of the world. He's talking about the world system. We don't think like the world. We don't act like the world. We don't dress like the world. We don't live like the world. The world is not to dictate our fashions or our attitudes or our ideas or our understanding.

The word of God does that. But don't you note something? It is not simply enough to not be conformed to the world. That's a negative. Every negative has a positive. The positive is that we're to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. And I've told you before, but I still like the word. The Greek word for transform is metamorphosis. It's where we get our English word metamorphosis.

The butterfly, you remember, goes through changes, starts out as a cocoon and turns into a larval stage and caterpillar. And next thing you know, he's flying away. He's going through changes. The word is sometimes translated as transfigured or transformed. You remember Jesus Christ was on the Mount of transfiguration and he was transfigured. He was metamorphosized in front of them. So he says, it's not enough now just not to be conformed to this world. We must be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

Now the word renewed in the Greek means a renewal, a renovation, a complete change for the better. So as our minds are renewed, we learn to think like Christ. We learn to think biblically. We have biblical attitudes, biblical dispositions, and that biblical attitude and that biblical disposition affects our body and our conduct and our actions.

Now, I want you to note the progression. I want you to look at this again. Here it is, very simply stated in Romans 12, 1 and 2. He says, once you comprehend the mercies of God, that's going to lead you to present your body a living sacrifice. Once you present your body a living sacrifice, you understand that God is a holy God. So therefore, God requires holiness. And therefore, as long as you obey him, then you understand it as well pleasing or acceptable in his sight. And you understand in light of all of the fact that God has blessed you and given you mercies, it's your only reasonable or logical service.

The Progression to Proving God's Will

A step-by-step progression: comprehending mercies, presenting bodies, obeying, not conforming, being transformed—then we can prove God's will through personal experience.

That leads you then not to be conformed to this world, but it then impresses upon you the absolute necessity of the importance of renewing your mind. Once you have understood the mercies of God, watch it. Once you have presented your body a living sacrifice, once you've learned to obey, once you've learned to be pleasing unto God, once you understand it's your reasonable service, once you are not conformed to this world, once you are transformed by the renewing of your mind, then and only then may you prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Isn't that interesting? You've got to remember now, the word prove has the implication of personal experience. If you want to personally experience the proving of the will of God in your life, you must understand Romans 12, 1 and 2.

I want to give you two short paragraphs by John Calvin. Here's what Calvin said in Romans 12, 1 and 2. "Here you have the purpose for which we must put on a new mind, that bidding adieu to our own counsels and desires, and those of all men, we may be attentive to the only will of God, the knowledge of which is true wisdom. But if the renovation of our mind is necessary in order that we may prove what is the will of God, it is hence evident how opposed it is, that is our mind, by nature to God. The epithets which are added are intended for the purpose of recommending God's will, that we may seek to know it with greater alacrity. In order to constrain our perverseness, it is indeed necessary that the true glory of justice and perfection should be ascribed to the will of God."

Now listen, "The world persuades itself that those works which it has devised are good. Paul exclaims that which is good and right must be ascertained from God's commandments. The world praises itself and takes light in its own inventions. But Paul affirms that nothing pleases God except what he has commanded. The world, in order to find perfection, slides from the Word of God into its own devices. Paul, by fixing perfection in the will of God, shows that if anyone passes over that mark, he is deluded by false imagination."

Conclusion: Obedience as the Key to Proving God

Proving God is not tempting or challenging Him but obeying His Word. Blessings follow obedience, and we prove His will by living according to Romans 12:1-2.

And that is true, folks. When you go over and above and beyond the Word of God, you've gone too far. And when you want to go over and above and beyond the Lord Jesus Christ, you've gone too far. How do we prove God and His will? And the answer is by obedience. By giving ourselves to Him as a living sacrifice, living a holy life after we've comprehended His mercies, not conforming ourselves to this world, but having our minds transformed, submitting our minds to the Word of God. Once that occurs, then and only then are we in a position to prove what is that good and perfect and acceptable will of God.

Now listen, what I've preached today, proving God and His Word, is not a tempting of God, it's a sin to tempt God. It's not a challenging of God, it's a sin to challenge God. It's not a provoking of God, it's a sin to provoke God. Those are sins of the highest degree. But what I've preached today is what God has said Himself, "prove me now herewith." And the way we prove God and His will is by obedience to His Word. If we genuinely sincerely and truly want the will of God in our lives proved, evidenced, manifest, it can only be done by obedience. And God said, you just trust me and see, if I won't open the windows of heaven and pour you out such a blessing, you will not be able to contain it.

I don't know about you, but I sure would like to have to build bigger barns. I'd like to have the blessings of God in my life. And those blessings only come through obedience. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee this day. We thank You for Your love, for Your truth, for Your Word, for all of Your blessing to us. And Lord, I pray today that you would help us to prove thee by obedience, to prove thy will by obedience, that we may indeed have your blessings upon our lives. It's a principle of scripture that blessings follow obedience and curses follow disobedience.

Make us holy and godly. In thy name we pray. Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

God's Absolute Sovereignty

Summary: God is unaccountable, owes no explanations, and has the right to test His people as He wills.

Evidence: Weaver cites Romans 9:20, Job 33:13, and Romans 11:33-36 to show God's sovereignty and quotes Spurgeon on the doctrine.

God's Testing for Our Good

Summary: God tests His people to prove their character and faithfulness, always for their ultimate good.

Evidence: Examples from Genesis 22:1 (Abraham), Exodus 16:4 (manna), Deuteronomy 8:2,16 (wilderness), and Judges 2:22-3:4 (nations left).

Proving God Through Obedience

Summary: God invites us to prove Him by obeying His commands, particularly in tithing, which acknowledges His sovereignty.

Evidence: Malachi 3:8-10 is the key text; tithing is described as avouching God as sovereign (Deuteronomy 26:17).

The Necessity of a Transformed Life

Summary: Proving God's will requires presenting our bodies as living sacrifices, living holy lives, and being transformed by renewed minds.

Evidence: Romans 12:1-2 is expounded in detail, with references to Philippians 2:15, 1 Thessalonians 5:23, and 2 Peter 3:14.

Blessings Follow Obedience

Summary: Obedience leads to God's blessings, while disobedience brings curses; proving God results in experiencing His abundant provision.

Evidence: Malachi 3:10 promises opened windows of heaven; Proverbs 13:15 says the way of the transgressor is hard.

Key Arguments

God does not owe anyone an explanation

Summary: God's sovereignty means He is not accountable to anyone and does not need to justify His actions.

Evidence: Job 33:13: 'He giveth not account of any of his matters.' Romans 11:34-35: no one has counseled or given to God.

God's testing is never to induce sin

Summary: When Scripture says God 'tempts,' it means He tests for proving character, not enticing to evil.

Evidence: James 1:13-14 distinguishes testing from temptation to sin; Genesis 22:1 uses 'tempt' for testing Abraham.

Tithing is an act of acknowledging God's sovereignty

Summary: Giving tithes is a solemn declaration that God is the sovereign owner of all, and refusing to tithe is robbing God.

Evidence: Deuteronomy 26:17 uses 'avouched' for recognizing God; Malachi 3:8 calls withholding tithes robbery.

Proving God's will requires understanding His mercies

Summary: One must first comprehend the mercies of God (salvation truths in Romans 1-11) before being able to prove His will.

Evidence: Romans 12:1 begins 'by the mercies of God'; Weaver lists depravity, election, justification, etc.

A living sacrifice is a lifestyle of holiness

Summary: Presenting our bodies means a continual, whole-life devotion to God, not a temporary or hypocritical act.

Evidence: Romans 12:1 calls for a 'living' sacrifice; Philippians 2:15 and 1 Thessalonians 5:23 emphasize blamelessness.

Transformation precedes proving God's will

Summary: Only after being transformed by renewed minds and not conformed to the world can we prove God's will.

Evidence: Romans 12:2 outlines the progression; Weaver explains 'metamorphosis' and the logical sequence.

Scripture References

Romans 12:1-2

Context: Primary text; believers are to present their bodies as living sacrifices and be transformed to prove God's will.

Romans 9:20

Context: Used to show man has no right to reply against God, emphasizing God's sovereignty.

Job 33:13

Context: God does not give account of His matters; He owes no explanations.

Romans 11:33-36

Context: God's judgments are unsearchable; no one can counsel or give to God, showing His sovereignty.

Genesis 22:1

Context: God 'tempted' (tested) Abraham, illustrating God's proving of His people.

Genesis 42:15-16

Context: Joseph's testing of his brothers uses 'proved' to mean verifying truth, parallel to God's testing.

James 1:12-14

Context: Distinguishes testing (temptation as trial) from temptation to sin; God does not tempt to evil.

Exodus 16:4

Context: God gave manna to prove Israel, testing whether they would walk in His law.

Exodus 20:20

Context: God came to prove Israel so that His fear would keep them from sinning.

Deuteronomy 8:2, 16

Context: God led Israel in the wilderness to humble and prove them, for their good.

Judges 2:21-22; 3:1, 4

Context: God left nations to prove Israel, testing their obedience.

Psalm 26:2

Context: David asks God to examine and prove him, showing a desire for testing.

Psalm 139:23-24

Context: David prays for God to search and try him, seeking cleansing.

Malachi 3:8-10

Context: God invites Israel to prove Him by bringing tithes; robbery and curse for disobedience, blessing for obedience.

Deuteronomy 26:2, 16-19

Context: Tithing is linked to avouching God as sovereign; obedience brings exaltation.

Proverbs 13:15

Context: The way of the transgressor is hard, showing disobedience leads to judgment.

Romans 1:9

Context: Paul served God with his spirit, but the outward manifestation was through his body.

Philippians 2:15

Context: Believers are to be blameless and harmless, shining as lights in the world.

1 Thessalonians 5:23

Context: Prayer for whole spirit, soul, and body to be preserved blameless.

2 Peter 3:14

Context: Believers are to be diligent to be found without spot and blameless.

Historical References

Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Context: Quoted on God's sovereignty: comforting to children, hated by worldlings; men allow God everywhere except on His throne.

John Calvin

Context: Quoted on Romans 12:1-2: purpose of new mind is to attend to God's will; world's inventions vs. God's commandments.

Important Quotes

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not 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.

Significance: The foundational text of the sermon, outlining the path to proving God's will.

There is no attribute more comforting to his children than that of God's sovereignty.

Significance: Spurgeon quote emphasizing the comfort of God's sovereignty for believers.

Bring you all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

Significance: God's direct invitation to prove Him through obedience in tithing.

The world persuades itself that those works which it has devised are good. Paul exclaims that which is good and right must be ascertained from God's commandments.

Significance: Calvin's commentary on Romans 12:2, contrasting human inventions with God's revealed will.

Discussion Questions

How does understanding God's absolute sovereignty affect our attitude when we face trials or tests?

Context: Weaver emphasizes God's right to test His people and that He owes no explanations.

In what ways might we be 'robbing God' today, similar to Israel's failure to tithe?

Context: Malachi 3:8-10 is applied to the recognition of God's sovereignty through giving.

What does it practically mean to present our bodies as a 'living sacrifice' in daily life?

Context: Romans 12:1 calls for a continual, holy lifestyle of devotion.

How can we discern whether we are being conformed to the world or transformed by the renewing of our minds?

Context: Weaver contrasts the world's mold with the metamorphosis of the mind.

Why is comprehending God's mercies the necessary starting point for proving His will?

Context: Paul beseeches 'by the mercies of God' in Romans 12:1; Weaver ties this to understanding salvation truths.

What is the difference between tempting God and proving God as Scripture commands?

Context: Weaver clarifies that proving God is obedience, not a sinful challenge.

Applications

Obey God's command to tithe as an act of proving Him

Summary: Bring the full tithe to God's storehouse as a way to acknowledge His sovereignty and test His promise to bless.

Evidence: Malachi 3:10: 'prove me now herewith... if I will not open you the windows of heaven.'

Present your body as a living sacrifice daily

Summary: Make a continual, voluntary decision to devote your whole self—body, mind, and will—to God in holy living.

Evidence: Romans 12:1: 'present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.'

Renew your mind through Scripture to avoid worldliness

Summary: Actively reject the world's patterns and instead be transformed by studying and applying God's Word to develop a biblical worldview.

Evidence: Romans 12:2: 'be not conformed... but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.'

Seek to prove God's will through obedient living

Summary: Understand that proving God's will is not a one-time event but a lifestyle of obedience that results in personal experience of His good, acceptable, and perfect will.

Evidence: Romans 12:2: 'that ye may prove what is that good... will of God'; Weaver emphasizes the progression.

Pray for God to examine and prove your heart

Summary: Follow David's example by asking God to search your heart and reveal any wicked way, submitting to His testing.

Evidence: Psalm 139:23-24: 'Search me, O God... try me... see if there be any wicked way in me.'

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T13:05:34Z

Clean Transcript

Proving God And His Will

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

Let's open our Bibles today to the book of Romans chapter 12, verses 1 and 2. And listen carefully to the title. And I'm certainly going to explain it. But the title is Proving God and His Will. Proving God and His Will. Look in Romans 12, verses 1 and 2. The Apostle Paul says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not 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." The title of this message, Proving God and His Will, would be an absolutely blasphemous thing to say and a blasphemous act to perform if the truth was not so clearly revealed in his word. Who in the world would have the audacity to call God to task? Who in the world would have the audacity to ask God just simply to prove himself? You remember it was the Apostle Paul in the book of Romans chapter 9 in verse 20 who said this, "Nay, but O man, who art thou that replies against God?"
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"Shall the thing formed say unto him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus?" In other words, the thing formed has absolutely no right to complain or to criticize to the one who's done the forming. God is God and therefore he is the most absolute independent being that exists. And God does not need to prove himself. For God is fully aware of His capabilities. We must understand that God is absolutely sovereign. In His sovereignty, God is not accountable to nor is He answerable to anyone.
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And let me shock you. Moreover, God does not owe anyone an explanation for what He does or for what He commands. God is not only not accountable and not answerable, He does not owe anyone an explanation. If you would look in your Bibles, hold Romans 12, but turn to the book of Job chapter 33, and look if you would please at verse 13. Job 33 and verse 13. Watch carefully. Notice what the Word of God says, Job 33 verse 13. The Bible says, "Why dost thou strive against Him?" In other words, why are you fighting against God? Why are you fussing and feuding with God? "Why dost thou strive against Him?"
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"For He giveth not account of any of His matters." Ah! God does not owe us any explanations. Thankfully, often times in His Word, God does indeed explain things for us. But it is His grace and His mercy that He does so. He does not owe us any explanation. God is so high. God is so exalted. So magnificent. So glorious. And so absolute. He is not obligated to anyone or anything.
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And if you would look in your Bibles very quickly to the book of Romans chapter 11. Just a few verses before our text. In Romans chapter 11. Notice if you would verses 33 through 36. And here's a passage that demonstrates the fact that no one can bring God into obligation to himself. Romans 11 verse 33, Paul exclaims, "Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God, how unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out." Now watch closely.
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"For who hath known the mind of the Lord?" The answer is no one. "Or who hath been his counselor?" The answer is no one. "Or who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?" And the answer is no one can first give unto God. Then he says, "For of him, and through him, and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen." So if you cannot give God advice, if you cannot counsel God, if you cannot inform God, if you cannot first give to God, certainly you cannot bring God into obligation to yourself. Why? God is absolutely sovereign.
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He is unaccountable and unanswerable to anyone but Himself. Moreover, he does not owe an explanation to anyone. Charles Haddon Spurgeon wrote this many years ago. Listen to these two short paragraphs. He says, "There is no attribute more comforting to his children than that of God's sovereignty. Under the most adverse circumstances, in the most severe trials, they believe that sovereignty has ordained their afflictions, that sovereignty overrules them, and that sovereignty will sanctify them all."
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"There is nothing for which the children ought more earnestly to contend than the doctrine of their master over all creation, the kingship of God over all the works of His own hands, the throne of God and His right to sit upon that throne. On the other hand, there is no doctrine more hated by worldlings, no truth of which they have made such a football, as the great, stupendous, but yet most certain doctrine of the sovereignty of the infinite Jehovah. Men will allow God to be everywhere except on His throne. They will allow Him to be in His workshop to fashion the worlds and to make the stars. They will allow Him to be in His almonery to dispense His alms and bestow His bounties. They will allow Him to sustain the earth and bear up the pillars thereof."
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"...or light the lamps of heaven, or rule the waves of the ever-moving ocean. But when God ascends His throne, His creatures then gnash with their teeth. And we proclaim and enthrone God and His right to do as He wills with His own, to dispose of His creatures as He thinks well without consulting them in the matter. Then it is that we're hissed and execrated. And then it is that men turn a deaf ear to us, for God on His throne is not the God that they love, but it is the God upon the throne that we love to preach. It is God upon His throne whom we trust." You see, God is God, as Spurgeon pointed out. Men may not like the doctrine of God's absolute sovereignty, but God is still God, and God is still sovereign. And since God is absolutely sovereign, God has the absolute right to test and try His people. He is the master. He is the Lord. He is the sovereign. He is the ruler. He is the creator.
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He is the potentate. And He has the absolute right to test, to try, to prove us in any way that He chooses. However, when we prove God, that is a different story. And when we talk about proving God and His promises, it is a subject that we must tread lightly upon so as not to presume upon God's sovereign rights and arrogantly think that He is at our command.
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Now I have just two simple thoughts today. I want you to see the first one, and that is that God does prove His people. God does prove His people.
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Now let me tell you what the word prove means both in the Hebrew and in the Greek because basically they mean identically the same thing. The word prove literally means to test or to try or to establish or to experience or to find out by experience. Sometimes the word prove is translated in our Bibles as test or tempt or temptation. Anytime you find God in the Bible testing or tempting someone, it is always for their good. Let me explain. Look in your Bibles to the book of Genesis chapter 22 and verse 1. Genesis 22 verse 1.
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Here is a very leading illustration of this. Because unhappily when most people read this, they think opposite of what is meant in the scripture. In Genesis 22 and verse 1, we read about God's testing of Abraham. Look carefully at this passage. Genesis 22 and verse 1. "And it came to pass after these things that God did tempt Abraham. And he said unto him, Abraham, and he said, Behold, here I am." Now notice the Bible says that God did tempt Abraham. Well, most people read that and they think that God is trying to tempt Abraham to do that which is wrong and wicked.
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And the answer is no. The word literally means that God did test Abraham. God was proving Abraham. Let me give you an illustration. Turn over to Genesis 45. You will remember how Joseph's brethren had sold him into Egypt. They have come down to buy corn and of course you remember how Joseph, as he knows his brethren, but they certainly do not know him, and he asked them about their father and they tell him that they have a younger brother at home. And he tells them that if you don't bring that younger brother I'm not going to sell you any more corn. So look at it. It's Genesis 42. I'm sorry. It's Genesis 42, beginning there with verse 15. Genesis 42 and verse 15. Look what he tells them. Verse 14, "And Joseph said unto them, that is that that I've spoken to you saying you are spies." Now watch.
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"Hereby you shall be proved. By the life of Pharaoh, you shall not go forth hence, except your younger brother come thither. Send one of you and let him fetch your brother, and you shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you. Or else by the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies." But notice what he says in verse 15. "Hereby you shall be proved." And again he said in verse 16, "that your words may be proved." In other words, Joseph is saying is this, I am weighing the veracity of your words. I'm proving whether or not you're speaking the truth. I'm proving whether or not you are spies. So when God tested Abraham, He was proving Abraham.
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Now, if you will turn in your Bibles to the book of James chapter 1, because it's important that you see this in light of what I've just been saying, James chapter 1. Anytime God is said to tempt anyone, it is always in reference to testing them. It is never ever, never ever in reference to trying to get someone to sin. Notice James chapter 1, beginning there in verse 13. James says it like this, "Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth any man." Now watch verse 14. "But every man is tempted, this is to sin, when he is drawn away of his own lust and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin when it is finished bringeth forth death." Now I want you to note, in verse 13 he says, "let no man say when he is tempted," that is a temptation to sin. Now if you look back in verse 12, we have the same word, but I want you to notice how it's used.
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He said, "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation," that is a trial or a test. "For when he is tried or tested, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised them that love him."
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Now notice verse 13, there's a change. "Let no man say when he is tempted" that he is tempted to sin. Why? Don't let him say, "I'm tempted of God," for God cannot be tempted of evil, neither tempteth any man. And then he goes on to tell you that every man is tempted to sin when he's drawn away of his own lust. So God does tempt man, but the word tempt in that instance means to test or to try or to prove. It has nothing to do with trying to get someone to sin and to violate his word.
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Let me spell it out again. God does not tempt men to sin, to rebel, or become disobedient. He does, however, test them to prove their mettle, to prove their veracity, to prove their character, and to prove their faithfulness. So, let's look in our Bibles. Let's go to the book of Exodus chapter 16 to begin with. We'll look at several passages just in the Old Testament to show you how the word prove is used. Notice Exodus chapter 16, and let's begin there with verse 4.
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Of course, this is in reference to the manna. Exodus chapter 16, notice verse 4. God says, "Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day that I may prove them whether they will walk in my law or no."
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Now I want you to note what he said. I'm going to let the manna fall, they can get a certain amount a day, that I may prove them, that I may test them, or that I may test them to see whether or not I can trust them, whether they'll walk in my law or no. Look if you would please in verse, chapter 20 in verse 20 of Exodus. Exodus 20 and verse 20.
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And again, Moses said unto the people, watch carefully. "And Moses said unto the people, Fear not, for God is come to prove you," that is to test you, "and that His fear may be before your face, that you sin not." Note, God is said to prove them, but He's proving them in order that they might not sin. So, it is a testing. Turn right over to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 8.
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Everyone knows that the children of Israel wandered around in the desert for 40 years. Deuteronomy chapter 8. And I want you to note how God explains this temptation, this testing of the children of Israel as they wandered. Deuteronomy chapter 8 and verse 2, we read this. "And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments or no." Now certainly God already knows whether people will obey or not. God is omniscient. God knows everything. But we really don't know what we would do. You know, I've heard people say, "Well, I can say one thing, if I was ever in that situation, I know what I would do." No, you don't. You really don't know what you would do until you get there. Look, if you would, Deuteronomy 8 in verse 16, God says it again. Deuteronomy 8 in verse 16, "Who fed thee in the wilderness," God fed them.
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"Who fed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, that he might prove thee." Now notice, "...to do thee good at thy latter end." Every time God proves, or tests, or the word sometimes tempt, it is always for their good. Turn right over to the book of Judges. Joshua, Judges. Notice if you would, Judges chapter 2. You remember, the children of Israel were supposed to drive all of the heathen out of the land, but they did not. And notice if you would in Judges chapter 2 and verse 22. In fact, let's read verse 21. Judges 2 verse 21. God says, "I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died, that through them I may prove Israel whether they will walk in the way of the Lord to walk therein as their fathers did keep it or not." God said, "I left these heathen around here to prove you. Whether you're going to go after them or whether you're going to obey me."
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Now look in Judges chapter 3 and verse 1. "Now these are the nations which the Lord left to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan." Skip down to verse 4. "And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the Lord, which He commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses."
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Now, in each of these verses that I've just read, the Hebrew word is Nasa, which means to prove, to test, to try, to assay, to put to the test. The old English word assay, A-S-S-A-Y, is used in several different ways. In metallurgy, it means to analyze an ore or an alloy in order to determine the quantity of gold or silver or other metal in it. It literally means to judge the quality of, to assess, to evaluate, or to test something. So God is saying, look, I'm leaving these Canaanites and Hivites in the land to test your strength, to test your character as to whether or not you're going to obey me.
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Now, there are times not only when God's people need to be tested, but there are some times when God's people even ask to be tested. You say, what? Well, look in your Bibles to Psalm 26. You see, it is true that God knows what's in our hearts, but we do not know what is in our hearts. And I want you to notice what David prayed in Psalm 26 and verse 2. Psalm 26, verse 2. Look what David says. In fact, we can read verse 1. David prays, "Judge me, O Lord, for I have walked in mine integrity. I've trusted also in the Lord, therefore I shall not slide." Now look at this prayer request in verse two. "Examine me, O Lord, and prove me."
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"Try my reins and my heart." So David is asking God to prove him. In other words, Lord, you make sure that I'm genuine. You make sure of my character and of my willingness to obey you. And then if you would turn right on over to Psalm 139. Oh, look at this prayer. This is a wonderful prayer. Psalm 139. He says in verses 23 and 24. "Search me, O God, and know my heart. Try me and know my thoughts."
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"And see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting." What a prayer. There can be no argument against, there can be no denial of, there can be no hesitation to admit that God does indeed have the right to try, to test, and to prove His people. He is the potter, we're the clay. We're His creatures, we are at His command, and He may do with us as He wills, as He pleases. For He is God. My first point was very simple, God does prove his people. Here's the second point, and I'm going to spend most of my time right here. God does invite us to prove his person and his promises.
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Now as I said in my introduction, it would be blasphemous to think such a thought, or even more blasphemous to try to perform such an act if God did not clearly and plainly invite us to prove Him and His promises. So there's a question that has to come to your mind. If God has invited me to prove Himself, if God has invited me to prove His promises, how do I prove God? How do I prove His promises? You want to know whether God is real and genuine? You want to know whether or not His word is authentic and true? Well, God says, I'll tell you how that you can prove Me and prove My promises.
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Now, if you would look in your Bibles to the book of Malachi chapter 3, last book in the Old Testament, I'm sure that you will be extremely familiar with this verse because this is the classic verse where God invites people to prove Him. Notice if you would, Malachi chapter 3 and verse 10. We're going to come back and look at the context in just a moment. But look in Malachi 3 and verse 10. Look what God says very plainly, very clearly.
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"Bring you all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." Now God says, "bring you all the tithes in the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me herewith." You prove me in this thing, says God. And see, he said, "if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it."
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Now, let me make several comments about this verse. First, when God says prove me herewith, this is not a blasphemous challenging of God to do something that he has not ordained or promised. This testing or this proving is by the command of God.
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Thirdly, the way that he is to be proved, and I shall demonstrate it in the context, is by our obedience. Fourthly, we must understand that trust and or faith is to be included in our obedience. And fifth, we must ascertain and understand the context to really know what it means to prove God. In the context which I shall show you, Israel had sinned against God. How did she sin against God?
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The answer is by failing to give him the tithes that he demanded. Let me give you a simple definition of a tithe. Listen carefully. A tithe is God's tax for the use of his earth. That's very simple. Everyone is obligated to tithe, even the unbelievers. Now they will not, but they are obligated to because they breathe God's air and they use God's earth just like we do. But now listen carefully. I want you to understand that in giving a tithe, there is a recognition of God and His sovereignty. Now, I want you to hold Malachi chapter 3. Hold it, please.
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Turn in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy 26. We're coming right back to Malachi chapter 3. But I want you to note what God says about tithing. I want to show it to you in black and white from the Scripture. Deuteronomy 26. If I were to take the time to read all of Deuteronomy chapter 26, you would find that it deals with tithing. Notice if you would please, in fact, just to show you, verse two, that it deals with the tithe, "that thou shalt take the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt put it in a basket and shalt go to the place which the Lord thy God shall choose. The place is named there. And thou shalt go unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him, I profess this day unto the Lord thy God that I am coming into this country which the Lord sware unto our fathers to give us."
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If you were to read all the way down, you're going to find that this passage then deals with giving of tithes. Notice, if you would, verse 16. "This day the Lord thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes and judgments," dealing with not only the tithe, but everything else. "Thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thy heart, with all thy soul." Now I want you to note what happens when you give a tithe, especially when you obey God. Here it is. Verse 17, "Thou hast avouched the Lord this day to be thy God and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, to hearken unto his voice. And the Lord hath avouched thee this day to be his peculiar people as he hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all his commandments. Now watch, and to make thee high above all nations, which he hath made in praise, and in name, and in honor, that thou mayest be a holy people unto the Lord thy God, as he hath spoken."
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Now note if you would, when you give tithes, when you obey God, you are avouching the Lord thy God to be your God. And in the next verse, He avouches us as we render our tithes and as we obey Him to be His people.
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Now the word for avouched in the Hebrew literally means to say, to declare, to affirm, to profess in a solemn manner. So when we tithe, then what are we doing? We are saying in a very solemn manner that we're recognizing that God is the one true and the living God, that He is absolutely sovereign, and that He has given us everything that we have. And in giving Him His tax, we are recognizing that He is the Sovereign. We are vouching that we recognize Him and that we bow to Him and that we are acknowledging that He is our God.
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Now, go back in your Bibles to Malachi chapter 3 because I want you to see the context. Here's what has happened now. In verse 10, God tells them to "bring you all the tithes in the storehouse that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me herewith," that is, prove me in this thing, says God, "if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall
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not be room enough to receive it." Now, Israel had refused to tithe unto God. Israel was refusing to avouch that God was her sovereign God.
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Now, look at verse 8, Malachi 3 verse 8. Here's God's complaint against the people. "Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me. But you say, wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Now look what God says. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed me, even this whole nation."
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Now, notice if you would, when they refused to tithe, what were they doing? They were robbing God. They were stealing, not just God's tithe. Listen, God owns everything. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He created the world. All the gold and silver and diamonds are His. It's not money that God necessarily needs. What God is saying is this, I don't want necessarily just your money.
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That's part and parcel of it, yes. But he's saying, I want the recognition. I want you to honor me as the sovereign God of heaven and earth. And when you refuse to recognize me, I'm going to curse you with a curse.
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Now look what he said. Verse 8, you've robbed me. What's the result of robbing God? You're cursed. Now watch verse 10. "Bring you all the tithes in the storehouse, that there may be meat in my house, and prove me now herewith."
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Now let me just kind of tell you what God is saying to these people. Here's what He's saying. Do you want to go on living like this? Do you like living in scarcity and want and hunger? Do you think that I'm unwilling or unable to bless you? Prove me, saith the Lord herewith. That is, you honor me, you obey me, and you see whether or not I will open the windows of heaven and pour out such a blessing upon you that you will not be able to receive it. Prove me in this, saith the Lord. Now, I want you to note something. Proving God and His promises is related to obedience, not disobedience. The only thing that you can prove by your disobedience is the judgment of God.
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Because you will find in Proverbs 13 in verse 15, that the way of the transgressor is hard. So God is telling these people in the book of Malachi, if you want to prove me, you want to prove that I exist, you want to prove that my promises are true, obey me. That's a simple way. Just do what I tell you. And you can have proof enough for yourself.
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Now, I want you to turn to Romans chapter 12 to our text. Because I want to take everything that we have just learned and apply it in verses 1 and 2. In Romans 12, let me read verses 1 and 2 again. Paul said, "I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not 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." Now, let me tell you something about proving God and his promises again. Again, in Romans 12, verses one and two, we're not judging God. We're not challenging God. We're not endeavoring to manipulate Him. We're just simply obeying Him in order to prove His will.
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You've got to remember that the word prove means to test, or to try, or to establish, or to demonstrate, or to find out by experience. Now, I ask you this question. Do you really want to know the will of God? I can go further. Do you really want to obey and to do the will of God? If you say yes, then you have to ask this question.
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How can you discern it? How can you test it? How can you know it? How can you prove it? How can you experience the will of God fully in your life?
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Now it may surprise you when I tell you this. But according to Romans 12 verses 1 and 2, not just anyone can prove God and His promises. Not just anyone can prove the will of God. There are prerequisites. We've already seen one of them in the Old Testament. The first prerequisite is obedience. That's what he said in Malachi 3, 8 through 10. Now, let me show you if you really want to prove the will of God in your life, what is required. First, look in Romans 12 verses 1 and 2. First, if you really want to prove the will of God, you must understand the mercies of God. Paul said, "I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God." So Paul is beseeching us by the mercies of God. What are the mercies of God? In the context, the mercies of God are everything that Paul has taught from Romans chapter 1 through Romans chapter 11. If we understand the mercies of God, we must understand our depravity, our wickedness, our sin. We must understand our election, our salvation, our reconciliation, our calling, our justification, our sanctification, our preservation, our glorification.
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Each one of these truths and many more are taught in Romans 1 through 11. Now notice what Paul said. Paul said, "I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God." If you do not understand the mercies of God, if you're unaware of the mercies of God, how can Paul beseech you by them? I mean, what good is beseeching someone of these mercies if you're totally ignorant of them?
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Do you realize that ignorance only leads to apathy and destruction? If you are unaware of the abundant mercies of God that have been bestowed upon us as believers, you're in no position to prove what is that good and perfect and acceptable will of God. God's mercies are the starting point for proving God's will. We have to recognize the mercies of God. And I've quoted this verse. I've preached from this verse so many times. You remember Lamentations 3, "It is the Lord's mercies that we're not consumed."
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"Because his compassions, they fail not. They're new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness." The only reason you and I made it through the night is because of the mercies of God. So Paul is saying, I'm beseeching you by the mercies of God. You've got to understand the mercies of God. What God has done for you. That doesn't mean that you have to go to college. Doesn't mean that you have to go to a Bible school. Doesn't mean that you have to be a theological scholar. No. It just means in some degree that you've got to understand those abundant mercies that God has given to us through Jesus Christ our Lord. You've got to grasp in some measure the grace of God in your life.
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He says in order to prove the will of God you must be willing to present your body a living sacrifice. Now the word present here is the word commonly used to denote the action of bringing or presenting an animal or other sacrifice before an altar. It implies that action is free and voluntary and there is indeed real genuine freedom in Christ and the act of devoting ourselves to God is one of the most free that we will ever perform by His grace and by His mercy. Now I want you to note what he says, "I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice." So what is it that we're to present? And the answer is our bodies. You've got to understand by the word bodies, the word bodies is representative of our entire person. Everything that we are and everything that we have is to be given to God as a living sacrifice. If we present our bodies, we present ourselves. We present the totality of our being.
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You remember in the Old Testament, there was the whole burnt offering. That is everything in that offering was fully consumed by the flames because it was fully given and devoted to God. Well, that's what God wants from us, a whole burnt offering, except it's a whole living offering.
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Now, let me ask, why does the apostle Paul say, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies"? Why didn't he say that you present your minds or your will or your spirit? Well, let me ask you a question. How do you express your love for each other, for your family, for your friends? How do you work? How do you play? How do you eat? How do you drink? How do you minister?
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It is all with your body. Now, I want you to look back to Romans 1 and verse 9. Here's what I mean. Here's what Paul means. Look in Romans 1 in verse 9. Paul says, "For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers." Now notice, "For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit." Wow.
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Well, let me ask a question. Was it Paul's spirit that was running all over the Roman Empire preaching the gospel? No. It was his body. Yes, he served the Lord with his spirit. But the manifestation of that inward service was with the outward manifestation of his body. It could not have been expressed outwardly without the body. Now you could say, "Well, Brother Weaver, is it possible for someone to hypocritically present their body as a place of service and really have no heart for God and no heart for the ministry?" And the answer is yes, it's possible for someone to do that temporarily. It is possible for someone to do that in the sense of John 12 and verse 43. When our Lord charged those Pharisees of loving the praise of man more than the praise of God. Yes, there can be a hypocritical presentation temporarily.
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You've got to remember what the Bible says in Jeremiah 17 in verse nine, "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it." And the answer of course is obvious. Only God can know it. But how do we know that the presentation of our body is not a hypocritical act? Well, here's the answer. Look back in Romans 12 verse one. Paul said, "I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice." Our presentation is to be a living sacrifice. What does that mean? That means our presentation of our bodies is to be a lifestyle.
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It is to be a world and life view. It is to be a constant and continual presentation of our bodies to the Lord. Our Lord does not call upon us to die for Him. He may as a martyr later on, but generally He just simply calls upon us to live for Him. A hypocrite may last temporarily, but a hypocrite is not going to do continually and constantly that which is repugnant to him and that which he has no heart for. A hypocrite is going to always fall by the wayside.
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Now it's true the Apostle Paul said, "I die daily." But when the Apostle Paul said, "I die daily," he had reference to the mortification of his flesh, which was a continual turning from sin that he might present his body unto the Lord. Moreover, if you'll look back in Romans 12 in verse 1 and 2, verse 1, he says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." You see, this world and life view, this lifestyle of the presentation of our bodies is to be one of holiness and spotlessness. We're to be holy and without blemish, just as God demanded that of the Old Testament sacrifice, He demands of the living sacrifice that we be holy, that we be godly, that we be sanctified. Now, let me just read a couple of verses for you. Philippians 2 and verse 15. Here's what the Apostle Paul said. Listen carefully now. "That you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation among whom you shine as lights of the world."
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Notice he said that you may be blameless and harmless. And then in 1 Thessalonians 5 and verse 23, listen carefully now. Paul said, "The very God of peace sanctify you wholly." W-H-O-L-L-Y. Or the very God of peace sanctify you completely. He says, "I pray God that your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." 2 Peter 3 and verse 14. Peter writes, "Wherefore, beloved, seeing you look for such things, be diligent that you may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless."
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Now, how do we present our bodies a living sacrifice? In holiness. In righteous, obedient living. My question is, is the hypocrite going to do that constantly and continually? No. No. Because what God is demanding is a complete lifestyle. A total world view. Now, He says that we're to present our bodies living sacrifice acceptable unto God. The word acceptable in the Greek literally means well pleasing. I can assure you of one thing. If you present your body a living sacrifice and live a holy, godly, obedient life, it will be well-pleasing to God. And the Apostle Paul, in verse 1, makes it clear that such a lifestyle, such a worldview, is the only reasonable one in light of God's mercies that have been extended to us. There can be nothing more consistent with reason than that the work of God should glorify Him.
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We are not our own. We've been bought with a price. We're the property of the Lord. We are His by right of creation. We're His by right of redemption. And it would be unreasonable if we live wicked and ungodly lives.
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Now, by the way, the word reasonable is the Greek word logikos. It is where we get our English word logical. Paul says the presenting of our bodies to the Lord as a living sacrifice because of His mercy is the only logical thing that we can do. Now, I want you to follow Paul's logic. Listen, here we are in Romans chapter 12 verse 1. Here's Paul's logic. An understanding and a comprehension of God's mercies should lead us to present our bodies a living sacrifice. If we present our bodies a living sacrifice, we understand that God requires holiness. Holiness is acceptable unto God. Therefore, to live a holy, obedient life is our only reasonable or logical service in light of what God has done for us. Now, look at verse 2. He said, "And be not 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." Now, such a presentation of our bodies unto the Lord will enable us not to be conformed to this world or this age.
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Now the word conformed, as I told you before, literally means to be pressed into a mold. Some of you ladies have butter molds. When you make butter, you put it in that mold. And when that butter hardens, you take the mold off. It's exactly in the shape of the mold. Same thing with clay. Same thing with anything that you use molds for. Literally, he says, be not conformed to this world. Don't be conformed to this age. Don't be pressed into the world's pattern. Those who understand the mercies of God should have nothing but absolute contempt for the humanism and the wickedness and the fashion of this age.
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Now when the Apostle John wrote in 1 John 2 and verse 15, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man loved the world, the love of the Father is not in him." When he wrote love not the world, he's not talking about God's creation. He's talking about the age of the world. He's talking about the world system. We don't think like the world. We don't act like the world. We don't dress like the world. We don't live like the world. The world is not to dictate our fashions or our attitudes or our ideas or our understanding.
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The word of God does that. But don't you note something? It is not simply enough to not be conformed to the world. That's a negative. Every negative has a positive. The positive is that we're to be transformed by the renewing of our mind. And I've told you before, but I still like the word. The Greek word for transform is metamorphosis. It's where we get our English word metamorphosis.
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The butterfly, you remember, goes through changes, starts out as a cocoon and turns into a larval stage and caterpillar. And next thing you know, he's flying away. He's going through changes. The word is sometimes translated as transfigured or transformed. You remember Jesus Christ was on the Mount of transfiguration and he was transfigured. He was metamorphosized in front of them. So he says, it's not enough now just not to be conformed to this world. We must be transformed by the renewing of our minds.
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Now the word renewed in the Greek means a renewal, a renovation, a complete change for the better. So as our minds are renewed, we learn to think like Christ. We learn to think biblically. We have biblical attitudes, biblical dispositions, and that biblical attitude and that biblical disposition affects our body and our conduct and our actions.
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Now, I want you to note the progression. I want you to look at this again. Here it is, very simply stated in Romans 12, 1 and 2. He says, once you comprehend the mercies of God, that's going to lead you to present your body a living sacrifice. Once you present your body a living sacrifice, you understand that God is a holy God. So therefore, God requires holiness. And therefore, as long as you obey him, then you understand it as well pleasing or acceptable in his sight. And you understand in light of all of the fact that God has blessed you and given you mercies, it's your only reasonable or logical service.
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That leads you then not to be conformed to this world, but it then impresses upon you the absolute necessity of the importance of renewing your mind. Once you have understood the mercies of God, watch it. Once you have presented your body a living sacrifice, once you've learned to obey, once you've learned to be pleasing unto God, once you understand it's your reasonable service, once you are not conformed to this world, once you are transformed by the renewing of your mind, then and only then may you prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Isn't that interesting? You've got to remember now, the word prove has the implication of personal experience. If you want to personally experience the proving of the will of God in your life, you must understand Romans 12, 1 and 2.
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I want to give you two short paragraphs by John Calvin. Here's what Calvin said in Romans 12, 1 and 2. "Here you have the purpose for which we must put on a new mind, that bidding adieu to our own counsels and desires, and those of all men, we may be attentive to the only will of God, the knowledge of which is true wisdom. But if the renovation of our mind is necessary in order that we may prove what is the will of God, it is hence evident how opposed it is, that is our mind, by nature to God. The epithets which are added are intended for the purpose of recommending God's will, that we may seek to know it with greater alacrity. In order to constrain our perverseness, it is indeed necessary that the true glory of justice and perfection should be ascribed to the will of God."
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Now listen, "The world persuades itself that those works which it has devised are good. Paul exclaims that which is good and right must be ascertained from God's commandments. The world praises itself and takes light in its own inventions. But Paul affirms that nothing pleases God except what he has commanded. The world, in order to find perfection, slides from the Word of God into its own devices. Paul, by fixing perfection in the will of God, shows that if anyone passes over that mark, he is deluded by false imagination."
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And that is true, folks. When you go over and above and beyond the Word of God, you've gone too far. And when you want to go over and above and beyond the Lord Jesus Christ, you've gone too far. How do we prove God and His will? And the answer is by obedience. By giving ourselves to Him as a living sacrifice, living a holy life after we've comprehended His mercies, not conforming ourselves to this world, but having our minds transformed, submitting our minds to the Word of God. Once that occurs, then and only then are we in a position to prove what is that good and perfect and acceptable will of God.
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Now listen, what I've preached today, proving God and His Word, is not a tempting of God, it's a sin to tempt God. It's not a challenging of God, it's a sin to challenge God. It's not a provoking of God, it's a sin to provoke God. Those are sins of the highest degree. But what I've preached today is what God has said Himself, "prove me now herewith." And the way we prove God and His will is by obedience to His Word. If we genuinely sincerely and truly want the will of God in our lives proved, evidenced, manifest, it can only be done by obedience. And God said, you just trust me and see, if I won't open the windows of heaven and pour you out such a blessing, you will not be able to contain it.
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I don't know about you, but I sure would like to have to build bigger barns. I'd like to have the blessings of God in my life. And those blessings only come through obedience. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to Thee this day. We thank You for Your love, for Your truth, for Your Word, for all of Your blessing to us. And Lord, I pray today that you would help us to prove thee by obedience, to prove thy will by obedience, that we may indeed have your blessings upon our lives. It's a principle of scripture that blessings follow obedience and curses follow disobedience.
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Make us holy and godly. In thy name we pray. Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T20:46:08Z

Proving God And His Will

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

Pastor John Weaver teaches from Romans 12:1-2 and Malachi 3:8-10 that while God is absolutely sovereign and owes no one an explanation, He graciously invites His people to prove Him and His will through obedience. The sermon first establishes God's right to test His people for their good, then explains that proving God is not a blasphemous challenge but a commanded act of trust and obedience, particularly in tithing. The core of the message unpacks Romans 12:1-2, showing that proving God's will requires understanding His mercies, presenting our bodies as living sacrifices, living holy lives, refusing conformity to the world, and being transformed by the renewing of our minds. Only through such obedient, transformed living can believers personally experience and prove the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.

Introduction: The Audacity of Proving God

Weaver introduces the seemingly blasphemous idea of proving God, but notes that Scripture itself invites it. He emphasizes God's absolute sovereignty and that God owes no one an explanation.

Scripture Reading — Romans 12:1-2

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not 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."

Scripture Reading — Romans 9:20

"Shall the thing formed say unto him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus?"

God's Sovereignty and Right to Test His People

God is unaccountable and has the right to test His people. The word 'prove' means to test or try, and God's testing is always for our good, as seen in Abraham, Israel, and David.

Scripture Reading — Genesis 22:1

"And it came to pass after these things that God did tempt Abraham. And he said unto him, Abraham, and he said, Behold, here I am."

Now notice the Bible says that God did tempt Abraham. Well, most people read that and they think that God is trying to tempt Abraham to do that which is wrong and wicked.

Of course, this is in reference to the manna. Exodus chapter 16, notice verse 4. God says,

Scripture Reading — Exodus 16:4

"Then said the Lord unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day that I may prove them whether they will walk in my law or no."

Scripture Reading — Deuteronomy 8:2, 16

"And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments or no."

Scripture Reading — Judges 2:21-22; 3:1, 4

Now look in Judges chapter 3 and verse 1. "Now these are the nations which the Lord left to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan." Skip down to verse 4. "And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the Lord, which He commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses." Now, in each of these verses that I've just read, the Hebrew word is Nasa, which means to prove, to test, to try, to assay, to put to the test. The old English word assay, A-S-S-A-Y, is used in several different ways. In metallurgy, it means to analyze an ore or an alloy in order to determine the quantity of gold or silver or other metal in it. It literally means to judge the quality of, to assess, to evaluate, or to test something. So God is saying, look, I'm leaving these Canaanites and Hivites in the land to test your strength, to test your character as to whether or not you're going to obey me.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 26:2

"Try my reins and my heart."

God Invites Us to Prove Him and His Promises

Scripture Reading — Malachi 3:8-10

"Bring you all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

Now God says,

Scripture Reading — Malachi 3:8-10

"bring you all the tithes in the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me herewith."

You prove me in this thing, says God. And see, he said,

Scripture Reading — Malachi 3:8-10

"if I will not open the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

Scripture Reading — Malachi 3:8-10

Turn in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy 26. We're coming right back to Malachi chapter 3. But I want you to note what God says about tithing. I want to show it to you in black and white from the Scripture. Deuteronomy 26. If I were to take the time to read all of Deuteronomy chapter 26, you would find that it deals with tithing. Notice if you would please, in fact, just to show you, verse two, that it deals with the tithe, "that thou shalt take the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt put it in a basket and shalt go to the place which the Lord thy God shall choose. The place is named there. And thou shalt go unto the priest that shall be in those days, and say unto him, I profess this day unto the Lord thy God that I am coming into this country which the Lord sware unto our fathers to give us."

Now, go back in your Bibles to Malachi chapter 3 because I want you to see the context. Here's what has happened now. In verse 10, God tells them to

Scripture Reading — Malachi 3:8-10

"bring you all the tithes in the storehouse that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me herewith,"

that is, prove me in this thing, says God,

Scripture Reading — Malachi 3:8-10

"if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it."

Now, Israel had refused to tithe unto God. Israel was refusing to avouch that God was her sovereign God. Now, look at verse 8, Malachi 3 verse 8. Here's God's complaint against the people.

Scripture Reading — Malachi 3:8-10

"Will a man rob God? Yet you have robbed me. But you say, wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Now look what God says. You are cursed with a curse, for you have robbed me, even this whole nation."

Prerequisites for Proving God's Will (Romans 12:1-2)

Not everyone can prove God's will. It requires understanding God's mercies, presenting our bodies as living sacrifices, living holy lives, and recognizing this as our reasonable service.

It is all with your body. Now, I want you to look back to Romans 1 and verse 9. Here's what I mean. Here's what Paul means. Look in Romans 1 in verse 9. Paul says,

Scripture Reading — Romans 1:9

"For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers."

Now notice,

Scripture Reading — Romans 1:9

"For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit."

Transformation Over Conformity

Proving God's will demands we are not conformed to the world but transformed by the renewing of our minds. This transformation leads to a biblical worldview and holy living.

The Progression to Proving God's Will

A step-by-step progression: comprehending mercies, presenting bodies, obeying, not conforming, being transformed—then we can prove God's will through personal experience.

Conclusion: Obedience as the Key to Proving God

Proving God is not tempting or challenging Him but obeying His Word. Blessings follow obedience, and we prove His will by living according to Romans 12:1-2.

Make us holy and godly. In thy name we pray. Amen.

Proving God And His Will

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	rHH93WGFBrs
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Christian Duty, Authority, and Brotherly Peace
Genre	Sermon
Date	2014-04-13
Dictation Name
Book	Book 133: Romans: Christian Duty, Authority, and Brotherly Peace — Chapter 5
Source Timed Segments	79

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Audacity of Proving God: Weaver introduces the seemingly blasphemous idea of proving God, but notes that Scripture itself invites it. He emphasizes God's absolute sovereignty and that God owes no one an explanation.
God's Sovereignty and Right to Test His People: God is unaccountable and has the right to test His people. The word 'prove' means to test or try, and God's testing is always for our good, as seen in Abraham, Israel, and David.
God Invites Us to Prove Him and His Promises: God commands His people to prove Him through obedience, specifically in tithing (Malachi 3:10). Proving God is not a challenge but a response to His command, involving trust and recognition of His sovereignty.
Prerequisites for Proving God's Will (Romans 12:1-2): Not everyone can prove God's will. It requires understanding God's mercies, presenting our bodies as living sacrifices, living holy lives, and recognizing this as our reasonable service.
Transformation Over Conformity: Proving God's will demands we are not conformed to the world but transformed by the renewing of our minds. This transformation leads to a biblical worldview and holy living.
The Progression to Proving God's Will: A step-by-step progression: comprehending mercies, presenting bodies, obeying, not conforming, being transformed—then we can prove God's will through personal experience.
Conclusion: Obedience as the Key to Proving God: Proving God is not tempting or challenging Him but obeying His Word. Blessings follow obedience, and we prove His will by living according to Romans 12:1-2.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

God does not owe anyone an explanation

God's sovereignty means He is not accountable to anyone and does not need to justify His actions.

Job 33:13: 'He giveth not account of any of his matters.' Romans 11:34-35: no one has counseled or given to God.

God's testing is never to induce sin

When Scripture says God 'tempts,' it means He tests for proving character, not enticing to evil.

James 1:13-14 distinguishes testing from temptation to sin; Genesis 22:1 uses 'tempt' for testing Abraham.

Tithing is an act of acknowledging God's sovereignty

Giving tithes is a solemn declaration that God is the sovereign owner of all, and refusing to tithe is robbing God.

Deuteronomy 26:17 uses 'avouched' for recognizing God; Malachi 3:8 calls withholding tithes robbery.

Proving God's will requires understanding His mercies

One must first comprehend the mercies of God (salvation truths in Romans 1-11) before being able to prove His will.

Romans 12:1 begins 'by the mercies of God'; Weaver lists depravity, election, justification, etc.

A living sacrifice is a lifestyle of holiness

Presenting our bodies means a continual, whole-life devotion to God, not a temporary or hypocritical act.

Romans 12:1 calls for a 'living' sacrifice; Philippians 2:15 and 1 Thessalonians 5:23 emphasize blamelessness.

Transformation precedes proving God's will

Only after being transformed by renewed minds and not conformed to the world can we prove God's will.

Romans 12:2 outlines the progression; Weaver explains 'metamorphosis' and the logical sequence.

Scripture References

Romans 12:1-2: Primary text; believers are to present their bodies as living sacrifices and be transformed to prove God's will.
Romans 9:20: Used to show man has no right to reply against God, emphasizing God's sovereignty.
Job 33:13: God does not give account of His matters; He owes no explanations.
Romans 11:33-36: God's judgments are unsearchable; no one can counsel or give to God, showing His sovereignty.
Genesis 22:1: God 'tempted' (tested) Abraham, illustrating God's proving of His people.
Genesis 42:15-16: Joseph's testing of his brothers uses 'proved' to mean verifying truth, parallel to God's testing.
James 1:12-14: Distinguishes testing (temptation as trial) from temptation to sin; God does not tempt to evil.
Exodus 16:4: God gave manna to prove Israel, testing whether they would walk in His law.
Exodus 20:20: God came to prove Israel so that His fear would keep them from sinning.
Deuteronomy 8:2, 16: God led Israel in the wilderness to humble and prove them, for their good.
Judges 2:21-22; 3:1, 4: God left nations to prove Israel, testing their obedience.
Psalm 26:2: David asks God to examine and prove him, showing a desire for testing.
Psalm 139:23-24: David prays for God to search and try him, seeking cleansing.
Malachi 3:8-10: God invites Israel to prove Him by bringing tithes; robbery and curse for disobedience, blessing for obedience.
Deuteronomy 26:2, 16-19: Tithing is linked to avouching God as sovereign; obedience brings exaltation.
Proverbs 13:15: The way of the transgressor is hard, showing disobedience leads to judgment.
Romans 1:9: Paul served God with his spirit, but the outward manifestation was through his body.
Philippians 2:15: Believers are to be blameless and harmless, shining as lights in the world.
1 Thessalonians 5:23: Prayer for whole spirit, soul, and body to be preserved blameless.
2 Peter 3:14: Believers are to be diligent to be found without spot and blameless.

Historical References

Charles Haddon Spurgeon: Quoted on God's sovereignty: comforting to children, hated by worldlings; men allow God everywhere except on His throne.
John Calvin: Quoted on Romans 12:1-2: purpose of new mind is to attend to God's will; world's inventions vs. God's commandments.

Important Quotes

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not 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.

The foundational text of the sermon, outlining the path to proving God's will.

There is no attribute more comforting to his children than that of God's sovereignty.

Spurgeon quote emphasizing the comfort of God's sovereignty for believers.

Bring you all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.

God's direct invitation to prove Him through obedience in tithing.

The world persuades itself that those works which it has devised are good. Paul exclaims that which is good and right must be ascertained from God's commandments.

Calvin's commentary on Romans 12:2, contrasting human inventions with God's revealed will.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

How does understanding God's absolute sovereignty affect our attitude when we face trials or tests?

[Context]

Weaver emphasizes God's right to test His people and that He owes no explanations.

[Question]

In what ways might we be 'robbing God' today, similar to Israel's failure to tithe?

[Context]

Malachi 3:8-10 is applied to the recognition of God's sovereignty through giving.

[Question]

What does it practically mean to present our bodies as a 'living sacrifice' in daily life?

[Context]

Romans 12:1 calls for a continual, holy lifestyle of devotion.

[Question]

How can we discern whether we are being conformed to the world or transformed by the renewing of our minds?

[Context]

Weaver contrasts the world's mold with the metamorphosis of the mind.

[Question]

Why is comprehending God's mercies the necessary starting point for proving His will?

[Context]

Paul beseeches 'by the mercies of God' in Romans 12:1; Weaver ties this to understanding salvation truths.

[Question]

What is the difference between tempting God and proving God as Scripture commands?

[Context]

Weaver clarifies that proving God is obedience, not a sinful challenge.

Applications

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T13:05:34Z