Romans 12:1-2

Passage

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

Introduction

In Romans 12, Paul has just finished an extensive theological treatise in which he has demonstrated that the solution to our sin problem is justification is by faith through which we are all brought to a common salvation. Now in Romans 12 Paul takes the theoretical and makes it practical. It is worth noting the way in which Paul makes his appeal.

The degree of exhortation - I appeal. In the passage Paul appeals, urges, or exhorts his readers.

The relationship of the exhortation - brothers. Paul appeals to the common ground that exists between everyone.

The common ground - God's mercy. Paul notes that it is God's mercy that unites each believer in a common ground. Paul has just finished arguing that the mercy of God is great. Now he appeals to that mercy as common ground and reason for transformation.

As Christians we must take our theological knowledge and apply that knowledge to transform our patterns of behavior, transforming our minds.

Main Body

Living Sacrifice

The greek word for "offer" παραστησαι (parastesai) was the word that was often used for the act of slaughtering the animals in a religious sacrifice to please God. The idea of living sacrifice would have stood in sharp contrast to the typical slaughtered animal. When we think of sacrifice we often think of atonement but there were a great many sacrifices that the Israelites made in acts of worship and devotion to God. The ultimate sacrifice was made on the cross and atonement was achieved but we are still called on to worship God.

Holy and Acceptable

The word holy is intended to remind us of the sacrificial rituals. We often think of something holy as something that has been sanctified or set apart. Here we are told that presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice is a holy ritual. The act of presenting ourselves as a living sacrifice is acceptable or well-pleasing to God.

Have you ever smelled someone grilling a steak and thought you are hungry?

In the sacrificial system the Israelites aimed to present an aroma that would be pleasing to the Lord. Here we see that presenting ourselves as a living sacrifice is acceptable or well-pleasing.

Spiritual Worship

Ultimately presenting ourselves as a living sacrifice is all about worship. When we when we each present ourselves as a living sacrifice we allow God to patch us together into the tapestry that is the church.