Romans 12:1-2
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God…” So begins Paul’s earnest plea. He entreats us by the wondrous mercies of our wondrous God described in the previous chapters of Romans:
Justification by faith. (Romans 3:24)
Peace with God. (Romans 5:1)
Access to God’s grace. (Romans 5:2)
Hope of glory. (Romans 5:2)
God’s love poured into our hearts. (Romans 5:5)
Christ’s substitutionary and sin-atoning death. (Romans 5:8)
Union with Christ. (Romans 6:4-5)
Freedom from sin’s dominion. (Romans 6:14)
Freedom from condemnation. (Romans 8:1)
The indwelling Holy Spirit. (Romans 8:9)
Adoption into God’s family. (Romans 8:15)
God’s control of all things for the good of His people. (Romans 8:28)
Effectual calling, justification, and glorification. (Romans 8:30)
God’s invincible love. (Romans 8:38-39)
God’s sovereign mercy. (Romans 9:15-16)
Paul’s entreaty is all-encompassing: “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice.” Not merely your thoughts, words, or Sundays–but your whole life. A living sacrifice means continual yielding, moment by moment; not a one time gesture, but a continuous daily surrender. Unlike Old Testament sacrifices, which were slain and offered once, we are called to crawl continually upon the altar–offering our eyes, our hands, our tongues, our feet, our time, our energy, our all.
Such surrender is described as “holy and pleasing to God.” Astonishingly our imperfect obedience, when offered sincerely in Christ–is pleasing to our Father!
This sacrifice is our “reasonable service.” It is not extreme or fanatical. To hold anything back from the God who gave His Son to die for our sins, is what is truly unreasonable. A life wholly given to God is the only fitting response to the cross.
Paul continues, “Do not be conformed to this world.” This world seduces us to fit in, to love ease and pleasure, to seek applause, to live for self. But this poor world is passing away. To be conformed to it, is to be shaped by sin and destined for damnation. We are called to stand apart and resist being squeezed into the mold of godless culture!
Instead, we are to be “transformed by the renewing of our minds.” This transformation begins with truth–God’s Word saturating our thoughts. This renewed mind leads to a transformed life–a life that delights in God’s will and walks in it.
“And you will prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” As we surrender to Him, we come to know by experience that His will is not a burden, but our best blessing. His will is not only perfect in design, but perfect in result.
Have you surrendered ALL to your loving Savior? Not just in speech or sentiment, but in truth? Let your devoted life be the reasonable response to His marvelous mercies. Present yourself to God–not as a partial offering, but as a living, holy, daily sacrifice. This alone is true worship.
Lord, I surrender all.
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