“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” (Rom. 12:1). In view of God’s mercies to all people, Paul urged Christians to present their bodies as living sacrifices to God. The sacrifice of Jesus in becoming human, dying on the cross, and being raised from the dead gives Christians the foundation to live their lives as sacrifices to God.
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Earlier in the epistle to the Romans, Paul commanded, “And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God” (Rom. 6:13). If our lives are to be sacrifices well-pleasing to God, then we must live in holiness and righteousness. Romans 12:2 explains this two-fold endeavor by which we present our bodies as living sacrifices: “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Notice both the negative and positive of this verse. Negatively: do not be conformed to this world. Positively: be transformed by the renewing of your mind. If we have been born again to new life in Christ, then we must not conform ourselves to the former lusts that characterize worldly ignorance of spiritual truth, but instead be holy as our Father in heaven is holy (1 Pet. 1:14-16).
Our citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20); thus, we should be heavenly-minded instead of earthly-minded (Col. 3:2). This present age is evil (Gal. 1:4). The lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life are transient; whoever loves and pursues them does not love God (1 Jn. 2:15-17). Are we becoming conformed to the world in what we promote, in how we dress and speak, in our entertainment selections, and in how we operate in the church? Are you pursuing the lusts of this world or the will of God? The church is beset by members who think and live like the world. Let us be on guard against the pride of life, lest we become conceited and engage in political maneuvering in the church instead of humbly serving God (Rom. 12:3). We must be cautious of merely claiming to love others, but not genuinely, only hypocritically (Rom. 12:9). The worldly mindset is subtle enough to make all our apparent “goodness” actually rotten at its core if deep down we are selfish and proud.
Instead of allowing the world to squeeze us into its mold, our thinking must be transformed to the mindset of Christ. The New Testament reveals to us the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ, and looking intently into it can bring about transformation (2 Cor. 3:18). The revelation of Christ is the perfect law of liberty (Jas. 1:25); however, we must not merely look into it and forget, but rather reflect and make necessary changes (Jas. 1:21-24). Our lives can reflect the divine light to the world (Mt. 5:14; Jn. 8:12; 9:5).
We can find out and follow the will of God and thus show its genuineness. This is what is meant by “prove” in the last part of Romans 12:2, “that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Notice God’s will is described as good, acceptable, and perfect. God’s will is beneficial when we put it into practice. Christianity is more than attending church service fairly often and doing a few good things for others from time to time. It is presenting oneself as a sacrifice to God every day with a serious devotion to holiness and righteousness in keeping God’s will.
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