Romans 12:1-2 "A Living Sacrifice"

Introduction

I am thankful once again to have the privilege to bring the word to you again this morning. As we go into our text this morning I want us to pause and consider what we have gleaned from our series in the book of Romans this year. We are quickly approaching the end of this year and in that our study through the book of Romans will end. Hopefully, what you have learned and gleaned from this study will continue in your life. Last week we ended the first major section of Paul’s letter to the Roman church. If you are a student of the apostle Paul you will know and likely recognize that Paul often starts his letters out with a series of teachings that give is indicators and descriptions of what the Lord has done on behalf of his people. To this point in Romans he has shown us who we were without Christ, who we are after we have come to know Christ, how the work of Christ affects everything , how God has been planning these things from before creation, and finally, how the God finishes what he starts. Believer, this is your story! The words that our brother Paul puts before us is the story of how God works all things for His glory and our Good in that order. At the end of Romans 11 last week Paul ended with a beautiful summary to the first section of this letter saying this Romans 11:33-36

Romans 11:33–36 ESV

Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.

From Him, through Him and to Him are all things. Look what God has done through His Son! This morning we are going to transition with the apostle Paul from looking closely to what the Lord has done to ask the question “So what?” Or to ask the question that our brother Francis Shaffer asked, “How should we then live?” The truth about God and how he has saved a people for himself is not a story that exists for our entertainment. Brothers and sisters this is a story where we have skin in the game.

With this in mind I want to consider for a moment the folks who are suffering the affects of hurricane Helene. I am sure you have heard of the massive destruction and devastation that this storm has brought. No doubt in your heart you have sympathy for those affected by these things. You may even know some people who have personally been effected. That said, to these events and especially the destruction we are just concerned observers. We see the photos and videos of folks stranded on roofs, and hear of the many people who were rescued from atop the roof of a small community hospital. Despite having knowledge of these events, we are at most just observers of these events. This is not our story but something we have evaluated and considered from a distance. Lord be with those affected.

Unlike the devastating events affecting so many people with this hurricane, for the Christian, the words of the apostle Paul in the book of Romans is our story. We are not just casual observers of the doctrine that he speaks of. We are not just academically observing the doctrine of God’s righteousness, our sinfulness and how God redeems His people. But, these events and truths recorded in this letter are our events and our truths. What has been described in this book is our story. To many, theology and doctrine is just something to be observed and studied. Like a meteorologist studies a storm like hurricane Helene is like the one who just merely observes the deep theology of Romans but has no skin in the game. In our text today, Paul begins to build upon the foundation that was laid through Romans 1-11. For those with skin in the game, what should these amazing theological and doctrinal truths we have observed and experienced bring about in our lives? Thankfully, Paul does not leave us to figure this out but he gives us clarity about how the Christian life should be lived out. May we not be casual observers this morning but may we see, feel, and take these words of our Lord to heart.

Sermon Points

Holy and Spiritual Sacrifices

Transformed

Romans 12:1-2

Romans 12:1–2 ESV

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.

Exposition

1. Holy and Spiritual Sacrifices (Romans 12:1)

Paul told us in Romans 11:36 “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.” A reminder that all things are from, through, and to the Lord was such a fitting way to describe the amazing work of salvation that he wrote about in the first 11 chapters in the book of Romans. He told the story of a salvation that is from, to, and through the Lord our God. So today we find ourselves looking to Paul to answer the question, “So What?” He answers the question “So what?” by beginning with an appeal to Christians.

Look with me at Romans 12:1 “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.”

First, he points us to the basis of his appeal. It is by the mercies of God that he is able to appeal us to begin with. It was the mercy of God that the Roman Church and every believer in the world has come to a place where an appeal can even be made. It was God’s mercy in not punishing us when we deserved it that made it possible for us to even hear this appeal. It is upon the basis of the mercies of God that Paul was able to even deliver to them the message of the Gospel. Remember as we so often point to that the Apostle Paul was at one time under the wrath of God and persecuting the very church that he now loves. It was because of God’s mercy that the apostle Paul came to experience the salvation that comes from Christ, through Christ, and to Christ. Much the same for all of us. If you are in Christ today, you are hearing these words from the Lord because God has had mercy upon you. So, in other words - Listen up this morning this message is very important.

We are called to present our bodies as living sacrifices. What does it mean to be a living sacrifice?

A good place to start our study on what it means to be a living sacrifice is to consider for a moment what it means to be a sacrifice in the first place. One place we can gather information about sacrifice is from a study of the Old Testament sacrificial system. Simply put, in the OT a sacrifice is something of value, often an animal, food, or some other item offered up to God as an act of worship, devotion, or penance. In these OT sacrifices only the best of herd was to be offered. It says this in Leviticus 1:1–4 “The Lord called Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord, you shall bring your offering of livestock from the herd or from the flock. “If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he shall offer a male without blemish. He shall bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before the Lord. He shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.” The sacrifice was to be without blemish and set apart for this task. In the Christian Church we often remark that we are no longer under the OT sacrificial system. Indeed, through the work of Christ who became a sacrifice for us our atonement has been once and for all accomplished through the propitiation of the death burial and resurrection of Christ. The entire book of Romans up to this point was about the sacrifice of Christ and its effects leading up to this point. However, in acknowledging that we no longer have to offer these animal sacrifices is not to say that we are not to still offer sacrifices to God. Today, the apostle Paul introduces us in a way to the New Testament sacrificial system.

So what do we learn about this New Testament sacrificial system today? First, we learn that just like the OT sacrifices the only sacrifice that brings salvation and atonement of sin is the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on our behalf.

Romans 3:24–26 “and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

In Hebrews 10:1-14

Hebrews 10:1–14 ESV

For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? But in these sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’ ” When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), then he added, “Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

We learn here that there was one sacrifice for the atonement of our sins.

Yet here Paul points us to present our bodies as living sacrifices.

When he points to our bodies he is not merely pointing to our flesh but the entirety of who we are. All of us, our hands, our head, and our heart is to be offered unto God as a living sacrifice.

The Lord, through His sacrifice and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit we have become holy and acceptable to the Lord. Now that this is true to us the only spiritual and reasonable thing we can do is to present our bodies the entirety of who we are to the Lord. Wholehearted devotion to the Lord. The Lord speaks of this to his disciples in Mark 8:34–38 “And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.””

The words of the Lord Jesus here show us what it looks like to present our bodies as living sacrifices. Taking up our crosses and dying to the world, the flesh, and the devil and living unto our God. Spiritual sacrifices.

2. Transformed Romans 12:2a

Continuing this we are exhorted not to be conformed to the world but to be transformed.

We are constantly confronted with the temptation and the pressure to conform. Everywhere we turn whether in entertainment, relationships, or even work we have the temptation to conform.

Indeed, it is our very nature to be conformed into the image of the world. I am reminded of an illustration that Charles Spurgeon used one time to describe this. The Story goes like this: “A lion and a tiger used to frequently roam the forests together, in search of prey that might satisfy their bloodthirsty appetites. But, one day, an angel came, touched the lion, and changed him into a lamb. The next day, the tiger came and wanted the lion to go with him to his feast of blood. Do you think it was difficult for him to refuse the invitation? Oh, no! “I have no inclination to go,” said he.

The tiger laughed scornfully, and said, “You have become pious, have you? Now you will go to the sheepfolds, and sneak behind the shepherds’ heels—you that were once so brave!” And the tiger despised him, and said, “You are miserable to be thus tied up like a dog, and not to dare to come and do as we have always done.”

“No,” said the lion, “it is not that I dare not go with you, but I have no wish to go. I am not miserable because I cannot go with you on such an errand—I should be miserable if I did go. The fact is I cannot now do what I once did, for I am not what I once was. My new nature has brought me new loves, new hatreds, new preferences, new pursuits, so I cannot go with you on your bloodthirsty expedition.”

If God has wrought a similar change in you, and transformed the lion into a lamb, and the raven into a dove, it will not be difficult for you to be kept from sin. You will hate sin with a perfect hatred, and have no fellowship with it. And, besides that, as your nature will be renewed, day by day, by the Holy Spirit, with a constant infusion of everything that is good, and gracious, and Godlike, do you not see that sin shall no longer be like a strong spear to pierce you, but as a fragile reed that shall snap against the armor of proof that your soul shall wear?”

Charles Spurgeon, 300 Sermon Illustrations from Charles Spurgeon, ed. Elliot Ritzema and Lynnea Smoyer (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2017).”

The nature of the Christian is one of Transformation. This transformation that has been wrought in the life of the Christian is like that of a lion being turned into a lamb.

Though the Lord has worked this transformation and taken out our hearts of stone and put in a heart of flesh we still have a need for sanctification. Though in Christ we are Holy and justified we are still in need of sanctification. This process and the temptation to conform to the old nature is still there. Despite the temptation to conform, lean press into the goal. The goal of being a holy and acceptable living sacrifice

Thankfully here in verse 2 Paul tells us how to achieve the Goal of being a living sacrifice that he presented in verse 1.

Romans 12:2 “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.”

How is the work of transformation carried out in the life of a Christian? Through the continual renewal of our minds, through the work of the Holy Spirit applying the Word of God. Note that Paul does not just call us here to rely on our conscience to resist the temptation to conform to the world but to discern what the will of God is. The only way we can discern and know the will of God is to be constantly before his words.

To test everything we hear, we see, we enjoy, we love against the filter and guide of the word of God. It is only through this act of discernment and mind renewal in the scripture that we can guard against the deception that still exists in our flesh. Until we are glorified and the Lord gives us a new body and heals our nature fully we will still need to stand before his word and seek to discern His will.

Note that V2 is not saying telling us to be nonconformist for the sake of being nonconformist. But we are to live in the world in such a way as to present our bodies as spiritual sacrifices to God. There are some who have interpreted this verse to say that if the world does something then the Christian should do the opposite. To pick on an easy one some have interpreted this passage of scripture to say that if the world drives cars we are going to not conform and drive horses an buggies. While those who do that are easy for us to sling stones at we can often do the very same things. Or worse, we justify our conformity and worldliness by pointing out the backwardness of others.

It is when we lose focus of the goal that we begin to become unbalanced. Remember Christian that our goal is that of Paul’a appeal Romans 12:1 “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.”

Living sacrifice - Spiritual Worship. - To achieve this does that mean that if the world watches movies, drives cars, and goes to sports games that we should never do any of those things? No, but it might mean that we can’t watch every movie that the world watches, it may mean that we can use our cars for the same ill means that some in the world use their cars for, and it may mean that we don’t need to participate in these sports games if they turn our heart away from a pure and sincere devotion to the Lord.

Christian, do you have any thing in your life that is more in tune with being conformed rather than transformed? If so, what might you need to give up today?

If you are here and you don’t know Christ you must understand one thing. The only way that a human being fulfills their ultimate calling of being a living and acceptable sacrifice before God is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. If you are living for yourself and for your own ways you will never fulfill and have purpose in your life. It is only through a life lived by faith from God, through God and to God that you will fulfill your purpose. Will you turn away from conformity today and entrust yourself to the Savior?

May we all live as holy and spiritual sacrifices to our Lord and Savior.

Let us pray.