A Sacrifice That's Living

King James Version Chapter 12

12 I

The Epistle to the Romans was written in the spring of A.D. 58 from Corinth. This is collaborated by by references in the Acts of the Apostles 19:21; 20 :1-6, 13-16 and other epistles. This book is the Church handbook on Christian doctrine and theology. Within its pages are all the great doctrines of Christianity; as, God, sin, forgiveness, salvation, sanctification, justification, predestination to name, a few. And as Paul covers each doctrine masterfully; he laid out God plan for all men to be save in chapters 1-11.

The 12th Chapter of Romans begins the application section of the epistle. It is the how to live the theology of chapters 1-11.

I. Give Me Your Attention Please

The exhortation is here introduced very pathetically: I beseech you, therefore, brethren. Though he was a great apostle, yet he calls the meanest Christians brethren, a term of affection and concern. He uses entreaty; this is the gospel way: As though God did beseech you by us,

2 Co. 5:20. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.

Though he might with authority command, yet for love’s sake he rather beseeches, Philem. 8, 9. The poor useth entreaty, but the rich answer scornfully. Prov. 18:23. This is to insinuate the exhortation, that it might come with the more pleasing power. Many are sooner wrought upon if they be approached kindly, men are more easily led than driven.

Now, let us look at the “therefore.” Paul uses this conjunctive adverb to connect with all declarations he has made from chapter 1 to chapter 11. Some of those declarations are power of the Gospel; guilt of mankind; Jews and the law; none righteous, all have sinned; Abraham and justification. Then there justified by faith, Adam and Christ, law and sin, life in the Spirit; and more.

II. Mercy, Mercies

“by the mercies of God,”

Who can keep an account of the mercies of God? From Eden to now, God’s mercy has keep us from the first disobedience till now. “Grace is receiving what you do not deserve. Mercy is not receiving what you do deserve.” By mercy and goodness we mean the transitive love of God in its two-fold relation to the disobedient and to the obedient portions of his creatures.

The Israelites begged God for four decades to allow them arrival in the Promised Land. But instead He sent mercy-bread every morning from heaven. They call it “manna” which means “what is it?” The answer was it is mercy of God in the form of a wafer of mercy.

Abraham was a mercy; Joseph was a mercy; Noah...mercy; Moses.....mercy; the Judges, King David...the prophets ; unto Jesus Christ the totality of MERCY!

III. A Living Sacrifice

If you a living sacrifice then anywhere can be your altar! References:

Man consists of body and soul, Gen. 2:7; Eccl. 12:7. (1.) The body must be presented to him, v. 1. The body is for the Lord, and the Lord for the body, 1 Co. 6:13, 14. Your bodies—that is, “yourselves in the body,” considered as the organ of the inner life. As it is through the body that all the evil that is in the unrenewed heart comes forth into palpable manifestation and action, so it is through the body that all the gracious principles and affections of believers reveal themselves in the outward life. Sanctification extends to the whole man (1 Th 5:23, 24).

Now observe; The duty pressed-to present our bodies a living sacrifice, alluding to the sacrifices under the law, which were presented or set before God at the altar, ready to be offered to him. Your bodies—your whole selves; so expressed because under the law the bodies of beasts were offered in sacrifice, 1 Co. 6:20. Our bodies and spirits are intended. The offering was sacrificed by the priest, but presented by the offerer, who transferred to God all his right, title, and interest in it, by laying his hand on the head of it. Sacrifice is here taken for whatsoever is by God’s own appointment dedicated to himself; see 1 Pt. 2:5.

We are temple, priest, and sacrifice, as Christ was in his peculiar sacrificing. There were sacrifices of atonement and sacrifices of acknowledgment. Christ, who was once offered to bear the sins of many, is the only sacrifice of atonement; but our persons and performances, tendered to God through Christ our priest, are as sacrifices of acknowledgment to the honour of God.

Presenting them denotes a voluntary act, done by virtue of that absolute despotic power which the will has over the body and all the members of it. It must be a free-will offering. Your bodies; not your beasts. Those legal offerings, as they had their power from Christ, so they had their period in Christ. The presenting of the body to God implies not only the avoiding of the sins that are committed with or against the body, but the using of the body as a servant of the soul in the service of God. It is to glorify God with our bodies (1. Cor.

1. It is to surrender ourselves to God, and so to lay a good foundation. We must first give our own selves unto the Lord, 2 Co. 8:5. This is here pressed as the spring of all duty and obedience, v. 1

References: Rom. 6:13, 16, 19; I Cor. 6:20; I Peter 2:5