Romans 12:1-8 Resetting and Rethinking Living for God

Good morning,

I have the privilege of bringing you our devotional for this morning. I hope it is a little bit of a provocation. As many of you know, it is likely that we will not be able to meet together or return to our normal routines for quite some time. While there is much to mourn in that, I want to focus on an opportunity that our unique and providential situation brings to us.

I start with two presuppositions about this unique time and I get them both from scripture:

This morning I want to focus on something which has given me hope and even a bit of excitement in the midst of this life upending event.

In , Jesus instructs his disciples to “Seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness.” Similarly in , Jesus tells a parable about the importance of prioritizing the Kingdom of God and how we often get caught up in the hustle and bustle of daily life dangerously assuming the things of God can wait.

God is good. (, )

In my life I have struggled to find time for God. It might be one of the things that lead me to study the Bible in college and even to teach Bible as a subject in my work. But even in that life butts in and other things threaten to drown God out. But many of us have found our lives upended. The pace of everything has changed. We find ourselves in an unprecedented moment of stress and anxiety, but we also find ourselves in an unprecedented moment to put the first things first.

With that in mind, I want to take a look at what the Apostle Paul wrote in . I’ll read it for us and then we are going to take a look at a few ideas and principles in it.

God is sovereign ()

As such I am provoked to consider how this time might be providentially ordained for our good. How can this time of pandemic and sheltering in place help me live for and glorify God.

With that in mind I want to look at . Why don’t you take a minute to turn there and I will read it for us.

English Standard Version Chapter 12

12 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. 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.

Gifts of Grace

3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

I want to focus on three things in this passage:

Our lives as sacrifices,

our opportunity to be transformed,

and our calling to serve.

As we start notice a few things right away.

His

At this point in the book of Romans Paul has been on an eleven chapter journey exploring the mercy of God in Jesus Christ. Here he pivots from that to application. Thus he appeals to us to do something. To do something because of the mercy of God in Christ and empowered by the mercy of God in Christ.

We have to work backward a bit in this one.

A sacrifice is a killing unto God.

The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive Everyone with a Gift

It’s true that most everybody reading this, the Greeks, Romans, and Hebrews, would all know about animal sacrifices that happened in temples all around the world and happened, of course, in the tabernacle and temple. They would understand the idea of animal sacrifices being killed and offered up as sacrifices to God, but to call it a living sacrifice is deliberately paradoxical

The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive Everyone with a Gift

It’s true that most everybody reading this, the Greeks, Romans, and Hebrews, would all know about animal sacrifices that happened in temples all around the world and happened, of course, in the tabernacle and temple. They would understand the idea of animal sacrifices being killed and offered up as sacrifices to God

The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive Everyone with a Gift

everybody reading this, the Greeks, Romans, and Hebrews, would all know about animal sacrifices that happened in temples all around the world and happened, of course, in the tabernacle and temple. They would understand the idea of animal sacrifices being killed and offered up as sacrifices to God

Here Paul is saying that God’s desire for sacrifice is fulfilled in Christ. There is no

In Paul’s world peace with God or the gods (depending on your religion) was about sacrifice. Putting something on the alter to appease the deity. Fundamental to the act of sacrifice was death.

Sacrifice was about surrender of life and service with one’s body.

Paul qualifies the Christians sacrifice with three adjectives that distinguish the Christian sacrifice from Jewish and pagan.

If that is a sacrifice generally, what is Paul asking us to do for our sacrifice?

Paul describes our sacrifice with three adjectives.

(1) A Living Sacrifice - The old systems of sacrifice were bloody because they were trying to atone for sin. They killed in order to stay alive.

A Living Sacrifice - The old systems of sacrifice were bloody because they were trying to atone for sin. They killed in order to stay alive.

That is absolutely not true of Christian living. You do not say, “I’m going to live for you, Lord. I’m going to live the life you want me to live, and then you’ll forgive me, you’ll accept me, and you’ll take me to heaven.” No. Jesus’ sacrifice is a sacrifice that ends all guilt offerings and sin offerings. This is different. This is an offering of gratitude and praise. So first of all, when we say you are living a life of a living sacrifice, it does not mean you’re atoning for your sin or procuring God’s favor.

A Christian, according to , was dead, but is made alive by the sacrifice of Christ. While pagan sacrifices reproduce death—the spiritually dead bring about more death spiritual and literal. The Christian sacrifice reproduces life as those made spiritually alive live as God intended. Thus the Christian gives his or her life as an integrated whole and a continuous action. The Christian is always on the alter expressing gratitude for the gift of Christ’s life and death. Thus Paul can write:

That is absolutely not true of Christian living. You do not say, “I’m going to live for you, Lord. I’m going to live the life you want me to live, and then you’ll forgive me, you’ll accept me, and you’ll take me to heaven.” No. Jesus’ sacrifice is a sacrifice that ends all guilt offerings and sin offerings. This is different. This is an offering of gratitude and praise. So first of all, when we say you are living a life of a living sacrifice, it does not mean you’re atoning for your sin or procuring God’s favor.

Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

A Christian, according to , was dead, but is made alive by the sacrifice of Christ. While pagan sacrifices reproduce death—the spiritually dead bring about more death spiritual and literal. The Christian sacrifice reproduces life as those made spiritually alive live as God intended. Thus the Christian gives his or her life as an integrated whole and a continuous action. The Christian is always on the alter expressing gratitude for the gift of Christ’s life and death. Thus Paul can write:

Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

That is absolutely not true of Christian living. You do not say, “I’m going to live for you, Lord. I’m going to live the life you want me to live, and then you’ll forgive me, you’ll accept me, and you’ll take me to heaven.” No. Jesus’ sacrifice is a sacrifice that ends all guilt offerings and sin offerings. This is different. This is an offering of gratitude and praise. So first of all, when we say you are living a life of a living sacrifice, it does not mean you’re atoning for your sin or procuring God’s favor.

A Christian, according to , was dead, but is made alive by the sacrifice of Christ. While pagan sacrifices reproduce death—the spiritually dead bring about more death spiritual and literal. The Christian sacrifice reproduces life as those made spiritually alive live as God intended. Thus the Christian gives his or her life as an integrated whole and a continuous action. The Christian is always on the alter expressing gratitude for the gift of Christ’s life and death. Thus Paul can write:

That is absolutely not true of Christian living. You do not say, “I’m going to live for you, Lord. I’m going to live the life you want me to live, and then you’ll forgive me, you’ll accept me, and you’ll take me to heaven.” No. Jesus’ sacrifice is a sacrifice that ends all guilt offerings and sin offerings. This is different. This is an offering of gratitude and praise. So first of all, when we say you are living a life of a living sacrifice, it does not mean you’re atoning for your sin or procuring God’s favor.

A Christian, according to , was dead, but is made alive by the sacrifice of Christ. While pagan sacrifices reproduce death—the spiritually dead bring about more death spiritual and literal. The Christian sacrifice reproduces life as those made spiritually alive live as God intended. Thus the Christian gives his or her life as an integrated whole and a continuous action. The Christian is always on the alter expressing gratitude for the gift of Christ’s life and death. Thus Paul can write:

English Standard Version Chapter 10

whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

A Christian, according to , was dead, but is made alive by the sacrifice of Christ. While pagan sacrifices reproduce death—the spiritually dead bring about more death spiritual and literal. The Christian sacrifice reproduces life as those made spiritually alive live as God intended. Thus the Christian gives his or her life as an integrated whole and a continuous action. The Christian is always on the alter expressing gratitude for the gift of Christ’s life and death. Thus Paul can write:

Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).A Christian, according to , was dead, but is made alive by the sacrifice of Christ. While pagan sacrifices reproduce death—the spiritually dead bring about more death spiritual and literal. The Christian sacrifice reproduces life as those made spiritually alive live as God intended. Thus the Christian gives his or her life as an integrated whole and a continuous action. The Christian is always on the alter expressing gratitude for the gift of Christ’s life and death. Thus Paul can write:

English Standard Version Chapter 10

whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

All of life is done unto God’s glory.

(2) A Holy Sacrifice - To be holy is to be set apart. We are not to give ourselves to anything else in the way we give ourselves to God. We are set apart for him and him alone. God does not share us. He is jealous for us because we were made for him. Such a sacrifice is acceptable and well pleasing to God.

(3) Spiritual Sacrifice - Paul then uses a very robust word, which most Bibles translate as spiritual. This word carries connotations of the inner or immaterial core of a person, as well as the use of reason.

This is why Paul says we offer our bodies. The word for body is not limited to the physical, but can encapsulate all of a person. In effect it means starting with the core and emanating out. We might sum it up by saying it is our TRUE act of worship.

The Epistle to the Romans A. The Heart of the Matter: Total Transformation (12:1–2)

Thus the Christian is called to a worship that is not confined to one place or to one time, but which involves all places and all times: “Christian worship does not consist of what is practiced at sacred sites, at sacred times, and with sacred acts.… It is the offering of bodily existence in the otherwise profane sphere.”

As important as Sunday worship is and as sweet as gathering with all of you will be once we can meet again. Our most true act of worship is the continuous giving of ourselves to God.

This might have never been more clear then now. We cannot gather together, yet we still worship daily.

How are you pursuing God with your time?

How are you using your time?

We often complain about not having time to seek God—open our Bible, slow down to pray, listening for God in silence. In God’s providence we have been disrupted and much of what we give our time and attention to is on hold.

We often complain about not having time to seek God—open our Bible, slow down to pray, listening for God in silence. But are we doing that now? For those of you sheltering-in-place with kids the silence one might be difficult, but what about the rest?

Husbands and wives are we using this providential pause to regain Christ as the center of our marriages and the kingdom as the reality they point toward?

Williams, Exiles in something something quote.

Husbands and wives are we using this providential pause to regain Christ as the center of our marriages and the kingdom as the reality they point toward?

Parents are we thinking about how to raise our kids up in the faith now that their schools and sports and other activities are shut down?

This coming week, Holy Week or Passion Week, is an excellent time to restart, reset, and rethink how we can leverage some time to offer ourselves, or marriages, and our families as living sacrifices to God.

This does not mean our physical body parts alone, though it is not less than that. This word is often used by Paul to encapsulate all of a person. Rather

Now the fact that all of life is worship does not necessarily mean that all of our worship is directed at God. It should be but as frail and finite creatures much of our daily existence falls short. Often we end up worshipping other things.

Now some of that is fine, this isn’t the time or place for a debate about secular cultural products. What I want to get at is that

In such a time as ours we might be tempted to worship comfort or ease spending our days locked in front of a screen. But listen to this admonition and keep in mind that he is writing to a church located in Rome, the capitol of a pagan empire, a city of commerce and culture.

English Standard Version Chapter 12

2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,

Taking this in its two parts we have the instruction to non-conformity and the instruction to pursue transformation through renewal.

In this time we can understand this in two ways: as both

(a) resisting of the mentality of the world around us in our present situation.

And

(b) resisting more generic modes of worldly thought produced by immersing ourselves in the culture of the world: whether politics, Netflix, retail therapy, or another way in which the world would prefer we use our time.

We are people who resist the urge to descend into spirals of worry and anxiety. Of course these emotions and mindsets descend upon us, but we work to cast our cares on Christ—trusting God’s love and provision.

We know that we live only briefly in this world and that are true hope is set in the next. So setting our minds on the things of the Kingdom we are insulated from worldly fear and inoculated from fleshly anxiety.

This is not easy though. It takes work and practice, and it often will require the voices of our brothers and sisters in the church to remind us of our hope in Christ.

We need not only to live against worldliness, but for godliness. It can be at times easy to separate and stand in tension with the world, but we are also called to live for God.

But each of us is steeped in the mindsets and thought patterns of the world around us.

We need to be washed a new by saturating ourselves in God’s word. While this is never easy. There are so many things that seem to conspire against our time with God. I struggle to think of a better time than this. It would seem that much of the activities which fill our days are on hold.

Let’s take another pause to consider where are minds are at. It might be helpful for you to consider how much time you have spent in prayer, meditation on scripture, and generally seeking God verse how much time you have spent on leisure activities.

Maybe you are new to reading the Bible or want to study a particular topic. I encourage you to reach out to myself or one of the elders for strategies on study or recommendations on going deeper.

As well, let’s keep in mind that Christianity is neither a spectator sport nor a solo sport. So, as I encourage you before, let’s consider how to join in with others. It might be a bit awkward as we navigate social distancing, but getting involved in a community group and a DNA group are excellent avenues for that beyond your family.

I want to close by thinking about our gifts and how we can serve one another. Sometime we get wrapped up in spiritual gift discussions and what the talents God has given each of us. While that is an important thing to think about, consider that the gifts laid out here are given to individuals for the benefit of the church.

This is one of the things that make our current situation so difficult. We have been called together and are made for each other. Yet we must keep our distance and refrain from gathering with each other.

I want to encourage each of us to think of this time not as an era of impossibility, but as a crisis which might produce innovation. Serving is usually easier and that can breed complacency and decadence. We are in a time where we need to strive to come up with new ways to serve each other because that is what God has made us for and called us too. Yes this time is hard, yes it can be lonely, but that is more incentive to strive to serve each other.

I want to take just a minute to say this, we cannot serve each other well unless we know each other well. The elders and I have been seeking to pray for and connect with each of you at Santa Cruz Baptist. I want exhort each of you to partner with us in this to reach out and ask for help, ask for prayer, and to reach out and offer help and offer prayer. The scriptures say that the world will know that Jesus is Lord by our love for one another so let’s show them that.

Let’s take a minute now and pause to think about someone we could reach out to either to ask for help or to ask how we could help. Write down a name or two and the specific way in which you want to extend to them. The more specific you are the more likely you are to follow through.

With that, let me close with this benediction:

The LORD bless you and keep you;

The LORD make his face to shine upon you

And be gracious to you;

The LORD turn his face toward you

And give you peace.

-

Romans 12:1-8 Resetting and Rethinking Living for God

Introduction to Chaotic Times

Read

Our Lives as Sacrifices

First the “therefore.”

Second, what is he asking us to do, is present our bodies as living sacrifices

What is a sacrifice?

What is our sacrifice?

What is our sacrifice?

What is a LIVING sacrice

Renewed Mind

Renewed Mind

Non-conformity

Let’s think about non-conformity.

Hope

Renewal of Our Minds

Gifts in Quarantine

Closing

Benediction