Romans 12:1-2

Context

Romans 12:1–2 (CSB)

A LIVING SACRIFICE

12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

As we went over the Story of God a couple of months ago we were able to see that the Bible is not a bunch of disconnected stories, but a cohesive story that all points to Jesus Christ. As Jesus himself said to the two disciples on the Road to Emmaus in Luke 24:25-27.

Luke 24:25–27 (CSB)

25 He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Wasn’t it necessary for the Messiah to suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures.

Therefore, whenever we read the Bible, whether it be in the Old Testament or the New Testament, we should be studying it through the lens of Jesus Christ the Messiah (The Promised Seed Gen. 3:15, 12, 15, 17) . After some careful study of Genesis 1-2 and Revelation 20-22 and the major themes that connect the two ends of the Bible we are able to better see the larger story of the Bible and God’s ultimate plan and purpose to save a people for Himself so that they would be his chosen people and He would be their God (Rev. 21:3-4) .

But the next question is how are we to look at our text for today and see how it fits into the larger story of the Bible? How does each individual word, sentence, paragraph, and book fit into the whole?

If we want to understand the place that Romans, and specifically Romans 12:1-2 fit into the grand story of the Bible we have to figure out what the primary theme of Romans is.

One of the most famous verses in Romans is Ro. 1:16-18.

Romans 1:16–17 (CSB)

THE RIGHTEOUS WILL LIVE BY FAITH

16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, first to the Jew, and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith, just as it is written: The righteous will live by faith.

Romans 1:16-18 is the thesis or main point of the whole book of Romans. Another way to say it is how are we made right with God.

The reason that Paul is writing Romans is because there is division in the church of Rome between Jew and Gentile believers. Paul goes back and forth addressing Jew and Gentiles alike with the reality of the gospel. Mainly, righteousness comes through faith as we can see in Ro. 1:18. That means that being made right with God is possible through faith in Christ. does not matter who you are or where you are from.

Paul walks the reader through the reality that all fall short of the glory of God (Ro. 3:23) both Jew and Gentile. The only way that anyone is made right with Him is through his grace in offering up Jesus as the payment for sin. Demonstrating his righteousness in being both just and the one who justifies the unrighteous (Ro. 3:21-23).

Romans 3:21–26 (CSB)

THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD THROUGH FAITH

21 But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, attested by the Law and the Prophets., 22 The righteousness of God is through faith in Jesus Christ, to all who believe, since there is no distinction. 23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; 24 they are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. 25 God presented him as the mercy seat, by his blood, through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint God passed over the sins previously committed. 26 God presented him to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so that he would be just and justify the one who has faith in Jesus.

Paul addresses the Jewish believers (Ro. 4:1) in Rome as he unfolds the gospel that righteousness comes by faith in Christ. That all were dead through the first Adam and all who trust in Christ are made right with God through Jesus, the second Adam (Ro. 5:12-17). The original recipients of Romans were wondering what was going on as the Jewish believers were coming back to Rome from being cast out in AD 49. What were the Jew and Gentile believer to make of each other? There was certainly conflict that Paul was addressing. This is the back drop of Romans 12:1-2. Paul is addressing a particular problem in the Roman Church. Disunity between Jew and Gentile believers. Disunity between the children of God

Exposition

Romans 12:1–2 (CSB)

A LIVING SACRIFICE

12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

Now we are at the transition point in Romans. In Romans 1-11 Paul has been giving us the reality of the gospel to address the disunity that is in the church in Rome. Transitioning into what it looks like to apply the gospel to their everyday lives Paul uses the word “therefore”. Meaning look back at what I was just writing about. This is the first instance of Paul exhorting or commanding the Roman believers.

The Gospel as the Basis of Obedience

When Paul says “in view of the mercies of God” Paul is doing something extraordinary. Though not unlike he does in the rest of his letters. He is always telling the reader the distinctives of the gospel and then goes straight into how those realities change or transform the way we live.

The mercy that Paul is speaking of is that which God has shown each group in Rome. We can look back at Ro. 11:32 where Paul levels the playing field for all of humanity by saying “For god has imprisoned all in disobedience so that he may have mercy on all.” then goes into a beautiful song of praise regarding the unsearchable wisdom of God right after that in Romans 11:33-36.

Romans 11:33–36 (CSB)

A HYMN OF PRAISE

33 Oh, the depth of the riches

and the wisdom and the knowledge of God!

How unsearchable his judgments

and untraceable his ways!

34 For who has known the mind of the Lord?

Or who has been his counselor?

35 And who has ever given to God,

that he should be repaid?,

36 For from him and through him

and to him are all things.

To him be the glory forever. Amen.

Therefore, brothers and sisters. In light of, or because of the unsearchable wisdom of God in being the just and justifier of both Jew and Gentile by offering up His beloved Son Jesus Christ as a sacrifice and bearer of God’s righteous wrath on behalf of sinful humanity. Be obedient because of the wonderful mystery of the Story of the Gospel.

All of Life Sacrifice as Worship

To present or offer bodies as living sacrifices communicates all of yourself all of the time

Gospel Literacy as the Means to Transformation

Just as the gospel is the basis for obedience, it is also the way to transformation.

Renewing is a process.

To know someone’s will they must first communicate it to you. God’s Word.