Acceptable Worship of Living and Holy Sacrifice

Romans 12:1–2 NASB95

1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Overview of Rome at the time

Rome was a mega metropolis.

“All roads lead to Rome.”

Rome was very different and unique in its lifestyle versus other cities. Thus even the saying, “When in Rome, do as the Romans” was created.

Sin was rampant in Rome

Tax evasion was a massive problem.

Violence and lawlessness was a massive problem.

Capital of homosexuality of the known world.

14 out of 15 emperors were practicing homosexuality.

If the emperors were open homosexuals, how much more the people.

This would explain Paul’s strong condemnation against homosexuality in the opening chapters of Romans.

Disobedient children.

This isn’t just, “no mom, I don’t want to take the trash out.”

This was the level of disobedience that was much more intense.

Overview of the church in Rome

Both Peter and Paul visited the church in Rome but it was AFTER the church was founded.

We speculate that the church was formed by Messianic Jews who converted at the Pentecost.

Converted Jews, with their new found hope and power through the Holy Spirit at the Pentecost traveled back to Rome.

There were over 40,000 Jews living in Rome at the time.

But most were poor and living in the slumps.

So it is fair to speculate that the church was running by the poor Jewish believers in the slumps.

Which would explain Paul asking other churches such as Ephesus and Corinth to give offering so he can take the money to Rome.

The Roman emperor Claudius banished all the Jews out of Rome. He was very anti-Jew.

We can read more about this in Acts 18 where Paul meets with Priscilla and Aquila following their expulsion from the city.

The banishment of all Jews led the church to be managed by Gentiles. Greek believers.

in 54 AD, Claudius dies and Nero comes to power. Nero, realizing that Jew were good for business, he invited the Jews back.

When the Jews returned, they found the church being run by Gentiles and the two, Jews and Gentiles, clashed.

Romans 1-11 Explained

This clash explains Paul’s teachings.

Gentiles are not better than Jews and Jews are not better than Gentiles.

Circumcision becomes uncircumcision by lack of faith, and uncircumcision becomes circumcision by faith.

Rejection of Israel is not final.

Gentiles, fear the Lord for He did not hesitate to cut off the branch (Israel) to graft in a wild branch.

Come to Romans 12

Romans 12:1 NASB95

1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

After having made this clear, Paul comes to chapter 12 of the book and begins with...

Therefore I urge you, brethren,...

Can also be read as, “SO THEN brothers, guys...”

Further reads, “Present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice...”

This is very interesting.

To us, modern day readers, “living and holy sacrifice” has this disconnect.

But to the first hand recipients of the letter, this was a shocking saying.

“Living sacrifice” was a very real thing to them

They were very well familiar with the animal sacrificial system.

They had, plenty of times, stood and watched animals slain in place of their due penalty.

After all the blood of the animal was drained out of its body, the lifeless body would be burned in the fire.

Thus, to them, “presenting your bodies a living and holy sacrifice” was a shocking phrase.

The key is in the term, “living”

See, the proposal by Paul wasn’t for them to become the type of sacrifice that led to them death, but a LIVING (continuance tense, Zao in Greek), meaning continue to live, holy sacrifice.

What about the term sacrifice? How are we do understand this?

Robert Mounce, in his commentary on Romans said, “Holiness of life rarely progresses apart from deliberative acts of the will. While sanctification is gradual in the sense that it continues throughout life, each advance depends upon a decision of the will.”

See, the continual, self-sacrificial life for holiness is the acceptable worship.

It is when we, by first, the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, and second, deliberate acts of our will, we let go of our selfish and sinful desires of the flesh, we are living a life of holy sacrifice which is the acceptable worship.

Verse 2

Romans 12:2 NASB95

2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

I shared briefly on the culture and the general lifestyle of people of Rome.

So Paul saying, “Do not be conformed to this world” is very reasonable.

Imagine the slaves whose owner/master is not saved!

The blatant tax evasion, violence, homosexuality, and you name it.

What about the business owners?

maybe business partner is not saved and wants to evade tax

Maybe their next door neighbor is openly practicing violence.

Maybe even before they were saved, they used to love the violence at the coliseum.

Paul charges the readers of his day to give themselves daily as a living and holy sacrifice and to renew their mind..

Renewing their mind so all those norms of the world, they disapprove.

And ultimate approve what is good and acceptable before the Lord.

Conclusion

Live a life of holiness.

Daily, by the power of the Spirit, and strong self-will, resist sin by offering yourself as a living and holy sacrifice.

Do not be conformed to this world. Do not become like this world.

Disapprove what is of this world.

Approve what is good and acceptable before the Lord.