Living on the Altar

Romans 12:1-2

It matters how you live your Xn life (no free passes to do whatever you want b/c you’re saved by grace). Important to live worthy of the gospel (worthy of Christ) do what is pleasing to Him.

Most important Bible study you could be part of (Romans)

1. The Connection

“Therefore…” one of the biggest connections (bridges) in the Bible.

Romans 1-11 (instruction); Romans 12-16 (application)

or…doctrine and duty

Romans: Verse by Verse The Christian Life Involves Total Transformation (12:1–2)

These two verses provide a transition from the meaning of the gospel to its implications for Christian conduct and is certainly one of the most profound and meaningful passages in all of Scripture.

What is the key to Xn living? (living the Xn life?)

2. The Motivation

“I urge you by the mercies of God”

Light a match under us: “urge”—parakaleo "I implore you," "I appeal to you." "I summons you." "I exhort you." "I entreat you." "I beseech you." "I plead with you." "I compel you."

There are many who would prefer to be left alone (“Do not disturb”). Paul is not content with that…urge you.

Paul’s passion has been demonstrated thruout and it is here as well. After stacking up doctrine: condemnation, justification, sanctification, glorification, election, predestination, sovereignty…this is what he means by “mercies.” All the things God does that keep us from encountering what we deserve…b/c we were in the pit; pit in which you lived, a pit of sin and darkness.

These mercies refer to what God did to intervene into the affairs of your perishing life by sending His Son into this world on a mission of redemption to save your soul. It speaks of the sending of the Holy Spirit by God to awaken you out of your spiritual stupor and to bring you to faith in Jesus Christ.

Describe what you’ve encountered of God’s mercies.

Romans: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary The Soul Has Been Given to God

Perhaps the two most precious mercies of God are His love and His grace. In Christ, we are the “beloved of God” (Rom. 1:7; cf. Rom. 5:5; Rom. 8:35, Rom. 8:39), and, like the apostle, we all “have received grace” through Jesus Christ our Lord (Rom. 1:6–7; Rom. 3:24; Rom. 5:2, Rom. 5:20–21; Rom. 6:15). The mercies of God are reflected in His power of salvation (Rom. 1:16) and in His great kindness toward those He saves (2:4; 11:22). His mercies in Christ bring us the forgiveness and propitiation of our sins (3:25; 4:7–8) and also freedom from them (6:18; 7:6). We have received reconciliation with Him (5:10), justification (2:13; 3:4; etc.) before Him, conformation to His Son (8:29), glorification (8:30) in His very likeness, eternal life (5:21; 6:22–23) in His very presence, and the resurrection of our bodies (8:11) to serve Him in His everlasting kingdom. We have received the mercies of divine sonship (8:14–17) and of the Holy Spirit—who personally indwells us (Rom. 8:9, 11), who intercedes for us (8:26), and through whom “the love of God has been poured out within our hearts” (5:5). In Christ we also have received the mercies of faith (mentioned thirty times in Romans 1–11), peace (1:7; 2:10; 5:1; 8:6), hope (5:2; 20 21). God’s mercies include His shared righteousness (3:21–22; 4:6, 11, 13; 5:17, 19, 21; etc.) and even His shared glory (Rom. 2:10; 5:2; 8:18; 9:23) and honor (2:10; cf. 9:21). And, of course, the mercies of God include His sovereign mercy (9:15–16, 18; 11:30–32).

3. The Presentation

next 4 words “to present your bodies”

Paul is drawing upon OT priestly sacrificial language. What an OT priest would do is he would take a sacrifice, an animal sacrifice, and he would slay the sacrifice and the sacrifice would be dead, and he would come to the altar and he would lay the sacrifice on the altar as has been prescribed by God. He would bring the very sacrifice that God required and present it in the manner with which God has required, because any other kind of sacrifice would be unacceptable to God and would be displeasing to God and would be rejected by God.

What happened if the priest approached God his own way?

Lev 10?

So the priest would offer the sacrifice, put in on the altar and take his hands off—it belonged to God.

What God desires is for you to put your own life (not that of an animal)—on the altar and it belongs totally to God.

“bodies” refers to the entire personality—the entirety of your being (every ounce).

How do you begin to present your bodies? Where does it begin:

The Mind: what you believe, what you think, how you understand, that you are going to believe what God says in His Word, that you are going to think God's thoughts, that you are going to understand with divine wisdom, that you are not going to allow the encroachment of the world's ideologies to shape your mind. Your mind is given to God. Your eyes are given to God, what you look at, what you see, your worldview, what you gaze upon. Your ears are given to God, what you listen to, what you allow to come into your mind. Your mouth is given to God, what you will say and what you will speak, that it will all be governed by that which glorifies God. Your hands will be completely given to God, what you lay your hands to do, what you are engaged in, what your work is. And your feet are given to God, where you go and where you travel. This is what it means to “present your bodies.”

Then Paul adds “living and holy sacrifice” (contrast to OT sacrifice—dead animal)

24-7 you are to live on the altar—presented to God—a living sacrifice. From now on, this is where you will live (your address).

What does “holy” mean?

set apart/purity

Leviticus 11:44–45 NASB95

‘For I am the Lord your God. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy. And you shall not make yourselves unclean with any of the swarming things that swarm on the earth. ‘For I am the Lord who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; thus you shall be holy, for I am holy.’ ”

“acceptable to God” lit “to be well pleasing”

Cross-references

2 Corinthians 5:9 NASB95

Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.

Examples of those not pleasing:

Ananias & Sapphira, some in Corinth abusing Lord’s Table; Moses when he struck the rock (Num 20:12—God said go up the mountain and die Dt 32)

To be pleasing to the Lord means being rightly motivated.

Ephesians 5:10 NASB95

trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord.

Romans 14:18 NASB95

For he who in this way serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men.

4. The Calculation

“which is...”

The word “spiritual” needs some explanation: Gk logikos (logic, logical, logarithms) referring to that which is logical, rational, thoughtful, intelligent (reasonable). Best to understand as your reasonable and rational service of worship.

So Paul is saying: "I want you to do the math because it would be totally irrational for you not to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice to the Lord. The only reasonable way for you to live your Christian life is to present it on the altar to God…when you consider all that God has done for you and in you.”

“of worship” What is worship?

Romans: The MacArthur New Testament Commentary The Body Must Be Given to God

True worship does not consist of elaborate and impressive prayers, intricate liturgy, stained-glass windows, lighted candles, flowing robes, incense, and classical sacred music. It does not require great talent, skill, or leadership ability. Many of those things can be a part of the outward forms of genuine worship, but they are acceptable to God only if the heart and mind of the worshiper is focused on Him. The only spiritual service of worship that honors and pleases God is the sincere, loving, thoughtful, and heartfelt devotion and praise of His children.