Living Sacrificially — Romans 12:1 -2
Of the sixty-six letters contained within the canon of Scripture, the Epistle to the Romans is considered by countless scholars, professors, pastors and laymen to be one of the most profound contained therein. The book is steeped in theology that shapes the framework of Christianity.
Paul is identified as the author of Romans immediately as the book opens. Paul wrote Romans while residing in Corinth around AD 56. Upon completion, Phoebe was given the task of delivering the letter to the believers in Rome.
Paul had several distinct reasons for writing to the Romans. He sought to preach the Gospel to them (1:15), fellowship amongst them (15:30) and edify the believers there (1:10–11). There is little historical information present as the central focus of the text is on Christian doctrine.
Specifically, Paul’s writings encompass such themes as righteousness and salvation by grace and grace alone. Also, topics such as election, spiritual gifts, righteous living and justification are expounded upon greatly.
Focus Verse:
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. 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. (Romans 12:1–2)
The first word to note in this profound passage of Scripture is the word therefore. Therefore connotes a response. In 11:36, Paul has concluded a statement of praise exclaiming that it is through God and God alone that all things are, were and will be. He is the sustainer, provider and giver. So, in 12:1, Paul is further expounding upon this thought by providing what is to be our response: presenting our bodies as a living Sacrifice.
Throughout the Old Testament we see countless examples of God’s people providing a sacrifice to atone for their sins. This sacrifice consisted of the slaying a live animal. However, because of Christ and his perfect, ultimate sacrifice, this practice has been erased under the new covenant. As such, what Paul is teaching is that for the believer, the only correct response to this immeasurable grace is to live lives in complete surrender to the Lord.
The NIV translation refers to this as our “proper worship.” Meaning, our correct response can only be authentic adoration.
“These words are overflowingly rich in consolation; for just then when afflictions come over us, we should be of good courage, because that is the good will of God.” — Martin Luther
Moving into verse two, we find the plea to not be “conformed to this world”. Paul’s expression and context appear to indicate that the church at Rome was already allowing the world or “culture” to influence their lives in negative ways. Because this earthly home is temporary for the believer, Paul is pleading for the church to set their sights on things above.
As verse two progresses, we find the answer to eradicating conformity. Our thinking must be transformed through the power of the Scripture working in our lives (Psalm 119:11, Philippians 4:8). It is only by intentional seeking and thoughtful study that our Christianity breaks the surface. Paul is reminding the church that, though the Gospel is supremely important, it is not admirable to stop our pursuit of Christ there.
This thought is further expounded in the “testing” and our discernment of God’s will. As stated previously, this is best accomplished by looking through the lens of Scripture. God’s will for our lives will always be perfect and acceptable. His characteristics are unchanging. We must know who God is in order to know how God would have us to live and interact with the world.
Application to Corporate Worship
This passage of Scripture applies directly to leadership from the platform. How many times have we heard (or maybe used) the term: “our sacrifice of worship?” Sure, that phrase sounds worshipful, but what are we really saying? Are we really sacrificing anything physically with our professional sound systems, padded seating and air conditioning? I would argue no.
But, by the theology that we teach through music, the convicting Word of God proclaimed from the pulpit and the elements of worship that we choose to implement, we can model for our congregations what living sacrificially is truly about. We can emphasize the Biblical mandate of giving: both financially and of our time. We can emphasize and model meditation on God’s word as the ultimate source of truth. We can guard against allowing culture and conformity to shape our corporate gatherings.
The simple truth is this: as leaders, we have a definitive responsibility to model righteous living and shepherd our churches to do the same. We must guard against our own apathy and sin. We must always be repentant and humble. We cannot get used to “handling the holy”. We must always look to Christ — not our abilities and skill sets — as the source of our fulfillment.
