Romans 12:1 reads....
"Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices - holy and pleasing to God. This is your spiritual act of worship."
I find a breakdown of this verse is very necessary. Often it is given to us as a "Christian Platitude" but we rarely stop to think what this actually looks like. I have broken it down and tried to figure out what God is really saying.
Therefore….
This links the verse into what Paul has just written about. Which is God has accepted us, grafted us into His tree to share in His nourishment. He had mercy on us, called us, saved us, redeemed us - a wild olive branch - into His cultivated olive tree and we live among the chosen, not because of anything we have done, but because of God's mercy which we receive through faith.
I urge you….
He encourages us, it's a choice. God doesn't force us to make the choice to not sin. Our own free will can over-ride God's desire and plan for us very easily! But urge comes from the word "urgent" and Paul is trying to point out that although it is our choice, it is a very important one.
In view of God's mercy….
Keep in mind the mercy God has shown you. Don’t milk it! As it says in Romans 11:22 "Consider the kindness and severity of God". Remember God chose you, not the other way around. And it was a loving and kind thing to do. So keep that in mind when deciding where to go on this issue.
To offer your bodies….
Our actions, thoughts, deeds. Everything we say, do and think offered to God!
As living sacrifices….
A sacrifice had to be spotless, holy and clean. It had to be the best you had to offer. We are a living, breathing, walking, holy and pure sacrifice. We must try our best to aim for purity in all areas of our lives. There are 2 interesting points to keep in mind when it comes to Old Testament sacrifice. First that the sacrifice was only a substitue and temporary so it needed to be done over and over again. So it is with us - our good intentions only take us so far. Our devotion to Christ and to purity needs to be a choice we make daily and each day we must ask God for His mercy in giving us a clean slate. Secondly, the person who offered the sacrifice had to inflict the death of their animal themselves. So it is with us. No one, not even God, can make us obey God. He gives us the tools but it's up to us to use them (ie the Holy Spirit, the Bible). We must choose and want to put to death our old lives and sinful nature. And that death must be inflicted by us. It's a daily choice we make. This makes us living sacrifices - a walking, breathing, living offering that is dedicated to God and His ways, not our own.
Holy and pleasing to God….
In Exodus 29 it talks about the sacrifices being a "pleasing aroma to God". Our choice to be a living sacrifice means we send up a permanent aroma to God that pleases Him.
This is your spiritual act of worship….
We have physical worship - musical, the way we work, play, behave. That can all be worship to God. We have emotional worship - choosing to believe God's Word over our natural emotions ie. His peace when we are anxious, His providence when we are drained and dry, His rest when we are busy and stressed. Then there is the mental worship - the way we think. Our mind is a battlefield and we can make it an act of worship when we choose to let God have his way in our thoughts and renewing our minds. But being a living sacrifice is our spiritual act of worship. Why? Because it is about putting to death our old sinful nature and becoming wholly and purely devoted to Christ. This overrides everything else. Without this we can't win the battle over our minds, bodies or emotions. As far as God is concerned, this (your spiritual act of worship) is the most important, so getting this right is crucial.
Are you keeping in mind the mercy of God when He chose you and in return offering Him every part of your life every day, putting to death all that was your sinful nature, and walking in the light of what Christ has already become for you and in you?
"Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices - holy and pleasing to God. This is your spiritual act of worship."
I find a breakdown of this verse is very necessary. Often it is given to us as a "Christian Platitude" but we rarely stop to think what this actually looks like. I have broken it down and tried to figure out what God is really saying.
Therefore….
This links the verse into what Paul has just written about. Which is God has accepted us, grafted us into His tree to share in His nourishment. He had mercy on us, called us, saved us, redeemed us - a wild olive branch - into His cultivated olive tree and we live among the chosen, not because of anything we have done, but because of God's mercy which we receive through faith.
I urge you….
He encourages us, it's a choice. God doesn't force us to make the choice to not sin. Our own free will can over-ride God's desire and plan for us very easily! But urge comes from the word "urgent" and Paul is trying to point out that although it is our choice, it is a very important one.
In view of God's mercy….
Keep in mind the mercy God has shown you. Don’t milk it! As it says in Romans 11:22 "Consider the kindness and severity of God". Remember God chose you, not the other way around. And it was a loving and kind thing to do. So keep that in mind when deciding where to go on this issue.
To offer your bodies….
Our actions, thoughts, deeds. Everything we say, do and think offered to God!
As living sacrifices….
A sacrifice had to be spotless, holy and clean. It had to be the best you had to offer. We are a living, breathing, walking, holy and pure sacrifice. We must try our best to aim for purity in all areas of our lives. There are 2 interesting points to keep in mind when it comes to Old Testament sacrifice. First that the sacrifice was only a substitue and temporary so it needed to be done over and over again. So it is with us - our good intentions only take us so far. Our devotion to Christ and to purity needs to be a choice we make daily and each day we must ask God for His mercy in giving us a clean slate. Secondly, the person who offered the sacrifice had to inflict the death of their animal themselves. So it is with us. No one, not even God, can make us obey God. He gives us the tools but it's up to us to use them (ie the Holy Spirit, the Bible). We must choose and want to put to death our old lives and sinful nature. And that death must be inflicted by us. It's a daily choice we make. This makes us living sacrifices - a walking, breathing, living offering that is dedicated to God and His ways, not our own.
Holy and pleasing to God….
In Exodus 29 it talks about the sacrifices being a "pleasing aroma to God". Our choice to be a living sacrifice means we send up a permanent aroma to God that pleases Him.
This is your spiritual act of worship….
We have physical worship - musical, the way we work, play, behave. That can all be worship to God. We have emotional worship - choosing to believe God's Word over our natural emotions ie. His peace when we are anxious, His providence when we are drained and dry, His rest when we are busy and stressed. Then there is the mental worship - the way we think. Our mind is a battlefield and we can make it an act of worship when we choose to let God have his way in our thoughts and renewing our minds. But being a living sacrifice is our spiritual act of worship. Why? Because it is about putting to death our old sinful nature and becoming wholly and purely devoted to Christ. This overrides everything else. Without this we can't win the battle over our minds, bodies or emotions. As far as God is concerned, this (your spiritual act of worship) is the most important, so getting this right is crucial.
Are you keeping in mind the mercy of God when He chose you and in return offering Him every part of your life every day, putting to death all that was your sinful nature, and walking in the light of what Christ has already become for you and in you?