A Living Sacrifice

Romans 12:1-21

Key Verse 12:1

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.     

Today we would like to think about thanksgiving as the way to fulfill the purpose God has for all of us.

Part I. Offer your bodies as living sacrifices

We can divide the book of Romans in two parts: Chapters 1-11 and 12-16. The first part concerns the doctrine (or principle) of salvation; and the second part deals with practical issues such as what to do with salvation.

Paul begins the second part with the word “Therefore”. The word “Therefore” reminds us of the work of salvation not through our merit but through God’s mercy. The expression “in view of God’s mercy” tells us that as an expression of our thanks to God for his mercy, we ought to offer our bodies as living sacrifices. 

When we hear the word “sacrifices” however we are tempted to say, “This is my life. I live my life for me. Why should I sacrifice myself to anyone?” 

What is Paul’s answer to this question? Look at verses 1-2 again. “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. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Here the adverb “then” holds the key to the answer, that is, when we offer our bodies to God as living sacrifices, then we can test and approve what God’s will is - his good, pleasing and perfect. 

On Thanksgiving Day, I enjoyed all kinds of food. Enjoying food was good and pleasing, but eating a thanksgiving meal was not necessarily “perfect.” Because I ended up eating a little too much I felt uncomfortable. And I gained extra pounds. But, Paul talks about God’s will which is good, pleasing, and perfect. 

Paul’s statement then says that offering our bodies as living sacrifices is the key to testing and approving of what God’s will is – his good, pleasing, and perfect will. Notice the three adjectives: good, pleasing, and perfect. One of the meanings of these three adjectives is that as we offer our bodies to God as living sacrifices that we can live a life which is good, pleasing, and perfect. In my opinion these three words (good, pleasing, and perfect) are reducible to two words: “total satisfaction.” The idea is that God desires his children to live a life in such a way that is good, pleasing, and perfect, not just for a while but for eternity, not just for the well being of a limited number of people but for the benefit of all. And as we live such a life, the Lord God wants to be truly fruitful, so after the journey of our life here on earth is done we would not regret anything; rather we would gladly check into our heavenly home in total satisfaction. 

Do you want to live a life which is totally satisfied? Do you desire to live a life which meets God’s will – his good, pleasing, and perfect will? Then, offer your bodies to God as living sacrifices, and do not conform to the pattern of the world, says the Apostle Paul.

Offer your bodies as living “sacrifices.” The idea here is that “sacrifices” are not always bad; in fact, sacrifice is the mother of fulfillment. A man used to enjoy food a little too much. One day he sacrificed the desire to eat dinner. Then breakfast the next morning was twice as delicious as before. A student sacrifices his desire to play a video game, and studies hard for his mid term. Then, he gets an A plus and is satisfied with the result. In order to deliver a baby, a mother goes through long hours of labor. Finally a baby comes out. When the child is born as she lies in bed, she looks at the newborn baby, and she is fully satisfied. Writing a message is not an easy venture. But after struggling hard with much prayer and repentance, finally the Lord God gives him the word. He then serves the message with God’s Spirit. And he is fully satisfied. Visiting college campuses again and again for fishing is not pleasant, for it requires lots of sacrifice – sacrifice of time, sacrifice of energy, sacrifice of gas money, sacrifice of the desire for rest, and much more. But after much sacrifice, finally you meet a student with spiritual desire. The joy becomes immense. 

Offer your bodies as living sacrifices to God! This is the key to testing and approving of what God’s will is – his good, pleasing, and perfect will. It is the key to living a life which is totally fulfilling and totally satisfying.  

Before God’s revelation came, one of Jesus’ disciples named Simon Peter did not like to sacrifice his life to God. In his spiritual ignorance he wanted to avoid suffering as much as possible. When Jesus started talking about his decision to go to Jerusalem, and offer himself as an atoning sacrifice, Simon Peter grew violent. He grabbed Jesus aside, and rebuked Jesus saying, “No! Don’t do that!” But Jesus rebuked him saying, “Satan, get behind me.” Thanks to Jesus’ help, eventually Simon Peter learned that sacrifice is not all that bad; rather he learned that sacrificing one’s life fully to God is the key to gaining total satisfaction. Towards the end of his life’s journey here on earth, he then said to the Christians undergoing severe persecution, “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.” 1 Peter 4:12-14

Of all the examples of those who applied this principle and gained the most from it is Jesus Christ himself. As many of us know no one sacrificed as much as Jesus did. From day one to the last moment of his life in his body, he fully dedicated himself to God. As a result, God exalted him to the highest place, and gave him the name that is above every name. As Isaiah says, after the suffering of his soul, he saw the light of life and he remains fully “satisfied.” Isaiah 53:10-11

“I urge you, brothers, … to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship...Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Truly smart people learn to fully dedicate their bodies to God and thereby live a life which is totally fulfilling, but those who are brilliant but are not wise ignore God’s will, live a self-seeking life, and thereby box themselves in the kingdom of hell, suffering eternal loss. 

Part II. We have different gifts… (3-8)

In verses 3-8, Paul says that when one offers his body to God , God in turn empowers that person with the “gifts” necessary to serve God’s will. In Exodus 1-2 Pharaoh asked the Israelites to produce bricks without providing them with proper materials to make bricks. But, God never asks his children to do anything without first providing them with the means by which to do what they are called to do. This we call “empowerment”. And in the passage Paul uses the term “grace” or “gifts” referring to God’s provision for his children. 

Because it is God who empowers us to do what we are called to do, there is no room for us to boast about ourselves; rather, as we serve God’s purposes for us, we always give thanks to God. We should always remain humble. For this reason Paul says, “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought…” 

In verse 6 Paul says that we have different gifts. Because we have different gifts, and because God gave us different grace not to serve ourselves alone but to enable us to serve others in the same body of Jesus, we should not feel inferior or superior to anyone. For example on two occasions I saw Shepherd Neal singing songs (I think they were Beatles songs). Then I thought, “Wow, this guy has a good voice. I wish I could sing as well as he does.” But I know the vocal system built inside of me does not work as well as his. But I do not feel inferior to him, or insufficient in any way. Do you know why? It is because in the Lord he belongs to me, as much as I belong to him! 

In verses 6-8, Paul mentions seven different gifts: prophesying; serving; teaching; encouraging; contributing to the needs of others; leadership; and showing mercy to others. These categories are some examples of the gifts given to the members of the body of Jesus. 

Like everything that is good, these gifts are subject to abuse (wrong use), lack of use, or non-use so that in order to prevent these from happening, Paul adds qualifications to the use of these gifts.  

The point here is that as we dedicate our bodies to God, God gives us the insight to realize the areas in which we are good at doing, so with the talents given by God we can serve others willingly and joyfully. 

I say “willingly and joyfully” because if anyone is “gifted” in doing one thing or another, he can “naturally” do what he is endowed to do. So when he is asked to do what he is good at doing naturally, he will do it willingly and joyfully. 

See how butterflies naturally fly well. Polar bears cannot dance as well as butterflies. They are good “swimmers” but not good “dancers.” Think about how earthworms are so good at wiggling their bodies. Compare the way earthworms wiggle their bodies with Michael Jackson doing break-dance. Who do you think does the break dance better: earthworm or Michael Jackson? 

Offering our bodies to God as living sacrifices is the key to knowing God’s will – his good, pleasing and perfect will. Knowing God’s will is the key to serving God’s purpose for each of us joyfully and willingly, without “burning out.” In the Bible we see a lot of prominent servants of God suffering from “spiritual burnout.” Elijah was one; Jeremiah was another. These servants tried to serve the Lord for a while, but not with God’s power, but with their own human abilities. Each time they tried to serve the Lord with their own abilities, they soon ran out of “batteries.” Like an old used car, their engines started overheating, and as they still pushed themselves they ended up burnt out. When you read Jeremiah 12, you see Jeremiah suffering from a spiritual burnout. There the Lord God mentioned to him that it is difficult for him to compete with horses with his own human abilities alone. We know how horses are made. They are designed to run fast even in thicket, but men are not as talented as horses in this regard, so the Lord God said to Jeremiah, the Prophet, “If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?” (Jer.12:5) Here, the Lord is trying to address the syndrome called “spiritual burnout.” Some people try to serve the Lord and bear fruit not according to the power and strength provided by God, but according to their own wits and muscle power. No doubt they are humanly able that in this dog eat dog world.  They can garner considerable success in achieving one thing or another. But in serving the Lord and the members of his body in the Lord mere human abilities such as intellectual power or business acumen are not enough; if they tried to serve the Lord according to human will, power, and strength alone, sooner or later, they will “burn” out. Then they will call it quits. But, it is not so with those who put trust in the Lord. As they fully dedicate themselves to God, the Lord God empowers them to do one thing or another naturally well, for unlike men (who are limited in every way conceivable), God is NOT limited. He is all powerful. 

So by all means we need to fully dedicate our bodies to God. Then he provides us with what we need to serve the Lord. Then like Paul we can say, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Then we can serve the Lord giving thanks to him; praising the Lord even in times of hardship.  

Part III. Love must be sincere (9-21)

Verses 1-2 deal with our dedication to God. Verses 3-8 talk about God’s empowerment for us. Verses 9-21 then teach us our service to others. 

As we know, God’s ultimate purpose is to save all peoples on earth in and through those who have been saved by the Lord. So, it behooves each Christian to pray for the salvation of all peoples on earth. 

Verses 9-21 show us the model for Christians to fulfill God’s desire to save the world. The model is first for the believers to love one another, forming a unity of love based on God’s truth (9-13). Then they are to go out and serve the people of this world (14-21).  

Again in my opinion verses 9-13 mostly deal with our relationship with fellow brethren in the Lord. Let us read this passage altogether. “[9] Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. [10] Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. [11] Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. [12] Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. [13] Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” This passage is good to read, but hard to practice. For example, what if your common life brother snores too much? Are you to be devoted to him in brotherly love sharing the same bunk bed? What if he borrows your pencil but never returns it? What if he borrows your car when the gas tank is full, but returns it empty? What if he does that not just once or twice, but all the time? What if what is bugging you is not just a matter of bad sleeping habits or material interests such as gas money, but something else such as sinful practices like slandering, back-stabbing, or accusing you falsely? If these things happen for a prolonged period of time, and if it appears that the church leadership does not do anything to rectify the situation such as kicking them out or correcting them or at least make them apologize publicly, what are you going to do? Leave the church? No. Why not? “Be patient in affliction.” 

The point here remains the same: thanksgiving means dedicating our bodies to the Lord. Then, the Lord provides us with everything that is necessary to fulfill the purpose he has for us.

In verses 14-21 the Apostle Paul goes one step further in exhorting us to serve the Lord. Let us read this passage responsively. “[14] Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. [15] Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. [16] Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. [17] Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. [18] If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. [19] Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. [20] On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." [21] Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Our missionaries in foreign countries such as former USSR or Muslim nations practice the kind of love Paul is teaching. At the 2005 CIS Summer Bible Conference I could see many beautiful examples of Christ’s love bearing fruit in these areas. On the last day of the conference Shepherd Volker Keller delivered a message on the second coming of Jesus. A Russian shepherd (I forgot his name) translated Keller’s message from the German language to Russian. As I looked at the two working together, I was reminded of the former relationship between Germany and Russia. During World War II, Adolph Hitler hit Russia. Then, the Russians hit the Nazi army back. In such fierce battles, they killed each other; shedding the blood of their fellow human beings. But now things have changed. The gospel of Jesus Christ united a shepherd from Germany with a Russian shepherd working together with each other in proclaiming the message of Jesus’ second coming. What a beautiful work of God!? The same work is happening in Muslim nations. In Kazakhstan, in Indonesia, in Sudan, and in India our UBF missionaries are preaching the gospel to Muslim students. And students from Muslim backgrounds are turning themselves to Jesus Christ, and growing as peace-makers. 

This happens because of God’s mercy shown to us through Jesus Christ. We used to be enemies of God. But God so loved the world that he sent Jesus Christ. Although we nailed Jesus to the cross, Jesus still prayed for us saying, “Father, forgive them.” Thanks to Jesus’ mercy, we all could be saved from the power of sin and death. Thank God for Jesus who died on the cross for our sins. Praise be to God who taught us the kind of love God has for us. In this Thanksgiving season may the Lord bless us to remember his mercy on us, and practice this mercy to all peoples on earth, by offering our bodies to Him as living sacrifices, that he would strengthen us to work for Bible America and World campus mission.

One word: a living sacrifice 

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