A LIVING SACRIFICE

Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Beginning with Chapter 12, it seems Paul makes a transition from the more doctrinal aspects of his epistle to the church(s) of Rome, and now takes up lessons on Christian living. Having discussed at length the calling, justification, and unity necessary to become, and remain, children of God, Paul now admonishes those at Rome, and us today, to continue, and abound in God's goodness, and, as earthly servants, to accomplish what is that good, and acceptable and perfect, will of God. After this Paul's instructions to these Christians, although authoritative, took the form of pleading for their obedient faith to God, through His Son, Jesus Christ. Here Paul lays out some of the duties and responsibilities of Christians.

The first duty to all Christians is to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable unto God. Immediately after this basic instruction to every member of the body of Christ, Paul proceeds to tell how this is to be done. In order to be acceptable to God, Paul tells each Christian to be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. To give further study to, both, this duty to God, as well as how He wants us to accomplish it, seems to be in order.

Christians are to be holy and acceptable unto God. What does it mean, then, to present your bodies a living sacrifice? With the coming of Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world, the Jewish dispensation, and the Old Testament, was fulfilled. It ended when, offering Jesus upon the cross of Calvary ushered in God's plan of salvation once, and for all time, as our Passover sacrifice, to atone for the sins of mankind. At the same time, a new sacrifice was instituted. Obedience to the will of God now requires that, to be His children, we are to give, or sacrifice, ourselves to Him and to the cause of Christ. Unlike animal sacrifices made during previous dispensations in which the life of the animal was taken, a living sacrifice is one, in which being offered, is not consumed by death. Rather it remains alive - the sacrifice is not a one-time event. It is a continual, ongoing, living sacrifice.

This living sacrifice is to be presented in a holy form and manner. Just as Old Testament sacrifices were required to be the best of the herds and flocks - sacrificial animals having no deficiencies and without spot (See Num. 28:1-13) - so the life of a Christians is to be a pure andholy sacrifice to God. The apostle Peter wrote that Christians are to conduct their lives as lively (or living) stones, ...a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ (1 Pet. 2:5). Also, Hebrews 13 says that those in the body of Christ are to offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, which he called the fruit of our lips (Vs. 15). The following verse tells us that these continual sacrifices are to do good and to communicate (Vs. 16). In other words, Christians are to praise God continually, through acts of devoted kindness toward our fellow man. From this we can conclude that our ongoing, living sacrifice is not acceptable unless works of charity for mankind accompanies it. Indeed, our sacrifice should include our love, praise, and thanksgiving to God. But to be a living sacrifice, our love for God must be proven by acts of love for our neighbor - our fellow man.

For Christians, to be an acceptable living sacrifice to God, Paul says that they are not to be conformed to this world, but ...transformed by the renewing of your mind. To be conformed to the world, means to accept the ways of worldliness and demonstrate them in one's conduct of life - to blend in with people that are filled with worldly desires, to the degree we appear, and act, as they do, and cannot be distinguished from their character. This is not what God demands of Christians. Paul says that children of God we are not to be yoked together with unbelievers; (to) fellowship ...with unrighteousness (2 Cor. 6:14). The path of life taken by the ungodly is one of vanity, that leads to eternal destruction. Such are spiritually ignorant and blind; their lives are given over to lasciviousness, uncleanness, and greediness; and they are alienated from God, by conforming to the sinful world around them (See Eph. 4:17-19).

The apostle John sums this thought up in a manner that is impossible to misunderstand. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever (1 John 2:15-17). The principles that direct the ways of worldly people are designed to satisfy personal, covetous, earthly desires. Christians are not to be conformed to, or accept these principles as guides for their own conduct of life.

The lesson text states further that a Christian is to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Three definitions of the word "transform" seem applicable to its use in the lesson text. These definitions of Webster are, "to change or convert the condition, nature, or function of ," "to change the personality or character of," and "to change the form or outward appearance of." The transformation of a person from worldly into godly; from a non-Christian into a follower of Christ, involves all three of these definitions. Transformation, then, results in the renewing of your mind. The motivation that drives one's function on earth - their conduct of life - must be changed, or transformed, from self-satisfaction to satisfying the will of God. This, in turn, changes one's personality and character to the extent that it is noticeable in one's outward appearance.

The transformed person views the world in an entirely different light, and, by the same token, the world will recognize a child of God as one that is different from themselves. When one, by faith, obeys God's will by becoming His child, and is baptized into the body of Christ, this transformation takes place. They become a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (2 Cor. 5:17). They are transformed from a conduct of life governed by the corrupting effects of deceitful lusts (the old man), and are transformed into a life filled with righteousness and true holiness (the new man) (See Eph. 4:22-24).

The lesson text closed with the fact that God's will is good, and acceptable, and perfect. This fact is proven when one becomes a living sacrifice. This is the reasonable service of each member of the body of Christ. Indeed, it is, not only required of each Christian, but through obedience to the will of God, it is holy (and) acceptable unto Him. Let Jesus Christ shine in your life! Today, become A Living Sacrifice!