September 14, 2018
A Living Sacrifice
Romans 12:1–8
Jennifer Bundren
Central Truth
The hard part about being a LIVING sacrifice is that we are prone to crawl off the altar. Every day, it is a constant battle to live according to God’s Word and Spirit and not according to the desires of the flesh (Galatians 5:16-17).
Romans 12:1–8
A Living Sacrifice
1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, 1 12:1 Or brothers and sisters by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 12:1 Or your rational service 2 Do not be conformed to this world, 3 12:2 Greek age 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. 4 12:2 Or what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God
Gifts of Grace
3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, 5 12:4 Greek parts; also verse 5 and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, 6 12:8 Or gives aid with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.
Dive Deeper | Romans 12:1–8
I grew up in a private Christian school where I had to memorize Romans 12 in the fifth grade. These verses have made a tremendous impact in my life. Paul is appealing to us, that considering all he has said the past 11 chapters, we should offer our lives as a living sacrifice in a way that is holy and acceptable to God. Romans 12:1 (NIV) begins, “I urge you, brothers and sisters . . . .” Paul did not command the Roman believers to do these things. Rather, he encouraged them to live their lives as a holy sacrifice in light of what God had done for them. What does it mean to present your bodies as a living sacrifice? Paul answers that question in the rest of Romans 12.
Paul tells us in Romans 12:2 to “not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind . . . .” One of the most effective ways to transform our minds is to dwell on the things of the Lord (Philippians 4:8-9) and to memorize Scripture. David in Psalm 119:9-11 tells us that the way to keep our path pure is to store up God’s Word in our hearts so that we do not wander away from God’s commandments.
In Romans 12:3-8, Paul tells us to “not think of yourself more highly than you ought” and to serve others. Each of us has been given a gift from the Lord. I am sometimes tempted to wish that I had been given different gifts, but the Lord has uniquely gifted each of us for a specific purpose and reason (see 1 Corinthians 12:12-25). So we are challenged to use our gifts for His glory.
Even though I have had Romans 12 memorized since I was 10 years old, there have been too many times when I did not heed its wisdom. That has never worked out well for me. The hard part about being a LIVING sacrifice is that we are prone to crawl off the altar. Every day, it is a constant battle to live according to God’s Word and Spirit and not according to the desires of the flesh (Galatians 5:16-17). But by God’s grace and instruction, it is possible to be a living sacrifice, constantly choosing to wage war against the flesh (Romans 7:21-25). God’s Word, His Spirit, and His people are God’s provisions to help us live sacrificial lives that are “holy and acceptable” to Him.
This month's memory verse
38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
– Romans 8:38–39
Discussion Questions
1. How has God transformed your mind by His Word and Spirit? Are there any areas in your life where you are resisting transformation?
2. How should you be thinking less of yourself and more of others?
3. What are the gifts the Lord has given you? How are you using them to serve His people?
4. Are you lacking any of God’s provisions in your life (His Word, His Spirit, and His people)? If so, what needs to change in your life for you to experience His provisions?