A Living Sacrifice, Chapter 3
Romans 12:1-2
A couple of weeks ago, we observed Easter. Now, most of you know that the setting of Easter is Passover- a celebration in which the sacrifice and the eating of a lamb was used to commemorate the freeing of God's people from Egypt. And yet, this "Passover lamb" was but the foreshadow of another more important Passover Lamb- Jesus Christ. And thus, every year during what in the OT was Passover, in the New Covenant we celebrate the redemption that Christ purchased for us through His death and resurrection.
Now, I doubt that there are few Christians who couldn't give the significance and setting of Easter, but what about Pentecost- an equally important celebration? Did you know that Pentecost is the Jewish holiday of Shavuot-, which means "sevens?". Shavuot was to be celebrated the first day after a period of counting seven sets of seven days- or the fiftieth day after Passover. Now the significance of this Jewish Festival is found in Leviticus.
Leviticus 23:10-11, "Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it."
Having been redeemed by God and brought into the land, Shavuot or Pentecost was to occur in which God's people celebrated God's provision of the first fruits of harvest. And so, on the first day of Pentecost (the fiftieth day after Passover), the priests were to offer two loaves of leavened bread to the Lord by waving them before Him. In essence they recognized that it was God who had provided the harvest, and they dedicated all the harvest to the Lord for His glory and praise. Now all of this is significant because in Acts 2, on the first Pentecost after the resurrection of Christ, God poured forth His Spirit upon His people in which 3000 souls were added to the kingdom.
In other words the First Fruits of the Messianic Harvest came into the New Covenant on the very day that the celebration of First Fruits began. Christ's redemption lead to the harvest of souls on Pentecost! Now, the significance that this holds for us as God's children is that upon coming to Christ, we must understand that...WE are as those loaves of bread, waved before God in dedication and praise to Him. In Christ, all that we are is now His! We are living Sacrifices who have been saved for God's glory and praise.
That is the call of the child of God– a call that Paul picks up on in our text this morning.
The Call of the Living Sacrifice is to Worship God.
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."
As we consider ourselves as living sacrifices for the Lord, to what have we been called? Notice that it is twofold.
The call of the servant of God is to be a living sacrifice-which is your spiritual service of worship.
1 By this phrase, Paul indicates the first call of the living sacrifice: Worship! This is what we are all about as God's people. Now the word for worship in this passage is latreia. In the Septuagint it was used in reference to the worship that was prescribed for the Levitical priesthood. As such worship2 became part of the sacrificial language of the Old Testament. In the New Testament it kept that meaning, and thus was used of any religious service unto God...Romans 1:9, "For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers"
Revelation 7:15, "Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve [worship] him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them"
From this word we are able to identify our Call as Living Sacrifices: Heart-inspired, life embracing worship! Our call is to give ourselves wholeheartedly to the worship of God. Secondly, we are to yield unto God our mind, will, words, and deeds unto His glory. Thirdly, we need to recognize that all that we are have, and do- at all times and in all places- is an offering of worship to God. All of this is implied by Paul's call in this text.
3 And yet notice that Paul modifies the worship we are to offer with the term spiritual. Logikan; Now, while the worship referenced in this text is to be "spiritual," that is not the primary idea behind this word. The word for spiritual comes from a word which means to "consider," "reckon," or "calculate." We get our English word logic from this word. Thus, the Call of the Living Sacrifice is not just any worship but "rationale worship"- which means that the worship we offer to God must emerge from our mind and thus our will.1 Peter 2:2, "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby" This "rational" milk is in contrast to real milk.
Our text this morning contrasts "Rational" Worship to the worship of the Old Testament: the animals in the worship of the Temple who themselves were unaware of their significance as an offering. In other words there is no other logical alternative for us in view of who and what we are than to fervently and exuberantly offer ourselves to God as a Living Sacrifice for His worship!
Epictetus, a Greek philosopher used this word much like Paul intended here:
"Were I a nightingale, I would do what is proper to a nightingale, were I a swan, what is proper to a swan. In fact I am logikos: so I must praise God."
And yet, in the words of Cranfield:
"We must beware, however, of understanding 'rationale' as though Paul were a Stoic philosopher. For Paul true worship is rational not in the sense of being consistent with the natural rationality of man... but in the sense of being consistent with a proper understanding of the truth of God revealed in Jesus Christ."
And so from all of this we see the Call of the Living Sacrifice: Worship. And thus, the Call we have as a worshipping people is not just an addendum to a life already devoted to God -- it is what constitutes that life. Not so much an issue of what we do, but what we are- vessels of honor unto the glory and praise of God. That is the call of the Living Sacrifice- which according to our text is the only rationale response in light of God's mercies!
6And yet, tragically this is far from the approach that is taken by many today in the church. We are told that victory in the Christian life is To have more of God, and to have more from God. Countless thousands flock to churches, seminars, and conferences in search of spiritual and/or emotional benefit. Yet, according to our text the "key" to vibrant Christian living- the Call of the Living Sacrifice- is NOT getting more of God BUT rendering yourself to God at all times as an offering for Worship!
The "key" to the life enjoyed by the Living Sacrifice is the abandonment of ones pride, our perceived rights, wants, and ourselves! Only then can one be used as God chooses for His Glory! As Christ Himself said, Luke 9:24, "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it"
Jonathan Edwards captured the heart and soul of the Living Sacrifice as described by Paul in this text when he wrote:
"I have been before God, and have given myself, all that I am and have, to God, so that I am not in any respect my own. I can challenge no right in this understanding, this will, these affections, which are in me. Neither have I any right to this body or any of its members- no right to this tongue, these hands, these feet, no right to these senses, these eyes, these ears, this smell or this taste. I have given myself clear away, and have not retained anything as my own. I have this morning told him that I did take him for my whole portion and felicity... and that I did believe in Jesus Christ and did receive him as a Prince and Savior, and that I would adhere to the faith and obedience of the gospel, however hazardous and difficult the confession and practice of it may be... This I have done. And I pray God, for the sake of Christ, to look upon it as a self-dedication and to receive me now as entirely his own and to deal with me in all respects as such, whether he afflict me or prospers me or whatever he pleases to do with me."
That is the call of the Living Sacrifice: True worship. It does not consist of incense, intricate liturgy, lighted candles, flowing robes, stained-glass windows, classical sacred music, or elaborate and impressive prayers. It does not require great talent, skill, or leadership ability. Though many of these things can be a part of the outward forms of genuine worship it is not true worship.
Rather, it is the giving to God our whole lives! Its offering consists of our bodies to God, our minds, our plans, etc. such that we give to our God a sincere, loving, thoughtful, and heartfelt devotion and praise. Thus, from this verse we conclude that every Christian is like Melchizedek. Genesis 14:18, "...a priest of God Most High." We are a spiritual priesthood. We have been called to offer to God "spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ"
8 And we understand that we are "...God's own possession, that [we] may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called [us] out of darkness into His marvelous light"9 And in fact, from the perspective of the Call of the Living Sacrifice we conclude that if worship is our call as Christians, then our failure to worship is to be self-centered and not God-centered. This is ultimately to reap misery in our walks with God no matter what good I do for the kingdom or what amount I sacrifice for His name.Based on this, I encourage you to take the following test:
1. What is it that stresses you most?
2. What is it that causes you grief?
3. What are the concerns of your heart this day?
4. What burdens you most?
If your answer to these questions did not revolve around a concern for the worship you give to God –or the lack thereof –then the bent of your life probably is not God-centered worship but self-centered satisfaction. It is just a matter of time before your life caves in upon you. But so that we might avert this tragedy, let us seriously answer God's call to worship. As Living Sacrifices set as the goal of our lives the offering to God the worship He deserves!
A Living Sacrifice Delights in God’s Will.
Now, as important as this is, notice that there is yet another Call that God has placed upon the Living Sacrifice: The Delighting in God's Will,
Romans 12:2b, "that you may prove
10what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect"11 This is an interesting phrase. Paul literally says, "unto the testing" of the will of God. The idea behind "testing"12 in the Bible is twofold It refers to a trial that is used to establish the worth or genuineness of someone or something. And ultimately it refers to the "approving" that occurs as a result of the test. Notice...1 Pet. 1:6b-7, "you have been distressed by various trials, that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."
The "proven" faith here is the faith that is tried and thus shown to be genuine as it results in the praise and glory of God.
1 Thessalonians 2:4, "But just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak . . .."
Paul was "approved by God" implies that God had tested him and thus shown his call to be genuine. As the Living Sacrifice is "transformed by the renewing of his mind" (which we'll talk about next week), he "tests" or "tries" God's word. The believers’ lives in light of what God says. As he does this, he is brought to the point where he delights in and "approves" of God's will such that he finds and affirms it to be good. The Greek word agathos; refers to that which being good in its essence is beneficial in its effect.
As our "renewed mind" leads us to the point of trusting God's word, we find always that God's word results in "good!" A renewed mind also leads to that which is acceptable.
13 As our "renewed mind" leads us to the point of trusting God's word, we find that the result of following God's word leads to that which is morally right!14
As our "renewed mind" leads us to the point of trusting God's word, we find that we are never disappointed. God's word always will fulfill that which it promises! This leads to the conclusion that the call of the Living Sacrifice is to delight in the will of God- which only occurs as the word of God is "tried" and found to be proven., all that God said it would be.
It should be obvious from this text that Paul is calling for us to delight ourselves in the will of God as manifested in the Bible. Yet this will require us to do much more than just contemplate God's word or study the word of God. It will require that we do it! That is the idea here. See, it is not enough just to read God's word. It is not even enough to know much of the content of God's word. We must trust it. In the words of Christ "...blessed are those who hear the word of God, and observe it."
15
All of this raises a very important observation: If our call and thus God's will for our lives in Christ is the "Delighting in His word" the means of delighting in God's word is doing it. Then it should be obvious that one of the places that God is working in our lives is the raising us up to maturity by bringing us to the point in our lives where we have nothing to lean upon but the promise of God's word! God is in the business of bringing us to the point in our walks with God where we delight in God's word. God is bringing us to the point where we affirm with our standards which say "Man's chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever."
16 Or where we say with David that we are "strangers on this earth."Psalm 119:19, " I am a stranger in the earth: hide not thy commandments from me."
Psalm 119:23, "Princes also did sit and speak against me: but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes."
Psalm 119:25, "My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word."
Psalm 119:28 "My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word."
Psalm 119:71, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes."
It goes back to what we talked about two weeks ago the "Living Sacrifice" is the one who is broken and spiritually bankrupt. For it is only then that we are ready to abandon our love for this world, jump head first into the arms of God and follow Him as He has directed in His word. And thus, when we abandon our desires we may delight in God and not in ourselves.
Dr. John MacArthur wrote:
"A transformed mind produces a transformed will, by which we become eager and able, with the Spirit's help, to lay aside our own plans and to trustingly accept God's, no matter what the cost"
The call of the Living Sacrifice is the approving of or Delighting in God's word!
Conclusion
The Call that God has placed on our lives is a high order: As Living Sacrifices we have been called to
1. A life that Worships God.
2. Delight in His Will.
And yet thankfully, Paul doesn't leave us here saying, "Go and do likewise." Rather, as we will see next week, he gives us practical steps that lead us to the fulfilling of this Call. Which leads to this final exhortation: A passage like this in which Paul has identified the Call of the Living Sacrifice Is Not given to discourage us, burden us, beat us up, or stress us. Rather it is given to encourage us that we might examine where our heart lies, and upon examination repent where our heart's desire has been for anything else but glorifying and enjoying God.
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1
: tan logikan latreian humon;2
,latreia3
This the true flavor of the word, and therefore from it we discover the true nature of Christian Service: It is worship! ALL service rendered to and for God is worship! Everything that a Christian does can be summarized in a word: WORSHIP! And that is why Scripture identifies that the purpose of salvation is to secure a worshipping people, 1 Peter 2:4-5, "And coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected by men, but choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." Winning someone to Christ is an act of worship, Romans 15:15-16, "But I have written very boldly to you on some points, so as to remind you again, because of the grace that was given me from God, to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the gospel of God, that my offering of the Gentiles might become acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit." Giving money to meet the needs of the body is considered to be worship, Philippians 4:18, "But I have received everything in full, and have an abundance; I am amply supplied, having received from Epaphroditus what you have sent, a fragrant aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well-pleasing to God." The Christian’s life of godliness and honesty is the activity of worship, 1 Timothy 2:2-3. Loving the brethren is worship, Romans 14:18. And in fact, ALL that we do is to be done to the exaltation of God, 1 Corinthians 10:31, "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." In fact, that is why the first thing that must go before a person rejects God for the idol is their reasoning- their mind (cf. Romans 1).4
Quoted in Cranfield's 2nd Volume on Romans, page 6025
Romans, Volume 2, pages 604-6056
7In fact, that is why the first thing that must go before a person rejects God for the idol is their reasoning- their mind compare Romans 1.8
Quoted in A Passion for God, pages 166-167.9
1 Peter 2:510
1 Peter 2:911
or "unto the approving"12
Eis to dokimadzein humas ti to thelma tou theou, to agathon kai euareston kai teleion.13
dokimadzo14
euareston; is borrowed from Old Testament sacrificial language which uses "acceptable" to describe the kind of holy living that is morally and spiritually spotless and without blemish.15
The Greek word teleion; carries the idea of being complete, of something being everything it should be.16
Luke 11:2817
Westminster Shorter Catechism #118
Dr. John MacArthur, Romans, Volume 2, page 152