A Living Sacrifice

This morning we take a turn in our study of the book of Romans. So far, we have been in pretty deep theological waters as Paul has worked out the definition of the Gospel and its implications for both Jews and Gentiles. So now Paul does what is very common in his letters. He turns from the theological to the practical by answering some important questions about how the Christian is to live the life of faith in this unbelieving world. How are we to then live a life of faith when temptations arise every day? How are we to fellowship with other believers when they are sinners too and often rub us the wrong way? How are we to view our government, which is so often set against Christian values? How are we to handle differences of lifestyle among Christians of different backgrounds? Over the next four chapters, Paul is going to answer these questions as we work out the practical implications of the Gospel for our daily lives. Today, we start with a pivotal statement which sets the tone for all that Paul will say after. Romans 12:1-2 is a vitally important passage (I’d encourage you to memorize it) that provide for us two guiding principles for living in faithfulness. Those two principles will be our two points this morning: The Sacrifice of the Body and the Saturation of the Mind.

First, let’s consider the sacrifice of the body from verse 1. When I was in high school, I loved the game of football. In my opinion, what sets football apart from all other sports is the fact that each player on the field is called on every down to sacrifice his body for the good of his team. With football, sacrifice is expected on every play. Much of the effort put into coaching in football revolves around preparing you for that sacrifice. You have to condition for the heat of August, take hits in practice so you know how to do so in the game, and you have to know the difference between hurt and injured. My sophomore year, I played defensive end. We weren’t that great of a team, and we were scheduled to play Wilcox Academy, one of the favorites to win the state championship that year. About mid-week, I started to run a fever. But, trained to distinguish between hurt and injured, I showed up to the game running a 102 degree fever. I remember, on Wilcox’s first drive, they marched easily down the field and got within ten yards of the goal line. I squatted down in my stance, ready to make a goal line stand, and I noticed that the tackle and tight end for Wilcox were arguing as they came up to the line, debating over who to block. The tackle pointed at me and said, “you block him, and I’ll block this other guy.” Within a few seconds, I was laying on my back and they had scored a touchdown. The sacrifice of my body in that moment didn’t seem to be all that valuable.

Whether we think about it or not, we all sacrifice our bodies to something. Some of us sacrifice our bodies to the abuse of a substance. We abuse alcohol, tobacco, or drugs until their bodies are clogged up with cholesterol or cancer. Others of us sacrifice our bodies to our work. We put in the hours, take the overtime, waste away the years climbing the corporate ladder with very little to show for it at the end. Still others sacrifice our bodies to our lusts. We run ourselves ragged chasing after the next relationship and leave a wake of brokenness in our path. Paul stated this very truth back in Romans 1:24. He said that God gave humanity up to the lust of our hears to dishonor our bodies by exchanging the truth of God for a lie.

But, now we know that God gave his Son, Jesus Christ as the perfect sacrifice for our sins, and through faith in him we can have peace with God. We know that through Jesus, we have been delivered from the judgment of death and hell that is to come on all of humanity, and instead we inherit eternal life with Christ. If all of that is true, then how should we respond? Paul answers by saying that we are to “present our bodies as a living sacrifice.” There are three aspects of this statement that I want you to notice. First, he says that we are to present our bodies. The Greek word here is “soma”, which means “the body as a complete whole.” In other words, everything that we are, our physical bodies, our minds, our souls, our hearts, our desires; all of it is to presented to God. In 1 Cor. 6:20, Paul puts it this way, “you have been bought with a price, so worship God with your body.” Because of the ransom that he paid through his son, God now owns you. He is your king and master. So, everything that we are is to be presented to him.

Second, Paul says that we are to present our bodies as a “living sacrifice.” This is a fascinating phrase because sacrifices, by their very definition, aren’t living. Yet, Paul says that we are to continually live before God as though we are a sacrifice. Every day, we are to live in such a way that we glorify God.

Finally, Paul says that we are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, which is our “spiritual worship.” Understand this, the whole of our lives is to be presented to God as an act of worship. What we do with our hands is an act of worship. How we raise our children is an act of worship. What we do with our time is an act of worship. Every part of our day, every talent that we have, every blessing that we enjoy is to be given to God as an act of worship.

So, you might be wondering how exactly we are supposed to do that in this fallen world where we still struggle against the temptations of the flesh. That brings me to my second point: the saturation of the mind, from verse 2. Paul answers how we are to live as an acceptable sacrifice to God by giving both a negative and a positive command. First, he says that we should not be “conformed to this world.” The word for “world” here is probably better translated as “age” or “world system.” What it refers to are the cultural patterns, mindset, and lifestyles that are set against God. If you pay close enough attention, you can recognize that there is a spirit of the age, a Zeitgeist - a set of beliefs, attitudes, practices, and desires which captivate people who do not believe in Jesus Christ. This goes far beyond the latest fashions to the very beliefs of our society. For Americans, this is defined by a belief in radical individualism. I can do what I want with my own life, and no one can tell me otherwise. I am free to follow my dreams, achieve whatever I want in life, and the world better bend to my desires and whims or I will shame them all on social media. Americans also value physical pleasures as the highest good. So, the good of an activity, a moral decision, a law, is judged based on whether it increases or decreases physical pleasure. This is clearest in our obsession with sex. We judge our mates by it, we sell our products with it, and we define our identities by it.

As Christians, we are called to resist conformity with the world. So, in a society that values the self and makes decisions based on self-recognition, we should be willing to sacrifice self for the good of others. We should value the needs of others above our own. It also means that we should resist the temptation to judge everything based on what pleasure it can bring us. While the world chases after sex, we should bring our desires under the Lordship of Christ.

Second, Paul makes a positive statement: “be transformed by the renewal of your mind.” Remember, back in Rom. 8:29, Paul said that God has “predestined us to be conformed to the image of his Son.” In other words, God has already determined that we would be changed to be more and more like his Son. I think that is what is at heart here when he directs us to be “transformed.” This word, in the Greek, is “metamorphosis.” It’s the idea of radically changing state, like a caterpillar that transforms into a butterfly. In a similar way, God is changing us from sinners who were enslaved to the patterns of this world and devoted to our fleshly desires, into people who are led by the Spirit and destined for eternal life with Christ. As we’ve already seen, those two lives (the life of the flesh and the life of the Spirit), they look totally different. They don’t have anything in common. So, we are to pursue transformation as we live day by day for the Lord.

And notice how we are to be transformed: “by the renewal of your mind.” In other words, we are to constantly be working to change the way we think. We are to recognize that we have been raised in a world system that has trained us to be selfish and to desire physical pleasure over everything else, and we are to work to change the way we think about those things. So, we devote our minds to understanding the things of God. We commit to studying Scripture, meeting together with other believers, and listening to faithful preaching. We also commit ourselves to stepping outside of ourselves. We seek the way of service. In our marriages, we serve our spouse. In our work, we work diligently for the good of others. In our church, we look for ways to serve. In our witness, we step out of our comfort zone and boldly tell others about Jesus.

This morning, may we all make the commitment to live as sacrifices to God, seeking to bring him glory. May we give up the mindset of the world, and instead seek to have the mind of Christ.