To present your bodies as a living sacrifice

Romans 12:1-8; 6/15/2025; BCBC/IOUC; Rev. Paul Wang

Introduction

Paul explained that the concept of Israelites is not equal to the entire house of Israel. There is an important purpose, which is to call on God’s children to offer their bodies as living sacrifices, to preach the gospel, to bear witness, and to live for the Lord!  Let’s look at the first point:

The meaning of living sacrifice

What is a living sacrifice?  The term living sacrifice does not exist in the Greek Bible.  Living sacrifice is a complex concept in the scriptures, that is, offering a living life to God.  First of all, this is an exhortation.  God is pleased with the life of a living sacrifice, but it is not directly issued from God’s perspective.  God expressed the motivation and source of people’s worship of God through Paul’s exhortation to the church.  In other words, why should people worship God?  Why must we preach the gospel, bear witness, and devote ourselves to the Great Commission?  Why must we serve God in the church?  What is the basis for Paul’s exhortation to us?  He said that he exhorted us based on God’s mercy.  The word mercy is borrowed from Buddhism term “loving-kindness”, and Christianity often uses “mercy”.  In the book of Gospels, Jesus was moved with compassion and had mercy on the five thousand people in the wilderness as sheep without a shepherd, using the same root word.  Paul’s exhortation was chosen by God and became our encouragement.

Secondly, the renewal of the mind.  If spiritual ethics are what we should do, then the renewal of the mind is God’s higher expectation of us.  Because living a holy life is the saint’s demeanor and a duty that cannot be boasted about.  However, the renewal of the mind requires that we are willing to put down our old self, abandon humanism, and not associate with this world.  Are you willing?  Do you know that God is speaking to our motives?  Are you willing “by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”  Instead of using your own ignorance to interpret the scriptures,  dismember God’s words, and think that you are proud of yourself!  God is holy and cannot be despised.  Especially for God’s words, all those who belong to God should be vigilant and never go down the same path!

Finally, we should look at ourselves in a moderate way.  This is the third of the “three looks” for believers, which is to look at ourselves in a moderate way.  The first two looks are to always think that God is indebted and to always think that others are better than ourselves.  There are two core aspects of looking at ourselves: one is not to be proud, and the other is to look at ourselves from the perspective of faith.  The perspective of faith must point to Christ Jesus, so if we want to boast, we should boast about the Lord we believe in!  When our hearts are honest with the Lord, pride will be exposed!  When pride disappears, humility will enter our lives.  When humility comes,  God’s joy will follow and accompany our lives.  This is why the Bible says:  “And without faith it is impossible to please him.”  Let’s look at the second point:

The nature of the body

Paul said that we should offer our bodies.  Whose body should we offer, why should we offer it, and how should we offer it?  This is a key point in the believer’s life and the relationship between God and man.  First of all, there are many members in one body.  The one body that Paul mentioned refers to the church.  The church is the body of Christ, and we are members of each other.  There is a basic premise here, that is, faith is not a journey that can be completed by one person.  God has prepared salvation, the path of sanctification, and the church for us to walk together.  Since we are the same body, we are different members of this body.  Some are hands, some are feet, some are mouths, and some are ears.  The members obey the head of the body, and the church obeys Christ, uses the Bible as the standard for everything, and “be worthy of the calling (Ephesians 4:1).”  The important thing is that there is only one body of Christ, one mission, one hope, and one direction.

Secondly, we are connected to each other as members in Christ. The focus of faith may not necessarily be the moment of decision and prayer, but the persevering confirmation of life after believing in the Lord.  How should you behave when you come to church after your first belief?  You may be curious about everything at the beginning,  reading the Bible, praying, sharing your thoughts, and expecting people to like your thoughts.  However, soon the old self occupies the territory of the new life.  The gift of the Holy Spirit’s inspiration is intended for the unity of the church.  However, once the old self comes out, the heart to be taught disappears, and obstacles to the body of Christ, as well as the rebellion and pride of the old self’s life, are revealed everywhere.  Ananias and his wife had the gift of dedication, but they used it as a source of pride, robbing God’s authority, and eventually fell into God’s wrath!  Be alert!

Finally, we should serve according to the gifts we have received.  If a person has some money and some talent, there is nothing to be proud of.  “But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. (Eph. 4:7)”  Since all our gifts are measured to us by Christ, what is there to be proud of?  What is the essence of serving God?  It is nothing more than the gift of God expressed in our lives in a personified activity.  Paul exhorts us to offer our bodies as a living sacrifice, which is exactly the purpose of the gifts given to us by the Holy Spirit.  Serving according to the Holy Spirit is a mystery.  We must be faithful and serve with all our strength, but we cannot rely on our own strength.  The secret is humility.  Let’s look at the third point:

The purpose of living

After talking about the significance of living sacrifice and introducing the body of Christ, how should we live?  Many people complicate simple issues.  In fact, the path of faith can be lived very simply.  First, in quietness and in trust.  “For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” (Isaiah 30:15)   In fact, it is not difficult for us to see from the New Testament, especially the Gospels, that our Lord is an example of quietness.  The Bible says that He often withdrew to the wilderness to pray.  Luke recorded that before the Lord selected and appointed the apostles, the Bible said that Jesus went out to the mountain to pray and prayed to God all night!  David also said: “Be still, and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)”  When we believe in Jesus, what do we believe in?  Isn’t it the example of Jesus Christ?  Don’t you even understand this spiritual common sense?  Don’t you still understand?

Secondly, live out faith.  After God has given us gifts, how should we serve?  First, by ability, and second, by faith.  What about you?  Do you rely on your flesh?  Paul said that even if you want to prophesy, “you should prophesy according to the proportion of your faith! ”   In fact, including faith, is also given by God.  And the faith is the same as a person’s spiritual day.  God assigns us different levels of faith according to our spiritual situation.  The effectiveness of gift service is also determined by the size of faith, and there can’t be anything far-fetched.  If you do not have enough faith and take on too much service, the fruit produced will not be the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Finally, be honest and sincere.  Honesty can be a moral character, or a spiritual ability or personality.  People from the world often tell lies when they open their mouths  and lie when they close their mouths.  Because they are used to it, they gradually become insensitive to lying and even numb.  Honesty can also be a kind of courage and responsibility.  People who belong to God, that is, people who truly believe in the Lord,  must make a decision one day, that is, never tell lies again.  It sounds like nothing, but it is not easy to do it.  This will be a comprehensive adjustment of core values, including not talking about gossip, not slandering, not pleasing, not flattering, and not saying a word that displeases God.

Conclusion

Well, thank the Lord!  It is my own hands that are willing to give up worldly enjoyment and come here to serve God.  It is my own feet that are willing to run on the heavenly road.  Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.  Paul said: “I appeal to you therefore, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice.”  Excuse me, are you willing?

 

Romans 12:1-8

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

2 Do not be conformed to this world, 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.

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, 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, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.