I. The Word: Romans 12:1-2

1Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

II. Reflection Questions:

1. Why is total commitment to Jesus and submission to His will a reasonable response to what He has done for us?

2. If a reasonable response to Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross is our total commitment to Him, what would be an unreasonable response?

3. Have you become a living sacrifice for Jesus?

Paul begins Chapter 12 by urging the Roman Christians to present their bodies as a “living sacrifice” to God. (v. 1). To the Jews and former pagans to whom Paul is writing, both of whom, under their former religions, would have been familiar with animal sacrifices, the meaning would have been obvious. Animals were killed to be sacrificed. Paul was urging the Roman Christians to also become a sacrifice by dying to themselves but at the same time to be alive and useful to God.

This is the same message Jesus preached when He said “unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone, but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.” (John 12:24-25). Jesus said, “If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me,” meaning following Him into death—in our case, by dying to one’s self and doing God’s will rather than our own.  (John 12:26).

Salvation is indeed free, but it will cost you everything because you are called to subordinate all you are and desire to the will of God. It’s serious stuff, and those who present it as merely praying a prayer or “allowing Jesus into your life” as if there is nothing to do on our part is not preaching the gospel according to Jesus.

Paul then preempts the objection to this seemingly radical response to Jesus’ call by concluding, “which is your reasonable [or rational] service.” (v. 1, KJV). In other words, Jesus is not asking for an emotional response but a rational one. When one considers that the creator of the universe became man and gave His life on the cross to save us, it is only reasonable for us to die to our own will and give ourselves completely to His. It is not emotional. It is not fanatical. It is rational.

Of course to submit oneself to God’s will, one must know what God’s will is, so Paul explains how we can know the: we must first be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Then we can learn what God’s will is for us. (v. 2).

Paul was a rational man. Here he appeals to reason in urging the Roman Christians to give themselves completely over to God’s will.