Week 6 - Living Sacrifices

Jul 17
5 min read

I'm glad you're here to continue the discussion of the Letter to the Romans. It's been an incredible journey so far. These last few weeks have brought home God's love and our response to it through His Son, Jesus Christ. It is not an obligation, but a desire to serve God as living sacrifices. But first, we must experience God's mercy so that we can gain a servant's heart.

Romans 12

Moving from the history and context of the letter to the Roman church to understanding the simple message of the Gospel or Good News of Jesus including our identity as righteous because of our faith in him. Now we move onto the full understanding of the Gospel of Jesus.

The whole Gospel is first receiving the Good News of Jesus Christ, second believing in him, but the last part is the piece that many Christians miss – the true meaning of living out the Gospel.

Many Christians:

· Live under their own identities

· Forget/don’t truly understand Freedom in Christ

· Believe they must live by laws/rules of the church rather than by following the Voice of the Holy Spirit.

However, disciples of Jesus (of which we are when we believe in him) are to live out their lives as “living sacrifices.”

· Romans 12:1-2 – “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will.”

· All well and good, but how do we do that?

I’m glad you asked!

Go back to Chapter 8 to move forward to Chapter 12

Before we can understand 12:1-2

Chapter 8:1-17 confuses people because Paul talks about:

· The law

· Sinful nature

· Death in sinful persons

· Body is dead to sin

· Spirit alive because of righteousness

· What does it all mean?

Simply put, we were born with a sinful nature because of Adam’s sin, but through Jesus our new identity (righteousness, among many other identities) allows us to have a new clean, fresh nature, a spiritual nature by which we now live.

· Romans 8:8-10 “Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness”

· Notice it says these things:

o If you are controlled by your sinful nature you cannot please God

o So, it would say the opposite then – When you are controlled by your spiritual nature you CAN please God.

o When Christ is in you (through his spirit and your faith in him) Verse 10:

§ your body (or sinful nature – or natural person) is dead

§ your spirit is alive because of righteousness (remember last week)

· Righteousness = Right standing with God through our faith in Jesus Christ (Jesus Filter)

So how does this relate to Chapter 12?

Let’s go back to Romans 12:1-2 – “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Breakdown verse 1

· “…in view of God’s mercy”

o What is God’s mercy? Remember we learned that mercy was sending Jesus as an offering to heal our sinful nature.

§ Like in 8:10, your body becomes dead to the sinful nature, and alive to the spiritual nature when we receive and believe the Gospel message

· We exchange natures

§ We have to view this act of mercy first before we can…

· “…offer your bodies as a living sacrifice…”

§ “Living” Sacrifices

· Oxymoron – usually a sacrifice causes death (Old Testament teaching)

· We die to self by sacrificing our wants, needs, desires, whole selves to live in view of God’s mercy for the sake of loving others. READ Words from Jesus: John 15:17 “This is my command. Love one another.”

o The word another here can be divided into “and other” so that the command is to love “one and others.”

o Love yourself and others – this is not a command for self-denial, but of living in his love to share it with others.

· Our lives as Jesus followers must be lived out in a way that serves others by loving them.

Once we “view God’s mercy” (receive) begin living by the spirit (believe), sacrificing for the sake of loving others (live out), then we continue to live by the spirit rather than by our natural person.

But how do we do this?

I’m glad you asked!

Breakdown verse 2: “Do not conform to the pattern of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

· Look at the middle of verse two: “…be transformed by the renewing of your mind…”

o Renew your mind through Spiritual practices:

1. Bible reading

2. Bible Study

3. Christian book study

4. Daily prayer

5. Silence/solitude

6. Service

7. Giving

8. Confession, Worship, Guidance, and Celebration in the corporate setting

o All these practices will keep your new nature from “…conforming to the pattern of this world.”

o “Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is…”

§ You’ll know your Spiritual DNA

§ You’ll understand God’s purpose for your life

§ You’ll hear, trust, and obey the voice of God toward loving others

Conclusion

In view of God’s mercy through the Good News of Jesus Christ, when you receive and believe, your life becomes not an obligation but a desire to serve the One who saved you, to live sacrificially by your new spiritual nature, keeping your mind renewed through spiritual practices for the sake of others.

Remember the words of Jesus: “This I command you: Love One Another.”

Week 6