Introduction: The Great "Therefore"
Good morning to you, church.
In the book of Romans, the first eleven chapters are like a majestic and soaring symphony. Paul lays out the grand story of God's redemption—the depth of our sin, the hopelessness of our condition, and the sheer, breathtaking glory of our salvation, bought not by our works, but by the free and unmerited grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ. It is the greatest news the world has ever known.
And after painting this masterpiece of theology, Paul pivots. Chapter 12 begins with one of the most important words in the Bible: "Therefore."
Whenever we see a "therefore" in scripture, we must always ask what it is there for. This word connects everything that came before with everything that comes after. Paul is about to answer the single most important question for every believer: In light of the incredible, unsearchable, and overwhelming mercy of God... how then shall we live?
His answer is not a complicated list of rules. It is a profound, two-part call to a life of total surrender. It is a call to a surrendered body and a transformed mind.
I. The Call to Surrender: The Living Sacrifice (v. 1)
Paul begins his plea, not with a harsh command, but with a tender appeal.
A. The Motivation: "by the mercies of God"
Paul does not say, "I command you because you must." He says, "I beseech you... by the mercies of God." Our entire Christian life is a response. It is not a striving to earn God's favor, but a reaction to the favor we have already received in full. Think of the mercies of God! He chose you, He called you, He justified you, He forgave you, He adopted you into His family, and He has promised to glorify you. This is our motivation. Our surrender is not a reluctant duty; it is a joyful, grateful, and loving response to His extravagant mercy.
B. The Action: "present your bodies a living sacrifice"
In light of this mercy, what are we to do? Paul says, "...present your bodies a living sacrifice." This language would have shocked his Jewish readers. Sacrifices in the Old Testament were always animals, and they were always dead. They were slain on the altar.
But our sacrifice is different.
1. It is a "living" sacrifice. This is not a one-time event, but a continuous, daily act. It is waking up every morning and saying, "Lord, my hands are Yours to serve. My feet are Yours to go. My eyes are Yours to see with holiness. My mouth is Yours to speak with grace. My energy, my time, my very life is laid on Your altar today."
2. It is "holy" and "acceptable unto God." To be holy means to be "set apart." Your life, when placed in God's hands, is no longer for common use. It is consecrated, set apart for His divine purposes, and He finds this offering pleasing.
C. The Definition: "your reasonable service"
Paul concludes this thought by calling this act of surrender "your reasonable service." The Greek word for "reasonable" is logikos, from which we get our word "logical." Paul is saying that after considering the infinite mercy of God, offering your entire life back to Him is the only thing that makes sense. It is the most logical, rational, and sensible act of worship you can possibly perform. True worship isn't just singing songs on a Sunday; it is the daily presentation of your entire self to God.
II. The Call to Transformation: The Renewed Mind (v. 2)
Presenting our bodies is the external act of worship, but it must be fueled by an internal transformation.
A. The Negative Command: "be not conformed to this world"
Paul warns us, "And be not conformed to this world..." The word "conformed" means to be pressed into an outward mold, like a baker using a cookie cutter. The "world" here is not the planet, but the present age's system of thinking and behaving that is hostile to God.
This world has a pattern, and it is constantly trying to squeeze you into its mold. What is that pattern here in our city? It's the pattern of gossip (chismis). It's the pattern of "crab mentality"—pulling others down to get ahead. It is the pattern of materialism that screams at you from every mall, telling you that your worth is found in what you own. It is the pattern of impurity that bombards you on your phone screen. Paul says, "Do not let the world press you into its shape."
B. The Positive Command: "but be ye transformed"
Instead of being shaped from the outside-in, we are to be changed from the inside-out. "...but be ye transformed..." The Greek word here is metamorphoo, from which we get our word "metamorphosis." It is the same word used to describe Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration. It signifies a radical, fundamental change of nature, like a caterpillar emerging from its cocoon as a butterfly.
And how does this profound transformation occur? "...by the renewing of your mind." The battleground for your life is your mind. You cannot live a consecrated life with a conformed mind. The renewal of the mind happens when we intentionally stop feeding on the world's wisdom and start saturating our minds with God's truth. It happens through diligent study of His Word, through heartfelt prayer, and through fellowship with godly saints who challenge our thinking.
C. The Result: "that ye may prove what is... the will of God"
When our minds are being renewed, a glorious result follows: "...that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." As your thinking changes, your desires change. You begin to not only know what God's will is, but to experience it and prove it in your own life. You begin to see that His commands are not burdensome, but good. You find that living for Him is not a chore, but acceptable and pleasing. And you discover that His plan for you is not lacking, but perfect and complete.
Conclusion: The Daily Choice of a Renewed Life
So, the Christian life, in response to God's mercy, comes down to a daily, two-fold choice.
First, it is the choice of presentation. When you wake up, will you present the members of your body to the purposes of God, or to the patterns of this world?
Second, it is the choice of transformation. Throughout the day, will you allow your mind to be passively conformed by the noise of the world, or will you actively seek to have it renewed by the truth of God's Word?
This is our reasonable service. This is the logic of surrender. I beseech you, therefore, by the mercies of God. Go from this place today and lay your life upon His altar as a living sacrifice. Turn away from the empty patterns of this world. Immerse yourself in His truth, and allow the Holy Spirit to transform you, from the inside out, into the image of Christ, for His good, acceptable, and perfect will.
