Romans 12:1-2 Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy Paul’s writing style typically moves from doctrine (Ch. 1-11) to practice (Ch. 12-16), so the key word he opens with in chapter 12 is “therefore”. this “therefore” is there to remind us of all the mercies that God has shown us that Paul mentioned in the first part of his letter: God did not abandon us (Rom 3:23) God gives us a righteousness we could never earn (Rom 3:24) Our relationship with God is restored (Rom 5:1) God’s love came first (Rom 5:8) We are given a new master (Rom 6:18) Our guilt has been removed (Rom 8:1) God becomes our Father (Rom 8:15) God redeems every circumstance (Rom 8:28) God’s love is fierce (Rom 8:38-39) God’s plan of redemption continues (Rom 9-11) When we realize the depth of God’s mercy, Romans 12:1 suddenly makes sense, and our life in Christ is a response to mercy. The altar of our surrender is built on the foundation of mercy. God’s mercies are the motivation for our obedience. This is why we “present your bodies as a living sacrifice”. When Paul uses the word “bodies”, the original readers would have immediately thought of the sacrifices used in the Old Testament, which represent the totality of one’s life and activities. Some offerings in the OT were “sin offerings”, which were for shedding blood and asking for forgiveness. Jesus was and is our sin offering. Instead, the offering Paul points to is a “whole burnt offering”, which was a valuable animal from your flock. It had to be without defect. This animal would have been very expensive, and it showed that all you had was at God’s disposal. The burnt offering was always burnt totally and it represented complete consecration and devotion to God. The altar isn’t a moment-it’s a lifestyle. Surrender isn’t a one-time decision – it’s a daily decision. Paul goes on to say that this sacrifice is “holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” This word “spiritual” literally means “logical”. Tim Keller says, “In short, once you have a good view of God’s mercy, anything less than a total, complete sacrifice of yourself to God is completely irrational!” Verse 2 begins, “Do not be conformed to this world”, which means “stop being conformed”. (1 Peter 1:14-15) Culture constantly tries to tell us who to be, but we need to let God reshape us into His image. What we scroll conforms our soul. For most people, the primary reason we conform is fear. We fear not fitting in, what others will think about us, or the backlash that comes from living differently. “But be transformed by the renewing of your mind”. This is a change from the inside out. (2 Cor 3:18; Matt 17:2). We renew our minds through the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Christianity is not about becoming a nicer version of the old you. It’s about becoming a new creation. The goal in all of this is that “by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Questions to Consider: How has God shown you mercy in your life? Reflect on the relationships, the decisions, the mistakes, and the places you’ve been and how He has woven them all together to bring you to where you are. How does understanding God’s mercy help you want to serve Him? What does it mean to be a “living sacrifice” in your daily life? What are some “patterns of this world” that we are tempted to follow? How can we, in our home, “defend against” the pressure to be like the rest of the world?