Under the Law of Moses, an
individual who wanted to
demonstrate an act of complete
dedication to God brought an
unblemished animal to the Temple.
There the worshiper identified himself
with the offering by placing his
hands on the animal’s head. The
animal was then slaughtered.
Afterward, the priest completed his duties by burning the carcass upon the altar. This was known as a burnt sacrifice, “a sweet savor unto the LORD” (Lev. 1:9).
Perhaps the apostle Paul had this image in mind when he wrote his closing thoughts to the saints in Rome. He had spent the majority of his epistle communicating the righteousness of God as revealed in the gospel. One can almost picture him pausing in his dictation to Tertius (16:22), rising from his chair, gazing into heaven, and exclaiming with awe and wonder, “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!” (11:33).
But having instructed his readers concerning the glory of their salvation, Paul then wanted them to respond. It is here he wrote one of the most stirring challenges of all Scripture.
Challenge of a Living Sacrifice
Paul’s primary challenge to the Roman Christians was that they become living sacrifices to be used of the living God. He began with a plea: “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service” (12:1). His exhortation was neither fleeting nor sporadic. It was continuous, exhibiting the prominence it held in Paul’s heart. Nor was it based on flimsy reasons. Paul exhorted believers based on “the mercies of God.” The word mercies here is different than the word Paul used in the rest of his letter. This word implies compassion. Paul’s plea, though, was not based on some ethereal, sentimental concept, but rather on the specific, down-to-earth compassions of God, which he had enumerated in previous sections of the epistle.
“That ye present” was the purpose of Paul’s entreaty. He wanted the believers at Rome to make an active decision of surrender. In Romans 6:13, Paul called the saints to yield themselves. In 6:19 he summoned them to yield their “members.” Here he pleaded with them to “present your bodies.” This does not refer merely to the external, material part of the believer, but to the whole person—the totality of the individual. The term speaks of cost, forfeiture, and loss—the relinquishing of one’s total self— and encourages a complete surrender, with nothing held back. Clearly, Paul had but one objective in mind—to convey the concept of becoming a “sacrifice.”
This particular sacrifice has four distinctive qualities:
It Is Living. It is not a one-time offering, never to be repeated. Rather, it is to be on-going, inasmuch as it continually lives. As Paul wrote earlier, “yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead” (6:13). Unlike unbelievers, who are “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1), believers are spiritually alive in Christ. Thus they can be living sacrifices.
It Is Holy. It is set apart, designated for godly purposes.
It Is Acceptable Unto God. The meaning of acceptable is “well pleasing.” It is used in this same sense in Philippians 4:18, where Paul thanked the Philippian church for its gift, which he described as “a sacrifice acceptable, well-pleasing to God.”
It Is Your Reasonable Service. In the days of the Temple, the priestly duties were known as the service. Paul also used the word this way in Romans 9:4, as did the writer of Hebrews in Hebrews 9:1 and 9:6. The word suggests that this sacrifice of the believer is merely a part of his reasonable, logical duty as a believer-priest who has direct access to God through the blood of Christ (1 Pet. 2:5). Moreover, where there is the Temple of God, there should also be sacrifice; and each believer is a Temple indwelled by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 3:16).
It is interesting to note, however, that Paul did not command his readers to make this dedicatory sacrifice, though he had the authority to do so. Instead, he appealed to them as a father would his children, understanding that such an important decision must be made willingly.
(We will continue next week with the remainder of the article.)
 Bruce Scott holds a B.A. in Bible from Grace College of the
Bible,
Omaha, Nebraska and a M.Div. from Central Baptist
Theological Seminary
in Plymouth, Minnesota. He is a Bible teacher and preacher
with The
Friends of Israel in Minnesota.
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