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Bible study notes on romans11/30/2023 Keeping it at God’s altar as a living sacrifice keeps the body where it should be. The body is a wonderful servant, but a terrible master. The thinking of our age says that our body must tell the will what to do but the Bible says that our will must bring the body as a living sacrifice to God. The previous appeal to the will ( I beseech you) means that the will is to be the master over the body. You may do all kinds of work for God, but never give Him your self. Present your bodies means that God wants you, not just your work. When we give the body to God, the soul and spirit go with it. Whatever we say about our spirit, soul, flesh, and mind, we know that they each live in our bodies. It is best to see the body here as a reference to our entire being. Spiritually speaking, our bodies are brought to God’s altar. Present your bodies: Connected with the idea of a living sacrifice, thiscalls to mind priestly service. “We must believe that these Divine mercies have persuasive powers over our wills.” (Newell)ĭ. In light of all this mercy - past, present, and future - Paul begs us to present your bodies a living sacrifice. Justification from the guilt and penalty of sin.Īdoption in Jesus and identification with Christ.Īssurance of a standing in God’s election.Ĭonfidence of no separation from the love of God.Ĭonfidence in God’s continued faithfulness. Think of all the mercies of God Paul has explained to us thus far: “Whereas the heathen are prone to sacrifice in order to obtain mercy, biblical faith teaches that the divine mercy provides the basis of sacrifice as the fitting response.” (Harrison) God commanded us to do this, and He makes it possible for us to do it. By the mercies of God reminds us that we do this because of the mercy shown to us by God (described well in Romans 1-11), and that we are only able to offer ourselves to God as He works His mercy in us. “When he uses this pattern Paul is saying that the Christian life is dependent on the great Christian doctrines.” (Morris)Ĭ. Paul begs Christians to live a certain way in light of what God did for them. Therefore brethren: It is Paul’s pattern to begin a letter with a strong doctrinal section and follow with exhortations to Christian living. God calls us to make a choice about the way that we live for Him.ī. I beseech you: This reminds us that Paul appeals to our will. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.Ī. Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-mould your minds from within, so that you may prove in practice that the Plan of God for you is good, meets all His demands and moves towards the goal of true maturity. With eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I beg you, my brothers, as an act of intelligent worship, to give Him your bodies, as a living sacrifice, consecrated to Him and acceptable by Him. Phillips has an outstanding and memorable translation of Romans 12:1-2:
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