“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”
—Romans 12:1
THE WORD “therefore” in our text points us back to Paul’s entire argument from Romans 1:18–11:36. Because of the mercies of God, Christians must give themselves entirely to God because of His saving grace and mercy in Christ. Worship, work, enjoyment, service, fellowship, Bible reading, etc. is all to be done with an eye to God’s glory and service. Paul is using sacrificial language from the Old Testament to speak of the believer’s new life in Christ. This is not a perfect life, practically speaking, but it is a life different from the life of the unbeliever, who cares nothing about the Lord. The unbeliever does not want God in any of his thoughts (Psalm 10:4).
CHRISTIANS ARE called to give their entirety, both body and soul, to the Lord who bought us. We are a living sacrifice, which means we are alive from the dead and now enjoy new life with Christ (Rom. 6:4). “Living” also means that we will not be put to death as Old Testament animal sacrifices since Christ fulfilled all Old Testament sacrifices (Heb. 8:5; Heb. 9:9-11; Heb. 10:1-10). In Old Testament worship, the focus was on offering animal sacrifices in the temple. But Paul tells us that spiritual worship, generally speaking, now includes offering one’s whole life to God (Heb. 13:15–16). However, in the New Testament, the word “worship” can be used in a narrower sense to speak of specific acts of adoration and praise as the people of God gather corporately in public worship (John 4:20; 1 Cor. 14:25; Heb. 12:28).
THEREFORE, AS a result of God’s love and mercy in Christ, Christ’s sacrificial work, and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, every believer is called to “present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” This is exactly what we do as we gather for corporate worship! As David wrote in Psalm 29:1-2: “Give unto the LORD, O you mighty ones, give unto the LORD glory and strength. Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.”
Tuesday Encouragement: July 29, 2025
In Christ,
Pastor S. Henry
