Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God… I. THE PERSONS ADDRESSED. "You, brethren." Church members. Paul regarded conversion as an initial step, which, to amount to anything, must be followed by a "going on to know the Lord." His favourite words were run, strive, fight, grow. He saw the potentialities of Christian manhood in the babe in Christ. This gave him weighty convictions as to the importance of prompt and proper attention to the nursing. II. THE DUTY ENJOINED. "Present your bodies." The body, as well as the soul, is redeemed, and both must go together into God's service. It is man yielding his members, as servants of iniquity, that gives power to the kingdom of darkness. So, to be of any service in the cause of God, we must yield, not our sympathy merely, but "our members as instruments of righteousness unto God." III. THE STATE OF CONDITION OF THE OFFERING. "A living sacrifice." Allusion is here made to the Jewish sacrifices — which, to have any moral value, must be dead; the Christian sacrifice must be presented living. Man is a priest who lays upon the altar his own living body. And as it was the business of the Jewish priest, not only to present the sacrifice, but to keep it on the altar and see that it be properly offered, so the Christian's sacrifice is to be — 1. "Holy." He is to see that his body is kept from all contact with the degrading or sensual. 2. Therefore, "acceptable to God." Jewish sacrifices were the best of their kind; and man must consecrate all his powers, or God will reject his offering as a mockery and a sham. 3. "Reasonable." Nothing more reasonable than that the creature should serve the Creator. If man was made to rule, it is equally true that he was made to obey; and in obedience is his greatest pleasure and profit. IV. THE MOTIVE PROMPTING THE SACRIFICE. "The mercies of God." This motive is — 1. Strange. Other religions motive their devotees by the judgments and terror of their gods. None but Christianity ever thought of love as the motive to obedience. 2. Winsome. 3. Adequate. (T. Kelly.) Parallel Verses KJV: 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. |
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