A Living Sacrifice - by Rev Gilbert Wong
Text: Romans
12:1-2, John 3:1-15
31 December 2005
Prayer
Merciful God, I ask that you will guide me, as you pleased, to seek earnestly, to investigate carefully, to know truthfully, and to present perfectly, to the glory of your name. Amen.
Introduction
In these first two verses of Romans 12, the Apostle Paul is urging us to dedicate our body to God. He has argued in Romans chapters 1 to 11 about how God has shown his love for us by sending his one and only Son to die for our sins. He says that on our own, we are not able to prevent ourselves from sinning. We needed help. And God out of his mercies came down from heaven to save us from the bondage of sin. And how we are going to live our lives from now on depends on how we respond to these first verses of Romans 12.
In response to God’s mercies, we dedicate ourselves continuously (12:1a)
Paul could have asserted his apostolic authority and expect compliance from his readers. But he did not. He prefers to appeal to our conscience to do the right thing. And the right thing according to Paul is to dedicate our lives in grateful response to God’s mercies. Just a few of the mercies of God in Romans 1-11:
Should we not be grateful to God for all he had done for us and more that God would do for us? Paul uses the same approach in Philemon 8-9 where he says “though, I have enough confidence in Christ to order you to do that which is proper, yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you”. Just as he appealed to his hearers then, he is appealing to us now. We have also God’s mercies and what would be our response?
We may have dedicated ourselves long ago. Perhaps on the day of your conversion some years back. Or you could recall very clearly when the special day or occasion was when you dedicated your life to God. It is good to remember how God’s mercies have touched you. It is the same with marriage vows where we dedicate our love to our spouses and the rest of our lives are the living out of those marriage vows. It is also the same with pets. You may like to have some pets at home. Wanting to buy a pet, be it a dog or any other animals, would also mean a corresponding commitment to look after that pet.
But we witness more than ever before the breakdown of marriages. We also witness more and more of strayed pet animals taking up more and more spaces in animal half-way houses. What happened? Paul gives us a clue and that is the phrase “offer your bodies”. Other translations would have “present your bodies”. The particular word that I want to examine is the word “present” or “offer”. “Present or offer” calls for a once and for all presentation which means a deliberate action involving the human will. It speaks of a definite point of commitment to God even as a bride and a bridegroom commit themselves to each other once for all on their wedding day. In a ceremony, they vow, “I give you myself”. But these vows require constant reminders and recommitment, so dedicating ourselves to God involves a moment-by-moment awareness of the pledge we made. These reminders are necessary because the world-system relentlessly appeals to our inherent selfishness and pride. Through an attitude of continual submission to God, our hearts and lives will be transformed by God’s power. And we will then know, with an assurance that comes from the Holy Spirit, that God’s ways are “good and acceptable and perfect”. This enables us to live confidently, joyously, and sacrificially.
The well known Bible Expositor, Warren Wiersbe helps us understand how this great truth can be applied practically: He says,
“For many years I have tried to begin each day by surrendering my body to the Lord. Then I spend time with His Word and let him transform my mind and prepare my thinking for that new day. Then I pray, and I yield the plans of the day to Him and let Him work as he sees best. I especially pray about those tasks that upset or worry me – and He always sees me through. To have a right relationship with God, we must start the day by yielding to Him our bodies, minds, and wills…The Spirit of God transforms your life by renewing your mind (2 Corinthians 3:18), but He cannot do this unless you give Him your body”
So if you and I begin each day by surrendering your body, mind & will to your Lord, it will make a great deal of difference in what you do with your body during the day!
In response to God’s mercy, we give ourselves fully (12:1b)
We are to present “our bodies” and not just part of it. Some Christians divide up our human body into body, soul, and spirit. And to some Christians, presenting our body would only mean just our body and not soul and spirit. This is a serious error. In the Greek language the word ‘body’ is a figure of speech which uses a part to represent the whole. So our ‘body’ represent s the totality of our being, not just our physical bodies but our heart, soul, mind, and strength. What we as believers do with our body is as much a part of the spiritual life as what we do in our devotional time or how we use our talents or our money. The artificial division we make between ‘physical’ and ‘spiritual’ is not at all biblical.
Stedman has some practical thoughts on what our ‘body’ signifies:
“I frequently hear, as all pastors do, somebody say to me, “Well, I am sorry I cannot make it to the meeting tonight, but I will be with you in spirit.” And I understand what they mean, but I find it rather disconcerting to speak to a hall full of spirits; I would so much rather they bring their bodies. You see, if you move your body into action, you have really given yourself. You can come short of it in a thousand different ways, and sound very pious in doing it, but it is when you finally put your body on the line that you really have given yourself. Men frequently say, “Well, I’ll give you my time.” Or, “I’ll give you my money.” But this is oftentimes a very pious dodge to evade a genuine commitment, because it is only part of the life. Or people say “I am totally available,” but the first request they get, they find an excuse to beg off. You see, our minds may be committed, our spirits may be available, but, yet, not our bodies. This is where we resist the pressure of God’s Spirit, but this is what commitment is…The only life that is really life is: A life that is utterly given to God, a life in which He is on control, and a life which God rules and reigns!”
You and I will find supreme crises all the time. Will I relinquish? Will I abandon? If you and I are up against a crisis, go through with it, relinquish all, and let Him make you fit for all He requires of you in this day. If crisis has come to you on any line, surrender your will to Him absolutely.
In response to God’s mercies, we live a life of worship (12:1c)
It is true that animals that were living when they are brought to the altar would be dead when offered. Believers are dead to sin but alive with Christ. Thus the sacrifice Paul is calling for “demands not the destruction but the full energy of life. It is positive and dynamic.” (Morris) It is not just what you do on Sunday in the church building that ascribes worth to God, but what God and the world see in you every day and every moment of the rest of the week. We need to be like this American missionary, David Brainerd who lived and died (at the age of 29) with a “living sacrifice” mindset, once remarking to Jonathan Edwards.
“I do not go to heaven to be advanced but to give honour to God. It is no matter where I shall be stationed in heaven, whether I have a high seat or a low seat here. My heaven is to please God and glorify Him, and give all to Him, and to be wholly devoted to His glory.”
As the story goes in a church service one Sunday, the offering plate came to a little girl at the end of a row. She took the plate, put in down on the floor, and stood in it. When the usher asked her what she was doing, she responded, “In Sunday school I learned that I was supposed to give myself to God.” The main point is that although the Lord may ask some of us to die for him physically, He asks all of us to live for him. In some respects, it may be harder to live for Christ than to die for Him; but if we are living for Him, we will be prepared to die for Him if that is what God calls us to do.
Let us pray…
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