1.

Call to transformed living (Romans 12:1 – 2)

Paul shows that his intention is to offer encouragement to the Roman Christians. He made an
appeal; “therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy . . .” (NIV). “God’s mercy is
God’s kindness and patience. This includes the invincible determination of God to rescue his
children from sufferings to glorify them in the coming age (8:18 – 39).” 1 Paul appealed to his
audience to live out the Gospel for their salvation as people who are being saved and
transformed by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Paul’s appeal reaches us today, we ought
to live the Gospel way as people being saved and transformed by the Spirit of Christ and God’s
Word.

Paul made three appeals to his audience.

i). “Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.”
In Romans 6:19 Paul also encourages his audience to “offer them in slavery to righteousness
leading to holiness.” “In both cases it is the ‘members’ and the ‘body’ that believers are to
‘present’ to God.”2 This is real in its implementation, because in general through our bodies we
both work for ourselves to the suffering and discomfort of our neighbor or we work for God for
the good of our neighbor. But note that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,
that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good
or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10). So, God will raise our bodies at the last day and pass his judgment on us
according to the activities of the body.

“Paul’s metaphorical appeal to ‘present’ the ‘body’ as a ‘sacrifice’ was inspired by the priestly
culture of the Temple in Jerusalem. Paul lived in the Holy City from his teen years to his
conversion and doubtless witnessed the sacrifice of animals”3 in the Temple. But these bloody
Priestly sacrifices in the Temple are now overtaken by the sacrifice of Christ (the true Lamb of
God) on the cross. Christ’s sacrifice is, a once and for all, and is signified in our continual
surrender to serve God through our neighbors with our bodies in this life in humility. Our

1
Paul Barnett, Romans: The Revelation of God’s Righteousness (Ross-shire: Christian Focus Publications, 2007),
269.
2
Ibid., 270.
3
Ibid.
sacrifice “is a bloodless ‘sacrifice’ of believers in the self-offering of our ‘bodies’ (our total
beings) in grateful service to our merciful God.”4

Paul described the sacrifice of believers as:

 “Living sacrifice” – self-offering, unselfish and active, not lifeless and lukewarm with
whatsoever holding us back.
 “Holy sacrifice” – use our God given bodies to serve God in an honest and transparent
way.
 “Sacrifice pleasing to God” – in a sense of our complete truthfulness and uprightness
before God.

Paul defines such sacrifice as a “spiritual act of worship.” It is spiritual in the logic of its
conformity to God. God redeemed us through his Son Jesus Christ. The redeemer was both God
and man. Therefore, “what can saved men and women offer to God, except our very own
selves, that is, our bodies? God does not look for ‘silver or gold,’ . . . God expects only one thing
from us, that is, ourselves,”5 our bodies. Using our physical bodies to serve God does not mean
for us to work in order to obtain our salvation, but to convey our gratitude to God for his gift of
salvation. “Why would freed slaves [you and me] continue to serve our old master [Satan]?
Presenting our bodies to serve the interests of our new Master [Jesus Christ], on the other
hand, is completely logical—very much in keeping with our new nature and purpose.” 6

This sacrifice is also our worship today. Because the sacrifice of Christ is for every people of all
age and in every place. Wheresoever and whensoever, we use our bodies to do something good
and speak the truth, is to be considered an act of worship, living, holy, and pleasing to God.
Whether at our home, family, school, work, church etc.

4
Ibid.
5
Ibid., 271.
6
Charles R. Swindoll, Insights on Romans, Tyndale House Publishers, 2015. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebook
central.proquest.com/lib/bptcsb/detail.action?docID=5395189. Created from bptcsb on 2022-11-03 00:54:41.
ii). “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world.”
“Paul did not use the Greek word for “world” or “universe” here but the term aiōn, meaning
“eon,” “era,” or “age.” The world was not originally evil; it has been corrupted. Paul’s use of the
term meaning “age” stressed the fact that the present condition of creation is temporary.” 7 This
means that before this ‘age’ the world is in good unity with the nature of God, which is love and
righteousness.

In fact, Paul’s ‘appeal’ is, ‘do not be “shaped” by this “age.” By ‘this age’
Paul means that period of time begun with the ’fall’ of Adam and ended
with the ‘revelation of the sons of God’ (8:19).” In short, ‘this age’ is the
‘age of Adam,’ the rebel against God, the ‘age’ where ‘Sin rules in Death’
(5:21).8
Indeed the ‘age of Adam’ has shaped us, whether we realize it or not. We thought more about
our next meal than about God, more about our own benefit than about serving God and
neighbor, Paul described this situation in Romans 1:18-32. But we are belonging to Christ in
God’s new age, thus we should live in a way fitting the new age of Christ. Transform to the new
age of Christ.

iii). “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

Paul said, do not follow Adam and his descendants. On the contrary, the Gospel of Christ has
been brought to you and you have been saved (Rom. 6:17). Further, know that as you “were
baptized into Christ Jesus you were baptized into His death, therefore buried with Him through
baptism into death . . . just as Christ raised from dead . . . even so we also should walk in
newness of life” (Rom. 6:3 – 4). So, we are in a new life in Christ, however, if you do not renew
our mind, we will never transform. By renewing our mind, Paul implies; change the way how we
think. If we do not change the way we think, then transformation will not happen in our life.
Take away the mind-set of the ‘age of Adam’ and transform into the new mind of Christ. “When
our minds are renewed after the mind of Christ, we more clearly discern the will of God.

7
Swindoll, Insights on Romans, 275.
8
Barnett, Romans: The Revelation of God’s Righteousness, 271.
Understanding the will of God is the first, necessary step toward enacting it with our bodies.” 9
God keep on renewing our mind as we continue to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior.

This continuing renewal means continuing transformation of our life conveyed in devoted and
faithful service of other people. “That ‘transformation’ is no impersonal thing, however, but
deeply personal. It is the transformation of the children of Adam, ‘conformed into the likeness’
of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (see on 8:29). It is growth in ‘Christ-likeness’ and ‘Christ-shaped’
living, no less.”10

Paul’s plea to his audience are; i). to offer their bodies as a sacrifice to God in holy living, ii) to
refuse being ‘shaped by’ the sin and death of the ‘age’ of Adam, and iii) to be ‘transformed’ by
minds made anew by God’s Spirit and Word. From these Paul hope for a good result, to
“approve” way of behaving and deeds that is in harmony with God’s will. “Only the gospel of
Christ proclaimed and believed is capable of bringing the re – creative Spirit into the lives of
Adam’s children.”11 Paul expects to see the renewed mind and the transformed living as visible
things in the lives of his audience then, and now for us in a unified church and in our
interactions with one another and the broader society. “Paul was describing how we are led,
first to discover the will of God, then to do it, and finally to prove from our own experience how
good and satisfying His will is. This process goes on throughout our lives and is part of the
excitement of following Jesus Christ.”12

Paul’s words of appeal aren’t just truth in which to rest upon, yet again they are our call to
respond on. Though Christ has promised to transform us, we have a choice. We can choose to
continue our pride and boastfulness and defy Christ’s work, or we can adjust and work with
Christ and participate in His transforming process. This selection starts with how we see
ourselves, what importance we give our neighbors, and how we can use our spiritual gifts to
benefit others.

9
Sarah Heaner Lancaster, Romans: A Theological Commentary on the Bible, Presbyterian Publishing Corporation,
2015. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/bptcsb/detail.action?docID=5974206.
Created from bptcsb on 2022-11-03 07:48:34.
10
Barnett, Romans: The Revelation of God’s Righteousness, 272.
11
Ibid., 273.
12
Roger Bowen, A Guide to Romans: SPCK International Study Guide 11 (London: SPCK, 1996), 168.
Application

First, “present your bodies as living and holy sacrifice.” This is consecration. This is a
fundamental departure from earthly influences, it starts with a choice to offer our bodies all
across to godly intentions. It concerns wherever we go, what we decide on, how we use our
bodies, “what influences we receive or reject, how we spend our time, how we spend our
money, and what we choose to accomplish day in and day out.”13

Second, “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” This is transformation. The main thing
is to transform the heart, from the inside out. Yet, we can’t transform our own hearts; only God
can. But by our faithfulness and humility and by the ‘grace given us’ we be able to transform
and renew our mind in Christ.

13
Swindoll, Insights on Romans, 281.