Romans 12:1-8 – Living Sacrifices
What’s The Point?
In light of all the doctrine covered in the past 11 chapters, Paul is now encouraging believers to live out the salvation they have been given. We were slaves to sin, chosen by God because of his mercy and grace, given the righteousness of Christ, and promised an eternal salvation and inheritance—considering all those things, how should we now live?
Paul’s first admonition addresses our posture before God. His challenge is to be “living sacrifices” (v.1). This is a bit confusing because sacrifices are, well…, dead. Paul is highlighting the fact that we have died with Christ. Our life is not ours anymore; it belongs to Christ. Or as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 6:19–20, “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”
Next, what does it look like to not conform to the world and be transformed by renewing our minds (v. 2)? Another way Paul says this is putting off the old self and putting on the new self (Ephesians 4:22-24). Remember how Romans 3 described how wicked we were, desperate to pursue our own sin? But that is not the way of Christ! We are a new creation, a new man or woman in Christ, “The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). Paul is telling us to live this way, and as we walk in this newness of life, we will better understand God’s will and direction for our lives. How wonderful!
In verse 3 it starts getting super practical. First, we need to be humble; it is hard to think too highly of yourself when you remember what sin and shame Christ redeemed us from. C.S. Lewis said, “True humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.” There is simply no room for pride or self-exaltation in the body of Christ. If anyone had the right to exalt themselves it was Jesus, and he was the ultimate example of humility (just go read Philippians 2:1-11).
Something beautiful about this chapter is that it highlights our unity and our uniqueness. The Christian life fulfills these natural longings that we all have to be a part of something bigger than ourselves and to have real value. Christ, by his finished work, has made us one with himself and members of his body, and has also shown that each individual person is infinitely valuable.
Now, as members of his body, he gives us all jobs to do. This is not busy work to keep us out of trouble; this is kingdom building work! The righteousness of Christ has justified us before the Father, and his grace continues to work both in us and through us. By the grace we are given we are able to extend and show grace to others. This is God’s plan accomplished by Christ and worked out by the Church.
As we die to ourselves, seeking to be living sacrifices, the grace of Christ will make itself evident in our lives so we can worship God, proclaim the Gospel, and serve the body of Christ.
Scripture Memorization
Romans 12:2
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.“
Prayer
Lord Jesus, you have saved me from sin. You rescued me from the grave. You took away all my shame and all my guilt. I am no longer the same; I am a new creation. Help me to live this new life well. Holy Spirit, convict me of sin and make me more like Jesus. Let his example of humility challenge and equip me to live humbly with those around me. I need to die to myself daily. When sin tries to claw its way back into my life, help me to kill it quickly. I want my life to be a sacrifice to you Lord. As I fight for holiness and purity, let me remember it is no longer I who lives, but Christ in me. Amen.
Reflection
- Read Philippians 2:1-11. Reflect on the gravity of Christ’s humiliation. How ought we to live in light of this?
- Paul mentions specific gifts in vv. 6-8. Which of these has God gifted you in, which gifts do you need to grow in?
- Stop and think about how crazy it is that you have been unified with Christ and his body. The Second Person of the Trinity has made himself united with us and has united us with each other. Thanks be to God!
Discussion Questions
- What mental pictures come into your mind when you think about being a living sacrifice? Think about the Old Testament references to sacrifice. Leviticus 4:1-12 describes one version of what sacrifice would look like.
- Consider the specific gifts that are mentioned in vv. 6-8; discuss which gifts you think each other might have.
- Living in the Body is not always easy. Discuss the difficulty of fighting selfishness, loving people well, and pursuing humility in the body of Christ.
If you have any questions feel free to reach out: harry@swoutfitters.com. All of the Scripture referenced in this study is from the English Standard Version (ESV) unless otherwise noted.