Romans 12:1-2 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. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
A living sacrifice, we present to God, it is holy and acceptable to God. “It is spiritual service in opposition to ceremonial and external observances.” Hodge “It includes the entire spirit soul and body. “Not a propitiatory sacrifice, but one of praise.” AT Robertson
And, “stop being fashioned or do not have the habit of being fashioned.” “Do not take this age as your fashion plate.” AT Robertson
Two verbs of “present passive imperative” speak here. Meaning, One, don’t continue to receive the action of the worlds fashioning . Two, continue to receive the action of a transforming, a renewing of the mind.
“That you may prove,” Barnes interprets, ” …it also means to explore, investigate, ascertain. The sense is, that such a renewed mind is essential to a successful inquiry after the will of God. Having a disposition to obey him, the mind will be prepared to understand his precepts.” Barnes
What is the good, acceptable, perfect, The “essentially and unchangeably good, then, “well pleasing to God” in contrast with all that is arbitrary (random), and lastly, only what God has eternal self-satisfaction in (Mic_6:8, with Jer_9:24); and it is “perfect,” as it required nothing else than the perfection of God’s reasonable creature, who, in proportion as he attains to it, reflects God’s own perfection.”
Jeremiah 9:24 ” But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.
Micah 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
“A careful study of all the epistles of Paul will show that they are written on the basis of the cross set forth in Romans 6 — the fact that God consigns the old fallen Adam life to the cross, and has nothing to say to it. God deals with all believers on the ground, “in Christ you died.’ “Miles Stanford
Stanford continues, “But the church of Christ, as a whole, ignores this fact. It treats the fallen creature as capable of improvement. and the meaning of the cross bringing to death the old Adam race as fallen beyond repair, is thus nullified.”
J. C. Metcalf sees both the problem and the answer. “The modern teaching of consecration, seeks to bypass the death sentence and, therefore, only leads to frustration and failure. When, however, you and I are prepared in simple humility to make the fact of our death with Christ our daily basis of life and service, there’s nothing that can prevent the uprising and outflow of new life, and meet the need of thirsty souls around us.”
In closing, a quote from Carl H Stevens from his book “sanctified.” He says, ” sanctify” means to set apart. to make holy. When a person is sanctified , they become completely dedicated to God., for His purpose alone. God takes what is His and makes it holy. What God has sanctified, we are to sanctify. We grow as we learn to set apart our lives to God.” “Our sanctified faith pleases God, Hebrews 11:6
Hebrews 10:8-10 reads, ” Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; “Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. “
Believers, step into your holy status, chosen by God.
Psalm 40:6 ” Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.” love ya
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