Romans 12:1-2

A Study of The Book of Romans

Lesson 87 Chapter 12:1 – 2

By Pastor Randy Johnson

1. Introduction to Chapter 12
1. In chapters 1 – 11 we have seen much about doctrine. Doctrine is important in every Christian’s life, but what’s next? The practice of that doctrine, or duty to doctrine.
2. The next few chapters 12 – 15:13 will deal in several ways we as Christians are to conduct ourselves. And all those ways involve living the word of God, not just believing it.
3. These few chapters will deal with our sanctification (Sanctification is that relationship with God into which men enter by faith in Christ. -Vines), There are two forms of sanctification, (a.) Christian character (which deals with the outer man or who the Christian is) and (b.) Christian conduct (which deals with the inner man or what the Christian does). We have already had the first one “Christian character” now Paul will teach us about “our Christian conduct or who we should be in our hearts”.
4. Acts 26:18 “To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.” - 1 Corinthians 6:11 “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” Some people will ask “now that I have been saved, what’s next? Paul is going to answer that question.
5. We will look at these few chapters under several titles of the Christian conduct.

a. Our Christian conduct concerning ourselves.

b. Our Christian conduct concerning the Lord’s church.

c. Our Christian conduct concerning our relation to the secular world.

d. Our Christian conduct concerning our Government.

e. Our Christian conduct concerning in relation to other believers such as not judging one another.

f. Our Christian conduct concerning in relation to other believers such as that we not hinder one another or become a stumblingblock to one another.

g. Our Christian conduct concerning imitating Christ in living our lives.

h. This is a lot and for the next several weeks we will explore together how we as Christians are not to only have sanctified character but also sanctified conduct.

2. Our Christian conduct concerning ourselves. Verses 1 – 2
1. Verse 1 “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.”
2. “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God…” The word “by” is very important here, it denotes the reason we should conduct ourselves, because of God’s mercy to us.
3. “…that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice…” Albert Barnes said; “The bodies of animals were offered in sacrifice. The apostle specifies their bodies particularly in reference to that fact. Still the entire animal was devoted; and Paul evidently meant here the same as to say, present Yourselves, your entire person, to the service of God.)

a. We belong to God, Jesus paid for us and bought us, not just as a spirit but totally, that is body, soul, and spirit. We are to glorify God with all three. 1 Corinthians 6:20 “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”

b. Philippians 1:20 “According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.”

4. “…a living sacrifice…” not as the dead sacrifices of old, but as living sacrifices. That is while we live we are to present to the Lord our entire bodies for Him.
5. “…holy…” means – without spot or blemish. While in Malachi the Israelites were offering lame animals for sacrifice, beloved our bodies are a living sacrifice to God, make it holy, do not offer God a lame body as did the Israelites. Malachi 1:8 “And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts.”
6. “…acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Your body should be acceptable to God and cannot be if not kept holy. – The word “reasonable” means – rational or logical – This tells us since God and His mercy did so much for us in salvation it is not unreasonable for God to expect this from us or unreasonable for us to do it.
2. Verse 2 “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.”

1. “And be not conformed to this world…” One cannot satisfy verse 1 and be in this world what it is. 1 Peter 1:14 “As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:”
2. “…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. Someone once said; “The main problem with a living sacrifice is that it keeps crawling off the altar.”

b. Two words here; “transformed” which means changed, and “renewing” which means renovation. We have been changed in the inner man by a renovation which God done, therefore what a Christian does on the outside or the “Christian character” should be guided by the inner man or the Christian conduct.

c. 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

d. Ephesians 4:24 “And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”