“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.” (Romans 12:1)
In this verse, we find the proper response to the reality Paul has just declared in Romans 11:33-36. There, he concluded that all things are being worked out by the wisdom and knowledge of our all-glorious God. Knowing this, the only logical response is to lay everything we have on the line and live for Him. That may be a simplified understanding of verse 1, but I believe it captures the heart of Paul’s message.
He tells us how we can do this: “By the mercies of God.” Have you ever made a promise to God and then broken it? I know I have. Especially in my teenage years, I was drawn to a life of sacrifice and service, setting out with high hopes and ambitions—only to find that all the promises I made, I was utterly unwilling and unable to keep. This is a miserable state for a Christian—to be torn in half by the desires of the Spirit of God within and the lingering carnal desires of the old man. I lived in that condition for years until I finally gave up. I stopped making bargains and promises to God and admitted my total incapability. I threw myself at His feet, pleading for mercy. And it was there, in that forsaking of my own efforts, that I found a strength greater than I had ever known. Suddenly, there was a renewed zeal, a true desire to do His will. “By the mercies of God,” I was strengthened to serve Him.
Dear Christian, don’t deceive yourself—you don’t have what it takes to live the life He has called you to. But you can live it! Not by your determination, grit, or discipline, but by His mercy. This is how we must approach the sacrificial life: Not I, but Christ who dwelleth in me!
What is it that we should lay on the altar of sacrifice? Our bodies—not dead, but living and breathing. Remember, your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, and God has always been protective of His dwelling place on earth. We could learn much from the Old Testament temples and tabernacles—how God was at the center, how idols were not permitted, and how it was never to be defiled. These are foreshadowings of the care we ought to give to this temple we live in with our God. Who sits on the throne in your temple? Are you constantly wrestling with God for control? Are there idols scattered about in your heart and mind? Is your body holy—sanctified both inwardly and outwardly? It isn’t just our living bodies we must give, but they must be holy, separated unto the Lord. Then they will be acceptable to Him. As the Scripture says, “possess your vessel in sanctification.” This is the logical service of the Christian, and it is possible only by His mercies at work in our lives.
When Paul says this is our “reasonable service,” he means that it is the only logical response to the majesty and sovereignty of God. Every other way of life is foolishness. To live for self, for the Christian, is vanity of vanities—just ask Solomon. If God is all-wise, all-powerful, and knows the end from the beginning, do we really think we can chart a better course for our lives than He can?
My six-year-old son has a keen sense of direction. When I veer from our usual routes, he’s quick to tell me I’ve taken a wrong turn. What he doesn’t know is that I have a few extra stops to make along the way.
Isn’t that how we often treat God? We resist Him when He takes us off the path we expected, convinced that He’s making a mistake. But in 6,000 years of human history, God has yet to make a wrong turn. He always arrives at His destination at the precise moment He intends, by the means He has determined.
So what makes more sense? For you to live your life calling the shots, or to surrender the driver’s seat to the omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent God who cannot fail?
In light of His perfect wisdom and knowledge, by His mercies, give up your body—your heart, mind, and soul—to His absolute control. This is the only course of action that makes sense. All other ways of life are vanity.
“I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.” (Ecclesiastes 1:14)
Amen