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Romans 12:1, "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."
This section begins the third and final "therefore" in the Epistle to the Romans. The other two are Romans 5:1 - "Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ", and Romans 8:1 - "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Brethren identifies the group to whom these words are addressed. Paul is speaking to Christians, whether Jews or Gentiles. The Lord wants the sacrifice of our life, not our death. This is in contrast to the Old Testament sacrifices which were put to death on the altar. Since we know that we have died with Christ, we are in a position to present him with our lives that are hidden with Him. The sacrifice of ourselves to God is our reasonable service. But our service can only be spiritual in the biblical sense when it is characterized by our conscious, intelligent, rational service to the Lord. In Paul's theology, spirituality is not some mindless flittering of the heart, it is not based on emotions run wild, but is the presentation of an entire life to the Lord. Paul is calling the believer to make an informed decision that is grounded and rooted in the understanding of and the embracing of the finished work of the cross. Because of what Christ has done for us, because of His ultimate sacrifice for us, it only makes sense that we give Him our lives. Since He placed such a high value on us, it is only reasonable that He is the one who would lead us into the blessed place that can only be found in Him. Many would have us believe that there are options, that someone else or something else is better for us. But who paid the price, who has actually gone the distance on your behalf. Only Jesus! To give our all to the one who gave His all for us is only reasonable!
In His Service,
Faye
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