Our Bodies a Living Sacrifice
Romans 12:1-2 · Jim Pool · Jun 10, 2007
Romans (2005-07), No. 86
Holly Hills Bible Church
https://www.hollyhillsbiblechurch.org/teaching/messages/492602986745

Transcribed from the recording by SermonAudio, so expect the occasional misheard word.

Okay, so we're making a turn here, big turn. Transition into chapter 12.

So we're getting, you know, we saw how Paul took the opportunity to communicate that everybody is lost and everybody is condemned before God, no matter whether you're a Jew or you're Greek or you keep the law, or you don't keep the law, or you do this or you do that, everybody is condemned and as a sinful person stands condemned and guilty before God and then how he brought out the plan of salvation by faith alone, apart from the works of the law, we saw that in the middle of chapter 3 through the middle of chapter 5 and then how Positionally, we're either in Adam or you're either in Christ in the middle of chapter 5 there to the end of chapter 5 and then within the chapter 6 how we are dead to sin because of our co-crucifixion with Christ that we're dead to sin and we're alive in the God therefore bringing about the freedom. from sin in our lives on a daily basis, we're positionally free from that. Thank the Lord for that in chapter 7, how we're free from the law. What a great truth that is. We no longer have to be in this performance-oriented mindset, how we're free from living under the law and in chapter 8 how we've been given the Holy Spirit to bring about all these different ministries and all these different truths to reality in our lives and so then we went 9 10 and 11 which we finished last week about God's essentially God's plan of salvation how it relates throughout all of time relating to the Jews and relating to the Gentiles and his program for for all mankind and his program of salvation throughout all of history.

Really neat. I enjoyed that. Did you guys enjoy that section of 9 through 11? I did. I really did. So we enter into Chapter 12 and we have some, you know, enter into the section of essentially practical application is what we're going to be looking at here for the next several months. I think we want to try to finish between now and the end of September. is the goal, to finish 12 in the end, between now and then.

So, chapter 12, this morning we're going to look to cover verses 1 and 2, just some great verses. It's interesting how he begins this section of practical application with these two verses. So as we look at the two verses, we see two exhortations coming out first. So let's just read these. Let me start in chapter 11, verse 33. Chapter 11, verse 33, O the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

How unfathomable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord? Who has become His counselor? For who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to Him again? For from him, and through him, and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever. Amen.

I urge you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present to your bodies a living and holy sacrifice acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good, and acceptable, and perfect. Okay, so we're entering into this section of Turning the Corner, and he gives us two exhortations. In verse one, he says to present yourselves to God, and we're going to look at that in quite a bit of detail this morning. And then the second exhortation that he gives in the second verse is, don't be conformed, don't conform to the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Okay, so just to put it simply there in some introduction. I had some supplemental handouts that I think Sue was copying. You got them? Great. We still need maybe a seven. Oh, here we go. Here we go. Never mind. All right. I'm going to need one, too, because I gave up my only copy. I don't have that thing memorized. So I'll get some from these guys. Thanks. OK. Alright, so here we go.

I urge or beseech as the KJV is going to use you therefore by the mercies of God. So, urge here carries with it the idea to address or to speak. So, that's simply, you know, Paul is urging them, he's talking to them, he's speaking to them, he's addressing them with this instruction of what it is that he wants to happen in their lives. It may be done in the way of begging or of encouraging or exhorting them, an entreaty, comfort or instruction, and it's a present active indicative there. And it's interesting, it's used for a calling meant to produce a particular effect. And so Paul is, if you can kind of sense his heart and sense his emotion here and sense his desire and kind of his passion that he's begging them and he's urging them and he's encouraging them so that it'll have an effect. He's not just saying, oh by the way, just consider this, just think about this a little bit. No, he's really communicating this in a strong way so that it will bring about an effect in their lives. And we're going to go into what that effect is.

It's used to encourage troops who are about to go into battle. So if you can imagine, you know, what was the Maybe you saw the movie Braveheart out years ago, pretty violent, but overall a pretty good movie, where Mel Gibson is getting ready to go out into battle and he's riding on his horse up and down the battle lines and he's encouraging the troops who are getting ready to go out and fight in the battle. That kind of, as I was reading this and thinking about Paul and his encouragement and his exhortation here and his passion to communicate, that vision and that That concept kind of came to my mind about Paul, just wanting to really get these folks to embrace and to have what he's going to instruct them in, have it become part of their life. It's also used, this word here, urge or besiege, it's also used in Romans chapter 15, verse 30. Let's look at that one. Chapter 15, verse 30.

Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me." So there again is the same word we have, urge, or beseech, depending on what translation or version you guys are using. Over in 2 Corinthians 2, verse 8. 2 Corinthians 2, verse 8. Wherefore, I urge you to reaffirm your love for Him."

Again, just the use of the same word there in chapter 6, verse 1, "...and working together with Him, we also urge you not to receive the grace of God in vain." Okay. And it's also used in several other places. We won't take the time this morning to look at them all, but I did want to look at just a couple of are the usages of that word, urge, there. So, I urge, beseech, or beg you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, therefore, ties into the previous chapters. So, the result of the previous chapters is, therefore, do this. He's built this tremendous case, as I opened up the whole thing. Everybody's lost. Here is salvation by grace alone. Here is the sanctification truths. Here is God's plan of salvation throughout history for the Jews and the Gentiles. Now, folks, listen. Therefore, let this be the case.

So, the therefore ties back all the way to all that he said so far, all the way in chapters 1 all the way through 11. So you've got to go way back and actually Some of what I've come up with this morning has come from Hal's notes and some from some other resources and different things. And you know, Hal listed everything. It was incredible. I don't know if Roger or Bob, if you guys have looked at those notes, he listed everything that this therefore ties back to. It was two pages, Wendy, of really, really, really small writing. I think a notebook piece of paper usually has like 28 lines or something like that on it. This had to have at least 35 or 40 lines. Really, really small writing. All that is therefore tied back to. I won't take the time to go through all that, but it's one, chapter one, all the way through chapter 11 that therefore is tying back to.

Okay, so who are the brethren that's talking about here? I urge you, I beg you, beseech you, therefore, brethren by the mercies of God. Who's the brethren that we're talking about here? Pretty simple? You've got to make the first question easy. If you make the first one too hard, it's going to be believers. Here's another question. The first one was pretty easy. Here's the second one.

What is significant about Paul's urging being by the mercies of God? What's important about that? What's significant that Paul's urging or he's begging them or his beseeching is going to be according to or it's going to be by the mercies of God? I think that verse says it's by his doing that we are in Christ Jesus. It has to be by God, by Christ's doing in our lives. He's not asking us to perform.

That's right. Exactly right. I think that's critical to bring out here, especially because we're going to get into some things that He wants us to do. In these verses we're going to get into a couple of imperatives, commands, things that He wants us to do. But we have to see it in its proper context. We have to see it balanced. That all of this, this urging and this begging of what He wants us to do is by the mercies of God. So, yeah, the source and the power of His urging and exhortation has nothing to do with man's abilities, but God's mercy and His compassion.

And go back to chapter 15. We already looked at this first, but let's point this out again. Go over to chapter 15 and verse 30. We see the same idea communicated here. Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ, and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me." See the same thing there. He's urging them, but how is he urging them? By what source is he urging them? By the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the love of the Spirit.

So in this verse here, in 12-1, we're seeing the begging and beseeching is according to the mercy, or according to the compassion of God. Why do you think Paul in verse 1 uses, by the mercies of God, and then in 3 with an exhortation in there it talks about the grace given unto me. Can we interpret those identically do you think? I think grace and mercy are different. So why would he use mercies in 1 and grace in 3?

Without giving it a whole lot of thought, maybe he's just designed to include more of the characteristics and more of the attributes of God. One, the urging is going to be according to the mercy, and mercy is not getting what we deserve. That's the mercies of God. Grace is getting what we don't deserve. So by using the two different terms there, he's just bringing into these few verses more of the variety of attributes and characteristics of God. Roy, you're going to add to that?

My initial thought was going to use this word by the mercies of God. Perhaps in his mind a lot of God has been mercy to him. Not just to give credit for that, for this opportunity. to present our bodies based on all this wonderful positional truth that he's brought us to this conclusion, that it is his mercy that allows us to even present, and it's by his grace that we're presenting the truth, because it's in that power that we're living. So by his mercy, we're given the opportunity to even be able to present ourselves to the Lord. That's what the Lord was bringing out. And the idea of mercy not getting what one deserves, I mean, you know, Paul thinking in his mind, boy, I certainly do not deserve the opportunity to even be able to present myself to the Lord. Nor do we. That's right. Paul saw himself as the least of the saints.

That's right. Good, thanks. Bob, did that bring out what you were kind of driving at? Well, go ahead. But by His grace also we could present our bodies. I'm just wondering, maybe we're looking too much in detail. I don't think so. Because I've begun looking at next week and it's grace by which all the spiritual gifts are given. That's right. In a sense, is it not grace by which our bodies could be presented? That's right, that's right. You're going to tell us next week, right? Yeah, no. I was hoping Tim could answer like at least get a similar email like Thursday. Let me think about it a little bit. Think about it. Let me know. OK. All right.

So, what Paul wants to take place is not through man's abilities, but through God's mercies, or His grace, or all of the enabling characteristics, or all of the enabling attributes of God. We can be more broad, even though the word mercy is what is used. So all that follows is by, or is through, the mercies of God. Okay, so he's urging and he is urging us to present your bodies a living and a holy sacrifice. And I thought this was really interesting. I got these few points here from Hal's notes.

So what kind of sacrifice does God want? God did not want and was never happy with animal sacrifices. Hebrews 10 1-8 brings that out. God wanted to fellowship with man, but sin prevented that fellowship. Christ presented his body to offer a sacrifice to take away that sin. Hebrews 10 continues that on in verses 9-14 Christ presented his body to do his Father's will and we are to present our bodies to do our Father's will. Romans chapter 6 and verse 13 brings that out.

I thought that was kind of a neat flow there as we talk about presenting ourselves as a living sacrifice. What kind of a sacrifice did God want? He wanted ultimately it was Christ and therefore us because why? Exactly right. We're in Christ, so we're going to bring that out a lot here as we continue on through these verses. Maybe I'm misunderstanding this, but when you say God did not want us, He was never happy with animal sacrifices. I'm thinking of Cain and Abel. True. True. Yes, that's right. And now we're right. Good point.

He did set up the sacrificial system and He did ask that there would be animal sacrifice, but ultimately it was just a temporary fulfillment until the ultimate sacrifice was given, which was Christ. So in that sense, in that perspective, he was satisfied or happy for a moment or for a period with the animal sacrifice. Okay, so let's look particularly at what this word presents. The idea here is to place beside or near to offer to put at one's disposal and it's Aris active infinitive. So the Aris indicates a specific act that God desires. The active part indicates that we are the one that are doing the action. And the infinitive, as I was looking at this, got a little bit tricky and that's why I just printed out the supplemental handout. Instead of me trying to communicate it to you and therefore breaking down, I said let's just give you the paper. So it's an infinitive of indirect discourse. So let's look at this handout, page 603 and 604 here. So let's just look at the Clarification and semantics. We can see how indirect discourse functions by analogies with English.

For example, I told you to do the dishes involves a verb of communication which would be told. I told you, told. Followed by an infinitive in indirect discourse to do. The infinitive in indirect discourse represents a finite verb in the direct discourse. The interpreter has to reconstruct the supposed direct discourse. In this example, the direct discourse would be, do the dishes. Told to do the dishes. In a sense, do the dishes.

What we can see from this illustration is that the infinitive of indirect discourse may represent an imperative on occasion. Consider the example, he claimed to know her. In this sentence, the infinitive represents an indicative, I know her. That's not really applicable to the verse we're looking at. That's another example. So go to page 604. From these two illustrations, we can see some of the sentence embedding in infinitives of indirect discourse. The general principle of these infinitives is that the infinitive of indirect discourse retains the tense of the discourse and usually presents either an imperative or an indicative.

So I thought that was helpful as we looked at this word present because this word present is a pretty critical word for this whole section of verses because he's begging us and he's urging us, he's beseeching us to present our bodies and so therefore hopefully that's helpful for us to understand what it is. So basically the bottom line is he wants us to present. to be presenting our body. So in that sense, it comes across as an imperative, but yet it's in the infinitive, if that makes any sense.

Hopefully it wasn't too technical, but I know some of you appreciate that and enjoy that. So, let's continue on talking about this word, present. If we go back to Romans 6, verse 13. And do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness, but present. And there it is. There's the same word as we have here in chapter 12, verse 1, but present. yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God." We see the word there, presenting and then present. Now, I want to be clear that it's the second present there, but present, which is the same word that we're referring to in chapter 12 and verse 1.

So Thomas Constable writes, positively we should present or offer ourselves to God and ourselves as His tools to fulfill His will. So it's a strong word. It's coming across as something that the Lord wants us to do. That's why Paul uses such the strong language of urge or beseech us to do this.

Now the idea is not to present yourselves once for all as Christ died for sin, but constantly and continuously. And there's going to be a lot of folks who are going to say, this is a once and for all presenting. And I don't think we see that coming across in the language. It's a continual and it's a constant presenting of ourselves to the Lord.

Okay? Dramatically, how would you stand behind that statement? If you were to, let's see, where are we here? Okay, the infinitive is going to, let's see here, I'll write that down. The infinitive is going to bring that out. Not only does it bring out that it's the imperative, but it's also going to bring out that it's going to be the continual, a constant action. Continually let it be happening, let it be constantly happening. You said it was aorist tense, right? There's also one thing that I think actually pointed out that there's different kinds of heiress and there's a heiress as a past point fact, but it's also an heiress that is continually points in time, points of time. I think that's. Yeah, that's the focus here. It's actually a parallel verse. I think it's helped me. Max, I'm sorry. No, no, it's helpful. That's a good, good question. It is another heiress, which is a continuum of pastoral facts.

And it's actually it's in Acts one, verse three. He says to these, he also presented himself alive after suffering, after suffering by many convincing proofs, appeared to them over a period of 40 days and speaking things concerning. So, and this one is made a little bit easier to see. That here is obviously, it wasn't a single, he didn't say, here I am one time. It's a continuum of presenting. And that's helped me, I mean.

But there are folks that, like you said, will say, hey, that's a single point in time, and the problem I have with that is that leads the believer into, well, have you experienced that single point in time? What if I haven't experienced that yet? I think it's more consistent with the Christian life. It's a continuum of wants. And it leads the believer kind of in a limbo. Exactly. I haven't done that. I'm not sure I agree with that.

I mean, the idea is, once we're saved, we present our bodies as living things. I mean, it's a done deal. I'm presenting my body, Lord. Use it. I mean, I don't have to reconsider that and represent it. It's kind of like taking a lamb to the altar. I mean, it's been done, my identification with the risen Lord, and here I am. Use me. I guess, and I wonder, what's the focus of this verse? Well, but, you know, it's for God's working in the believer, is it not? And I don't have to continue to re-consecrate.

It's kind of like coming up to the altar for the 15th time to say, gee, I'm re-dedicating my life to you. I like to think I present myself once and forever to him. My body is a living sacrifice. And Bob, if I can add to that, I think it's what you're bringing down, there's more of a mindset once you realize what the Lord has done. It's only natural that you present. It's a mindset that you arrive at. Yeah, there may be presenting as you go down the road in certain circumstances in life, but I do think there is one point where you think, Lord, I'm yours, based on all these things. I do think there is a one point.

I think that the context here is referring to a continual and a constant. Now certainly I think once we're saved, the Lord communicates these things, the truths to us, but here I am. You can use me, do with me, do with my life whatever it is that you want me to do. But I think in the context here, what we're seeing is that it's a continual and a constant.

Yeah, I think so. I think it's the type of thing where we get up in the morning and we just present ourselves to the Lord. Lord, here I am. You can do with me what it is that you want to do with me. You can use me however it is that you want to use me today. Because when you say it like that, it sounds like in the morning that's on my list of things to do. I get up and say, okay Lord, today I'm doing, like if I forget, it won't happen? But it's just, it's an attitude of faith. It's a walk of faith. Here I am. I'm yielding myself to you. I'm presenting myself to you.

And we're going to continue through what that actually looks like and what that actually means. And I think we're We're taking the turn here, Bob, towards some practical part of what all this looks like. And so the latter part of chapter 12 is going to be a lot of just practical Christian life, 13, 14, 15. So I think in the context of where 12, 13, 14, 15 are going, in a lot of practical, just simple instructions, what the Christian life looks like as we are walking by faith. Independence upon God, this is what the Lord is talking about. Present ourselves to the Lord. Lord, here I am, I'm walking by faith, use me however you want to use me, and then he gives us, this is what it's going to look like. 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16.

Is it possible that the presentation that our presentation is a matter of our growth? Sure. Yeah, no doubt about that. Well, verse 2 kind of, I think, addresses that, the way that it talks about, be not conformed, but you're going to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. So that sort of, I think, kind of talks about that same thing, is that it is growth. Right.

So then why would he talk about presenting in verse 1 as a one-time thing once and for all but yet in verse 2 he's going to talk about this not being molded and conformed by the image of the world but be molded and conformed into the image of Christ which is a process in verse 2 where verse 1 I think to make it a one-time deal where verse 2 is going to be a process just doesn't seem, to me anyways It doesn't seem to fit. I strongly disagree. I think you can interpret verse 1, heiress, as a one point in time only, because most of the time in scripture, almost always, heiress is a one point in time.

So we're trying to bring an exception to this, saying, gee, we like the way that fits better. And I know your example on Acts really seems to represent that possibility. But the idea of 2 being a continuing action doesn't refute the possibility that 1, in fact, is a one time only. I don't see that that's a contradiction in any way. So you're saying it could be both? No, I'm saying one is errors tense. One time only. We don't re-present our bodies ever again to the Lord Jesus.

But the second thing about conforming to his image is an ongoing process by faith. Wayne was that? Wouldn't it be the same thing if we confess our sins, be faithful and just to forgive us our sins? We know that that's already taken place. I see it a little bit different maybe. Confessing is acknowledging and agreeing with something that God has already done. He's already given us forgiveness.

Um, something just with I've noticed a lot of us tend to think the heiress is just like a past tense kind of thing. And that's only when it's indicative. When it's in another tense, then it's not a Buddhist. It's a heiress can be almost anything, I think.

Right. And here it's it's in the infinitive. Right. Right. Imperative or indicative. But it follows the general conversation, which would be, you know, I'd be seeking to. That's right. That's right. Right. One time like Bob's talking about in the future. Maybe that's what you meant, Bob. There was a past tense one point time. Yeah. Or a future position. No, I think it's a one point in time. The past or the future, though. One point in time. That's what you guys are saying. Okay. Well, let's acknowledge that there's something one point in time and something that's a continual action.

If I have presented, my mindset is that I belong to Christ. So as I move forward, that is already my firmly established base. It's a fact. And then I move forward from there. When you're talking with this being a continual presenting, every day I have to make sure I've presented before I move on.

What's wrong with that? Nothing's wrong with that. That's fine. Here I am Lord, I'm presenting myself to you. I'm walking by faith. Use me however you want to. That's not putting me under the law. I don't think. Here I am Lord, use me however you want. That's not putting me under the law. That's grace. Isn't it kind of also not necessarily getting up and saying that, but throughout the day just making those decisions, those good decisions, as a way of presenting just kind of on an ongoing basis? Sure. Sure. Yeah. Yeah. I hear what you're saying, and Roy seems to be in agreeance, and Bob seems to be agreeance, and everybody else is kind of quiet.

Roger, you voice where he's at. Roger, I was going to ask, you said there are some other references. Well, I'm saying, actually, if you want to go and tally up, I mean, if your question is, how many times is Eris used other than a single point in time? How many times do we have what's called a constant of Eris?

There are. I'm not sure. Maybe there's 50. There's some number in scripture. And actually, I know in First John, we came across some of those cases where errors was it was a continual points. Now, I think, you know, part of it is, you know, maybe this is a cop out in a sense. You said, well, what's the duration between these points in time? Is that something?

Is it is it could it be I'm making it into a law every day? I have to. Or do I say as. As the Holy Spirit shows me, you know, I'm being conformed to the world. I say, hey, wait a minute, hey, Lord, I see that I was conformed to the world. I don't want to be conformed to the world. I want to be transformed. And, you know, that happens to all of us. We find that we've gone down the wrong path. We've made a wrong choice. And we say, hey, that's not consistent with who I am in Christ.

Well, certainly, I mean, I can look back on my life from the time that I presented. Initially, I was saved and recognized that I was saved. There certainly have been times where I chose to be in the war. And the Holy Spirit would convict me. And would that be what you're talking about? I would say, well, you know, I see that I've been...

Or maybe the case, like in my case, where I didn't know about the defecation, because I had no clue what they were. I didn't know about anything on Romans at all. And I'm out there. watching the world, trying to live the Christian life without a knowledge of all these things. So am I looking for this one time occurrence? And I would say truthfully, I can't think of a single one time occurrence in my life.

I can think of points when, by God's word, I see, wow, look at this. This is who I am in Christ. And based upon that, I'm going to live this life. But, you know, it's almost like, you know, you look back at the point of salvation. That's, you know, but then if you I don't know, I guess I have the fear of people looking for this second singular point. And if you identify that consistent, I mean, what's it with salvation? I have less of a problem with that, maybe. But if you make it some other subsequent point, the single point, it's just I don't know. I think if theology has a difficult.

Sure, no doubt. Right on. And if we don't know that we're alive from Christ until the Holy Spirit reveals that to us, and it's at that point, I don't know, I don't cry. Sure. Here I am, a vessel of mercy. And that's a one-time thing. Now, based on that, this is the conduct of my life as a living, breathing, part of Christ. Yeah. I just don't think it's a one time thing. I mean, I think it's a constant thing. No, I am. Right. Right. Right. Right. I can't add to that by doing it every day. I just recognize it. Jim, very simplistically, maybe first one is position and number two is condition. I mean, that's an oversimplification.

But yet, I've been positioned to be able to present my body once and for all to others. Now, not being conformed to this world is kind of what Margaret's talking about. We all go astray. We all fall into lack of grace and faith, even though it's fully extended. I think that helps me a little bit, trying to put this into perspective. Let's move on. I find it to buff back. I find it freeing to be able to present on a continual basis, just to tell you where I'm at and be honest with you guys.

It's not legalistic to me. I'm not in bondage. There's no big sign on my fridge that says, Jim, present yourself to God every day. There's nothing like that that says that, but to me it's just freeing. Lord, here I am. It's freeing to Boy, Lord, I'm presenting myself to you. Do with me what you want to today. To me, that's free.

So maybe it's how we're looking at it. It's how we're interpreting the verse, our perspectives that we're bringing to this verse. I remember it being hammered. You haven't presented yourself to me. Sure, but see, the problem with that So the potential problem with that then is, are we bringing past teaching to a scripture and viewing the scripture from wrong past teaching on the scripture, which for all of us, myself included, is a danger for us to do that. I don't think Paul's... this is definitely not a legalistic verse, but it could be. But to me it's not.

To me it's freeing. A lot of teachers take Romans and it's all law. They can teach it that way. I get up in the mornings and within five minutes I'm enjoying my breakfast and I'm driving down the road to work and I just have an enjoyable time with the Lord. I go early, there's no traffic, so there's not that temptation of the flesh to get bad because of traffic. And there it is. Lord, here I am. What's this day going to be like? Are the knobs going to go on great or are they going to go on bad? Is my job going to be ready or is it not going to be ready? What's going to happen today? And Lord, here I am. I'm yours. I'm positioned in you. I'm free in you. I'm trusted in you. There it is.

And to me, that's what I think that's what Paul is communicating in this verse. It doesn't come across as a law to me, and as I would share that with people, I would never want it to come on heavy or as a legalistic or as a law type thing. Maybe it's more of a situation of just reckoning who you are, as Bob said. Maybe it's more of a traditional truth, reckoning who you are in him. just by faith.

You know, this is who I am, Lord. That's right. I think that's all that he means. If it's a command, then it's iterative. If it's an indirect discourse, I urge you that you have presented your guidance. That's an indirect discourse. I urge you to remember this. But it's in it's it says to present. So he said something in the past. OK, I'm just trying to help.

No, no, no. Nobody's nobody's been arguing. We're having a healthy discussion, which is great. No, we're all here to learn the ways of the work of God. And if there's discussion, don't be discouraged. I mean, we're looking for truth. Everybody's engaging. It's great. It's fine. Bonnie?

I'm just thinking, if it is a one-time thing, it seems like there'd be a lot of pressure on me to make sure I've done that. And I don't think it's on work, really. To me, it's an act of faith. would make you a little nervous, I think. That's kind of what Rogers folks out there that have not really made this for us. But just in general, have you had have you had the experience? It's beyond salvation. They make that into a requirement for that group of folks.

We won't get through the lesson, but let's keep going. How about that? But I contend, I appreciate this right, there's 11 chapters of firm, sound theology. Therefore present, right? It's conclusive to what's already been shared by Paul. I don't look at this as some speaking in tongues, you know. No, no, no, no, no. I wasn't saying that. Right, right, right, right. Not at all. I'm just saying that people have gone to abuses by Creating a second. No, no way. No, no, no way. No, it's not. Right. Right. Right. Exactly. No. OK. All right. So I see here. Where are we? We're going to go to slide number three.

Presenting is not walking down the aisle or rededicating your life to Christ nor to turn over a new leaf. It's by faith presenting or offering our bodies for the Lord's use. That's even a safe comment because you do it one time or do it several times, so we're safe with that comment too. Alright, so, we are exhorted to willingly turn ourselves over to the one who made us and owns us. Think about this idea of presenting or yielding, okay?

So, let's talk about the body. He says, present your bodies. So, the body is referring to the physical body. Now, the body under the influence of the new nature, I think is, you know, and we'll get into that a little bit more, what you're bringing out, Roy. In verse 2, it singles out specifically the mind aspect of the body, that the mind is what is being renewed. But it's important that we... I'm presenting my body. Now, I'm presenting my body under the influence of the life of Christ. Here I am, Lord, use me, do with me however you see fit.

So living can refer to two different things here. Present your bodies a living and a holy sacrifice. In contrast to a dead sacrifice, a living sacrifice can be continually offered up for the Lord's use. Constant, day-to-day, one that is lasting. When you have a dead sacrifice, that thing, it's done. It's a once and for all sacrifice. But he says a living sacrifice so it can be continually presented. It can be a sacrifice that continually happens. That would go against some of what was being mentioned earlier.

Living can also refer to the fact that we are alive in Christ and we know that. Offer yourselves Present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice so living we are alive in Christ. That's a positional truth that this group is well aware of. So present our bodies knowing that our bodies are filled with the life of Christ. Not dead in our sins but alive in Christ. So presenting ourselves as a living sacrifice. So what does living mean? We know that in us is the very life of Christ. Therefore, we are a living sacrifice. A living sacrifice can be done. It's a sacrifice that can be repeated. It can be continually happening. A holy sacrifice. Present your bodies a living and a holy sacrifice.

So, the idea here of holy is set apart from God's perspective. Again, looking at this from a positional point of view, from God's perspective and our position in Christ, we are holy. Set apart from sin and set apart unto Him for His honor and for His glory. As we're walking by faith, presenting ourselves to the Lord, we are a holy sacrifice because we are in Christ.

So present yourselves to the Lord a living and holy sacrifice. I'm walking by faith. I present myself to the Lord. I'm living. Why? Because I'm alive in Christ. It's a holy sacrifice. Why? Because I'm holy and of myself? Absolutely not. But it's a holy sacrifice because I'm positioned in Christ and therefore God views me and God sees me as holy. Therefore, it's a holy sacrifice. acceptable to God. The idea is well-pleasing because God sees us in Christ. Again, continuing the same, basically the same idea as being holy, it's also acceptable.

Ephesians 1, go over to that, Ephesians 1 verse 6. To the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us and the Beloved. And the KJV reads a bit different. The KJV says, To the praise of the glory of His grace, which He has made us accepted and the Beloved.

So there's the idea there that we have been made acceptable before God. Why? Because we're in Christ and Christ is in us. There's no acceptance of ourselves that we bring to the table. Our acceptance is completely because we have been placed in Christ.

So when we look at this idea, other verses using the idea that are acceptable to God, we won't take a look at those. So as we're walking by faith, presenting ourselves to the Lord, this is an acceptable sacrifice to God. So it's not anything that we bring, anything that we offer, it's simply because we're presenting ourselves to the Lord to use us however He wants to because we're in Him. That's where the living comes from, that's where the holiness comes from, that's where the acceptableness comes from, because of our position that we have with Him. And we're just allowing the Lord to use us in any way that He wants to.

We're not presenting the old man. We're not trying to say, God, here I am and fix me up and make me better. No, we're presenting... It's critical that we understand that. We're presenting ourselves dead unto sin and alive unto God, which is where the... same word as you used back in chapter 6 and verse 13.

Okay, which is your spiritual or reasonable service of worship? Okay, so the idea here is it does not mean the best that you can do. So it's not saying that present yourselves as a living holy sacrifice acceptable to God because this is the best thing that you can do. Because this is your spiritual, or reasonable, as some of the translations use, service of worship.

This is a rational or intelligent service to God. And what it comes across here is talking about spiritual intelligence, spiritually minded, based on faith in the scriptures. So it's being spiritually in tune with what it is that God's doing. That's what's coming across there. the interest rate on a homework, or the price of a car, that we're looking at when we use car law, that's spiritual, reasonable? Boy, if that's not... to interpret that, that means positional, right? Because it's reasonable in God's mind to extend his spiritual truth. That's right, that's right, that's right. Those terms seem way off. spiritual service I think is better. It's a better translation than reasonable. Go ahead.

It makes sense in light of what God has revealed. That's the reason. It's reasonable because God has told us. I've heard it said too that this is the only reasonable thing that God can ask us to do. And in that sense, from God's perspective, from God's mindset, then that would be correct. This is the only reasonable thing that God ask us to do. Present ourselves to Him. Walk by faith. That's the only reasonable thing that God... He doesn't ask us to maintain a list or rules of do or don'ts. He doesn't ask us to keep the law. He doesn't ask us to do anything but what? Present ourselves to Him. To walk by faith. That's the only reasonable thing that... which is great. I mean, that's grace. We're living under grace and we're walking by faith. So the bottom line is by faith saying, here I am Lord, use me and do with me whatever you see fit. And I think we should stop, right? So I'll let you guys decide what you want to do. There's no need to go through the next verse. What do you guys think? Do you want to do a five minute version? You want to, I guess. Yeah, right. Well, the question is, should we modify the schedule and just cover her to next week or should we, in fact, you start the class next week and I pick up for three through eight? Yeah, I'm wearing I'm in Oregon next week. I'm here next week.

We'll discuss it. I mean, I'll put the hammer down. Could we talk about service of worship? Are you going to talk about that? I wasn't going to, but we can. It seems like this would be the place to do it. I think what happens is that the service of worship comes out, because we see the service of worship is going to come out in the following chapters.

In the power of God. Worship is declaring the worth of God and declaring the value of God, declaring the greatness of God. Worship is not even in the original. That's right, it's added in. There's really only one Greek word, worship and service, and for some reason they put worship and service, but there's really only one word there.

Of recognizing His worth. Yes, that's right. I think there is also a recognition of who we belong to. We are not our own people. That's right. Absolutely. I think I mentioned giving ourselves over to the one who owns us. And for sure that we are not our own. We are bought with a price. Christ owns us. Exactly. Did the second bell ring? Let's pray.

Lord, thank you for our time and thanks for your word and thanks for the discussion. The great thing about it is that we truly can trust you and your spirit to lead us and guide us in what your truth is. These are really important truths and they're critical. And so our dependence is on you to show us, to reveal your truth. I'll be with Vern as he continues to teach us through Galatians and pray that as well as here and there, that your spirit would be the one who is doing the teaching. In your name we pray. Amen.