“I now pronounce upon you, brethren (In view of God’s compassion instructions), to provide your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God (as your consequential worship).”
Rom 12:1
The bridge
With these words Paul begins the twelfth chapter of Romans. The doctrinal part has covered chapters 1-11. Now it’s about the practice of faith. The apostle is writing to a church and the following chapters are about personal life as well as the community of believers. Here, in the first verse, he builds a bridge from doctrine to everyday life. There is a living connection between teaching and everyday life. At least that’s how it should be.
The logical answer
Two steps are described in this first verse. Note the order:
- It is God’s compassion, His love and grace that was conveyed as good news. God is for us.
- This changes us. If we realize God’s compassion, love and grace, we respond accordingly.
Those who have taken the Gospel to heart (who no longer trust in their own efforts) can act now. God has given everything, now I can give everything. If I have become rich, I can live out this wealth. If I am given a gift, I can also give a gift to others.
That is why they say we should provide our bodies. This is the logical response to God’s mercy. Paul calls it a sacrifice, an offering. However, it is not a dead sacrifice, but a living sacrifice. It is a sacrifice because we can give everything to God without reservations. It is an interaction – first a gift of grace from Him, now the gift of my life to Him. Paul invites us not to do things by halves.
Life change is what we live in everyday life. Paul relates it to the body because we travel with it in this world. It’s about what we live out. However, this is not a performance, we just provide our body. No acting, but providing. The provision is the living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God. We still do not have to do anything of ourselves, but be ready to do what He has prepared (Eph 2:10).
No acting, but providing.
What does Paul mean by “worship”?
Paul speaks of a “consequential worship.” What does that mean?
The word worship in the New Testament does not mean the religious exercise on Sunday in church. You can read more about this in the article “Worship”.
The word “consequent” is in the Greek logikon, from which our word logical is derived. One hears in it also the gr. logos, “word”. A lifestyle pleasing to God is the logical response to God’s grace, as we heard about it in the previous chapters. Logical, because the practice of faith corresponds to the proclamation.
Worship (gr. latreia) is service to God. Paul has already mentioned in the beginning of the letter:
“For my witness is God (to whom I worship in my spirit at the gospel of His Son), how unceasingly I remember you!”
Rom 1:9
Worship for Paul was “in the Spirit.” Visible it became “on duty”. He prays for the Romans, wanting to come to them and wanting to share spiritual gifts of grace to strengthen them (Rom 1:10-11). Often he had purposed to set his eyes on the Romans, that he might have some fruit among them (Rom 1:13).
Paul sees a spiritual way of life as logical. He wants to implement this in such a way that fruit comes out of it. It is our logical worship. Logical! It is a natural and healthy response to the Annunciation.
This is what the next chapters are about.
Deepening
- When grace is experienced, what does it do?
- When God becomes greater and greater for you, what does that do?
- Is faith a miracle cure?
- Where are the limits and where is the power of faith?
- Everyday life starts in the mind. What did Paul write about this in Romans 6 and Romans 7?
