Joseph Patty; Associate Director of Student Ministries, Student Leadership

Romans 11:32-12:2
32 For God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.
33 Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
    How unsearchable his judgments,
    and his paths beyond tracing out!
34 “Who has known the mind of the Lord?
    Or who has been his counselor?”
35 “Who has ever given to God,
    that God should repay them?”
36 For from him and through him and for him are all things.
    To him be the glory forever! Amen.

12 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

66:19 “I will set a sign among them, and I will send some of those who survive to the nations […] and to the distant islands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. They will proclaim my glory among the nations. 20 And they will bring all your people, from all the nations, to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the Lord […] They will bring them, as the Israelites bring their grain offerings […]”

 

Reflection:
Have you ever thought of where you are or what part you play in the grand scheme of history? We talk about God having a plan for our lives, but what do we mean by that? I doubt Paul thought that he was writing new Scripture as he worked on his letter to the Romans. Instead, I think he saw himself in the midst of the pinnacle of history. At the end of Ch.11, Paul has just finished writing a master class reflection on what God has just done and is doing through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit. Though we were all helpless to achieve righteousness before God, God himself has done it for us through Jesus on the cross, and he continues to accomplish it through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. Paul comes to the glorious conclusion that God has somehow found a way to show mercy to all people. Paul can’t help himself. He erupts in worship over God’s wisdom and judgment. I can see Paul running around the room, unable to keep to his notes, bubbles over with excitement, and Timothy, Phoebe, Gaius, Lucius, Jason, Sosipater dance in their chairs as Tertius, his scribe, tries to keep up. What a time to be alive!

Then Paul writes, “Therefore.” Everything in this letter has led up to this point. Based on everything God has done and as a response to His mercy, “offer your bodies as a living sacrifice – this is your true and proper act of worship.” In Isaiah 66, the prophet tells of a time when God will send his faithful ones out among the nations, and all people will be brought to the Lord, not to be killed, but rather to live in such a way that their heart, prayers, and actions rise as incense. Paul sees his own actions and the response of his readers as the fulfillment of prophecy. The way the Romans (and we) will live out faithfulness to Jesus and Christian love will become Paul’s and our offering to God.

So, what does it look like to let your life be a sacrifice to God? It looks like renewing our minds instead of conforming to the world (12:2). It looks like giving yourself to the gospel and to the Spirit to let Him transform you until you look like something the world can’t comprehend. The next 4 chapters in Romans lay out in detail what Paul means. A living sacrifice thinks of themselves with humility, knowing everything they have and are is the result of God’s grace (12:3). Therefore, they use their gifts for the benefit of others (12:4-8). They live out genuine love, even to their enemies (12:9-21). That means having real empathy and seeking their good. That means making choices that benefit others instead of ourselves in every context and not just when it’s convenient. Being a living sacrifice includes how we respond to every situation, every person, every group of people, and even every government. Your life will proclaim worship to something. Let it be a sacrifice and a response to the God who sacrificed everything for you. Let that define your place in history.

Prayer:
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are your judgments. From you and through you and for you are all things. May you be glorified for what you have done in Jesus. May you be glorified in my life. I ask you to renew my mind by the power of your Spirit, so that my life might be lived as a sacrifice for you and proclaim your character and goodness. Amen.