Romans 12:1

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NASB: “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spritual service of worship.”

We hear this quoted all the time. It’s a good verse. We’re told to live this out. We hear phrases and sermons regarding “Romans 12:1 Christianity” and such like. We focus on the living sacrifice part and we should pay close attention to that and ponder seriously what a living sacrifice is. I’m not writting about that though. I’m going to write about something else in here that I’ve never heard anyone speak on. Maybe someone has….but I just haven’t heard it yet.

It’s the first word of the verse: therefore.

Huh?

Well, we’ve all heard the quip, “when you see the word ‘therefore’ in the bible, ask yourself what it’s there-for“.
So have you ever asked yourself what ‘therefore’ is there for? It means, “as a result of what I just said”, or “these things previously mentioned being manifestly true” and is a rhetorical device that implies that there is a logical occurence that must follow what was just said or taught. “I broke my foot, therefore I walk in a cast with crutches”. “He got a DUI, therefore his license is revoked”. It’s like saying, “this being true, then such and such must happen or does happen.”

It’s a word that if you see it in the bible, you should stop and back up at least 5 or 6 paragraphs. In the case of Romans 12:1 you have to start in chapter 9 and go through chapter 11. This is where Paul lays out the wisdom of God and prerogotive of God to elect the nation of Israel and not any other (though he shows us God’s mercy later on in His grafting us in because of their disobedience). Paul displays God’s intention to keep all His promises to that nation and how this salvific promise will be actualized because of a Gentile church provoking the Jews to Godly jealousy. (In my mind I have to wonder when was the last time a Jew was jealous of my walk with Jesus?)

Paul is saying in essence, “in light of what I’ve just told you about God’s intention for Israel, how stubborn they have been, how they are enemies of the gospel for your sake and how only the church can be this salvific vehicle, live your lives sacrificially toward that end. You’re not just saved to be a cute adornment on a pew, but there’s an end in sight regarding God’s purposes for Israel and it must come through you and what you represent in the earth.”

See how that word “therefore” changes it? Therefore is a word that points backward and wants you to now put together the sum total of what you heard resulting in a neccessary outworking as a result of it all. It means, “knowing this is so, now this certain action follows.”

I want to show you a few places that this “therefore” points to.
Romans 9:1-5
Romans 9:27
Romans 10:14-15
Romans 10:19-21 This passage is key. We Gentiles are that ethnos who are appointed to make Israel jealous that we possess the treasures of God without the law and that with law they possess nothing (with God, relationally). We are also shown here that the history of God with Israel is not pretty. They have been historically stubborn toward Him, “all day long” so to speak. I might also mention that we are supposed to be the ones who are sent, who preach and give understanding (hearing) that results in believing which ends in calling on the Lord which ends in salvation. A few more verses and I’ll tie it all together.
Romans11:1-2
Romans 11:11-12 Again, a key verse. We are this vehicle of jealousy. If their hardening (for a season) is our salvation, then Paul says that their salvation is life from the dead! (v.15)
Then Paul goes into some thoughts on Gentile pride that was current in Rome. The branches, grafted into what they didn’t grow out of, boasted against the stump, or the roots. “Ha! You’re cut off but now I am in your tree.” Paul reminds us that we were grafted into Israel and not to boast. We didn’t do it, God did and we have no bragging rights and consider this; you don’t support the root, the root supports you. Then he goes even further and tells them that if God didn’t spare the natural branches, he won’t spare you either. “You can get cut off for the same reason they did guys. They were in, now they’re out for unbelief. God will cut you off as well, and hear this: God is able to graft in those cut off branches. If He can make you a part of them, how much more can he make Israel a part of Israel?” This is all in verses 17-24.
Paul tells us of this mystery of Israel and the church for a reason: v.25 “For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery–so that you will not be wise in your own estimation–that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in”.
There’s a prideful conceit we can fall prey to, as if we exist for our own purposes independent of God’s purposes on the earth to keep His covenant promises with this nation, whom we have been able to become a part of by faith. Now we are in the fold, but we should be looking for the lost sheep of the house of Israel. We should be out looking for the prodigal little brother. Knowing of this intention of God’s will save us from sulking when he (Israel) comes home and God throws him a huge party while we pout and point to our place in church history and remind God of our creeds, councils, Reformations, Synods, Great Awakenings, revivals, etc. We’re a part of His team now and should care to work toward what He has worked towards for millenia, i.e. the salvation of Israel.
Paul finishes with a statement about God’s gift and calling on Israel being irrevocable (v.29) and how their disobedience has resulted in our life in Christ, which leads him into a wonderfully spontaneous praise to the Lord found in verses 33-36.

Okay.
So now, in light of all this information; because now you know God’s intention for Israel and how it can’t come except through you; because you have to be the ones to preach it; because you know of God’s mercy to you in giving you a share in Israel; because these people are historically very hard nuts to crack; because you stand by faith in the place of broken off branches, and finally, because His gift and calling regarding Israel is without change–
Therefore I urge you…

Does the “therefore” make more sense now? It points to the sum of something that was related to you. The kind of life that will reach them is a life that is a living sacrifice, literally, constantly in a state of giving itself over to the knife that exposes the insides and the fire that burns them; tied up and at the mercy of the one offering it.
Would you dare, now, to be a living sacrifice in the hands of God to His Jewish remnant? If so, don’t do it unprepared. You need to dive into this and be prepared, and indeed, no stone is left unturned and you can’t pay too high a price for this resource. This is Dr. Michael Brown’s 4 volume series entitled Answering Jewish Objections to Jesus and includes a DVD set that he did in Texas. It was a 4 or 5 day seminar and he encapsulated much of his books into it.

Okay, so with that shameless plug for Dr. Brown out of the way…

Go ponder this.
Oh, and if you’re hung up on the true meaning of Romans 9, this will help you immensley. I’ve used it many times to help extricate people from very bad teaching regarding this chapter. Once you have that hurdle removed, you’ll be able to see what Paul is actually pointing us toward.

May the grace of the risen Lord Jesus be with you all and give you understanding and wisdom in the inner man,
mark jr.

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Filed under Christian Living, Doctrine, Evangelism, Faith, Israel, Preaching, Unparticular Particularities, church life, salvation

Tags: living sacrifice, Romans 12:1 christianity, the mystery of Israel and the church