What do I do now?-Romans 12:1-2

I can always remember feeling a sense of frustration when it came time to learn something that I was really excited to get out do. Whether it was playing the piano, performing science experiments in grade-school, driving a car, or even preaching, instead of immediately performing a Sonata, dissecting a frog, merging onto the highway, or standing behind the pulpit, there were many hours spent in theory books, science texts, driving manuals, and in the classroom. It was only AFTER proper instruction was provided that could I get out there and execute what I had so longed to do. As we return to our journey in the book of Romans, I cannot help but think that some of us might have had the same feeling. Often the church is eager for the practical and looking for the application, and, if I’m being very honest, Romans 1-11 (especially Romans 9-11) has read more like a theology textbook than a call to action. However, proper application and practicality, as with playing the piano, must be rooted in proper instruction and this is what Paul has been providing the church so far in his letter. I, for one, am thankful that I serve a church that is willing to listen to the WHOLE Word of God—not just the easily applicable.

That said, today as we begin Romans 12, we are finally going to put our hands on the keys, put on the goggles, pull out of the driveway, etc. Armed with what we’ve learned so far, we are ready to hear how all of this instruction on salvation applies practically to our everyday living. Even here, though, we must start out with the basics—what are believers to do? Paul is going to answer this question in chapter 12 as it pertains to the context of the church and in today’s message on Romans 12:1-2, we are going to witness two activities believers ought to happily endorse in light of their salvation in Christ. In so doing we will answer the question, “What do I do now with what I’ve learned?”

a. Worship God-12:1

As we open Romans 12, Paul begins with “Therefore, I urge you brethren” (12:1a). As far as “Therefores” go in the Bible, this is a big one! Therefore 😉, it is especially helpful that we ask ourselves the salient question that one asks anytime such a conjunction is present—“What is this ‘therefore’ there for?” In answering this inquiry we must summarize everything that Paul has articulated up to this point in this letter. Chapter 12’s “therefore” is not just building off of chapter 11, or even solely off of chapters 9-11. Instead, 12:1 begins the second half of Paul’s letter—the practical half that depends on everything contained in chapters 1-11. In other words, the “therefore” here is the lynchpin that connects two halves of one great work.

So what has Paul articulated up to this point? After introducing his letter, Paul set out to explain justification as the imputation of God’s righteousness (1:18-5:11). Everyone needs this because all—Gentiles and Jews alike—are guilty before God in their sin. The remedy for this is faith in Christ, resulting in peace with God and escape from his wrath. Next, Paul explained sanctification—that is how righteousness works itself into the life of someone who has been justified (5:12-8:39). Just as faith in Jesus justifies, the same is shown to be the major force behind sanctification which, in spite of present sufferings, leads to future glory and the assurance thereof. Finally, Paul spoke at length about God’s people—those who are/will be justified and sanctified by faith in God. These include a remnant of Jews and many believing Gentiles. With all of this firmly in mind—the imputation of God’s righteousness (salvation past), the ongoing impartation of righteousness (salvation present), and the explanation as to whom this applies, Paul decides to elucidate the practical implications of these truths. One might say that Romans 12:1-2 is the line of demarcation that divides Paul’s theological presentation and his practical application.

Paul wastes no time in moving his readers in this direction when he begins with an urgent exhortation—"I urge you” (12:1). Paul employs this verb (“urge”) often in his writings to do more than just introduce good advice or personal preferences. Instead, “I urge you” “represents the authoritative will of God and is enjoined upon churches in a solemn manner” (Schreiner, Romans, 642). Taken in context, the occasion of this admonition is clear—“in light of what God has done in Christ, believers are summoned to obey the following injunctions” (Schreiner, Romans, 642). That Paul is writing to believers is indicated by “brethren”—i.e. those who have embraced salvation in Christ and, as a result, have been justified and are being sanctified.

However, before we get to the instructions believers are to follow, Paul strengthens his call upon his readers by identifying its cause—“Therefore, I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God,…” (12:1).  

Not only should Paul’s readership perform the activities he is about to call their attention to based on God’s authority, they also should follow these instructions in light of God’s mercy. The plural term “mercies” beckons the reader to reflect on the depth and variety of God’s merciful love that has rendered salvation possible in the first place and every other gracious gift that has been bestowed. Mercy is seen in God’s patience, his revelation (general and special), the sending of his Son, Jesus’ sacrificial death, the establishing of the church, the sending of the apostles, the spreading of the good news, etc. It was mercy that justified believers while they were guilty and it is mercy that keeps God’s program of sanctification going.

Ephesians 2:4-5-“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved.”

Lamentations 3:22-23-“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

Therefore, believers are not only supposed to perform the following activities simply because God said so through Paul, they are moved to obey the call because of the rich love and conspicuous mercy God has shown them. Paul, in essence, makes the following demands by appealing both to the head and to the heart.

So what are believers called to do? First, they are called to worship. What does this involve? This involves the presentation of one’s body—“to present your bodies” (12:1). This does NOT mean that only our physical selves are to be offered to God nor does it merely call to mind that which is external/outward. Instead, “’bodies’ here refers to the whole person and stresses that consecration to God involves the whole” self (Calvin, Schreiner, Romans, 644). A better interpretation that more directly identifies what Paul is referring to might read “I urge you brethren to present yourselves.” As Schreiner concludes “Genuine commitment (and worship) to God embraces every area of life…” (Schreiner, Romans, 644).

The presentation of oneself to God in worship must also be conducted in the right manner/nature. Paul says, “to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God” (12:1). The adjectives used to describe the “bodies”/”sacrifices offered to God indicate something about those who make such offerings. First, they are “living”—living now because they have been made alive to God in Christ.

Romans 6:11, 13-“Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus . . . and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.”

This, taken with Romans 12:1 means that those who are alive in Christ are called to give their lives to him.

Second, they are “holy” sacrifices. Anything less would be refused by God because he himself is holy.  Thankfully, believers have been given God’s holiness and have been declared righteous before God through Jesus Christ, rendering their worship and their very lives acceptable to the Lord.

That said, presenting one’s life in worship to the Lord (after being made alive in him and righteous in his sight) is, as Paul indicates here, a “sacrifice.” A sacrifice of what? A sacrifice of personal agendas, autonomous control, and oneself entirely! This is what Jesus meant when he said the following in Luke 9:23.

Luke 9:23-“…If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow me.”

In other words, after being made alive in Christ and declared righteous before God, believers are, in response to the authority of God and the mercies that have been bestowed upon them, to give their lives back to the Lord. After all, they were created by him and for him to begin with. A life of sacrifice to the Lord is the only responsible and fulfilling way to live!

This “is your spiritual service of worship” (12:1). In fact, worship might be defined here as “presenting your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God.” Those who worship God are those who give their entire lives over to him in this way so that he is honored and praised in everything that they do (D. Peterson, Romans, 276).

Item one on the agenda of every believer is worshipping God. More than church activities and singing, worship, as defined here, is the offering of one’s entire life to the Lord—a life that is living because of what Christ accomplished and a life that is acceptable because Christ’s righteousness has been bestowed.

b. Be Transformed-12:2

Such worship is dependent on the second activity Paul calls believers to execute—transformation. Few things can be counted on more in our world than change. However, Paul wants to be sure that, as far as believers are concerned, change happens in the right direction. The change to which Paul would have the believers endorse does not involve conforming to the patterns of this world—“and do not be conformed to this world” (12:2). The verb used here describes an ongoing forming or molding of one’s behaviors in accordance with particular set of standards. In this case, the standards fall exceeding short of God’s own—after all, they are the standards of this fallen “world.” Also interesting about this verb is that it is in the middle voice. This indicates that the action taken—conforming—is being done to and by the subject (the believer). Believers are not, in other words, to be conforming themselves to that which falls short of the pattern of holiness witnessed in Christ.

To be sure, the world is a factory that produces the following molds/patterns: impatience and frustration, deception and manipulation, short-cuts and cut-corners, immorality and self-indulgence, pride and self-centeredness. Fitting into these molds not only changes the outward appearance, it also affects the thoughts and motivations of a person in a way that is contrary to God’s will. These molds and the worldly factories in which they are produced ought to have no part in the lives of believers.

Instead of actively conforming to inferior molds both externally and internally, believers are called to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind” (12:2b). Like “conformed” earlier in verse 2, “transformed” betrays an ongoing process. However, the voice is passive, indicating that the subject is not ultimately responsible for the program of transformation indicated. It is, in other words happening to them…or is it? Certainly, the transformation that Paul is looking for occurs at the deepest level and is far more significant than the conformity to the world’s pattern that is distinctive of so many lives (Morris). Such transformation must be, at its root, caused by the only one who can truly transform (that is change essentially in form or nature [Louw Nida])—God Himself.

However, Paul suggests that this is done “by the renewing of your mind” (12:2). Here we have, at least potentially, another verse that describes the paradox of Man’s role and God’s role in sanctification. Certainly God is doing the real transforming, but believers are also called to be involved in the process.

Phil. 2:12b-13- “…continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.”

In Romans 12, God’s role is radical transformation; a believer’s role is “renewing” their mind. “This ‘reprogramming’ of the mind does not take place overnight but is a lifelong process by which our way of thinking is to resemble more and more the way God wants us to think” (Moo, The Epistle, 757). Though this is framed by Paul in the context of the “mind,” make no mistake that Paul has the whole person in view here, just as he did when he used “bodies” earlier—"For as a man thinks within himself, so he is…” (Prov. 23:7).

So how might one “reprogram” her mind to think more like God and be more like Christ? Here are a few verses that might point us in the right direction.

Joshua 1:8-“Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.”

Psalm 119:11-“Thy word have I hid in my hear that I may not sin against God.”

Philippians 4:8-9-“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things. ⁹Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-put it into practice”

2 Timothy 2:2-“And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses, entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”

It would appear that meditating on the Word, committing the word to memory, reflecting on what is holy, and teaching others to do likewise are all helpful practices believers mighty employ as they seek to renew their minds and, in God’s grace, be transformed more and more into his likeness.

Such behaviors will ultimately reveal the reason behind this program—“so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect” (12:2). Those who are being transformed by the renewing of their mind will be able to “approve” of God’s will—that is “agree with what God wants of us with a view of putting it into practice” (Moo, The Epistle, 757). In other words, believers who reorient their minds in God’s direction will understand what he wants and will willingly submit to his plans which are, according to Paul, “good and acceptable and perfect” (three adjectives that cannot be said of the plans/will of this world). 

So What?

What are we to do with what we’ve learned so far in our journey through the book of Romans? Two things: worship God and be transformed. Those these activities might be easy to articulate, they are profound. Worship involves handing ourselves entirely over to the Lord. Transformation involves reprograming our mind towards the things of God in a world that is bent against Him. That said, we have every reason to perform these activities without fail. First, God has commanded them. Doing anything else would prove disobedient. Second, God has proven himself merciful. His love compels us to love him in return.

Classroom time is over, now is the time to get out there and do it!