In today’s sermon text from Romans 12, Paul lays out some ways that the hope that we have in the Gospel works its way into our daily lives. In light of “the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God” which we read about last week, we are to “present our bodies as a living sacrifice” and “be transformed by the renewal of our minds” (Romans 12:1-2). We respond to this call to live the Christian life with hymns such as Take My Life, And Let It Be and Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed. We declare that our lives will be “consecrated” to our Lord, and that we will “give ourselves away” to Him. After being assured from Titus 2 that God’s grace is training us to renounce ungodliness and to be self-controlled, we encourage one another with a verse from If Thou But Suffer God To Guide Thee: “keep His ways unswerving, perform thy duties faithfully.” The final hymn this morning, Rise Up, O Men Of God, sends us out with a charge to “give heart and mind and soul and strength to serve the King of kings.” I pray that these hymns would encourage each of us to use our gifts in service of the one who gave Himself for our redemption.
—Henry C. Haffner
Key Words: Therefore, Mercies, Sacrifice, Conformed, Transformed, Body, Gifts
Keystone Verse: Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind. (Romans 12:2)
Romans 12:1-8
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice,holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God,what is good and acceptable and perfect.
3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.