Total Dedication | Romans 12:1
“Therefore, brothers and sisters, in view of the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your true worship.”
What should we give to a God who has given us so much? The answer is worship. "In view of the mercies of God," we are urged to "worship." God desires our worship (Jn 4:23-24).
What does it mean by worship? Romans 12:1 tells us. Unfortunately we have reduced worship to mean music and singing, and to what goes on at church on Sundays. While worship does involve these things, Romans 12:1 describes "true worship," the truest kind of worship, the worship that most pleases God. The core definition of New Testament worship is the total dedication of one's life to God.
How should we define the total dedication of one's life? Romans 12:1 tells us. Total dedication involves five actions: (1) Reflecting on the mercies of God. (2) Deciding to give all of yourself to God. (3) Renewing your commitment daily. (4) Pursuing holiness. (5) Aiming to please God above all. Let's look more closely at each of these.
1) Reflecting on the mercies of God.
The verse begins with "therefore." When you see the word therefore, always check to see what it is there for. It means the verse is built on what was said before; it is based on what was said before. What was said before?
"In view of the mercies of God." In Romans 1-11, Paul wrote about the mercies of God. The Greek word for "mercy" (oiktirmos) means the feeling of compassion for another's suffering and a desire to alleviate it. It is feeling sorry for someone and then getting involved to help them. God looked at our sorry situation, felt sorry for us, and got involved to help us. He sent His only Son to rescue us from sin. In view of those mercies, dedicate your life to God.
This verse presents an important pattern: Doctrine leads to doxology, and doxology leads to dedication. Frist, in Romans 1-11 Paul teaches the doctrines of God's mercy, explaining all that God has done for us. Second, this leads doxology (praise), as Paul praises God at the end of chapter 11 (Rm 11:33-36). Third, the next natural step is dedication, when in Romans 12:1 Paul urges his readers to respond with total dedication.
The only way to find the motivation for total dedication is by mercy-reflection -- reflecting on the mercies of God. The deeper your understanding of God's mercies, the more gratitude and affection and adoration you will have for God, and the more motivation to dedicate your life to Him. So, the first step to total dedication is to reflect on the mercies of God.
Notice Paul says, "I urge you." This can be translated "I beg you," or "I plead with you." This is a passionate plea for total dedication. Why is Paul so passionate about this? Because he has just been reflecting on the mercies of God. We will find the same passion for total dedication when we reflect on God's mercies.
2) Deciding to give all of yourself to God.
The text says to "present your bodies as a...sacrifice." In that day religious worship utilized animal sacrifices. The worshiper would purchase an animal, bring it to the temple and give it to the priest, and the priest would kill it and then burn it on the altar. The Jews offered sacrifices to make atonement for their sins, but those sacrifices didn't actually solve problem of sin. They were symbolic of the work Christ would eventually come and perform through His death and resurrection. Now that Christ has come, sacrifices are no longer required to be right with God. In Romans 12:1 the language of sacrifice is used symbolically. We are not to offer an animal sacrifice to God, but our own bodies. The purpose of the sacrifice is not to pay for sins, but personal dedication.
The word "bodies" refers to the total person -- every part of you; everything about you. This would include your thoughts, attitudes, emotions, every one of your body parts, your money and possessions, time, hopes and dreams, goals, career, sexuality, friendships, marriage, children, vacation, talents, hobbies, etc.
We must present our bodies to God. The word "present" means to give. You are not to share your body with God, or to let God borrow it on occasion. You are not to give your body to God and then take it back. You are to give your body to God for keeps. Consider the ancient sacrifices. Once an animal was given over to God to be sacrificed, there was a transfer of ownership. It then belonged fully and completely to God. To present your body to God is to transfer the ownership of yourself from you to God. It is like giving God a blank sheet of paper with your name signed at the bottom, or like giving God a blank check with your signature at the bottom.
The word "present" is in the punctiliar tense in Greek, which means the decision to give your body to God is to be made on a certain day, at a certain time. In other words, this verse is calling for a firm decision. Your Christian life should have two important days. Your conversion day, and your dedication day. Your conversion day is the initial moment when you believed in Jesus and became a Christian. Your dedication day is your Romans 12:1 day. It is the day that you totally dedicate yourself to God.
3) Renewing your commitment daily.
The text says to present your bodies as a "living" sacrifice. The word "living" means two things:
First, lest you get the wrong idea from the symbolism of "sacrifice," Paul makes it clear that God doesn't merely want you to be willing to die for Him, but to dedicate yourself to living for Him every moment of every day; to do all for the glory of God. However, living for God does involve a kind of death. To live for God you must die to yourself -- your will, preferences, desires, goals, etc.
Second, the word "living" means to renew your decision daily. The problem with living sacrifices is that they tend to crawl off the altar. Although we must make a firm decision of total dedication (at a certain time and place), we must renew this commitment regularly due to our tendency to backslide. It is a good idea to start each day by praying a Romans 12:1 prayer: "Lord, today I totally dedicate every part of me to you."
4) Pursuing holiness.
Romans 12:1 says that you are to present your body not only as a living sacrifice, but holy. Again, this alludes to the OT sacrifices in which an animal presented had to be without blemish.
What is holiness? Jerry Bridges writes, "Holiness is conformity to the moral character of God." Lewis A. Drummond says, "Living a holy life simply means developing a lifestyle that is yielded, pleasing to God, separated from sin, and totally Christlike.” J.C. Ryle says, "A holy person will strive to be like our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Pursuing holiness involves two steps: subtraction and addition. It is important to keep these steps in order. These steps appear in several passages: 2 Tim 2:19-22; Heb 12:1-2; Col 3:8, 12013; Eph 4:22-24. Subtraction is the work of eliminating the sin in your life -- sinful attitudes and actions. Addition is the word of cultivating the Christlike virtues -- love, patience, self-control, humility, etc.
Jerry Bridges says in his book The Pursuit of Holiness that progress in holiness requires three vital decisions: First, view sin as an offense against God, and not merely a personal defeat. The deepest motive for holiness must be pleasing God, not improving your life, or God won't bless your efforts with supernatural strength. Second, take personal responsibility for your sin. Don't blame your sin on other people or circumstances. As long as your sin is not your fault, then you are powerless to overcome it. Third, decide to obey God in all areas of life, however small the issue might be. Compromising with small sins will weaken your ability to overcome bigger sins.
5) Aiming to please God above all.
Romans 12:1 says that we must present our bodies as "pleasing to God". The Greek word means utterly satisfying to God; well-pleasing, approving, and extremely satisfying to God. The ultimate goal of total dedication is to please God; to make God happy. The goal is not to be happier, healthier, more successful, more impressive to others, or even more useful. The ultimate goal is to please God.
Total dedication means your ultimate goal in life is not to please others, but God. It is the decision to please God even if it means displeasing people. It is the decision to please God rather than yourself; to do what God wants even if it means the loss of money, job, career, relationships, comfort, and reputation.
Romans 12:1 is the call for total dedication to God. To live this out, you must continually return to the "mercies of God." Focus on His goodness to you. One of God's marvelous mercies is that He has aligned His happiness with yours. He has created you in such a way that you will be happiest when you are most dedicated to Him. Chip Ingram said, "Total commitment is the channel through which God's biggest blessings flow." Jesus came to give you an abundant life, and that life is found only through total dedication to Him. God's is best is found when you give Him your best.
.jpeg)
.jpg)
Comments
Post a Comment