Journey through the Book of Romans

Paul Exhorts Believers to be Living Sacrifices to God Part 1

Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. KJV

Paul took a three Chapter detour in this epistle or letter to explain to the Roman Gentiles God’s Heart and Ultimate Plan for the Nation Israel, but now that he as finished expounding of the great mystery God kept known only to Himself in Romans 9-11, Paul now turns to exhort believers on how they should live before God the Father to bring Glory to Him. Paul spent the first eight chapters of this epistle or letter identifying man as a vile sinner before a Holy God and declaring that all people are sinners in His Eyes all Jews and all Gentiles Romans 1-3. Paul then moves on to declare how God justifies sinful humanity before His Throne and covers their sin as they come to Him through and by our Lord Jesus Christ death, burial, and resurrection from the dead Romans 4-5. Lastly Paul shows the liberty we have in Christ and our victory in Him over sin and its dominion in our hearts and lives and Paul declares that in our Lord Jesus Christ we can never ever again be condemned and nothing the devil attacks us with will be successful in pulling or drawing us away from the love of God we have in Christ Jesus our Lord Romans 6-8.

Paul now strongly exhorts or encourages us by God’s Great Mercy freely given to each one of us His Elect sons or daughters “that we present” and this phrase comes from the Greek word paristemi or paristano which means to yield or command or commend or to be at hand or to be at the ready with our bodies for God’s Holy use. Paul no doubt in picking out this particular word was referring back to the following words he spoke here, Romans 6:12-13 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, 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. NKJV When we go back and recall what the Apostle Paul said at the end of Romans 8 with these words, Romans 8:37-39 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. NKJV then we now understand why these words of exhortation are the first from his lips as he tells us how we should live to honor God for the Great gift of love and salvation He has freely granted to us who are so undeserving. Paul says presenting ourselves to God the Father in this manner being at the ready as the word paristano implies is for us what is reasonable to God and the English word reasonable is translated from the Greek word logikos which means logical or rational. Not only does Paul declare it logical, but it is also our service to God the Father and that English word service is translated from the Greek word latreia which means literally worship.

Paul is declaring that our bodies no longer belong to each one of us because we have been joined together with our Lord Jesus Christ forever, as he so forcefully says it here, 1 Corinthians 6:17-20 But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. NKJV The man or woman who gets these words burned deep down into their hearts and minds will be fully agreeable, acceptable, and well pleasing to God the Father. Paul is here making a contrast in the way the unbeliever or unregenerate man or woman freely presents their body over to uncleanness (Romans 1:24) that we should likewise now that we are joined with Christ being baptized into His Mystical Body by God the Holy Spirit (Romans 6:4) that we should live such lives of visible contrast that it will be seen and noticed by the unbeliever and that it would make many of them convicted of sin and inquire about what makes us live in such a new way and many would be saved and born again into the same newness of life we have been freely given. Paul’s exhortation for us to honor God the Father in this manner is not solely for our benefit, but also for the benefit of many unregenerate people. God the Father will be Glorified as we honor Him this way and He adopts more sons and daughters because of our obedience.

1 Peter 2:4-5 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. NKJV

“The Christian faith is meant to be lived moment by moment. It isn’t some broad, general outline—it’s a long walk with a real Person. Details count: passing thoughts, small sacrifices, a few encouraging words, little acts of kindness, brief victories over nagging sins.” Joni Eareckson Tada

“Pray often, for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God. and a scourge for Satan.” John Bunyan

“Christmas is based on an exchange of gifts, the gift of God to man - His unspeakable gift of His Son, and the gift of man to God - when we present our bodies a living sacrifice.” Vance Havner

“Many saints today are stricken with sickness, weakness and suffering; God is chastening them that they may present their bodies to Him a living sacrifice.” Watchman Nee

“The moment I lifted up my heart to Jesus Christ in that bath tub after another lust-filled pornography, masturbation, and drunken exploit and acknowledged Him as Lord and said, “Lord, help me” He moved in and made me a new creation and it is but my reasonable act of worship to present my body to Him daily as a living sacrifice in mere love and gratitude.” Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…