Download: Renewed Mind Class Notes
Romans 12:1 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 spiritual service of worship.
Therefore – Prompts us to consider the preceding chapters, 1-11, that describe God’s grace and mercy. Chapters 12-16 explain the proper response.
Urge — Comes from the Greek word parakaleō translated elsewhere as comforted, imploring, entreat, plead, appeal, and, in verse 8, exhort. It is formed from para, meaning alongside, or near, and kaleō, meaning “to call,” or “invite.” Thus, parakaleō carries the idea of calling someone alongside to exhort, implore, plead, appeal to, or encourage them to respond or take action.
Paul is neither demanding nor commanding, rather encouraging a loving freewill response. The living sacrifice God desires from us is not motivated out of fear or coercion or any type of intimidation.
Brethren — It is significant; he addresses his family, God’s family.
By the mercies of God – Romans 3:23 – for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Mercy — two closely related aspects of mercy are: 1) when just punishment is withheld from the guilty; 2) actively helping someone who is suffering or unable to help themselves. Compassion and mercy are presented as synonyms in the parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25–37). Jesus had mercy on the sick, blind, hungry, and demon-possessed.
Mercy is compassion that moves someone to withhold deserved punishment or to relieve another person’s misery and need, while grace is receiving blessings we do not deserve.
Ephesians 2:1–5 — “But God, being rich in mercy…”, Titus 3:3-7 — “He saved us… according to his own mercy.”
We present ourselves as a living sacrifice because of God’s mercy.
Romans 12:1 “Mercies” is plural because it refers to the many expressions of God’s mercy that are described throughout Romans 1–11.
Romans 11:25-36 Mercy is the motivation for obedience.
Romans 12:1 does not say present your body so that God will show you mercy, rather He has already given you great mercy, so give your life to Him. Obedience is the response to mercy, not the means of obtaining it.
A believer who understands God’s mercy will respond with gratitude rather than mere duty. Instead of thinking: “I have to obey God,” he thinks: “After all God has done for me, how could I not give myself completely to Him?” Our motivation for becoming a living sacrifice should be rooted in love and gratitude.
Present your bodies (literally physical bodies). There is a reason it says “bodies” and not “self”:
Romans 6:12-13,19-23; Matthew 5:29-30; 18:8-9
1 Corinthians 6:12-20 The Greek philosophers such as Socrates and Plato impacted their cultural worldview. They were really steeped in their cultural context, where sexual freedom and idolatrous practices were common. So, they were justifying their behavior by saying, in essence, “We’re free in Christ—what I do with my body doesn’t matter.” But Paul is correcting that misunderstanding, showing them that their bodies are now sacred, belonging to the Lord, and their actions have real spiritual consequences – no entrance into the Kingdom of God. Christian freedom doesn’t erase the godly morals defined in the Scripture.
Holy Sacrifice – God is holy, holy, holy – sin is unholy (1 Peter 1:14-16).
Acceptable to God – with right motivation, our sacrifice is pleasing to God.
KJV/NET have “reasonable service;” while the ESV/NASB/NRSV have “spiritual worship.” Both ideas are relevant.
The English words “reasonable” and “spiritual” come from the Greek word logikos, which means reasonable, rational, and fitting from the root logos that means reason, word, thought.
When we grasp all that God has accomplished for us in Romans 1–11, presenting ourselves to Him simply makes sense. Christian obedience is not an attempt to earn God’s favor, nor is it an emotional impulse or empty ritual. It is the natural and logical response to the gospel.
Grace and mercy awaken gratitude, and gratitude inspires obedience
The English words “service” and “worship” come from the Greek word latreian. This word was used almost exclusively for temple service: priestly duties, sacrificial worship, and acts done in God’s presence, hence the translation – “spiritual service of worship.”
Romans is redefining worship: it is no longer confined to a temple, not limited to rituals, nor handled by priests alone. Worship is now intelligent, informed, and responsive to God’s mercy and led by the holy spirit. True worship is a life consciously aligned with God’s will. Contrast with OT animals, repetition, external ritual. John 4:23-24.
Now that Christ has fulfilled the sacrificial system:
Not ritual without understanding—but obedience shaped by truth.
Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
Conformed — is to bring into harmony or accord, to be similar or identical, in agreement with, to be obedient or compliant. Liquid takes the form of the vessel it is poured into.
World — is from the Greek word aion which literally refers to an age, era, or period of time, and by extension can refer to the prevailing character, values, or ways of thinking of a particular age.
This is not saying “Do not conform to the physical world,” rather, “Do not allow yourself to be shaped by the values, attitudes, thinking, and patterns of this present age.”
The age or world seems to radically change from one generation to the next.
1 Peter 1:13-16 The Greek word translated conformed is only used two times.
As a living sacrifice, we must resist conformity to our old nature with its lust and this present evil age.
Transformed – is from the Greek word metamorphoo which occurs four times – (Matthew 17:2; Mark 9:2; 2 Corinthians 3:18).
This is inward change that produces outward difference. Allow God to change you from the inside out.
Conformed – outward pressure producing worldly similarity.
Transformed – inward renewal producing godly change.
Renewing — Greek – anakainōsis – ana = again, upward, back, kainos = new in kind (not just new in time, but new in quality). It doesn’t mean polishing the old.
Titus 3:5-6 – Anakainosis only appears twice in the NT.
Romans 8:4-10 – two vital aspects of renewing the mind include the spirit received by grace and putting on God’s powerful word. (Psalm 119:11, 36, 41).
Mind — encompassing thinking, reasoning, moral judgment, and values. The mind is the inner orientation, the control center of our life.
So, this is not about becoming smarter. It’s about seeing reality differently.
Renewal means — Old patterns of thinking are replaced with God-shaped patterns.
The spirit is our helper that replaces the present Christ. (John 14:16-18, 26; 15:26; 16:7)
1 Corinthians 2:12-16; 2 Corinthians 3:14-18
That you may prove to yourself – This is the bridge from doubt to faith (Philippians 1:9-11).
In Romans 12:2, Paul says that the renewed mind enables us to “discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” These three words describe the quality and character of God’s will.
Good — beneficial, useful, morally good, or producing good results. God’s will is not harmful or destructive, rather it is genuinely good for us and for others.
Acceptable — The idea is not simply that God’s will is acceptable to us. Rather, it is pleasing to God.
Perfect — The Greek word Teleios means complete, mature, full, brought to its intended goal.
Good → pleasing → complete/mature
The post 1. Godly Motivation: Why Renew Your Mind? first appeared on Living Hope.
