THE LETTER OF ROMANS CONTAINS PAUL’S THUROUGH EXPLAINATION OF THE SALVATION THAT IS DECLARED AND PRESENTED THROUGH THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. DIVIDED BY CHAPTERS, THE FIRST ELEVEN CHAPTERS TELL OF THE HOW WE COME TO PEACE WITH GOD THROUGH THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST. WE FIND THE APPEAL TO HAVE FAITH SO AS TO BELIEVE IN IT AND TO RECEIVE GOD’S GRACE. AT THE END OF THE ELEVENTH CHAPTER, WHEN THE APOSTLE CONSIDERS ALL THAT HAS BEEN DONE FOR OUR SALVATION HIS DOXOLOGY IS SHARED: “OH, THE DEPTH OF THE RICHES OF THE WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE OF GOD! HOW UNSEARCHABLE HIS JUDGMENTS, AND HIS PATHS BEYOND TRACING OUT! WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD? OR WHO HAS BECOME HIS COUNSELOR? WHO HAS EVER GIVEN TO GOD, THAT GOD SHOULD REPAY HIM? FOR FROM HIM AND THROUGH HIM AND TO HIM ARE ALL THINGS, TO HIM BE THE GLORY FOREVER! AMEN.”
FROM THE DAYS OF CAIN AND ABEL TO THE LAST AND FINAL INSPIRED WORD TO THE CHURCH, SACRIFICES HAVE BEEN CENTRAL TO MAN’S RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. BECAUSE OF SIN AND MANKIND NOT ONLY THE PHYSICAL PARADISE WAS LOST, BUT MORE SO THE CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. OUR RIGHTEOUS FATHER CALLS FOR SACRIFICE TO RESTORE THE DAMAGE OF OUR SINS. THE FIRST RECORD AFTER THE FALL OF MAN IS THAT OF CAIN AND ABEL COMING TO PRESENT TO GOD AN OFFERING. REFERENCES TO NOAH AND ABRAHAM TELL OF THEIR SACRIFICES MADE TO GOD. JOB WAS A RIGHTEOUS MAN WHOM GOD SAID WAS BLAMELESS BEFORE HIM. JOB WAS DILIGENT IN MAKING SACRIFICE TO GOD, EVEN FOR HIS FAMILY. WHEN GOD GAVE THE LAW TO ISRAEL SACRIFICES WERE INCLUDED SO THAT ISRAEL WOULD DEVELOP A HUMBLE SPIRIT BY WHICH THEY COULD DRAW NEAR TO GOD. THE ANIMAL SACRIFICES WERE MADE OVER AND OVER AGAIN. THESE RITUALS WERE ONLY THE FORESHADOW OF THE ONE GREAT SACRIFICE THAT WOULD TAKE AWAY OUR SINS. WE ARE REMINDED IN OUR WALK WITH THE LORD THAT IT WAS NOT JUST THE LORD JESUS CHRIST WHO WOULD SACRIFICE, GIVING HIS LIFE A RANSOM.
JUST AFTER MAKING THAT DECLARATION OF GOD’S MAJESTY, THE APOSTLE PAUL CONTINUES HIS LETTER TO CHRISTAINS BY MAKING THIS APPEAL TO EVERY DISCIPLE:“THEREFORE, I URGE YOU, BROTHERS, IN VIEW OF GOD’S MERCY TO OFFER YOUR BODIES AS LIVING SACRIFICES, HOLY AND PLEASING TO GOD—THIS IS YOUR SPIRITUAL ACT OF WORSHIP. DO NOT CONFORM ANY LONGER TO THE PATTERN OF THIS WORLD, BUT BE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND. THEN YOU WILL BE ABLE TO TEST AND APPROVE WHAT GOD’S WILL IS—HIS GOOD, PLEASING AND PERFECT WILL.”
THE REMAINDER OF THIS LETTER TO THE CHURCH IS A CALLING TO LIVE THAT SACRIFICIAL LIFE. PAUL TELLS HOW HE HAD BECOME THAT LIVING SACRIFICE.
GAL. 2:20-21: “I HAVE BEEN CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST AND I NO LONGER LIVE, BUT CHRIST LIVES IN ME. THE LIFE I LIVE IN THE BODY, I LIVE BY FAITH IN THE SON OF GOD, WHO LOVED ME AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR ME.” THE RHETORICAL QUESTION HE RAISED IN THE DOXOLOGY AS TO WHETHER ANYONE COULD EVER GIVE TO GOD SO THAT GOD OWED MAN IS BEING FURTHER DISCUSSED. THE APOSTLE MAKES IT CLEAR THAT RIGHTEOUSNESS IS NEVER ATTAINED BY WHAT SINFUL MAN CAN DO, BUT RATHER ONLY THROUGH THE SACRIFICE CHRIST HAS MADE.
JESUS CALLED PEOPLE TO MAKE SACRIFICES IF THEY WOULD FOLLOW HIM. ANDREW, PETER, JAMES AND JOHN LEFT THEIR FISHING BUSINESS TO BECOME FISHERS OF MEN. MATTHEW WAS CALLED FROM HIS WORK AS A TAX COLLECTOR.
OTHERS WHO WERE WITH HIM WERE TAUGHT TO THE COST OF FOLLOWING HIM. SOME WANTED TO WAIT TO ANSWER HIS CALLING UNTIL PARENTS WERE GONE SO IT WOULD NOT SEVER EARTHLY RELATIONSHIPS. JESUS CALLS US TO SERVE. THE RICH YOUNG RULER WHO CAME TO JESUS WANTING TO SECURE ETERNAL LIFE WAS A MAN OF GOD WHO OBEYED TO THE LAWS OF GOD. BUT HE KNEW SOMETHING WAS STILL MISSING IN HIS LIFE. JESUS CALLED HIM TO MAKE THE SACRIFICE OF ALL OF HIS WEALTH, THEN HE SHOULD COME AND FOLLOW HIM.
WHEN JESUS PREDICTED HIS OWN DEATH, HE SHARED THE TRUTH ABOUT THE SACRIFICE THAT IS NECESSARY TO FOLLOW HIM. THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 12:24-26,
“I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, UNLESS A KERNEL OF WHEAT FALLS TO THE GROUND AND DIES, IT REMAINS ONLY A SINGLE SEED. BUT IF IT DIES, IT PRODUCES MANY SEEDS. THE MAN WHO LOVES HIS LIFE WILL LOSE IT, WHILE THE MAN WHO HATES HIS LIFE IN THIS WORLDWILL KEEP IT FOR ETERNAL LIFE. WHOEVER SERVES ME MUST
FOLLOW ME; AND WHERE I AM, MY SERVANT ALSO WILL BE. MY FATHER WILL
HONOR THE ONE WHO SERVES ME.”
I THINK IN OUR PRESENT TIMES WHEN WE ARE SURROUNDED WITH SO MANY THINGS AND CONVENIENCES, WITH SO MUCH TO MAKE LIFE EASY AND RICH AND FULL; THAT LIVING A SACRIFICAL LIFE IS DIFFICULT TO SEE, COMPREHEND AND PERHAPS EVEN TO ACCOMPLISH. IF, HOWEVER, WE WERE LIVING UNDER PERSECUTION AS MANY CHRISTIANS HAVE AND ARE; AND IF WE LIVED UNDER THE THREAT OF LOSING OUR THINGS, IMPRISONMENT AND POSSIBLY LOSING LIFE FOR FOLLOWING JESUS IT WOULD BE CLEARER TO US THAT LIVING FOR JESUS IS A LIVING SACRIFICE.
I NEED TO KEEP IN PRAYER THE WORDS OF ONE OF MY FAVORITE SONGS. IT IS ENTITLED A LIVING SACRIFICE AND IT IS BASED UPON ROMANS 12:1-2. SOME OF THE WORDS ARE SET TO MUSIC AS A PRAYER CALLING OUT TO THE FATHER: “TAKE MY LIFE, A LIVING SACRIFICE, KNOWING IT’S THE LEAST THAT I CAN DO; MAKE MY LIFE, A LIVING SACRIFICE—HOLY AND ACCEPTABLE TO YOU.”
“I LOOKED UPON MY LIFE AND REALIZED AT LAST, WITHIN MYSELF THERE’S NOTHING I COULD DO, LORD BREAK DOWN MY WILL, MAKE MY DESIRES YOUR OWN, I LONG TO GIVE MY EVERTHING TO YOU.”
PRAYER…..
HELP US TO BECOME THE LIVING SACRIFICE SO THAT ALL WE ARE AND ALL WE CAN BE AND ALL WE HAVE IS IN YOUR HANDS.MAY YOUR WILL BE DONE IN US.
Max Pratt
PO Box 561, Ballinger TX 76281
325-265-2330
ninthstcoc@gmail.com
