A[CALL|2|ARMS]2010:

WE[PREPARE|FOR|WAR]

Romans 12:Living.Sacrifice

Romans 12 (New Living Translation)
A Living Sacrifice to God
1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be [your  Life] a living and holy
sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.

2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

3 Because of the privilege and authority God has given me, I give each of you this warning: Don’t think you are better than you really are. [sober minded] Be honest in your evaluation of yourselves, measuring yourselves by the faith God has given us.

Believers are to dedicate themselves to God.
-He entreated the Romans, as his brethren in Christ, by the mercies of God, to present their bodies as a living sacrifice to Him.
-This is a powerful appeal.

-LIVING SACRAFICE:
.In the Old testament worship context, animal sacrifices were offered up to God and put to death to make atonement for sin. The release of an object of value was key, the object had to cost something, and once given and offered up could not be reclaimed.
.Jesus became the ultimate sacrifice and final sacrifice, his perfection required no other blood sacrifice, but as we are to refelect Christ as “Christ-ians” we are called upon to offer up our lifes as sacrafice in the same way.
.MEANING it is no longer ours, all our days that remain are now His we live to glorify Him in all we do not ourselves

Conversion and sanctification are the renewing of the mind; a change, not of the substance, but of the qualities of the soul.
The progress of sanctification, [dying to sin more and more], and [living to righteousness more and more], is the carrying on this renewing work, till it is perfected in glory.
The great enemy to this renewal is, conformity to this world.

Sacrafice we offer:
-Living
-Being Holy [Set Apart]
-Pleasing God

Our spiritual act of worship is a part of an interesting progression described in this passage:
.Gods Mercy leads to our worship of Him
.Our worship leads to being renewed by Gods presence.
.Our renewel leads to our minds being transformed.
.Our mental transformation leads to the ability o know God’s will
.In this context, we ought to consider ourselves with sober judgement(and honest self examination)

-Take heed of forming plans for happiness, as though it lay in the things of this world, which soon pass away.
Do not fall in with the customs of those who walk in the lusts of the flesh, and mind earthly things. The work of the Holy Ghost first begins in the understanding, and is carried on to the will, affections, and conversation, till there is a change of the whole man into the likeness of God, in knowledge, righteousness, and true holiness. Thus, to be godly, is to give up ourselves to God. (Ro 12:3-8)