Paul, Pt. 3: “Better Alive Than Dead”

BETTER ALIVE THAN DEAD (ROMANS 12:1-2)
Pete and Larry had not seen each other in many years. Now they had a long talk trying to fill in the gap of those years by telling about their lives. Finally Pete invited Larry to visit him in his new apartment.

“I got a wife and three kids and I’d love to have you visit us.”

“Great. Where do you live?”

“Here’s the address. And there’s plenty of parking behind the apartment. Park and come around to the front door, kick it open with your foot, go to the elevator and press the button with your left elbow, then enter! When you reach the sixth floor, go down the hall until you see my name on the door. Then press the doorbell with your right elbow and I’ll let you in.”

“Good. But tell me...what is all this business of kicking the front door open, then pressing elevator buttons with my right, then my left elbow?”

“Surely, you’re not coming empty-handed.”

Many believers return leftovers or nothing to the Lord and understand little about sacrifice and commitment. Paul offers some guidance to the Gentile believers in Rome about how to live a full life and not a futile life for the Lord, to be more like the Lord and less like the world. Romans 12 is one of the most popular texts in the Bible. I have heard pastors preaching this text more than most Pauline texts in the Bible.

Do believers have an obligation to serve God? What motivates them to serve? Why are some obstacles preventing and delaying him from completing his service?

Surrender Your All
12:1 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. (Rom 12:1)

The Chinese are very particular about eating fresh seafood. They craved for fish right out of the tank. Many years ago when I visited my cousin in Chicago, we dined at a popular Chinese restaurant in the suburbs. We were eager for fresh fish but were not sure what to expect in Chicago, so I asked the waiter in Cantonese: “Is your fish ‘swimming fish游水魚’?” The question seemed to catch him by surprise. He paused, looked at us smugly and answered with a straight face, “It swam before.”

The Food and Drug Administration has tips on how to choose fresh fish:
Fish should smell fresh and mild, not fishy, sour, or ammonia-like.
A fish’s eyes should be clear and bulge a little.
Whole fish and filets should have firm, shiny flesh and bright red gills free from slime. Dull flesh could mean the fish is old.
The flesh should spring back when pressed.
Fish fillets should display no darkening or drying around the edges. They should have no green or yellowish discoloration, and should not appear dry or mushy in any areas.
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~lrd/seafsafe.html

Is your offering to the Lord fresh or frozen?

Paul encourages the Romans to offer their bodies as living sacrifices to the Lord. Jewish sacrifices are totally opposite of Chinese and pagan sacrifices, where worshippers eat the sacrifices (1 Cor 10:18). Jewish sacrifice is wholly consumed, but not for general consumption. The Israelites were not given detailed instructions on offering sacrifices until the first chapter of Leviticus. Burnt offerings must be a male animal without defect. The presenter lays his hand on the head of the offering before its slaughter, and then the priests shall bring the blood and sprinkle it against the altar. The sons of Aaron shall then put fire on the altar and arrange wood on the fire, put the burnt offering that is skinned and cut into pieces, including the head and the fat, on the burning wood that is on the altar. The inner parts and the legs must be washed with water before the priest burns all of it on the altar. It is a burnt offering, an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the Lord. (Lev 1:1-9)

In the same way, the believer’s body is totally given to the Lord as a living sacrifice. The conditions for acceptance are the same. It must be without defect – not damaged goods; it must be alive – not sick, diseased or dying animals, animals on its last legs. Nothing is saved or salvaged. The best parts are given or burnt to the Lord. No head reserved for porridge, no kidney for snack, no inner parts and legs for barbeque, or bones for soup.

Matthew Henry’s insight is amazing:
“Your bodies - your whole selves; so expressed because under the law the bodies of beasts were offered in sacrifice, 1 Cor 6:20. Our bodies and spirits are intended. The offering was sacrificed by the priest, but presented by the offerer, who transferred to God all his right, title, and interest in it, by laying his hand on the head of it. Presenting them denotes a voluntary act…It must be a free-will offering. Your bodies; not your beasts…The presenting of the body to God implies not only the avoiding of the sins that are committed with or against the body, but the using of the body as a servant of the soul in the service of God. It is to glorify God with our bodies…Present them a living sacrifice; not killed, as the sacrifices under the law. A Christian makes his body a sacrifice to God, though he does not give it to be burned. A body sincerely devoted to God is a living sacrifice.”

One of my professors in seminary, Dr. Thomas Constable, says, “Urging (Gr. parakaleo) lies between commanding and beseeching…The apostle did not want his readers to comply because he had commanded them to do so, but because they wanted to because of what God had done for them.”

Mercy (v 1) is plural and not singular in Greek, which is consistent of him in other letters too (2 Cor 1:3, Phil 2:1, Col 3:12), although it is singular in the book of Hebrews (Heb 10:28). It is ever so plentiful, bountiful, and meaningful.

On the other hand, believers are to offer Him our bodies as a living, holy and pleasing “sacrifice” - singular in Greek and most translations but NIV. It is a single act, not piece by piece, part by part, portion by portion. In Greek it is “present your bodies as a sacrifice (whole and decisive),” followed by three adjectives: living, holy, pleasing.

Contact with anything dead or even torn is unclean, including eating or touching them (Lev 11:31, 17:15). You might say, “Aren’t they all dead when you sacrificed them?” There is a difference between offering the dead before slaughter for sacrifice and offering the living before sacrifice. The pragmatism in us considers its function, but God examines its form and fitness.

Living is the activity and functionality, but “holy” is its nature and quality. Holiness is the idea of being set apart to the Lord. The word “set apart” in Genesis means a clear difference, a distinct division; it is the word for the separation of light from the darkness (Gen 1:4), the sky from earth’s atmosphere (Gen 1:6-8), the day from the night (Gen 1:14, 1:18). In Israel’s case, they are to be set apart and utterly different from the nations - to be God’s own (Lev 20:26). God has chosen Israel out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. (Deut 7:6, 14:2) The negative is separation from the others but the positive is to be God’s possession. By the way the New Testament idea of holy is not perfection, but “without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish” (Eph 5:27). While “living” means not dead, diseased or dying, “holy” means the best.

Pleasing (eu-arestos) is its purpose and aspiration. The Greek word occurs nine times in the Bible, NIV translated them as “please” or “pleasing” (Rom 12:1, 12:2, 14:18, 2 Cor 5: 9, Eph 5:10, Phil 4:18, Col 3:20, Titus 2:9, Heb 13:21), which is part of the Greek equation, but missing out in NIV is the first part eu- of euarestos, which is well-pleasing.

Seek the Transformation
2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

A dignified old clergymen owned a parrot of which he was exceedingly fond, but the bird had picked up an appalling vocabulary of cuss words from a previous owner and, after a series of particularly embarrassing episodes, the clergymen decided he would have to have his parrot put to sleep. But a lady in his congregation suggested a last-ditch remedy. She said,” I have a female parrot. She is an absolute saint. She sits quietly on her perch and prays constantly. Why don’t you bring your parrot over and see if my own bird’s good influence doesn’t reform him?”

The pastor said it was worth a try, and the next night he arrives with his pet. The bird took one look at the lady parrot and chirped, “Hi, Toots, how about a big kiss?” The lady parrot responded gleefully, “My prayers have been answered!”

An Irish proverb says, “Who lies down with dogs will get up with fleas.” (A Treasury of Irish Folklore and Humor, Henry D. Spalding, Jonathan David Publishers, New York 1978)

The verb conform (v 2) is su-schematizo; the su/sun preposition means “joint” and schematizo is from “pattern” (schema), which means external condition and circumstances, also translated as “things” of the world (1 Cor 7:31) and (Jesus’) “appearance” as a man (Phil 2:8). “Conform” is an imperative - an order and not an option or an offer.

Paul commands believers to mark boundaries with the world, not to be joined/”sun” at the hip with the world, to be identical to and unrecognizable from the world. Imitating the pattern/schema of the world leaves no room for the believer to grow and mature, to be shaped by the word and not the world. The world is “aion,” meaning “an age,” a period of time, not the physical world “cosmos” but the present world.

Transformed is the most dramatic, unexpected and interesting word in the text. “Metamorphoo” is also an imperative, it describes Jesus’ transfiguration, where His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. (Matt 17:2, Mark 9:2). It is night and day, black and white, old and new. Unlike Jesus’ transfiguration, the goal of our transformation is to be transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (2 Cor 3:18) In biology, metamorphosis is an abrupt structural change, as seen in the marked changes during the development of an organism, especially the transformation from larva to adult, e.g., in the transformation from tadpole to frog or from caterpillar to butterfly. The skin is shed, the changes are permanent, the chain is broken, and there is no resemblance to the past.

Transformation begins with the mind, not one’s body. “Nous” (mind) is the intellect, the thought, one’s understanding. Matthew Henry says, “The mind is the acting ruling part of us; so that the renewing of the mind is the renewing of the whole man.”

Strive for Excellence
Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Rom 12:1-2)

John Stott, commenting on this passage, says we have to choose between the way of the world and the will of God.

The world says: get and grab what you can and live for yourself.
God says: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

The world says: give as good as you get; return good for good and evil for evil and tit for tat.
God says: “Do not repay evil for evil but overcome evil with good.”

The world says: sex is for fun; it’s enjoyment without commitment.
God says: sex is for love; it’s enjoyment within commitment.

The world says: go for the top and the end justifies the means.
God says: “Whoever wants to be first among you, let him be the servant of all.”

The world says: greatness is measured by achievement.
God says: greatness is measured by service.

The world says: you’re number one; so live for yourself and look out for yourself; nobody else is going to if you don’t.
God says: “Seek first my rule and my righteousness, and these things will be added to you.”

The world says: stand up for yourself; fight for your rights.
God says: “Blessed are the meek; they shall inherit the earth.”
http://www.30goodminutes.org/csec/sermon/stott_2621.htm

The outcome of a sacrificial life and a transformed mind is walking in the will of God.

The translation “test and approve” is unnecessary for the single Greek word “dokimazo” or “to prove,” meaning “test,” “discern,” “think” or “examine.” The most popular translation for this word is “test” (1 Cor 3:13, 2 Cor 8:8, 13:5, Gal 6:4, 1 Thess 2:4, 5:21, 1 Tim 3:10, 1 John 4:1) , followed by “approve” four times (Rom 2:18, 14:22,1 Cor 16:3, 1 Thess 2:4), and once for diverse translations such as “interpret” (Luke 12:56), “try out” (Luke 14:19), “think” (Rom 1:28), “examine” (1 Cor 11:28), “prove” (2 Cor 8:22), “find out” (Eph 5:10), “discern” (Phil 1:10), “tried” (Heb 3:9) and “refined” (1 Peter 1:7). This word is basically “think,” which is an activity of the mind. Mind is the form - the brain, the mental faculty; but dokimazo is the intellect, the function of the mind.

The myth of the mind is its impartiality and its independence. The mind is not given to us merely to remain neutral. It’s been said, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” There is no limit to the mind once we put our mind to it. As a psychologist friend of mine exercising with me suggested, “Exercise is not physical; it is mental.” I often tease and encourage clueless gym wannabes and rookies, “Exercise is mind over matter.” The transformed mind has no problem thinking God’s thoughts and understanding God’s values, discerning true and false, decoding right and wrong, discriminating moral from immoral, ethical from unethical and godly from ungodly values.

The three words that qualify the will of God are good (agathos), pleasing (eu-arestos) and perfect (teleios - completeness). Agathos is good in its benefit. Pleasing – repeated in verse 1 - has “eu” or “good” preposition, meaning “very pleasing.” The Greek word for “perfect” (teleios), meaning “full age” or “completion,” occurs 19 times in the Bible. Besides 11 times the popular translation of “perfect” (Matt 5:48, 5:48, 19:21, Rom 12:2, 1 Cor 13:10, Col 1:28, Heb 9:11, James 1:17, 1:25, James 3:2, 1 John 4:18), the other translations are “mature” – six times (1 Cor 2:6, Eph 4:13, Phil 3:15, Col 4:12, Heb 5:14, James 1:4), “adults” (1 Cor 14:20) and “finish” (James 1:4).

This “perfect” word is the same word for the work of pastors to build up the body of Christ “until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature” (Eph 4:13) and for perseverance to “finish” its work in believers so that they may be “mature” (James 1:4) – the words “finish” and “mature” are the same Greek word for “perfect.”

Conclusion: There is no better offering to God than to offer yourself – your consecration, commitment and communion with Him. Have you offered the best of your body, mind and will to the Lord? Do you love God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength? (Deut 6:5) Are you withholding time, talents and treasures that rightfully belongs to the Lord? Do you walk in the path of the wicked or the righteous? Are you walking in the path of life, understanding and peace? Do you love or imitate the world or the Lord?

Application Questions:
1. What is Paul’s call to Christians? Is there a difference between “believers’ and those who offer themselves as a living sacrifice? Where are you in responding to this call.

2. Consider one area that you need discipline as you offer your bodies as a living sacrifice (e.g. pleasures of the body, health, etc.). Pray about it and set some personal goals to begin exercising discipline.

3. Choose an area that you struggle not to conform to the world (e.g. work ethics, family life, money, relationships). What is it? Contrast the world’s values and the biblical values.

4. How can we be “transformed by the renewal of your mind”? Do you have such experiences? Share the experience with a brothers and sisters?

5. How do we distinguish between our own desires/aspirations and the will of God? Are they always different or are they the same? How do we discern what the perfect will of God is?

6. How do we encourage (“urge”) one another to practice Romans 12:1-2 as fellow brothers and sisters? Consider one way you can do that.