It has sometimes been said that the great ‘therefores’ of Romans neatly outline the themes of the epistle.¹ In chapter 5, Paul proclaims, ‘Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ’ (Rom 5:1); in chapter 8 he continues, ‘Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,’ (Rom 8:1). Each time he uses the word ‘therefore’, it is to introduce a new theme, yet one which builds on what has gone before.

It is no great surprise, then that when we get to chapter 12, he offers us another therefore:

‘Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God’ (Rom 12:1).

Here he is introducing a new section which is dedicated to explaining how the great and wonderful things that he has taught in the preceding chapters are translated into daily obedience. The ordering is very important; it is only now that Paul has firmly established the priority and necessity of God’s gracious working to free us from sin (‘we have been justified by faith’) and the condemnation that it would otherwise bring (‘there is now no condemnation’) that he introduces the subject of obedient works.

Just in case we miss the point, he lays special emphasis on what he has been saying before moving on to give instruction: ‘Therefore… in view of God’s mercy…’, referring back to all of Romans.

But what is it that Paul commands? I’m going to suggest that Paul’s instructions can be summarised in one word found in verse 2: ‘transformation’.

‘Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.’ (Rom 12:2)

There are two different kinds of change pictured here. The first is a change brought about by outward pressure from the world. We’ve all seen it; we’ve all felt it. The world has certain attitudes about sex, money, power, justice, relationships and so on, and anybody who does not fall into line with these feels tremendous pressure to change their ways to meet the norm. This could be called ‘adaptation’. But transformation is completely different, for it originates with God’s working on us from the inside rather than the world working on us from the outside. J. B. Phillips captures it nicely in his paraphrase of this verse: ‘Do not let the world squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-make you so that your whole attitude of mind is changed’.

The specific object of this transformation is our minds. This is not altogether surprising, since we know that the way we think about our circumstances greatly changes both our attitudes and our actions.

This week our daughter, Elyana, has had a number of nights when she has been particularly grumpy in the evenings. I found that the way that I responded toward her at these times varied greatly, depending on what I was thinking about at the time. When I was thinking primarily about how inconvenient it all was that she should pick this week to be unsettled, when I was trying to write a sermon, and I was so tired, how dare she not go to sleep when I tell her to and I have done all the ‘right’ things and so on… guess what? I have to confess to you that there were two grumpy children in that room, one of whom is 30 years old!

But when I instead focused on my relationship to her, that this is my daughter whom I love, and who was clearly upset, I was able to show the tenderness and compassion that she needed. A renewed mind led to a transformation in my attitudes and actions.

When God renews a mind, the results are spectacular. Paul goes on to outline some of the consequences in three main areas: (1) our relationship with God; (2) our perception of ourself; and (3) our love for others.

A renewed mind transforms our relationship with God (vv. 1-2)

Let’s dive on into the passage then. The first thing that Paul commands in verse 1 is that we ‘offer [our] bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God’. This imagery would have been much more accessible to Paul’s Roman audience than it is to us, for ‘they had stood by their altar and watched as an animal was identified as their own, as it was slain in the ritual manner, its blood manipulated, and the whole or part of the victim burned on the altar and ascended in the flames to the deity they worshipped’.² Such sacrifices were required to be ‘without defect or blemish’ (Lev 22:21)³ in which case they would in the process of being sacrificed be made ‘holy and pleasing’ to the deity to which they were offered.

First century readers would also have spotted immediately the contradiction in terms – ‘living sacrifices’. For an animal sacrifice, by definition, was dead. What, then, does it mean to offer a ‘living sacrifice’? One commentator describes it like this:

The sacrifice of which Paul writes demands not the destruction but the full energy of life. It is positive and dynamic.⁴

Even though, as Paul has explained in chapter 7, the body contains much indwelling sin, he nevertheless emphasises the importance of offering the body to God. Our bodies – indeed, our entire lives! – are offered to him to use as he will.

Yet, the problem with ‘living sacrifices’ is that they have a tendency to crawl off the altar!⁵ It is only when our mind is renewed that our relationship with God can be transformed in such a way as to allow us to continually offer a living sacrifice.

When our mind is renewed, a second transformation occurs in our relationship with God. We begin to be able to understand and appreciate God’s will.

‘Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will.’ (Rom 12:2)

‘Test and approve’ implies first-hand experience. I think we sometimes want to know God’s will from the outside, so that we can decide for ourselves whether it is really the right thing for us, or so that we can offer our own ‘helpful’ critiques and suggestions of things that God may have overlooked or could do better. But God’s will can only be understood and appreciated from the inside. The psalmist writes:

‘Taste and see that the LORD is good.’ (Ps 34:8a)

As the old saying says, ‘the proof is in the pudding’ – it is only by tasting that we see how good it is, only by taking the plunge into the river that we know its power. We are called to an active participation in God’s will, not just an objective assessment.

This can only be done with a renewed mind. Remember what Paul said back in chapter 1:

‘Since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done.’ (Rom 1:28)

Men and women rejected God, disregarding ‘the knowledge of God’, and as a result God ‘gave them over to a depraved mind’. But now, because God has renewed our minds, we can once more ‘test and approve’ God’s will.⁶

A renewed mind transforms our perception of ourself (vv. 3-8)

So, a renewed mind transforms our relationship with God, causing us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, and enabling us to be active participants in God’s will, appreciating just how ‘good, pleasing and perfect’ it is. It also changes the way we perceive ourselves:

‘For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.’ (Rom 12:3)

There are two traps that we can fall into when thinking about ourselves. The first is that we think too highly of ourselves. But the phrase ‘more highly than you ought’ reminds us that there is a sense in which we ought to think highly of ourselves. How, then, are we to achieve the right course in between these two extremes? Paul’s answer is that we must consider our place in the body of Christ.

‘Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.’ (Rom 12:4–5)

A couple of ideas are prominent here. Firstly, the image of the body highlights the diversity of the members. Each member of our bodies has a role that it is uniquely suited to fulfil. In rare cases, other parts of the body may be able to compensate for a time, such as when muscles provide some stability to joints when ligaments fail, or when other organs take on the functions of a removed spleen. But the body is inevitably weaker than it would otherwise be when this happens, since these members are operating outside of the areas that they are particularly suited to.

Paul develops this idea in verses 6-8.

‘We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.’ (Rom 12:6–8)

We don’t have time to consider each of the gifts Paul lists here, but we need to note that this list is representative rather than comprehensive. In other words, don’t worry if you don’t see your particular gift or gifts listed here; that does not mean that you have no gift to offer. On the contrary, every member of the body of Christ has some gift to offer; and if they don’t offer it then the body suffers. And this brings us to the second idea that the imagery of the body gives us: unity.

‘In Christ we who are many form one body and each member belongs to all the others.’ (Rom 12:5)

What does it mean that ‘each member belongs to all the others’?

John Murray says of Christians, “They have property in one another and therefore in one another’s gifts and graces.” It would be correct to add that you, as a Christian, have a right to the gifts the other members of the body have been given, and they have a right to your gift. You cheat them if you do not use it, and you are poorer if you do not depend on them.⁷

I think most of us are mistaken in the way we exercise our gifts. We think that our calling is to be as self-sufficient as we can. We want to make sure we have taken care of our needs and those of our family etc., and only then do we offer our excess time, energy and gifts for the benefit of the church at large.

But this is wrong.

If, instead, we were to allow others to serve us in their areas of strength, all of a sudden we would have more time and energy to exercise our own gifts to serve others! Perhaps you can cook a meal for someone, which will free some time for them to clean for someone else, who can in turn mind someone else’s kids… and so on. Each is then spending more time working in their area of gifting, and less in the areas that they are not gifted for, and which are therefore more draining.

For this to work, we need to be willing to both offer our gifts AND to be willing to ask for and receive help from others.

Let me ask two questions, then. (1) Are you exercising your gift or gifts as part of the body of Christ? and (2) Are you relying upon other members of the body to use their gifts on your behalf? If the answer to either of these is no, then the body is weakened… and the mind needs to be renewed.

A renewed mind transforms our love for others (vv. 9-21)

This brings us nicely to the third and final section in this passage, that deals with the way we relate to other people. I am going to group my comments on these verses into 3 categories: (1) our attitudes; (2) our actions; and (3) our reactions.

Firstly, our attitudes towards other people. I already shared with you some of the differences that a renewed mind make to attitudes; in verses 9-12 Paul describes some of the characteristic attitudes that are associated with a renewed mind. These include sincere love; a hate for that which is evil and a desire for that which is good; devotion toward one another, honouring one another; zeal and fervour; joy; patience in affliction; and faithful prayer. As with the gifts we skipped over earlier, we don’t really have time to consider all of these in detail, so I will just make one general observation.

All of these attitudes are possible for the unrenewed mind… for a time. But it is only with a mind renewed by God that they become consistent and characteristic. So the unrenewed mind may ‘love’, but that love quickly degenerates into insincerity unless it flows out of love for God. Similarly, zeal that is born out of human capacities rapidly fades, but the zeal of a renewed mind is constantly refreshed as we consider God’s mercies toward us.

The next four verses speak of the actions we are to take toward other people:

‘Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited.’ (Rom 12:13–16)

Notice how each of these actions runs against the grain of what the world would recommend. Share, where the world says hoard. Be hospitable, not just to your friends (who will be hospitable in return) but with those are not able to return the favour (Luke 14:12-14). Bless, where the world curses. Enter into both the joy and grief of others, where the world teaches us to envy their joy and pity their grief.
In short, ‘Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.’ (Rom 12:2).

Finally, Paul shows us how a renewed mind responds to the actions of others:

‘Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.’ (Rom 12:17–21)

The first and last verses of this section describe the two alternatives. The unrenewed mind seeks to overcome evil by responding with evil, particularly revenge. The renewed mind, however, acknowledges that revenge is God’s right, and his only. As we know from Romans 3, all have sinned, which means that all have incurred God’s wrath. Any evil that is perpetrated against us is, therefore, only the latest in a long line of atrocities against God (not us), and it is God’s decision how to respond. He does so in one of two ways: either that person is in Christ, in which case their sin is paid for, God’s wrath has been expended upon Jesus, and ‘there is now no condemnation’ (Rom 8:1); or he will impose judgment, expending his wrath upon them directly. In either case, we have no business taking our own petty revenge.

Instead, we are called to ‘overcome evil with good’. Providing for the needs of our enemies, blessing them (which means to pray will bring good to them) rather than cursing them, is the response of the renewed mind. As a result of doing this, we will ‘heap burning coals on [their] head’, a phrase intended to signify bringing them to repentance. Without doubt, the best result for everyone is for our enemies to repent and seek Christ, so that they need not face God’s wrath on their own. In this way, also, we may gain a brother or sister for ourselves.

Conclusion

What shall we say in conclusion then? It is clear that the renewal of the mind has (and is supposed to have) far-reaching consequences. It is, first of all, to transform our relationships with God, leading us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices and to test and approve God’s will. When we have done those things, we will begin to perceive ourselves in a different way, being enabled to think of ourselves and our gifts with sober judgment. Then, and only then, are we able to relate properly with other people, with transformed attitudes, actions and reactions.

I have one final warning and encouragement. Transformation is not just an individual thing; it requires Christian community if it is to be truly effective. Yes, God is the one who does the transforming, and we should certainly pray that he continues to do so. But his usual method of doing so involves other believers. It is in the church that we learn most and most truly about God, ourselves, and the world. It is in Christian community that we are given opportunity to develop our gifts, to serve one another, to form lasting relationships with God and each other. It is with other believers that we are best able to test and approve God’s will.

So, West Pennant Hills Community Church, the challenge for us this week is to seize every opportunity to encourage one another to be transformed in our attitudes, actions and reactions towards one another. Let us serve one another with the gifts that God has given us, depending on them to serve us in return. Let us offer our body – this body of Christ – as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God in a joint act of spiritual worship. May we not be conformed to the pattern of this world any longer, but let us be truly transformed by the renewing of our mind.

Amen.

Bibliography

Boice, James Montgomery. Romans. 4 vols. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, 1991.
Dawn, Marva J. Truly the Community : Romans 12 and How to Be the Church. Grand Rapids, Mich.: W.B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1997.
Moo, Douglas J. The Epistle to the Romans. Grand Rapids, Mich.: W.B. Eerdmans Pub. Co, 1996.
Morris, Leon. The Epistle to the Romans. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1988.

Endnotes

1. See, for example, Marva J. Dawn, Truly the Community: Romans 12 and How to Be the Church (Grand Rapids, Mich.: W.B. Eerdmans Pub. Co., 1997), 7.
2. Leon Morris, The Epistle to the Romans (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1988), 433.
3. For instructions on the kinds of sacrifices the Israelites were to offer, see Exod 12:5; 29:1; Lev 1:3, 10; 3:1, 6; 4:3, 23, 28, 32; 5:15, 18; 6:6; 9:2; 14:10; 22:19, 21; 23:12, 18; Num 6:14; 19:2; 28:3, 9, 11, 19, 31; 29:2, 8, 13, 17, 20, 23, 26, 29, 32, 36; Ezek 43:22, 25; 45:18, 23; 46:4, 6, 13. cf. Eph 5:27; Col 1:22; 1 Pet 1:19.
4. Ibid., 434.
5. Dawn, Truly the Community : Romans 12 and How to Be the Church, 23.
6. Douglas J. Moo, The Epistle to the Romans (Grand Rapids, Mich.: W.B. Eerdmans Pub. Co, 1996), 757. Moo notes particularly the use of ἀδόκιμος (‘depraved’) in 1:28 in comparison to δοκιμάζω (‘approve’) in 12:2.
7. James Montgomery Boice, Romans, 4 vols. (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, 1991), 1582.