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NASB | 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. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Romans 12:1 Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies [dedicating all of yourselves, set apart] as a living sacrifice, holy and well-pleasing to God, which is your rational (logical, intelligent) act of worship. |
Subject: our sacrifice and our faith |
Bible Note: No one can 'obey all of His laws', for the Law shows us how sinnful we are and how much we need a Saviour - Jesus. However Paul in Rom 12 is talking to Christians (brethren), ones who already have placed their faith in Jesus. The phrase 'creature streams' is a figure of speech -a metaphore- of the wants and desires of the creature (the flesh) which rebels against the will of God when God's will goes against it. It would only be 'natural' for Abraham to want to not sacrifice his son at God's command; but because of his faith in God's mercies and His faithfulness in keeping His promises, Abraham rose up early to do His (God's) will not his (Abraham's) own. the phrase brings to mind what God said in Jeremiah : Jer 2:13 For My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken Me, the Fountain of living waters, and they have hewn for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns which cannot hold water. Contrasting that with saying of Jesus : John 7:37 Now on the final and most important day of the Feast, Jesus stood, and He cried in a loud voice, If any man is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink! John 7:38 He who believes in Me [who cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me] as the Scripture has said, From his innermost being shall flow [continuously] springs and rivers of living water. John 7:39 But He was speaking here of the Spirit, Whom those who believed (trusted, had faith) in Him were afterward to receive. For the [Holy] Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified (raised to honor). So, as CHM had already said "every one who believes in Jesus is a debtor to the scene around him to allo the streams of refreshment to flow forth from him. ... He is called to be the constant witness and exhibiter of the grace of Him on whom he believes. ... IF he is habitually feeding upon Christ, he cannot avoid exhibiting Him. The more the Holy Spirit keeps the Christian's eye fixed on Jesus, the more will his heart be occupied with His adorable Person, and his life and character bear unequivocal testimony to His grace. FAITH IS AT ONCE THE POWER OF MINISTRY, THE POWER OF TESTIMONY, AND THE POWER OF WORSHIP. IF WE ARE NOT LIVING "BY THE FAITH OF THE SON OF GOD WHO LOVED US, AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR US," WE SHALL NEITHER BE EFFECTUAL SERVANTS, FAITHFUL WITNESSES NOR TRUE WORSHIPERS. We may be doing a great deal, but it will not be service to Christ; we may be saying a great deal, but it will not be a testimony for Christ; we may exibit a great deal of piety and devotion, but it will not be spiritual and true worship." The issue of heb 12:1 and 2 is that because of what Jesus has done for us we present ourselves as a pleasing sacrifice to God. We do not keep back any 'Isaacs'. And this is done in faith with our eyes fixed on the promises and mercies of God, just as Abraham's was. |