By E. Roger Ammons, Communication Minister
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is YOUR REASONABLE SERVICE” (Rom. 12:1).
The word “present” is translated as “yield” in Romans 6. “Our old man is crucified with him…that henceforth we should not SERVE sin…Neither YIELD ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin” (Rom. 6:6, 13). Our “old man is crucified” when we experience sanctification as a second definite and instantaneous work of grace, but what about the “HENCEFORTH” of sanctification? The instantaneous experience of sanctification has a two-fold purpose and continuing effect upon us as to not only what we should not do, but also as to what we should do. We are to no longer present our bodies to Satan as his obedient servants unto sin, but rather present them to God as living sacrifices, alive from the dead, and His obedient servants to righteousness unto holiness. “YIELD yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God… Know ye not, that to whom ye YIELD yourselves SERVANTS to obey, his SERVANTS ye are to whom ye obey… ye were the SERVANTS of sin, but… Being then made free from sin, ye became the SERVANTS of righteousness… for as ye have YIELDED your members SERVANTS to… iniquity; even so now YIELD your members SERVANTS to righteousness UNTO HOLINESS… But now being made free from sin, and become SERVANTS to God, ye have your fruit UNTO HOLINESS” (Rom. 6:13, 16-19, 22). The word “holiness” here comes from the same root word as “sanctification.”
After our deliverance and salvation from sin, we should pray that God would grant us the experience of sanctification that we might serve Him in holiness. “That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might SERVE him…in holiness…” (Luke 1:74, 75). The two-fold purpose and effect of the “henceforth” of sanctification are urged by Paul in Romans 12:2: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
As a “living sacrifice,” we die out to self-will and come alive to “prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Rom. 12:2), even as Jesus prayed, “Not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42). What is God’s will for your life? How can you best serve Him? God gave Paul the gift of apostleship. In our day there are many self-ordained apostles, but Paul gives a dual warning: (1) against pride and self-exaltation; (2) against doubt of God-given ability to exercise our God-given gift. Exercise the faith of Philippians 4:3 that says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Paul said in Romans 12:3, “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” In verses 4 and 5 Paul uses the human body as an illustration of the function of the many members of the one body of Christ. “For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another” (Rom. 12:4, 5). He uses the same illustration in 1 Corinthians 12: “God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him…And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary” (vv. 18, 21, 22). However, the application in 1 Corinthians 12 is different than in Romans 12. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul deals with supernatural gifts of which none have been given to any individual, but rather the Spirit manifests each of them through whomever He wills. “Now there are diversities of gifts…But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom” (1 Cor. 12:4, 7, 8). Paul continues through verse 10 to list eight other gifts; the word of knowledge; faith; gifts of healing; working of miracles; prophecy; discerning of spirits; tongues; interpretation of tongues. Verse 11 reads, “But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.”
In Romans 6, when one presents his body as a “living sacrifice,” that includes all of his natural abilities, talents, etc. which God has given him as part of his human nature. Paul lists some examples, “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching. Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness” (Rom. 12:6-8).
Seek God to discover your gift and use it for His service. The passion of a sanctified servant is expressed in these words of a song: “To be used of God, to sing, to work to pray; To be used of God to show someone the way… To be used of God is my desire.”