What does Romans 12 say about presenting your body as a living sacrifice?
Romans 12 instructs believers to present their bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God. This is called an intelligent, logical, or practical form of service. The Greek term logike replaces ritualistic service, showing believers are set free from prescribed religious rituals and not under a commanding ritual system.
Les teaches that Romans chapter 12 uses the same service word, latria, but instead of divine, ritualistic, or religious service, the Greek word is logike, translated intelligent. Read that way, Romans 12 says to present your body as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is your intelligent, logical, or practical service. Les contrasts this with Catholic Mass and Jewish synagogue worship, where established rituals tell people when to kneel, stand, sit, or respond, so visitors become confused. Believers are no longer under demands of a certain ritual, saying you will do it this way and that way; they are set free and not under any particular commanding type of ritual.
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.
More Questions
What is required to present your body as a living sacrifice?
You don't have to cross raging rivers, move to another place, or get an education that God can use in order to present your body as a living sacrifice; you just say, 'Lord, here am I. Use me.'
Why does Paul say 'therefore' when he tells us to present our bodies a living sacrifice in Romans 12:1?
Because God secures believers so completely in Romans 8 that nothing can touch them, Paul therefore beseeches us by the mercies of God to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable unto God, which is our reasonable service.