Romans: Christian Duty, Authority, and Brotherly Peace

How to Present Your Body to the Lord

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2007-12-16

Synopsis: John Weaver expounds Romans 12:1-2, explaining that presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice means yielding ourselves wholly to God, abstaining from sin, and actively pursuing righteousness. He emphasizes that doctrine must lead to duty, and that this presentation is a constant, daily reckoning of ourselves dead to sin and alive to God, motivated by the mercies shown in the gospel.

[John Weaver] Romans chapter 12, beginning with verse 1 and reading through verse 2, the passage that all of us should know really and truly by heart. Romans 12, verse 1. I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. and be not conformed to this world, but that ye transform by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Have you ever wondered what it really means to present your body as a living sacrifice?

[John Weaver] Think about that just for a moment. What does that really and truly mean? And how does it apply to you? And if you understand you're responsible to make the word of God applicable to you, the next question that should come to your mind is, how in the world do I present my body? When you ask questions like these, you're entering into the realm of what is known as practical Christianity.

[John Weaver] See, doctrine is absolutely necessary. Doctrine is wonderful and marvelous, but unless it is applied, it's absolutely, totally useless. It does not matter how much truth one knows if he does not apply the truth. Interestingly, when you look at the book of Romans, the book is divided basically into two sections, doctrinal and practical. The first eleven chapters of the book of Romans are doctrinal. Chapters 12-16 are considered the practical applications of the doctrine that has been taught in the first 11 chapters.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just emphasize something at this particular point. If you understand that chapters 12-16 are the application of chapters 1-11, then you understand this principle that our duty is always based upon doctrine. You know your duty because you know doctrine. You stop and think about all of the useless, unbiblical activity that goes on today under the guise and under the name of Christianity. You know what the Apostle Paul refers to that as in 1 Corinthians 3?

[John Weaver] He calls it wood, hay, and stubble. Worthless. In Romans chapter 10 and verse 2, The Apostle Paul condemns those who have a zeal without knowledge. You can have zeal, but if you don't have knowledge, your zeal is practically worthless and it is misguided and misdirected. There are too many people today that act unbiblically. And usually what they do is when they act unbiblically, they blame their unbiblical and ungodly conduct on the leading of the Spirit. Now, I don't doubt a spirit led them, but I can assure you it was not the Holy Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit never, ever leads anyone to violate the Word of God.

[John Weaver] We must know doctrine in order that we are not deceived, and we must know doctrine in order that we must know our duty. We cannot content ourselves with doctrine alone. So in chapters 1 through 11, the Apostle Paul has taught some marvelous doctrine. He's taught the doctrine of depravity. He's taught justification by faith alone. He's taught predestination, election, glorification, and the substitutionary work of Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Now, look in verse one of chapter 12. In light of that, look what he says. I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God. That you present your bodies a living sacrifice. Well, now, what mercies is the apostle Paul talking about? The answer is those mercies that have been presented in chapters one through eleven. Those mercies that I've just mentioned to you. So in light of this doctrine, says the Apostle Paul, it is your duty, therefore, to present your body a living sacrifice. Now, the Apostle uses an unusual word in verse one. He says, I beseech. Let me tell you the significance of that word beseech. It is actually the word parakaleo in the Greek. It is the word that is used for one of the names of the Holy Spirit.

[John Weaver] You remember he's called the paraclete? Para is a preposition which means alongside of and kaleo means I call. So parakaleo means literally I call alongside of. to help. So the Holy Spirit is called the paraclete. He's the one that has been called alongside of to help us. But in this instance, Paul is using that word not as a reference to the Holy Spirit, but he's using it as it means to beseech and to exhort and to admonish and to encourage and to instruct. So in light of that, Paul is asking you, beseeching you, to present your bodies a living sacrifice. Now, let me just show you very quickly, and I'm not going to go into this in detail right now, but to show you how Paul is admonishing each of us to apply the doctrine that he's taught us. In verse 1 of Romans chapter 12, we have the duty of public and private worship by presenting our bodies a living sacrifice. Look in verse 2.

[John Weaver] and be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Thus we have the duty of conforming our minds to Christ by being transformed and not conforming our minds to the world. Look in verse 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." We have the duty of soberly assessing our gifts before God and not being heady, arrogant, and high-minded. Now, what do I mean by a sober assessment of gifts? I mean this, and this is what the Scripture means.

[John Weaver] Suppose I announce to you that I have firmly believed that God had called me to a ministry of music and next week I'm going to be singing for you for a solid hour. Now, how many of you would come? Yeah, I thought so. Because everybody in this room knows that I can't sing. I can't carry a tune in a bucket. But you know, I could say that I believe that God has given me a ministry of music. Well, why would I say something like that?

[John Weaver] I don't have any of the gifts. I can't even play a radio very well. So this is what Paul is saying. There are so many who thought that, you know, because they wanted a gift or desired a gift that evidently they must have the gift. Well, that's not true. So you have a duty of soberly assessing yourself. Look in verse four. Of course, we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office. We have the duty to assess those gifts soberly in light of the fact that we are a body, and not every member has the same gift or the same action. You know, the apostle covers this in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 through 14. He says, what if the whole body were a tongue? Where were the eye? What if the whole body was an eye? Where are the feet? In other words, no. You have to have different members of the body. And then in chapter 12 in verse 5, he says, so we being many are one body in Christ and everyone members one of another.

[John Weaver] He's emphasizing that. And then verses 6 through 8, very quickly, we have the duty of exercising whatever gift God gives us. according to Scripture. Look what he says, having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, where the prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith, or ministry, let us wait on our ministry, or he that teacheth on teaching, or he that exhorteth on exhortation, or he that giveth, let him

[John Weaver] do it with simplicity, he that ruleth with diligence, and he that showeth mercy with cheerfulness. Now, in other words, what he's saying is it doesn't matter what gift God has given you. You must exercise that gift according to Scripture. I had one young man recently talk with me and. He was asking me about Romans chapter 12 and especially verse eight, and he told me that he believed that he had a gift.

[John Weaver] And a ministry of giving. Well, I said, that's wonderful. But I said, let me caution you, you must exercise that gift according to the word of God. He said, what do you mean? I said, well, here's some bum sitting on the street corner. And he's got red eyes from an all night drunk. And here he is begging for money to eat. I said, are you going to feed him? Well, he said, probably.

[John Weaver] I said, now, wait a minute, what's the scripture say? 2 Thessalonians 2, if any will not work, what? Neither should he eat. Why would I buy him food if he's not going to work or whatever he works for, he drinks it up. And do you remember when you read back in the Old Testament, and I can give you passage after passage, especially Deuteronomy 19, other passages where God talks about individuals and he says this, thine eye shall not pity them. In other words, there are some people that we are not to be merciful toward because they do not merit mercy in that sense of the word. Even the murderer, God says, Thine eye shall not pity him, but he shall surely be put to death. You don't feel sorry for a murderer when he is put to death. So, all I'm saying is whatever gift God gives us, we are to exercise that gift according to Scripture.

[John Weaver] Now, I'm not interested in looking at all of Romans chapter 12. But I want to call your attention to verse one. Look at what he says. I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

[John Weaver] Now, I have two thoughts today. First of all, the duty stated and implied. The duty stated and implied. Although Paul is beseeching us, the word present has great implications. First, the first implication is that we are the Lord's and we belong to Him. This epistle is addressed to believers. This epistle is written to those who have been regenerated and converted by the grace of God. We are the ones that have experienced His electing, predestinating grace. We're the ones that have been justified by faith. We're the ones that have been converted, and therefore we have the obligation then to serve Him. Secondly, there's the implication in this verse that we know our duty, but sometimes we're reticent to do it. What is that implication? Paul said, I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God. Now, if people were not reticent to present their bodies in living sacrifice, why would Paul have to be begging and beseeching and exhorting us to do it? There are some people who do not understand their duty because they don't understand doctrine.

[John Weaver] There are some people who will not present their bodies because they're just simply unappreciative of what God has done for them. There is the lure of conformity to the world. God says, no, no, I beseech you that you present your body. Third, there is the implication that God demands that we be holy and consecrated before offering our bodies. Turn to Malachi.

[John Weaver] Malachi chapter 1, and look if you would please at verse 13. Remember this is the implication that God demands that we be holy and consecrated before we offer ourselves unto Him. Look in verse 13, He is condemning these wicked people and He says, Behold, you said also, behold, what a weariness is it that is serving God? And you have snuffed it, saith the Lord of hosts. And you brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick. Thus you brought an offering. Now look what God asks. Should I accept this of your hands, saith the Lord? But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and boweth, and sacrifices unto the Lord a corrupt thing. For I am a great king, saith the Lord of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen." God said, I'm a great king. I'm a holy, righteous, godly king.

[John Weaver] Why in the world would you bring me something that is unholy, something that is unworthy of me? So therefore, there's the implication. that we're going to present our bodies unto him, that we should be holy as we do so. Let me give you what John Calvin says on Romans 12 and verse 1. He says this. He says first that our body ought to be offered a sacrifice unto God, by which he implies we are not our own, but have entirely passed over so as to become the property of God, which cannot be except we renounce ourselves and thus deny ourselves. Then secondly, By adding two adjectives, he shows what sort of sacrifice this ought to be.

[John Weaver] By calling it living, he intimates that we are sacrificed to the Lord for this end, that our former life being destroyed in us, we may be raised up to a new life. By the term holy, he points out that which necessarily belongs to a sacrifice already noticed, for a victim is then only approved when it has been previously made holy. By the third word, acceptable, he reminds us that our life is framed aright. When this sacrifice is so made so as to be pleasing to God, he brings to us at the same time no common consolation, for he teaches us that our work is pleasing and acceptable unto God when we devote ourselves to purity and holiness. So the third implication is, that God demands that we be holy. The fourth implication is that the presenting of our bodies is not an unreasonable service.

[John Weaver] You know, I've often heard people, especially children, older children, talk to their parents and they'll argue with them when the parents are refusing them to do something. They say, Oh, come on, Dad, be reasonable. Well, do you realize The word reasonable here is really the word logical. And the Apostle Paul says, look, if you understand the mercies of God, if you understand what God has done for you, then this is your logical service. It is only reasonable that you serve him.

[John Weaver] He gave all that he had for you. So it's logical now that you give all that you have for him.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you. Here's the fifth implication. Look in your Bibles to first Corinthians, chapter six, first Corinthians, chapter six. And notice, if you would. Beginning there with verse 19. First Corinthians six, verse 19. The fifth implication is that the presenting of our bodies declares our recognition that we owe the Lord service and worship. We owe Him. Verse 19, Paul asks, What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own?

[John Weaver] For you are bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's. Notice what he says. You are not your own. You're bought with a price. Who owns us? God does. Body, soul and spirit. In 1 Corinthians 7, look in verse 23. Again, Paul says you're bought with a price. Be not ye the servants of men. We're not to serve men, we are to serve Christ. Now, I want you to think about Romans 12, verse 1.

[John Weaver] Listen to what he said. I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice. A living sacrifice. When you hear those two words, living sacrifice, it seems as if they contradict each other. And normally they would, because when you read in the Old Testament about all those sacrifices, what happened to them? They were put to death. When you come to New Testament, the sacrifices also were put to death.

[John Weaver] Now, look in your Bibles. The first Peter chapter one, I could quote it, but I want you to see this. Look at first Peter chapter one and verses 18 and 19. Watch this carefully. First Peter one verses 18 and 19. The Bible says this concerning Christ. First Peter one verse 18. For as much as you know, you were not redeemed with corruptible things of silver and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers. but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." Notice, if you would, you were redeemed not with corruptible things, as Silver and Gold, from your vain conversation or conduct received by tradition, but with the precious blood of Christ.

[John Weaver] The point I'm trying to make is this. Jesus Christ gave himself in death that we might live unto God. He died that we need not die. He died to give us life. Since He has bought us, we owe Him everything we are. We belong to Him. And He does not demand our death now. Rather, what He demands is our life. A living sacrifice. Instead of putting us to death, He wants us to live unto Him. Christ. Died that we might live, so the implication is we now owe him to be a living sacrifice.

[John Weaver] Now, note number two today, the duty stated and illustrated. The duty stated and illustrated.

[John Weaver] Now, I still want to answer this question. What does it mean to present your body? The Apostle Paul said, I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your body. How in the world do you present your body? What does that mean? Well, let me tell you what the word present means. It's from the Greek word parahistemi, Parah, once again, is a preposition which means alongside of. Histemi is a verb which means to stand. So parahistemi literally means to stand along the side of. Now listen carefully. When you present your body, it means to place oneself at the disposal of another. To stand beside, or to stand near, or to stand present, or to stand ready, or to yield oneself.

[John Weaver] Now let me try to explain this in several ways. First of all, the simple way. If you look back in your Bibles to Psalm 103. Psalm 103. Psalm 103.

[John Weaver] And notice verse 20. Remember, if you would please. The word present means to stand alongside of, to stand ready, to stand to yield. Look in Psalm 103 in verse 20. I don't see how anyone could read that verse in Romans 12 and not think of this verse. The Bible says in Psalm 103 in verse 20 in speaking about the angels. Bless the Lord and His angels that excel in strength, that do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His Word. Now, picture this if you would, please.

[John Weaver] Here is God seated upon His throne. Here are all of His angels, these created beings. And they're standing there, presenting themselves ready and willing at any moment to obey God. They hearken to his word. He sends them, and they obey.

[John Weaver] Now, let me just mention something else about this. Think about this. This is only an illustration. It's an imperfect illustration, but it's an illustration. You see, angels do not have bodies. Hebrews 1 in verse 14 says, Are they not all ministering spirits? Set forth to minister unto them who shall be the heirs of salvation.

[John Weaver] Now, it is true that whenever an angel has been manifested in the Bible, he was always manifested in the form of a man. So excuse me for violating your tradition at this time of year, but little babies do not become angels when they die. There are no women angels in the Bible. OK, and let me burst another traditional thought, angels do not have wings. God is spirit. Does God have wings? Of course not. God doesn't need wings. He's spirit. Angels are spirit beings. They don't need wings.

[John Weaver] And let me tell you something else. Let me tell you another reason why I know that angels do not have wings. I'll show you. Look in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews. I can quote the verse, but I want you to see it. This may shock you, but here it is. Look in the book of Hebrews and chapter 13, verse 2. Chapter 13, verse 2. Watch this now. This will blow the normal concept of angels. You know, usually when we think of an angel, we think of someone in a long flowing white garment and big wings sticking out in a halo about his head and all this kind of stuff. Well, look what the Bible says. Hebrews 13, verse two, Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Hebrews 13 verse 2, Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. What's that mean? That means if somebody knocks on my door and I open the door and there stands somebody in a long flowing white garment with wings sticking out of his back and a halo around his head, he ain't getting in my house.

[John Weaver] I don't know him. Every time an angel appeared in the Bible, he appeared as a man. It's just that simple. You could not tell him from anyone else.

[John Weaver] Now, all I'm trying to show you is this. Here are the angels who are standing before God, hearkening unto his voice. As they present their bodies, there are no such things as timeouts, no neutral territory, and no lazy days. They are always there, ready, yielding themselves eager to obey Him. They are incessantly waiting upon the Lord. They incessantly want to do His bidding and to serve Him. Now, when God says, present your bodies unto the Lord, yes, there is that strong illustration and implication that we say, Lord, here am I, use me. But please understand this, and I'm going to explain it. When we say, here am I, Lord, please use me, it is not just simply that we check in every now and then and offer our bodies for service. No, no, no. If we have really and truly, and if we do really and truly present our bodies, it is a constant and continual service. How? How do we constantly and continually present our bodies a living sacrifice? Well, let me show you.

[John Weaver] I want you to turn in your Bibles to Romans chapter 6. Romans chapter 6. Romans chapter 6. I want you to please follow me. I know I've got sinus today, but I believe this message is vitally important. So if you can wade through my little coughs, make sure that you follow the truth, please. Romans chapter 6, and let's begin with verse 11. I'm trying to show you now what it means to present your body a living sacrifice constantly. Romans 6 verse 11, Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lust thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, But yield yourselves unto God, watch now, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law, that is, as a means of justification, but under grace.

[John Weaver] What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Now watch. Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey? Were there sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have now obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered from you, being then made free from sin, that is, from the lordship and dominion of sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

[John Weaver] Now let me stop right there. There's another verse I want to show you in just a moment, but watch this carefully. He says, likewise, reckon you yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin. Let me tell you what the word dead means.

[John Weaver] Now, you've got to think on this one. The word dead means dead. The Greek word is necros, it's where we get our word necrotic, necrophiliac. I mean, you know, it means dead. Likewise, reckon ye yourselves dead in deed unto sin, watch now, but alive unto God's, uh-oh, is the Greek word. And the word, uh-oh, literally means full of vigor and power, efficacious. It means to have a vital power extended unto the soul. Now watch what he says, you reckon yourself dead indeed unto sin, but you reckon yourself alive unto God. Now what in the world happens when you present your body a living sacrifice, reckoning yourself dead indeed unto sin? Why?

[John Weaver] Because Christ has already died for us, remember that now. He's now commanded we be a living sacrifice. What happens? Well, look in verse 12 of Romans 6. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey them the lust thereof." Now, God did not say, let not sin be in your body. I mean, sin is there. He said, let not sin therefore reign in your body. The kingship of sin has been destroyed by King Jesus. Sin may tempt us. Sin may entice us. Sin may seduce us, but it does not and cannot reign over us.

[John Weaver] It does not have the right to command us. What's that mean? That means when sin raises its ugly head in my body and says, you go do so and so, I say, not me. You're not my master. I belong to another. Have you ever read that passage in a Pilgrim's Progress. Oh, I love that passage. I wish I'd brought it. It's where Pilgrim meets Apollyon. And Apollyon, the devil asks him, what country are you from? And he tells him. Oh, he said, by that I perceive that you're one of my subjects. Oh, says Pilgrim, well, I used to be, but I've lent myself out to another, to one King Jesus. Ah, says Apollyon. I understand that. He says, many who profess to be his subjects often give him the slip and come back to me. So he says, you go back to my country and I promise you that I will give you all that the country affords. Pilgrim said, how can I do that about being considered a traitor? I cannot and I will not go back.

[John Weaver] And Apollyon says, well, you betrayed me and I'm ready to forgive you. No, says Pilgrim, I shall not go back. Jesus Christ is my king and I bow to him. So we're free from the kingship of sin. Now, what's this? Verse 12, what does it mean to present your body living sacrifice? What does it mean to count yourself dead indeed into sin? Watch verse 13. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God. As those that are alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness under God.

[John Weaver] Now, folks, let's be honest. I have one body. But many members, my eyes, my ears, my hands, my feet, my heart.

[John Weaver] Now, look what he says, I want to show you what it means to present your body living sacrifice. Constantly and continually. by reckoning yourself dead in vita to sin, and alive unto God, that is, presenting your body a living sacrifice, skip down, if you would, to verse 19. Paul said, you want an understanding? I'll give you an understanding. He says in verse 19, I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh.

[John Weaver] For as, here's an illustration, For as you have yielded your members, servants to uncleanness and to iniquity and to iniquity, that's before you were converted, even so now yield you your members, servants to righteousness and to holiness." Now look what he said. Before you were saved, before you converted, what did you do? You served sin. Willingly, readily, quickly. lovingly and you gave him a wholehearted service. You used your hands, your feet, your eyes, everything to satisfy the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. Now God says, as you gave your whole body to serving sin, now that you've been converted, you give your whole body to serving righteousness. With everything that you have, lovingly, willingly, readily, quickly, easily, you now present your body as one that is alive from the dead. In other words, you are alive in Christ, and you're dead to sin.

[John Weaver] Now, let me show you how this goes further. Look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 6. This may surprise you. 1 Corinthians 6. And I want us to begin reading with verse 13. 1 Corinthians 6, verse 13.

[John Weaver] Now, remember, this is still Paul's argument, he's given us illustrations of what it means to present your body a living sacrifice by reckoning yourself dead indeed in the sin and alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 6, verse 13. Paul writes, meats for the belly, and the belly for meats. But God shall destroy both it and them. Now look what he says, now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. Whoa, stop right there. Why did God make your body? It was not for fornication.

[John Weaver] It was not for impurity. It was not for wickedness. He made your body for Himself.

[John Weaver] Now look what he says, verse 13, now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord and the Lord for the body. And God hath both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by his own power. Know you not that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of a harlot? God forbid. What? Know you not that he who is joined to a harlot is one body? For two saith he shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Now look, flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body. But he that committed fornication sinneth against his own body.

[John Weaver] Now let me ask you a question. I want you to think about this. In the context of 13 through 20, and I didn't read 19 and 20 yet, we read it earlier. But in the context of verse 13 through 20, Paul is talking about fornication, sexual impurity, unclean living, unclean thoughts. And right smack dab in the middle of it, he mentions the resurrection. Look at it. After he says in verse 13, now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord and the Lord for the body. Look in verse 14. And God hath both raised up the Lord and will also raise up us by his own power. And then he goes back talking about fornication again. Why in the world would the Apostle Paul mention the resurrection right smack dab in the middle of a discussion on fornication? The answer is this. He's teaching us how to present our body a living sacrifice. He's teaching us what it means to reckon ourselves dead and deed of the sin and alive unto God. Before I give you an explanation, I want to read to you.

[John Weaver] What John Calvin said on this verse, just listen, this brief comment, he says this, he's talking about first Corinthians, chapter six, and especially verse 14. He says he shows from Christ's condition how unseemly fornication is for a Christian man. For Christ having been received up in heavenly glory, what has he in common with the pollutions of the world? Two things, however, contained in these words. The first is that it is unseemly and unlawful that our body, which is consecrated to Christ, should be profaned by fornication. inasmuch as Christ himself had been raised from the dead, that he might enter on possession of his heavenly glory. The second is that it is a base thing to prostitute our body to earthly pollutions while it is destined to be partaker, along with Christ, of a blessed immortality and of heavenly glory." So he's saying, look, Christ was raised from the dead and death has no more dominion over him. Now, he says, look how inconsistent it is for a professing Christian to engage in some pollution like this.

[John Weaver] Why? Because, first of all, our bodies are not our own. But secondly, our bodies are destined to be with Christ. We are part of his body.

[John Weaver] Now, here's what he's saying. Let me just show you what Paul is doing in 1 Corinthians chapter 6 and in Romans chapter 6. He's giving us a real-life illustration of what it means to present your body a living sacrifice. He's showing us what it means not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. For instance, I'm walking downtown and this has actually happened to me. In fact, it happened to me while I was with Pastor McCurry. Pastor McCurry wanted to show me one of the parks in Atlanta.

[John Weaver] We parked our car, stepped out of the car, had not been out of the car 30 seconds. And two ladies of the evening, while it was daylight, approached us and offered their services. And of course, we smiled and said, no, thank you. We're not only Christians, we're pastors. He's on down the road.

[John Weaver] Now, the point I'm trying to make is this. You know, it's not always that simple because you're not always with someone else who will sustain you and support you and help you. But here's what it means to present your body living sacrifice. It doesn't matter if we're talking about fornication. It doesn't matter if we're talking about lust. It doesn't matter if we're talking about covetousness. It doesn't matter if we're talking about hatred, ill will, any sin that you can imagine and any sin that is in your life or any sin that you're tempted with. When that temptation comes, you say, no, I have died to sin in Christ. I reckon myself dead indeed in the sin.

[John Weaver] I will not do that. I will not have that. I will not entertain that thought. I will not think of that. Instead, I am presenting my body, a living sacrifice unto God. He has saved me. He has raised me from the dead. I am His. I will obey His commandments and not the lust of my flesh and the lust of my eyes and the pride of life and the temptations of the devil.

[John Weaver] I will not do it. No matter how appetizing, The temptation is, you say, no, I will. What are you doing in that instance? You're presenting your body a living sacrifice. You are sacrificing the sins and the pleasures of this world and of the flesh. That you might be holy unto the Lord. Let me show it to you again. Look in your Bibles, the first Thessalonians chapter four. First Thessalonians four. If you will remember.

[John Weaver] A number of years ago. I preached a series of eight messages from this passage. On sanctification and sexual impurity, I'm certainly not going to repeat those messages, but I do want to show you. What the Apostle Paul is talking about looking first Thessalonians four and notice beginning there verse three. Look what God says. For this is the will of God even your sanctification, that you should abstain from fornication, that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel, that is, his body, in sanctification and honor, not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles who know not God. Now, wait a minute.

[John Weaver] Let me just stop right there for a moment. I'm going to come back and finish this passage just for a moment. But look in 1 Thessalonians 4 and verse 3, for this is the will of God, even your sanctification. In other words, He wants you to be holy. He wants you to be godly. What's one of the ways that you're holy and godly? That you abstain from fornication. In other words, when the temptation is there, you say, no, I will not do that. I will obey God and not sin. I will obey his word and not the lust of my flesh." Then he says that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel, his body, in sanctification and honor. Then he says you don't do it the way the Gentiles do it, that is the unsaved, in the lust of their concupiscence. And then he says in verse 6, now look, that no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any manner or the manner, he's talking about fornication still, Because that the Lord is the avenger of all such as we've also forewarned you and testified.

[John Weaver] Now, look at this conclusion for God have not called us to uncleanness, but unto holiness. Now, let me let me just stop there, make this statement, listen to me. Here's what the apostle is saying. This is the will of God, even your sanctification. That you abstain from fornication, sexual impurity, sexual lust, whatever. You abstain from all of that. He says, I want you to know how to possess your vessel and sanctification and honor.

[John Weaver] This would be true in any circumstance, in any situation. Then he says, I want you to make sure that you do not defraud a brother in the matter. What's that mean? Well, if I tried to hit on Janet and succeeded in doing so, I have defrauded Henry, I've defrauded Alice. In other words, it's sin, it's wickedness, it's vileness. That's what it means that you defraud not your brother. In other words, you're taking something from him that does not belong to you. But look what else he says. Now watch this. He says in verse six, the Lord is the avenger of such as we have forewarned you and testified. He said, now, if you if you act wickedly, you're going to be judged. Now watch.

[John Weaver] Here's why we should know how to possess our vessels of sanctification honor. For God has called us not an uncleanness, but an holiness. You got that? Now watch it. Look at the next verse. He that despises despised not man, but God with also given us his Holy Spirit. Ah, did you hear what he said? When we do not know how to possess our vessel and sanctification and honor, when we're not holy, when we give in to sin and wickedness, what are we doing? We're despising God and his word.

[John Weaver] What does it mean to present your body a living sacrifice? It means whatever area you are tempted in. I don't care what area it is. When that temptation comes, you say, no. I will not do that because God has said. And then you quote the scripture and I choose by God's grace to obey him. I'm presenting my body a living sacrifice.

[John Weaver] Now, let me ask you a question. How important is our bodies? Think about that just for a moment, you know that these bodies are going to return to dust. But how important are our bodies? Let me remind you of something. Let me show you two errors. Two errors. The first error is when you think that having your body in the right place at the right time is worshiping God.

[John Weaver] What do I mean by that? Well, do you remember that passage in John 4? where the Bible says in verse 24, God is spirit and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth. Now, just because you came into this building, plopped your bottom down in that chair and you've been present here for an hour, does that really mean that you worship God? No. It does mean you had your body in the right place at the right time, but it doesn't necessarily follow that you worship God. For he that worshipeth God must worship him in spirit and in truth. You must only worship him in the Holy Spirit, but in your spirit. Your spirit must give and glorify God.

[John Weaver] There are so many today who will go into a church building, sit and listen to a sermonette sing a few songs, flip a couple of quarters in the offering, and go out and think they've worshipped God. They haven't worshipped God. If we worship God, it's not just that our bodies must be in the right place. We must worship Him in our minds, with our spirit. We must love Him. We must give Him the honor and the glory that's due unto His name.

[John Weaver] Let me remind you of Isaiah 29 in verse 13. You don't have to turn there, but our Lord quotes this passage in Matthew 15 and in Mark 7. Listen to what he said. Wherefore, the Lord saith, with their mouth and with their lips to honor me, but have removed their heart far from me. And their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men. Notice what God says. These people honor me with their mouths, with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. So is it sufficient to come into a building and plop down, listen to a sermonette and go your way? The answer is no. Your heart, your spirit, your mind must be engaged.

[John Weaver] Now, let me give you the other side of the coin. I want you to turn in your Bibles to Romans chapter one. Romans chapter one. Watch carefully. Here's some people who say, well. I've just been praising the Lord all day long. And I go to church and I worship and I sing and I praise and my mind is engaged on him. But then they walk out of the doors. And they never even think of the Lord, or his word, until the following Sunday.

[John Weaver] How important is your body? Now look in Romans 1 in verse 9. Look what Paul says. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his son. that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers." Now look what he said,"...for God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit, and the gospel with his Son." Was Paul serving God spiritually? Yes. Was his spirit worshiping God? Was his spirit obeying God? Yes.

[John Weaver] But let me ask you a question. Was it just Paul's spirit that was running all over the Roman Empire preaching and teaching? Was it? No. It was Paul's body. The spirit motivated him. But it was the body that took him where he needed to be to preach and teach. In other words, these two things must go together. True, we must worship God in our spirit, but we still must prison our bodies, for it's our bodies that carry us and contain our spirit and exemplify whether or not we are truly reckoning ourselves dead in deed and sin and alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

[John Weaver] Let me give you what John Gill said. Romans 12 verse 1, here's what he said, that you present your bodies, not barely that part of them commonly so called, for this is not to be understood of a mere presentation of the body in public worship, for though this ought to be, yet not without the heart engaged therein, otherwise bodily exercise will be of no avail, nor of a bare abstinence from grosser sins done in the body and against it, and which defile and dishonor it. much less a maceration and keeping unto the body by watchings, fastings, and still less an offering of the body at death in a way of martyrdom, though this ought to be cheerfully complied with when called for, but by their bodies are meant themselves, their whole souls and bodies, all the powers and faculties of their souls and members of their bodies, And the presenting of them designs a devoting of them with all readiness and willingness to the service of God for his honor and glory.

[John Weaver] So what does he say? He's saying when you present your body a living sacrifice, it's the whole man. It's the whole body. Everything that you are. Spirit, soul and body.

[John Weaver] Now, go back in your Bibles to Romans chapter 12 very quickly. Romans 12 very quickly. Let me show you another truth. Here it is. Romans 12. I've showed you on the one hand what I'm going to call the negative aspect of presenting your body of living sacrifice. What's that mean? That means when you're tempted with sin in any way, you reckon yourself dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

[John Weaver] But there is a positive side as well. If you are presenting your body to the Lord, you're not just simply abstaining from sin, that's what Gil will say, you are adding biblical attributes and characteristics to your life. Let me show you. Look in Romans 12, beginning there, verse 19. In fact, the rest of this chapter Deals with this. Look at Romans 12 verse 19. Let love be without dissimulation or hypocrisy.

[John Weaver] Abhor that which is evil. Cleave to that which is good. So now if you're presenting your body living sacrifice, what are you doing? You're loving biblically. You're abhorring that which is evil. You're cleaving to that which is good. Watch verse 10. Be kindly affection one to another with brotherly love in honor preferring one another. If I'm presenting my body-living sacrifice, I'm not only abstaining from sin and gross wickedness, I'm also learning to be kindly affectioned one to another in honor of revering one another. Watch verse 11.

[John Weaver] Not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. If I'm presenting my body-living sacrifice, whatever I do, whether I'm weeding a garden or digging a ditch or whatever I'm doing, I'm doing it faithfully as of the Lord. I'm not slothful in business. I'm fervent in spirit serving the Lord. Watch verse 12. Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing in prayer. Watch verse 13. Distributing the necessity of the saints, giving hospitality.

[John Weaver] You can read the rest of this chapter and everything saying this is what you're to be doing positively. If you're presenting your body a living sacrifice. So it's not just the negative aspect. There's the positive aspect. So on the one hand, we know that we're presenting our bodies if we're abstaining from sin. On the other hand, we know that we're presenting our bodies if we're adding those attributes and characteristics that God demands.

[John Weaver] Now, one last thing, I want you to go back to Romans 12, verses 1 and 2. Watch this carefully. Let me make this one application. Watch Romans 12 verse 1. I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable, logical service. Are you ready? And be not conformed to this world, but be you transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. Here it is. Are you listening? Only those who renew their minds will present their bodies a living sacrifice. If your mind is not renewed, you will be conformed to the world. So, when Paul says, I beseech you, therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, he's not only telling you not only to abstain from sin, but to positively add those attributes and those characteristics that are demanded in scriptures. You renew your mind and you present your body.

[John Weaver] The reason, the reason There's so little real, genuine, biblical presentation of our bodies in Christianity today. It's because there's very few who renew their minds daily, constantly, and continually. Your responsibility as a child of God is to present your body, the totality of it, and to live for Him since he died for you. He does not call us to die except to sin and self. And we live unto him. By obeying his word. Let's pray.

[John Weaver] Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we ask for your blessing and your help and your grace. Would you pray, Father, for these that have been mentioned specifically on the prayer list today? I think of Sandra Crider and her needs, Lord, and for Jane Shifford, for Kathy Chandler, Mrs. Rhodes, Lord Penny, others who have been named. Lord, we pray and ask that you would speak to their hearts. I pray for my own self and my own needs, Lord, physically, that you would help me Help us, Lord, as Christians, to learn to present our bodies a living sacrifice. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.

[John Weaver] This program was produced by Dominion Ministry. For more information about Pastor Weaver's sermons, You may contact Dominion Ministry by mail at 7400 Abracorn, that's A-B-E-R-C-O-R-N Street, Suite 705, P-M-B 175, Savannah, Georgia, 31406. Or give us a call at 912-925-7000.

[John Weaver] You can also visit our website at www.dominionministry.com

How to Present Your Body to the Lord

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	118081318480
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Christian Duty, Authority, and Brotherly Peace
Genre	Sermon
Date	2007-12-16
Dictation Name
Book	Book 133: Romans: Christian Duty, Authority, and Brotherly Peace — Chapter 3
Source Timed Segments	85

Formatted Transcript

Introduction: The Question of Practical Christianity

Weaver introduces Romans 12:1-2 and poses the central question: what does it mean to present your body as a living sacrifice? He frames this as entering the realm of practical Christianity, where doctrine is applied.

Romans chapter 12, beginning with verse 1 and reading through verse 2, the passage that all of us should know really and truly by heart. Romans 12, verse 1:

Scripture Reading — Romans 12:1-2

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

Have you ever wondered what it really means to present your body as a living sacrifice? Think about that just for a moment. What does that really and truly mean? And how does it apply to you? And if you understand you're responsible to make the word of God applicable to you, the next question that should come to your mind is, how in the world do I present my body? When you ask questions like these, you're entering into the realm of what is known as practical Christianity.

See, doctrine is absolutely necessary. Doctrine is wonderful and marvelous, but unless it is applied, it's absolutely, totally useless. It does not matter how much truth one knows if he does not apply the truth. Interestingly, when you look at the book of Romans, the book is divided basically into two sections, doctrinal and practical. The first eleven chapters of the book of Romans are doctrinal. Chapters 12-16 are considered the practical applications of the doctrine that has been taught in the first 11 chapters.

Doctrine Precedes Duty

Weaver explains that Romans 1-11 is doctrinal, while chapters 12-16 are practical application. Our duty is always based on doctrine; zeal without knowledge is worthless. The mercies of God in the gospel motivate our service.

Now, let me just emphasize something at this particular point. If you understand that chapters 12-16 are the application of chapters 1-11, then you understand this principle that our duty is always based upon doctrine. You know your duty because you know doctrine. You stop and think about all of the useless, unbiblical activity that goes on today under the guise and under the name of Christianity. You know what the Apostle Paul refers to that as in 1 Corinthians 3? He calls it wood, hay, and stubble. Worthless. In Romans chapter 10 and verse 2, the Apostle Paul condemns those who have a zeal without knowledge. You can have zeal, but if you don't have knowledge, your zeal is practically worthless and it is misguided and misdirected. There are too many people today that act unbiblically. And usually what they do is when they act unbiblically, they blame their unbiblical and ungodly conduct on the leading of the Spirit. Now, I don't doubt a spirit led them, but I can assure you it was not the Holy Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit never, ever leads anyone to violate the Word of God.

We must know doctrine in order that we are not deceived, and we must know doctrine in order that we must know our duty. We cannot content ourselves with doctrine alone. So in chapters 1 through 11, the Apostle Paul has taught some marvelous doctrine. He's taught the doctrine of depravity. He's taught justification by faith alone. He's taught predestination, election, glorification, and the substitutionary work of Jesus Christ.

Now, look in verse one of chapter 12. In light of that, look what he says. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice." Well, now, what mercies is the apostle Paul talking about? The answer is those mercies that have been presented in chapters one through eleven. Those mercies that I've just mentioned to you. So in light of this doctrine, says the Apostle Paul, it is your duty, therefore, to present your body a living sacrifice. Now, the Apostle uses an unusual word in verse one. He says, "I beseech." Let me tell you the significance of that word beseech. It is actually the word parakaleo in the Greek. It is the word that is used for one of the names of the Holy Spirit.

You remember he's called the Paraclete? Para is a preposition which means alongside of and kaleo means I call. So parakaleo means literally I call alongside of to help. So the Holy Spirit is called the Paraclete. He's the one that has been called alongside of to help us. But in this instance, Paul is using that word not as a reference to the Holy Spirit, but he's using it as it means to beseech and to exhort and to admonish and to encourage and to instruct. So in light of that, Paul is asking you, beseeching you, to present your bodies a living sacrifice. Now, let me just show you very quickly, and I'm not going to go into this in detail right now, but to show you how Paul is admonishing each of us to apply the doctrine that he's taught us. In verse 1 of Romans chapter 12, we have the duty of public and private worship by presenting our bodies a living sacrifice. Look in verse 2.

The Duty Stated and Implied

Weaver examines the implications of 'present your bodies': we belong to God, we are often reticent to obey, God demands holiness, this service is reasonable, and it declares our recognition that we owe God worship.

Now, I have two thoughts today. First of all, the duty stated and implied. The duty stated and implied. Although Paul is beseeching us, the word present has great implications. First, the first implication is that we are the Lord's and we belong to Him. This epistle is addressed to believers. This epistle is written to those who have been regenerated and converted by the grace of God. We are the ones that have experienced His electing, predestinating grace. We're the ones that have been justified by faith. We're the ones that have been converted, and therefore we have the obligation then to serve Him. Secondly, there's the implication in this verse that we know our duty, but sometimes we're reticent to do it. What is that implication? Paul said, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God." Now, if people were not reticent to present their bodies a living sacrifice, why would Paul have to be begging and beseeching and exhorting us to do it? There are some people who do not understand their duty because they don't understand doctrine.

There are some people who will not present their bodies because they're just simply unappreciative of what God has done for them. There is the lure of conformity to the world. God says, no, no, I beseech you that you present your body. Third, there is the implication that God demands that we be holy and consecrated before offering our bodies. Turn to Malachi.

Malachi chapter 1, and look if you would please at verse 13. Remember this is the implication that God demands that we be holy and consecrated before we offer ourselves unto Him. Look in verse 13, He is condemning these wicked people and He says,

Scripture Reading — Malachi 1:13

"Behold, you said also, behold, what a weariness is it that is serving God? And you have snuffed it, saith the Lord of hosts. And you brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick. Thus you brought an offering. Now look what God asks. Should I accept this of your hands, saith the Lord? But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing. For I am a great king, saith the Lord of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen."

God said, I'm a great king. I'm a holy, righteous, godly king.

Why in the world would you bring me something that is unholy, something that is unworthy of me? So therefore, there's the implication that we're going to present our bodies unto him, that we should be holy as we do so. Let me give you what John Calvin says on Romans 12 and verse 1. He says this. He says first that our body ought to be offered a sacrifice unto God, by which he implies we are not our own, but have entirely passed over so as to become the property of God, which cannot be except we renounce ourselves and thus deny ourselves. Then secondly, by adding two adjectives, he shows what sort of sacrifice this ought to be. By calling it living, he intimates that we are sacrificed to the Lord for this end, that our former life being destroyed in us, we may be raised up to a new life. By the term holy, he points out that which necessarily belongs to a sacrifice already noticed, for a victim is then only approved when it has been previously made holy. By the third word, acceptable, he reminds us that our life is framed aright when this sacrifice is so made so as to be pleasing to God, he brings to us at the same time no common consolation, for he teaches us that our work is pleasing and acceptable unto God when we devote ourselves to purity and holiness. So the third implication is that God demands that we be holy. The fourth implication is that the presenting of our bodies is not an unreasonable service.

You know, I've often heard people, especially children, older children, talk to their parents and they'll argue with them when the parents are refusing them to do something. They say, "Oh, come on, Dad, be reasonable." Well, do you realize the word reasonable here is really the word logical. And the Apostle Paul says, look, if you understand the mercies of God, if you understand what God has done for you, then this is your logical service. It is only reasonable that you serve him. He gave all that he had for you. So it's logical now that you give all that you have for him.

Now, let me show you. Here's the fifth implication. Look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians, chapter six. 1 Corinthians, chapter six. And notice, if you would, beginning there with verse 19. 1 Corinthians six, verse 19. The fifth implication is that the presenting of our bodies declares our recognition that we owe the Lord service and worship. We owe Him. Verse 19, Paul asks, "What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own?

For you are bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

" Notice what he says. You are not your own. You're bought with a price. Who owns us? God does. Body, soul and spirit. In 1 Corinthians 7, look in verse 23. Again, Paul says, "

You're bought with a price. Be not ye the servants of men." We're not to serve men, we are to serve Christ. Now, I want you to think about Romans 12, verse 1.

Listen to what he said. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice." A living sacrifice. When you hear those two words, living sacrifice, it seems as if they contradict each other. And normally they would, because when you read in the Old Testament about all those sacrifices, what happened to them? They were put to death. When you come to New Testament, the sacrifices also were put to death.

A Living Sacrifice: Dead to Sin, Alive to God

Weaver explains that a living sacrifice seems contradictory but means that because Christ died for us, we now live for Him. We are to reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive to God, refusing sin's reign and yielding our members to righteousness.

For you are bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

" Notice what he says. You are not your own. You're bought with a price. Who owns us? God does. Body, soul and spirit. In 1 Corinthians 7, look in verse 23. Again, Paul says, "

You're bought with a price. Be not ye the servants of men." We're not to serve men, we are to serve Christ. Now, I want you to think about Romans 12, verse 1.

Now, look in your Bibles. 1 Peter chapter one, I could quote it, but I want you to see this. Look at 1 Peter chapter one and verses 18 and 19. Watch this carefully. 1 Peter one verses 18 and 19. The Bible says this concerning Christ. 1 Peter one verse 18,

Scripture Reading — 1 Peter 1:18-19

"Forasmuch as you know, you were not redeemed with corruptible things of silver and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot."

Notice, if you would, you were redeemed not with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation or conduct received by tradition, but with the precious blood of Christ.

The point I'm trying to make is this. Jesus Christ gave himself in death that we might live unto God. He died that we need not die. He died to give us life. Since He has bought us, we owe Him everything we are. We belong to Him. And He does not demand our death now. Rather, what He demands is our life. A living sacrifice. Instead of putting us to death, He wants us to live unto Him. Christ died that we might live, so the implication is we now owe him to be a living sacrifice.

Now, note number two today, the duty stated and illustrated. The duty stated and illustrated. Now, I still want to answer this question. What does it mean to present your body? The Apostle Paul said, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your body." How in the world do you present your body? What does that mean? Well, let me tell you what the word present means. It's from the Greek word parahistemi. Para, once again, is a preposition which means alongside of. Histemi is a verb which means to stand. So parahistemi literally means to stand along the side of. Now listen carefully. When you present your body, it means to place oneself at the disposal of another. To stand beside, or to stand near, or to stand present, or to stand ready, or to yield oneself.

Now let me try to explain this in several ways. First of all, the simple way. If you look back in your Bibles to Psalm 103. Psalm 103.

And notice verse 20. Remember, if you would please. The word present means to stand alongside of, to stand ready, to stand to yield. Look in Psalm 103 in verse 20. I don't see how anyone could read that verse in Romans 12 and not think of this verse. The Bible says in Psalm 103 in verse 20 in speaking about the angels,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 103:20

"Bless the Lord, ye His angels, that excel in strength, that do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His word."

Now, picture this if you would, please. Here is God seated upon His throne. Here are all of His angels, these created beings. And they're standing there, presenting themselves ready and willing at any moment to obey God. They hearken to his word. He sends them, and they obey.

Now, let me just mention something else about this. Think about this. This is only an illustration. It's an imperfect illustration, but it's an illustration. You see, angels do not have bodies. Hebrews 1 in verse 14 says, "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be the heirs of salvation?"

Now, it is true that whenever an angel has been manifested in the Bible, he was always manifested in the form of a man. So excuse me for violating your tradition at this time of year, but little babies do not become angels when they die. There are no women angels in the Bible. OK, and let me burst another traditional thought, angels do not have wings. God is spirit. Does God have wings? Of course not. God doesn't need wings. He's spirit. Angels are spirit beings. They don't need wings.

And let me tell you something else. Let me tell you another reason why I know that angels do not have wings. I'll show you. Look in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews. I can quote the verse, but I want you to see it. This may shock you, but here it is. Look in the book of Hebrews and chapter 13, verse 2. Chapter 13, verse 2. Watch this now. This will blow the normal concept of angels. You know, usually when we think of an angel, we think of someone in a long flowing white garment and big wings sticking out and a halo about his head and all this kind of stuff. Well, look what the Bible says. Hebrews 13, verse two,

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 13:2

"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."

Hebrews 13 verse 2,

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 13:2

"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."

What's that mean? That means if somebody knocks on my door and I open the door and there stands somebody in a long flowing white garment with wings sticking out of his back and a halo around his head, he ain't getting in my house.

I don't know him. Every time an angel appeared in the Bible, he appeared as a man. It's just that simple. You could not tell him from anyone else.

Now, all I'm trying to show you is this. Here are the angels who are standing before God, hearkening unto his voice. As they present their bodies, there are no such things as timeouts, no neutral territory, and no lazy days. They are always there, ready, yielding themselves eager to obey Him. They are incessantly waiting upon the Lord. They incessantly want to do His bidding and to serve Him. Now, when God says, present your bodies unto the Lord, yes, there is that strong illustration and implication that we say, Lord, here am I, use me. But please understand this, and I'm going to explain it. When we say, here am I, Lord, please use me, it is not just simply that we check in every now and then and offer our bodies for service. No, no, no. If we have really and truly, and if we do really and truly present our bodies, it is a constant and continual service. How? How do we constantly and continually present our bodies a living sacrifice? Well, let me show you.

I want you to turn in your Bibles to Romans chapter 6. Romans chapter 6. Romans chapter 6. I want you to please follow me. I know I've got sinus today, but I believe this message is vitally important. So if you can wade through my little coughs, make sure that you follow the truth, please. Romans chapter 6, and let's begin with verse 11. I'm trying to show you now what it means to present your body a living sacrifice constantly. Romans 6 verse 11,

Scripture Reading — Romans 6:11-19

"Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God, watch now, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law, that is, as a means of justification, but under grace.

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Now watch. Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey? Whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have now obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you, being then made free from sin, that is, from the lordship and dominion of sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

Now let me stop right there. There's another verse I want to show you in just a moment, but watch this carefully. He says, "Likewise, reckon ye yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin." Let me tell you what the word dead means. Now, you've got to think on this one. The word dead means dead. The Greek word is necros, it's where we get our word necrotic, necrophiliac. I mean, you know, it means dead. Likewise, reckon ye yourselves dead indeed unto sin, watch now, but alive unto God—zoe is the Greek word. And the word zoe literally means full of vigor and power, efficacious. It means to have a vital power extended unto the soul. Now watch what he says, you reckon yourself dead indeed unto sin, but you reckon yourself alive unto God. Now what in the world happens when you present your body a living sacrifice, reckoning yourself dead indeed unto sin? Why?

Because Christ has already died for us, remember that now. He's now commanded we be a living sacrifice. What happens? Well, look in verse 12 of Romans 6.

Scripture Reading — Romans 6:11-19

"Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lusts thereof."

Now, God did not say, let not sin be in your body. I mean, sin is there. He said, let not sin therefore reign in your body. The kingship of sin has been destroyed by King Jesus. Sin may tempt us. Sin may entice us. Sin may seduce us, but it does not and cannot reign over us.

Illustrations of Presenting the Body

Using Romans 6, 1 Corinthians 6, and 1 Thessalonians 4, Weaver illustrates that presenting the body means actively refusing sin (e.g., fornication) and instead obeying God. The resurrection is mentioned in the context of sexual purity to show our bodies are destined for glory.

It does not have the right to command us. What's that mean? That means when sin raises its ugly head in my body and says, you go do so and so, I say, not me. You're not my master. I belong to another. Have you ever read that passage in Pilgrim's Progress? Oh, I love that passage. I wish I'd brought it. It's where Pilgrim meets Apollyon. And Apollyon, the devil asks him, what country are you from? And he tells him. Oh, he said, by that I perceive that you're one of my subjects. Oh, says Pilgrim, well, I used to be, but I've lent myself out to another, to one King Jesus. Ah, says Apollyon. I understand that. He says, many who profess to be his subjects often give him the slip and come back to me. So he says, you go back to my country and I promise you that I will give you all that the country affords. Pilgrim said, how can I do that without being considered a traitor? I cannot and I will not go back.

And Apollyon says, well, you betrayed me and I'm ready to forgive you. No, says Pilgrim, I shall not go back. Jesus Christ is my king and I bow to him. So we're free from the kingship of sin. Now, what's this? Verse 12, what does it mean to present your body a living sacrifice? What does it mean to count yourself dead indeed unto sin? Watch verse 13. "Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God."

Now, folks, let's be honest. I have one body. But many members, my eyes, my ears, my hands, my feet, my heart. Now, look what he says, I want to show you what it means to present your body a living sacrifice. Constantly and continually. By reckoning yourself dead indeed unto sin, and alive unto God, that is, presenting your body a living sacrifice, skip down, if you would, to verse 19. Paul said, you want an understanding? I'll give you an understanding. He says in verse 19, "I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh.

For as, here's an illustration, for as you have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity, that's before you were converted, even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness." Now look what he said. Before you were saved, before you converted, what did you do? You served sin. Willingly, readily, quickly, lovingly and you gave him a wholehearted service. You used your hands, your feet, your eyes, everything to satisfy the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. Now God says, as you gave your whole body to serving sin, now that you've been converted, you give your whole body to serving righteousness. With everything that you have, lovingly, willingly, readily, quickly, easily, you now present your body as one that is alive from the dead. In other words, you are alive in Christ, and you're dead to sin.

Now, let me show you how this goes further. Look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 6. This may surprise you. 1 Corinthians 6. And I want us to begin reading with verse 13. 1 Corinthians 6, verse 13.

Now, remember, this is still Paul's argument, he's given us illustrations of what it means to present your body a living sacrifice by reckoning yourself dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 6, verse 13. Paul writes,

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 6:13-20

"Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats. But God shall destroy both it and them. Now look what he says, now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body."

Whoa, stop right there. Why did God make your body? It was not for fornication.

It was not for impurity. It was not for wickedness. He made your body for Himself. Now look what he says, verse 13, "Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God hath both raised up the Lord and will also raise up us by his own power. Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of a harlot? God forbid. What? Know ye not that he who is joined to a harlot is one body? For two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Now look, flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body. But he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body."

Now let me ask you a question. I want you to think about this. In the context of 13 through 20, and I didn't read 19 and 20 yet, we read it earlier. But in the context of verse 13 through 20, Paul is talking about fornication, sexual impurity, unclean living, unclean thoughts. And right smack dab in the middle of it, he mentions the resurrection. Look at it. After he says in verse 13, "Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body." Look in verse 14. "And God hath both raised up the Lord and will also raise up us by his own power." And then he goes back talking about fornication again. Why in the world would the Apostle Paul mention the resurrection right smack dab in the middle of a discussion on fornication? The answer is this. He's teaching us how to present our body a living sacrifice. He's teaching us what it means to reckon ourselves dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God. Before I give you an explanation, I want to read to you

what John Calvin said on this verse, just listen, this brief comment, he says this, he's talking about 1 Corinthians, chapter six, and especially verse 14. He says he shows from Christ's condition how unseemly fornication is for a Christian man. For Christ having been received up in heavenly glory, what has he in common with the pollutions of the world? Two things, however, contained in these words. The first is that it is unseemly and unlawful that our body, which is consecrated to Christ, should be profaned by fornication, inasmuch as Christ himself had been raised from the dead, that he might enter on possession of his heavenly glory. The second is that it is a base thing to prostitute our body to earthly pollutions while it is destined to be partaker, along with Christ, of a blessed immortality and of heavenly glory. So he's saying, look, Christ was raised from the dead and death has no more dominion over him. Now, he says, look how inconsistent it is for a professing Christian to engage in some pollution like this.

Why? Because, first of all, our bodies are not our own. But secondly, our bodies are destined to be with Christ. We are part of his body.

Now, here's what he's saying. Let me just show you what Paul is doing in 1 Corinthians chapter 6 and in Romans chapter 6. He's giving us a real-life illustration of what it means to present your body a living sacrifice. He's showing us what it means not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. For instance, I'm walking downtown and this has actually happened to me. In fact, it happened to me while I was with Pastor McCurry. Pastor McCurry wanted to show me one of the parks in Atlanta.

We parked our car, stepped out of the car, had not been out of the car 30 seconds. And two ladies of the evening, while it was daylight, approached us and offered their services. And of course, we smiled and said, no, thank you. We're not only Christians, we're pastors. He's on down the road.

Now, the point I'm trying to make is this. You know, it's not always that simple because you're not always with someone else who will sustain you and support you and help you. But here's what it means to present your body a living sacrifice. It doesn't matter if we're talking about fornication. It doesn't matter if we're talking about lust. It doesn't matter if we're talking about covetousness. It doesn't matter if we're talking about hatred, ill will, any sin that you can imagine and any sin that is in your life or any sin that you're tempted with. When that temptation comes, you say, no, I have died to sin in Christ. I reckon myself dead indeed unto sin.

I will not do that. I will not have that. I will not entertain that thought. I will not think of that. Instead, I am presenting my body, a living sacrifice unto God. He has saved me. He has raised me from the dead. I am His. I will obey His commandments and not the lust of my flesh and the lust of my eyes and the pride of life and the temptations of the devil.

I will not do it. No matter how appetizing the temptation is, you say, no, I will. What are you doing in that instance? You're presenting your body a living sacrifice. You are sacrificing the sins and the pleasures of this world and of the flesh. That you might be holy unto the Lord. Let me show it to you again. Look in your Bibles, 1 Thessalonians chapter four. 1 Thessalonians four. If you will remember.

A number of years ago I preached a series of eight messages from this passage on sanctification and sexual impurity, I'm certainly not going to repeat those messages, but I do want to show you what the Apostle Paul is talking about. Look at 1 Thessalonians four and notice beginning there verse three. Look what God says.

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8

"For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you should abstain from fornication, that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel, that is, his body, in sanctification and honor, not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles who know not God."

Now, wait a minute. Let me just stop right there for a moment. I'm going to come back and finish this passage just for a moment. But look in 1 Thessalonians 4 and verse 3,

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8

"For this is the will of God, even your sanctification."

In other words, He wants you to be holy. He wants you to be godly. What's one of the ways that you're holy and godly? That you abstain from fornication. In other words, when the temptation is there, you say, no, I will not do that. I will obey God and not sin. I will obey his word and not the lust of my flesh. Then he says that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel, his body, in sanctification and honor. Then he says you don't do it the way the Gentiles do it, that is the unsaved, in the lust of their concupiscence. And then he says in verse 6, now look,

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8

"That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter,"

he's talking about fornication still,

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8

"because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified."

Now, look at this conclusion: "For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness." Now, let me just stop there, make this statement, listen to me. Here's what the apostle is saying. This is the will of God, even your sanctification. That you abstain from fornication, sexual impurity, sexual lust, whatever. You abstain from all of that. He says, I want you to know how to possess your vessel in sanctification and honor. This would be true in any circumstance, in any situation. Then he says, I want you to make sure that you do not defraud a brother in the matter. What's that mean? Well, if I tried to hit on Janet and succeeded in doing so, I have defrauded Henry, I've defrauded Alice. In other words, it's sin, it's wickedness, it's vileness. That's what it means that you defraud not your brother. In other words, you're taking something from him that does not belong to you. But look what else he says. Now watch this. He says in verse six, "The Lord is the avenger of such, as we have forewarned you and testified." He said, now, if you act wickedly, you're going to be judged. Now watch.

Here's why we should know how to possess our vessels in sanctification and honor. "For God hath called us not unto uncleanness, but unto holiness." You got that? Now watch it. Look at the next verse. "He that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given us his Holy Spirit." Ah, did you hear what he said? When we do not know how to possess our vessel in sanctification and honor, when we're not holy, when we give in to sin and wickedness, what are we doing? We're despising God and his word.

The Whole Man: Spirit, Soul, and Body

Weaver warns against two errors: thinking mere bodily presence is worship, or that spiritual worship can neglect the body. True worship engages the whole person. John Gill is quoted to emphasize that presenting the body means devoting the entire self to God.

Now, let me ask you a question. How important are our bodies? Think about that just for a moment, you know that these bodies are going to return to dust. But how important are our bodies? Let me remind you of something. Let me show you two errors. Two errors. The first error is when you think that having your body in the right place at the right time is worshiping God.

What do I mean by that? Well, do you remember that passage in John 4 where the Bible says in verse 24,

Scripture Reading — John 4:24

"God is a Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."

Now, just because you came into this building, plopped your bottom down in that chair and you've been present here for an hour, does that really mean that you worship God? No. It does mean you had your body in the right place at the right time, but it doesn't necessarily follow that you worship God. For he that worshipeth God must worship him in spirit and in truth. You must not only worship him in the Holy Spirit, but in your spirit. Your spirit must give and glorify God.

There are so many today who will go into a church building, sit and listen to a sermonette, sing a few songs, flip a couple of quarters in the offering, and go out and think they've worshipped God. They haven't worshipped God. If we worship God, it's not just that our bodies must be in the right place. We must worship Him in our minds, with our spirit. We must love Him. We must give Him the honor and the glory that's due unto His name. Let me remind you of Isaiah 29 in verse 13. You don't have to turn there, but our Lord quotes this passage in Matthew 15 and in Mark 7. Listen to what he said.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 29:13

"Wherefore the Lord saith, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men."

Notice what God says. These people honor me with their mouths, with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. So is it sufficient to come into a building and plop down, listen to a sermonette and go your way? The answer is no. Your heart, your spirit, your mind must be engaged.

Now, let me give you the other side of the coin. I want you to turn in your Bibles to Romans chapter one. Romans chapter one. Watch carefully. Here's some people who say, well, I've just been praising the Lord all day long. And I go to church and I worship and I sing and I praise and my mind is engaged on him. But then they walk out of the doors. And they never even think of the Lord, or his word, until the following Sunday.

How important is your body? Now look in Romans 1 in verse 9. Look what Paul says.

Scripture Reading — Romans 1:9

"For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers."

Now look what he said,

Scripture Reading — Romans 1:9

"...for God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son."

Was Paul serving God spiritually? Yes. Was his spirit worshiping God? Was his spirit obeying God? Yes.

But let me ask you a question. Was it just Paul's spirit that was running all over the Roman Empire preaching and teaching? Was it? No. It was Paul's body. The spirit motivated him. But it was the body that took him where he needed to be to preach and teach. In other words, these two things must go together. True, we must worship God in our spirit, but we still must present our bodies, for it's our bodies that carry us and contain our spirit and exemplify whether or not we are truly reckoning ourselves dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Let me give you what John Gill said. Romans 12 verse 1, here's what he said, "that you present your bodies, not barely that part of them commonly so called, for this is not to be understood of a mere presentation of the body in public worship, for though this ought to be, yet not without the heart engaged therein, otherwise bodily exercise will be of no avail, nor of a bare abstinence from grosser sins done in the body and against it, and which defile and dishonor it, much less a maceration and keeping under the body by watchings, fastings, and still less an offering of the body at death in a way of martyrdom, though this ought to be cheerfully complied with when called for, but by their bodies are meant themselves, their whole souls and bodies, all the powers and faculties of their souls and members of their bodies, and the presenting of them designs a devoting of them with all readiness and willingness to the service of God for his honor and glory."

So what does he say? He's saying when you present your body a living sacrifice, it's the whole man. It's the whole body. Everything that you are. Spirit, soul and body.

Now, go back in your Bibles to Romans chapter 12 very quickly. Romans 12 very quickly. Let me show you another truth. Here it is. Romans 12. I've showed you on the one hand what I'm going to call the negative aspect of presenting your body a living sacrifice. What's that mean? That means when you're tempted with sin in any way, you reckon yourself dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The Positive Aspect: Adding Godly Attributes

Weaver shows from Romans 12:9-13 that presenting the body is not only abstaining from sin but also actively adding biblical virtues like love, honor, diligence, and hospitality.

But there is a positive side as well. If you are presenting your body to the Lord, you're not just simply abstaining from sin, that's what Gill will say, you are adding biblical attributes and characteristics to your life. Let me show you. Look in Romans 12, beginning there, verse 9. In fact, the rest of this chapter deals with this. Look at Romans 12 verse 9. "Let love be without dissimulation" or hypocrisy.

"Abhor that which is evil. Cleave to that which is good." So now if you're presenting your body a living sacrifice, what are you doing? You're loving biblically. You're abhorring that which is evil. You're cleaving to that which is good. Watch verse 10. "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love, in honour preferring one another." If I'm presenting my body a living sacrifice, I'm not only abstaining from sin and gross wickedness, I'm also learning to be kindly affectioned one to another in honour preferring one another. Watch verse 11.

"Not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord." If I'm presenting my body a living sacrifice, whatever I do, whether I'm weeding a garden or digging a ditch or whatever I'm doing, I'm doing it faithfully as unto the Lord. I'm not slothful in business. I'm fervent in spirit serving the Lord. Watch verse 12. "Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing instant in prayer." Watch verse 13. "Distributing to the necessity of saints, given to hospitality." You can read the rest of this chapter and everything saying this is what you're to be doing positively. If you're presenting your body a living sacrifice. So it's not just the negative aspect. There's the positive aspect. So on the one hand, we know that we're presenting our bodies if we're abstaining from sin. On the other hand, we know that we're presenting our bodies if we're adding those attributes and characteristics that God demands.

Conclusion: Renewing the Mind

Weaver concludes that only those who renew their minds will present their bodies. The lack of genuine presentation in Christianity is due to a failure to renew the mind daily. He calls believers to live for Christ by obeying His Word.

Now, one last thing, I want you to go back to Romans 12, verses 1 and 2. Watch this carefully. Let me make this one application. Watch Romans 12 verse 1. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable, logical service." Are you ready? "And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Here it is. Are you listening? Only those who renew their minds will present their bodies a living sacrifice. If your mind is not renewed, you will be conformed to the world. So, when Paul says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice," he's not only telling you not only to abstain from sin, but to positively add those attributes and those characteristics that are demanded in scriptures. You renew your mind and you present your body.

The reason there's so little real, genuine, biblical presentation of our bodies in Christianity today is because there's very few who renew their minds daily, constantly, and continually. Your responsibility as a child of God is to present your body, the totality of it, and to live for Him since he died for you. He does not call us to die except to sin and self. And we live unto him by obeying his word. Let's pray.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Doctrine Must Lead to Duty

Summary: Knowledge of biblical doctrine is essential, but it must be applied in practical obedience; otherwise it is useless.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Doctrine is absolutely necessary. Doctrine is wonderful and marvelous, but unless it is applied, it's absolutely, totally useless.' (70.4-111.1s)

Presenting the Body as a Living Sacrifice

Summary: Believers are called to yield their entire selves—body, soul, and spirit—to God's service, motivated by His mercies.

Evidence: Weaver explains, 'When you present your body, it means to place oneself at the disposal of another... to stand ready, or to yield oneself.' (1288.2-1362.0s)

Dead to Sin, Alive to God

Summary: The living sacrifice involves a continual reckoning of oneself as dead to sin's dominion and alive to God, refusing sin and obeying righteousness.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'You reckon yourself dead indeed unto sin, but you reckon yourself alive unto God... When that temptation comes, you say, no, I have died to sin in Christ.' (1821.1-1878.4s; 2565.6-2589.0s)

Holiness and Consecration

Summary: God demands that we be holy and consecrated before offering ourselves to Him; we must abstain from impurity and pursue sanctification.

Evidence: Weaver cites Malachi 1:13 and 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7 to show God's call to holiness and the need to possess our vessels in sanctification and honor. (808.5-884.8s; 2623.5-2877.8s)

The Whole Man in Worship and Service

Summary: True worship and service involve both the inner spirit and the outer body; neither mere bodily presence nor purely spiritual intention is sufficient.

Evidence: Weaver warns, 'just because you came into this building... does that really mean that you worship God? No... You must not only worship him in the Holy Spirit, but in your spirit.' (2962.2-3012.6s)

Renewing the Mind

Summary: Presenting the body is only possible through the renewing of the mind; without it, one will be conformed to the world.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Only those who renew their minds will present their bodies a living sacrifice. If your mind is not renewed, you will be conformed to the world.' (3497.7-3589.5s)

Key Arguments

Duty is based on doctrine

Summary: The practical commands in Romans 12-16 are grounded in the doctrinal truths of Romans 1-11; we cannot know our duty without knowing doctrine.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'If you understand that chapters 12-16 are the application of chapters 1-11, then you understand this principle that our duty is always based upon doctrine.' (111.7-150.4s)

The mercies of God motivate our sacrifice

Summary: Paul beseeches believers by the mercies of God—the doctrines of grace—to present their bodies; our service is a response to what God has done.

Evidence: Weaver explains, 'In light of this doctrine, says the Apostle Paul, it is your duty, therefore, to present your body a living sacrifice.' (235.6-293.6s)

Presenting the body means yielding to God's disposal

Summary: The Greek word 'parahistemi' means to stand alongside, ready to serve; it implies a constant, willing availability to obey God.

Evidence: Weaver defines the word: 'parahistemi literally means to stand along the side of... to place oneself at the disposal of another.' (1288.2-1362.0s)

A living sacrifice is dead to sin and alive to God

Summary: Because Christ died for us, we now live for Him; we must reckon ourselves dead to sin's reign and yield our members as instruments of righteousness.

Evidence: Weaver expounds Romans 6:11-13: 'Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God... yield yourselves unto God.' (1688.6-2053.3s)

Sexual purity is a key test of presenting the body

Summary: Paul uses the example of fornication to illustrate that our bodies belong to the Lord and are destined for resurrection; therefore, we must flee sexual immorality.

Evidence: Weaver notes, 'In the context of 13 through 20, Paul is talking about fornication... And right smack dab in the middle of it, he mentions the resurrection.' (2272.9-2357.9s)

Presenting the body includes positive virtues

Summary: It is not enough to abstain from sin; we must actively add godly attributes like love, honor, diligence, and hospitality.

Evidence: Weaver points to Romans 12:9-13: 'If you're presenting your body a living sacrifice, what are you doing? You're loving biblically. You're abhorring that which is evil. You're cleaving to that which is good.' (3397.5-3495.7s)

Mind renewal is essential for body presentation

Summary: Without a renewed mind, one will conform to the world; only by transforming our thinking can we truly present our bodies to God.

Evidence: Weaver concludes, 'Only those who renew their minds will present their bodies a living sacrifice.' (3497.7-3589.5s)

Scripture References

Romans 12:1-2

Context: The primary text of the sermon, calling believers to present their bodies as living sacrifices and be transformed by renewing the mind.

1 Corinthians 3

Context: Paul refers to worthless works as wood, hay, and stubble; used to illustrate useless unbiblical activity.

Romans 10:2

Context: Paul condemns zeal without knowledge; used to show that zeal must be guided by doctrine.

Romans 12:3-8

Context: Duties of sober self-assessment and exercising gifts according to Scripture; briefly outlined.

2 Thessalonians 2

Context: If any will not work, neither should he eat; used to caution that gifts must be exercised according to Scripture, not sentimentality.

Deuteronomy 19

Context: God's command not to pity certain offenders; cited to show that mercy must be biblically informed.

Malachi 1:13

Context: God condemns offering blemished sacrifices; used to show God demands holiness when we offer ourselves.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Context: Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, bought with a price; therefore we are to glorify God in our bodies.

1 Corinthians 7:23

Context: You are bought with a price; be not servants of men. Reinforces that we belong to Christ.

1 Peter 1:18-19

Context: We were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, not with silver and gold; emphasizes the cost of our redemption.

Psalm 103:20

Context: Angels excel in strength, doing God's commandments, hearkening to His word; illustrates standing ready to serve.

Hebrews 1:14

Context: Angels are ministering spirits sent to serve; used to show angels do not have bodies.

Hebrews 13:2

Context: Some have entertained angels unawares; used to argue angels appear as men, not with wings.

Romans 6:11-19

Context: Reckon yourselves dead to sin, alive to God; yield your members as instruments of righteousness. Central to the argument of presenting the body.

1 Corinthians 6:13-20

Context: The body is for the Lord; flee fornication; your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Used to illustrate presenting the body in sexual purity.

1 Thessalonians 4:3-8

Context: God's will is our sanctification, abstaining from fornication; possessing our vessels in honor. Shows the call to holiness.

John 4:24

Context: God is Spirit, and worshipers must worship in spirit and truth; used to warn against mere bodily presence in worship.

Isaiah 29:13

Context: People honor God with lips but hearts are far away; quoted to show that true worship requires the heart.

Romans 1:9

Context: Paul serves God with his spirit in the gospel; used to show that spiritual service still involves the body.

Romans 12:9-13

Context: Positive virtues to add when presenting the body: love, honor, diligence, hospitality, etc.

Historical References

John Calvin

Context: Quoted on Romans 12:1, explaining that our body is offered as a sacrifice, implying we are not our own but God's property, and that the sacrifice must be living, holy, and acceptable.

John Gill

Context: Quoted on Romans 12:1, emphasizing that presenting the body means devoting the whole self—soul and body—to God's service, not just bodily presence or abstinence from gross sins.

Pilgrim's Progress (John Bunyan)

Context: Weaver recounts the scene where Pilgrim meets Apollyon and refuses to return to his service, illustrating the believer's freedom from sin's dominion.

Important Quotes

Doctrine is absolutely necessary. Doctrine is wonderful and marvelous, but unless it is applied, it's absolutely, totally useless.

Significance: Emphasizes the central thesis that knowledge must lead to practical obedience.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Significance: The foundational Scripture text of the entire sermon.

When you present your body, it means to place oneself at the disposal of another. To stand beside, or to stand near, or to stand present, or to stand ready, or to yield oneself.

Significance: Defines the key Greek term and the practical meaning of presenting the body.

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Significance: The core biblical command for living the Christian life as a living sacrifice.

Only those who renew their minds will present their bodies a living sacrifice. If your mind is not renewed, you will be conformed to the world.

Significance: The concluding application that ties mind renewal to practical holiness.

He does not call us to die except to sin and self. And we live unto him by obeying his word.

Significance: Summarizes the positive call of the living sacrifice: dying to sin and living in obedience.

Discussion Questions

What does it mean practically to 'reckon yourselves dead indeed unto sin' in daily life?

Context: Weaver explains that this involves refusing sin's reign and saying 'no' to temptation because we belong to Christ.

How does understanding the 'mercies of God' in Romans 1-11 motivate us to present our bodies?

Context: Weaver argues that our duty is based on doctrine; the mercies of election, justification, etc., compel our service.

Why does Paul mention the resurrection in the middle of a discussion about fornication (1 Corinthians 6)?

Context: Weaver explains that our bodies are destined for glory with Christ, making sexual impurity inconsistent with our identity.

What are some positive attributes we should add to our lives as part of presenting our bodies (Romans 12:9-13)?

Context: Weaver lists love without hypocrisy, abhorring evil, brotherly affection, diligence, hospitality, etc.

How can we avoid the error of thinking that mere church attendance equals worship?

Context: Weaver warns that God desires worship in spirit and truth, not just bodily presence; our hearts must be engaged.

What role does renewing the mind play in presenting our bodies, and how can we practice this daily?

Context: Weaver concludes that mind renewal is essential to avoid conformity to the world and to live as a sacrifice.

Applications

Apply doctrine to daily life

Summary: Believers must not be content with knowing doctrine but must actively apply it in practical obedience.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'It does not matter how much truth one knows if he does not apply the truth.' (70.4-111.1s)

Yield your body to God constantly

Summary: Presenting the body is not a one-time event but a continual, daily yielding of every member to God's service.

Evidence: Weaver explains, 'If we do really and truly present our bodies, it is a constant and continual service.' (1688.6-1770.2s)

Refuse sin by reckoning yourself dead to it

Summary: When tempted, believers should consciously reckon themselves dead to sin and alive to God, refusing to obey sinful desires.

Evidence: Weaver illustrates, 'When that temptation comes, you say, no, I have died to sin in Christ. I reckon myself dead indeed unto sin.' (2565.6-2589.0s)

Pursue sexual purity

Summary: Because our bodies belong to the Lord and are destined for resurrection, we must flee fornication and possess our vessels in holiness.

Evidence: Weaver expounds 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7, 'This is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you should abstain from fornication.' (2623.5-2877.8s)

Add positive virtues

Summary: Presenting the body includes actively cultivating love, honor, diligence, hospitality, and other biblical attributes.

Evidence: Weaver points to Romans 12:9-13 and says, 'If you're presenting your body a living sacrifice... you're adding biblical attributes and characteristics to your life.' (3360.1-3495.7s)

Renew your mind daily

Summary: To avoid conformity to the world and to present your body effectively, you must continually renew your mind through God's Word.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Your responsibility as a child of God is to present your body... and to live for Him since he died for you.' and ties this to mind renewal. (3497.7-3641.9s)

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T22:05:52Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T13:48:21Z

Clean Transcript

How to Present Your Body to the Lord

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

Romans chapter 12, beginning with verse 1 and reading through verse 2, the passage that all of us should know really and truly by heart. Romans 12, verse 1: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Have you ever wondered what it really means to present your body as a living sacrifice?
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Think about that just for a moment. What does that really and truly mean? And how does it apply to you? And if you understand you're responsible to make the word of God applicable to you, the next question that should come to your mind is, how in the world do I present my body? When you ask questions like these, you're entering into the realm of what is known as practical Christianity.
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See, doctrine is absolutely necessary. Doctrine is wonderful and marvelous, but unless it is applied, it's absolutely, totally useless. It does not matter how much truth one knows if he does not apply the truth. Interestingly, when you look at the book of Romans, the book is divided basically into two sections, doctrinal and practical. The first eleven chapters of the book of Romans are doctrinal. Chapters 12-16 are considered the practical applications of the doctrine that has been taught in the first 11 chapters.
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Now, let me just emphasize something at this particular point. If you understand that chapters 12-16 are the application of chapters 1-11, then you understand this principle that our duty is always based upon doctrine. You know your duty because you know doctrine. You stop and think about all of the useless, unbiblical activity that goes on today under the guise and under the name of Christianity. You know what the Apostle Paul refers to that as in 1 Corinthians 3?
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He calls it wood, hay, and stubble. Worthless. In Romans chapter 10 and verse 2, the Apostle Paul condemns those who have a zeal without knowledge. You can have zeal, but if you don't have knowledge, your zeal is practically worthless and it is misguided and misdirected. There are too many people today that act unbiblically. And usually what they do is when they act unbiblically, they blame their unbiblical and ungodly conduct on the leading of the Spirit. Now, I don't doubt a spirit led them, but I can assure you it was not the Holy Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit never, ever leads anyone to violate the Word of God.
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We must know doctrine in order that we are not deceived, and we must know doctrine in order that we must know our duty. We cannot content ourselves with doctrine alone. So in chapters 1 through 11, the Apostle Paul has taught some marvelous doctrine. He's taught the doctrine of depravity. He's taught justification by faith alone. He's taught predestination, election, glorification, and the substitutionary work of Jesus Christ.
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Now, look in verse one of chapter 12. In light of that, look what he says. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice." Well, now, what mercies is the apostle Paul talking about? The answer is those mercies that have been presented in chapters one through eleven. Those mercies that I've just mentioned to you. So in light of this doctrine, says the Apostle Paul, it is your duty, therefore, to present your body a living sacrifice. Now, the Apostle uses an unusual word in verse one. He says, "I beseech." Let me tell you the significance of that word beseech. It is actually the word parakaleo in the Greek. It is the word that is used for one of the names of the Holy Spirit.
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You remember he's called the Paraclete? Para is a preposition which means alongside of and kaleo means I call. So parakaleo means literally I call alongside of to help. So the Holy Spirit is called the Paraclete. He's the one that has been called alongside of to help us. But in this instance, Paul is using that word not as a reference to the Holy Spirit, but he's using it as it means to beseech and to exhort and to admonish and to encourage and to instruct. So in light of that, Paul is asking you, beseeching you, to present your bodies a living sacrifice. Now, let me just show you very quickly, and I'm not going to go into this in detail right now, but to show you how Paul is admonishing each of us to apply the doctrine that he's taught us. In verse 1 of Romans chapter 12, we have the duty of public and private worship by presenting our bodies a living sacrifice. Look in verse 2.
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"And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Thus we have the duty of conforming our minds to Christ by being transformed and not conforming our minds to the world. Look in verse 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." We have the duty of soberly assessing our gifts before God and not being heady, arrogant, and high-minded. Now, what do I mean by a sober assessment of gifts? I mean this, and this is what the Scripture means.
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Suppose I announce to you that I have firmly believed that God had called me to a ministry of music and next week I'm going to be singing for you for a solid hour. Now, how many of you would come? Yeah, I thought so. Because everybody in this room knows that I can't sing. I can't carry a tune in a bucket. But you know, I could say that I believe that God has given me a ministry of music. Well, why would I say something like that?
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I don't have any of the gifts. I can't even play a radio very well. So this is what Paul is saying. There are so many who thought that, you know, because they wanted a gift or desired a gift that evidently they must have the gift. Well, that's not true. So you have a duty of soberly assessing yourself. Look in verse four. Of course, we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office. We have the duty to assess those gifts soberly in light of the fact that we are a body, and not every member has the same gift or the same action. You know, the apostle covers this in 1 Corinthians chapter 12 through 14. He says, what if the whole body were a tongue? Where were the eye? What if the whole body was an eye? Where are the feet? In other words, no. You have to have different members of the body. And then in chapter 12 in verse 5, he says, "So we being many are one body in Christ, and everyone members one of another."
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He's emphasizing that. And then verses 6 through 8, very quickly, we have the duty of exercising whatever gift God gives us according to Scripture. Look what he says, "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 ministry; or he that teacheth on teaching; or he that exhorteth on exhortation; or he that giveth, let him
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do it with simplicity; he that ruleth with diligence; and he that showeth mercy with cheerfulness." Now, in other words, what he's saying is it doesn't matter what gift God has given you. You must exercise that gift according to Scripture. I had one young man recently talk with me and he was asking me about Romans chapter 12 and especially verse eight, and he told me that he believed that he had a gift
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and a ministry of giving. Well, I said, that's wonderful. But I said, let me caution you, you must exercise that gift according to the word of God. He said, what do you mean? I said, well, here's some bum sitting on the street corner. And he's got red eyes from an all night drunk. And here he is begging for money to eat. I said, are you going to feed him? Well, he said, probably.
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I said, now, wait a minute, what's the scripture say? 2 Thessalonians 2, if any will not work, what? Neither should he eat. Why would I buy him food if he's not going to work or whatever he works for, he drinks it up. And do you remember when you read back in the Old Testament, and I can give you passage after passage, especially Deuteronomy 19, other passages where God talks about individuals and he says this, "Thine eye shall not pity them." In other words, there are some people that we are not to be merciful toward because they do not merit mercy in that sense of the word. Even the murderer, God says, "Thine eye shall not pity him, but he shall surely be put to death." You don't feel sorry for a murderer when he is put to death. So, all I'm saying is whatever gift God gives us, we are to exercise that gift according to Scripture.
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Now, I'm not interested in looking at all of Romans chapter 12. But I want to call your attention to verse one. Look at what he says. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service."
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Now, I have two thoughts today. First of all, the duty stated and implied. The duty stated and implied. Although Paul is beseeching us, the word present has great implications. First, the first implication is that we are the Lord's and we belong to Him. This epistle is addressed to believers. This epistle is written to those who have been regenerated and converted by the grace of God. We are the ones that have experienced His electing, predestinating grace. We're the ones that have been justified by faith. We're the ones that have been converted, and therefore we have the obligation then to serve Him. Secondly, there's the implication in this verse that we know our duty, but sometimes we're reticent to do it. What is that implication? Paul said, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God." Now, if people were not reticent to present their bodies a living sacrifice, why would Paul have to be begging and beseeching and exhorting us to do it? There are some people who do not understand their duty because they don't understand doctrine.
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There are some people who will not present their bodies because they're just simply unappreciative of what God has done for them. There is the lure of conformity to the world. God says, no, no, I beseech you that you present your body. Third, there is the implication that God demands that we be holy and consecrated before offering our bodies. Turn to Malachi.
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Malachi chapter 1, and look if you would please at verse 13. Remember this is the implication that God demands that we be holy and consecrated before we offer ourselves unto Him. Look in verse 13, He is condemning these wicked people and He says, "Behold, you said also, behold, what a weariness is it that is serving God? And you have snuffed it, saith the Lord of hosts. And you brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick. Thus you brought an offering. Now look what God asks. Should I accept this of your hands, saith the Lord? But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing. For I am a great king, saith the Lord of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen." God said, I'm a great king. I'm a holy, righteous, godly king.
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Why in the world would you bring me something that is unholy, something that is unworthy of me? So therefore, there's the implication that we're going to present our bodies unto him, that we should be holy as we do so. Let me give you what John Calvin says on Romans 12 and verse 1. He says this. He says first that our body ought to be offered a sacrifice unto God, by which he implies we are not our own, but have entirely passed over so as to become the property of God, which cannot be except we renounce ourselves and thus deny ourselves. Then secondly, by adding two adjectives, he shows what sort of sacrifice this ought to be.
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By calling it living, he intimates that we are sacrificed to the Lord for this end, that our former life being destroyed in us, we may be raised up to a new life. By the term holy, he points out that which necessarily belongs to a sacrifice already noticed, for a victim is then only approved when it has been previously made holy. By the third word, acceptable, he reminds us that our life is framed aright when this sacrifice is so made so as to be pleasing to God, he brings to us at the same time no common consolation, for he teaches us that our work is pleasing and acceptable unto God when we devote ourselves to purity and holiness. So the third implication is that God demands that we be holy. The fourth implication is that the presenting of our bodies is not an unreasonable service.
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You know, I've often heard people, especially children, older children, talk to their parents and they'll argue with them when the parents are refusing them to do something. They say, "Oh, come on, Dad, be reasonable." Well, do you realize the word reasonable here is really the word logical. And the Apostle Paul says, look, if you understand the mercies of God, if you understand what God has done for you, then this is your logical service. It is only reasonable that you serve him.
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He gave all that he had for you. So it's logical now that you give all that you have for him.
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Now, let me show you. Here's the fifth implication. Look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians, chapter six. 1 Corinthians, chapter six. And notice, if you would, beginning there with verse 19. 1 Corinthians six, verse 19. The fifth implication is that the presenting of our bodies declares our recognition that we owe the Lord service and worship. We owe Him. Verse 19, Paul asks, "What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own?
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For you are bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's." Notice what he says. You are not your own. You're bought with a price. Who owns us? God does. Body, soul and spirit. In 1 Corinthians 7, look in verse 23. Again, Paul says, "You're bought with a price. Be not ye the servants of men." We're not to serve men, we are to serve Christ. Now, I want you to think about Romans 12, verse 1.
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Listen to what he said. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice." A living sacrifice. When you hear those two words, living sacrifice, it seems as if they contradict each other. And normally they would, because when you read in the Old Testament about all those sacrifices, what happened to them? They were put to death. When you come to New Testament, the sacrifices also were put to death.
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Now, look in your Bibles. 1 Peter chapter one, I could quote it, but I want you to see this. Look at 1 Peter chapter one and verses 18 and 19. Watch this carefully. 1 Peter one verses 18 and 19. The Bible says this concerning Christ. 1 Peter one verse 18, "Forasmuch as you know, you were not redeemed with corruptible things of silver and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot." Notice, if you would, you were redeemed not with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation or conduct received by tradition, but with the precious blood of Christ.
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The point I'm trying to make is this. Jesus Christ gave himself in death that we might live unto God. He died that we need not die. He died to give us life. Since He has bought us, we owe Him everything we are. We belong to Him. And He does not demand our death now. Rather, what He demands is our life. A living sacrifice. Instead of putting us to death, He wants us to live unto Him. Christ died that we might live, so the implication is we now owe him to be a living sacrifice.
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Now, note number two today, the duty stated and illustrated. The duty stated and illustrated.
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Now, I still want to answer this question. What does it mean to present your body? The Apostle Paul said, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your body." How in the world do you present your body? What does that mean? Well, let me tell you what the word present means. It's from the Greek word parahistemi. Para, once again, is a preposition which means alongside of. Histemi is a verb which means to stand. So parahistemi literally means to stand along the side of. Now listen carefully. When you present your body, it means to place oneself at the disposal of another. To stand beside, or to stand near, or to stand present, or to stand ready, or to yield oneself.
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Now let me try to explain this in several ways. First of all, the simple way. If you look back in your Bibles to Psalm 103. Psalm 103.
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And notice verse 20. Remember, if you would please. The word present means to stand alongside of, to stand ready, to stand to yield. Look in Psalm 103 in verse 20. I don't see how anyone could read that verse in Romans 12 and not think of this verse. The Bible says in Psalm 103 in verse 20 in speaking about the angels, "Bless the Lord, ye His angels, that excel in strength, that do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His word." Now, picture this if you would, please.
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Here is God seated upon His throne. Here are all of His angels, these created beings. And they're standing there, presenting themselves ready and willing at any moment to obey God. They hearken to his word. He sends them, and they obey.
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Now, let me just mention something else about this. Think about this. This is only an illustration. It's an imperfect illustration, but it's an illustration. You see, angels do not have bodies. Hebrews 1 in verse 14 says, "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be the heirs of salvation?"
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Now, it is true that whenever an angel has been manifested in the Bible, he was always manifested in the form of a man. So excuse me for violating your tradition at this time of year, but little babies do not become angels when they die. There are no women angels in the Bible. OK, and let me burst another traditional thought, angels do not have wings. God is spirit. Does God have wings? Of course not. God doesn't need wings. He's spirit. Angels are spirit beings. They don't need wings.
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And let me tell you something else. Let me tell you another reason why I know that angels do not have wings. I'll show you. Look in your Bibles to the book of Hebrews. I can quote the verse, but I want you to see it. This may shock you, but here it is. Look in the book of Hebrews and chapter 13, verse 2. Chapter 13, verse 2. Watch this now. This will blow the normal concept of angels. You know, usually when we think of an angel, we think of someone in a long flowing white garment and big wings sticking out and a halo about his head and all this kind of stuff. Well, look what the Bible says. Hebrews 13, verse two, "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." Hebrews 13 verse 2, "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." What's that mean? That means if somebody knocks on my door and I open the door and there stands somebody in a long flowing white garment with wings sticking out of his back and a halo around his head, he ain't getting in my house.
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I don't know him. Every time an angel appeared in the Bible, he appeared as a man. It's just that simple. You could not tell him from anyone else.
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Now, all I'm trying to show you is this. Here are the angels who are standing before God, hearkening unto his voice. As they present their bodies, there are no such things as timeouts, no neutral territory, and no lazy days. They are always there, ready, yielding themselves eager to obey Him. They are incessantly waiting upon the Lord. They incessantly want to do His bidding and to serve Him. Now, when God says, present your bodies unto the Lord, yes, there is that strong illustration and implication that we say, Lord, here am I, use me. But please understand this, and I'm going to explain it. When we say, here am I, Lord, please use me, it is not just simply that we check in every now and then and offer our bodies for service. No, no, no. If we have really and truly, and if we do really and truly present our bodies, it is a constant and continual service. How? How do we constantly and continually present our bodies a living sacrifice? Well, let me show you.
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I want you to turn in your Bibles to Romans chapter 6. Romans chapter 6. Romans chapter 6. I want you to please follow me. I know I've got sinus today, but I believe this message is vitally important. So if you can wade through my little coughs, make sure that you follow the truth, please. Romans chapter 6, and let's begin with verse 11. I'm trying to show you now what it means to present your body a living sacrifice constantly. Romans 6 verse 11, "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God, watch now, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law, that is, as a means of justification, but under grace.
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What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid. Now watch. Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey? Whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have now obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you, being then made free from sin, that is, from the lordship and dominion of sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.
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Now let me stop right there. There's another verse I want to show you in just a moment, but watch this carefully. He says, "Likewise, reckon ye yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin." Let me tell you what the word dead means.
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Now, you've got to think on this one. The word dead means dead. The Greek word is necros, it's where we get our word necrotic, necrophiliac. I mean, you know, it means dead. Likewise, reckon ye yourselves dead indeed unto sin, watch now, but alive unto God—zoe is the Greek word. And the word zoe literally means full of vigor and power, efficacious. It means to have a vital power extended unto the soul. Now watch what he says, you reckon yourself dead indeed unto sin, but you reckon yourself alive unto God. Now what in the world happens when you present your body a living sacrifice, reckoning yourself dead indeed unto sin? Why?
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Because Christ has already died for us, remember that now. He's now commanded we be a living sacrifice. What happens? Well, look in verse 12 of Romans 6. "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lusts thereof." Now, God did not say, let not sin be in your body. I mean, sin is there. He said, let not sin therefore reign in your body. The kingship of sin has been destroyed by King Jesus. Sin may tempt us. Sin may entice us. Sin may seduce us, but it does not and cannot reign over us.
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It does not have the right to command us. What's that mean? That means when sin raises its ugly head in my body and says, you go do so and so, I say, not me. You're not my master. I belong to another. Have you ever read that passage in Pilgrim's Progress? Oh, I love that passage. I wish I'd brought it. It's where Pilgrim meets Apollyon. And Apollyon, the devil asks him, what country are you from? And he tells him. Oh, he said, by that I perceive that you're one of my subjects. Oh, says Pilgrim, well, I used to be, but I've lent myself out to another, to one King Jesus. Ah, says Apollyon. I understand that. He says, many who profess to be his subjects often give him the slip and come back to me. So he says, you go back to my country and I promise you that I will give you all that the country affords. Pilgrim said, how can I do that without being considered a traitor? I cannot and I will not go back.
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And Apollyon says, well, you betrayed me and I'm ready to forgive you. No, says Pilgrim, I shall not go back. Jesus Christ is my king and I bow to him. So we're free from the kingship of sin. Now, what's this? Verse 12, what does it mean to present your body a living sacrifice? What does it mean to count yourself dead indeed unto sin? Watch verse 13. "Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God."
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Now, folks, let's be honest. I have one body. But many members, my eyes, my ears, my hands, my feet, my heart.
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Now, look what he says, I want to show you what it means to present your body a living sacrifice. Constantly and continually. By reckoning yourself dead indeed unto sin, and alive unto God, that is, presenting your body a living sacrifice, skip down, if you would, to verse 19. Paul said, you want an understanding? I'll give you an understanding. He says in verse 19, "I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh.
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For as, here's an illustration, for as you have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity, that's before you were converted, even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness." Now look what he said. Before you were saved, before you converted, what did you do? You served sin. Willingly, readily, quickly, lovingly and you gave him a wholehearted service. You used your hands, your feet, your eyes, everything to satisfy the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. Now God says, as you gave your whole body to serving sin, now that you've been converted, you give your whole body to serving righteousness. With everything that you have, lovingly, willingly, readily, quickly, easily, you now present your body as one that is alive from the dead. In other words, you are alive in Christ, and you're dead to sin.
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Now, let me show you how this goes further. Look in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians chapter 6. This may surprise you. 1 Corinthians 6. And I want us to begin reading with verse 13. 1 Corinthians 6, verse 13.
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Now, remember, this is still Paul's argument, he's given us illustrations of what it means to present your body a living sacrifice by reckoning yourself dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 1 Corinthians 6, verse 13. Paul writes, "Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats. But God shall destroy both it and them. Now look what he says, now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body." Whoa, stop right there. Why did God make your body? It was not for fornication.
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It was not for impurity. It was not for wickedness. He made your body for Himself.
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Now look what he says, verse 13, "Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God hath both raised up the Lord and will also raise up us by his own power. Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them the members of a harlot? God forbid. What? Know ye not that he who is joined to a harlot is one body? For two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Now look, flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body. But he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body."
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Now let me ask you a question. I want you to think about this. In the context of 13 through 20, and I didn't read 19 and 20 yet, we read it earlier. But in the context of verse 13 through 20, Paul is talking about fornication, sexual impurity, unclean living, unclean thoughts. And right smack dab in the middle of it, he mentions the resurrection. Look at it. After he says in verse 13, "Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body." Look in verse 14. "And God hath both raised up the Lord and will also raise up us by his own power." And then he goes back talking about fornication again. Why in the world would the Apostle Paul mention the resurrection right smack dab in the middle of a discussion on fornication? The answer is this. He's teaching us how to present our body a living sacrifice. He's teaching us what it means to reckon ourselves dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God. Before I give you an explanation, I want to read to you
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what John Calvin said on this verse, just listen, this brief comment, he says this, he's talking about 1 Corinthians, chapter six, and especially verse 14. He says he shows from Christ's condition how unseemly fornication is for a Christian man. For Christ having been received up in heavenly glory, what has he in common with the pollutions of the world? Two things, however, contained in these words. The first is that it is unseemly and unlawful that our body, which is consecrated to Christ, should be profaned by fornication, inasmuch as Christ himself had been raised from the dead, that he might enter on possession of his heavenly glory. The second is that it is a base thing to prostitute our body to earthly pollutions while it is destined to be partaker, along with Christ, of a blessed immortality and of heavenly glory. So he's saying, look, Christ was raised from the dead and death has no more dominion over him. Now, he says, look how inconsistent it is for a professing Christian to engage in some pollution like this.
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Why? Because, first of all, our bodies are not our own. But secondly, our bodies are destined to be with Christ. We are part of his body.
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Now, here's what he's saying. Let me just show you what Paul is doing in 1 Corinthians chapter 6 and in Romans chapter 6. He's giving us a real-life illustration of what it means to present your body a living sacrifice. He's showing us what it means not to be conformed to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. For instance, I'm walking downtown and this has actually happened to me. In fact, it happened to me while I was with Pastor McCurry. Pastor McCurry wanted to show me one of the parks in Atlanta.
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We parked our car, stepped out of the car, had not been out of the car 30 seconds. And two ladies of the evening, while it was daylight, approached us and offered their services. And of course, we smiled and said, no, thank you. We're not only Christians, we're pastors. He's on down the road.
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Now, the point I'm trying to make is this. You know, it's not always that simple because you're not always with someone else who will sustain you and support you and help you. But here's what it means to present your body a living sacrifice. It doesn't matter if we're talking about fornication. It doesn't matter if we're talking about lust. It doesn't matter if we're talking about covetousness. It doesn't matter if we're talking about hatred, ill will, any sin that you can imagine and any sin that is in your life or any sin that you're tempted with. When that temptation comes, you say, no, I have died to sin in Christ. I reckon myself dead indeed unto sin.
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I will not do that. I will not have that. I will not entertain that thought. I will not think of that. Instead, I am presenting my body, a living sacrifice unto God. He has saved me. He has raised me from the dead. I am His. I will obey His commandments and not the lust of my flesh and the lust of my eyes and the pride of life and the temptations of the devil.
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I will not do it. No matter how appetizing the temptation is, you say, no, I will. What are you doing in that instance? You're presenting your body a living sacrifice. You are sacrificing the sins and the pleasures of this world and of the flesh. That you might be holy unto the Lord. Let me show it to you again. Look in your Bibles, 1 Thessalonians chapter four. 1 Thessalonians four. If you will remember.
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A number of years ago I preached a series of eight messages from this passage on sanctification and sexual impurity, I'm certainly not going to repeat those messages, but I do want to show you what the Apostle Paul is talking about. Look at 1 Thessalonians four and notice beginning there verse three. Look what God says. "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you should abstain from fornication, that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel, that is, his body, in sanctification and honor, not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles who know not God." Now, wait a minute.
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Let me just stop right there for a moment. I'm going to come back and finish this passage just for a moment. But look in 1 Thessalonians 4 and verse 3, "For this is the will of God, even your sanctification." In other words, He wants you to be holy. He wants you to be godly. What's one of the ways that you're holy and godly? That you abstain from fornication. In other words, when the temptation is there, you say, no, I will not do that. I will obey God and not sin. I will obey his word and not the lust of my flesh. Then he says that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel, his body, in sanctification and honor. Then he says you don't do it the way the Gentiles do it, that is the unsaved, in the lust of their concupiscence. And then he says in verse 6, now look, "That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter," he's talking about fornication still, "because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified."
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Now, look at this conclusion: "For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness." Now, let me just stop there, make this statement, listen to me. Here's what the apostle is saying. This is the will of God, even your sanctification. That you abstain from fornication, sexual impurity, sexual lust, whatever. You abstain from all of that. He says, I want you to know how to possess your vessel in sanctification and honor.
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This would be true in any circumstance, in any situation. Then he says, I want you to make sure that you do not defraud a brother in the matter. What's that mean? Well, if I tried to hit on Janet and succeeded in doing so, I have defrauded Henry, I've defrauded Alice. In other words, it's sin, it's wickedness, it's vileness. That's what it means that you defraud not your brother. In other words, you're taking something from him that does not belong to you. But look what else he says. Now watch this. He says in verse six, "The Lord is the avenger of such, as we have forewarned you and testified." He said, now, if you act wickedly, you're going to be judged. Now watch.
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Here's why we should know how to possess our vessels in sanctification and honor. "For God hath called us not unto uncleanness, but unto holiness." You got that? Now watch it. Look at the next verse. "He that despiseth, despiseth not man, but God, who hath also given us his Holy Spirit." Ah, did you hear what he said? When we do not know how to possess our vessel in sanctification and honor, when we're not holy, when we give in to sin and wickedness, what are we doing? We're despising God and his word.
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What does it mean to present your body a living sacrifice? It means whatever area you are tempted in. I don't care what area it is. When that temptation comes, you say, no. I will not do that because God has said. And then you quote the scripture and I choose by God's grace to obey him. I'm presenting my body a living sacrifice.
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Now, let me ask you a question. How important are our bodies? Think about that just for a moment, you know that these bodies are going to return to dust. But how important are our bodies? Let me remind you of something. Let me show you two errors. Two errors. The first error is when you think that having your body in the right place at the right time is worshiping God.
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What do I mean by that? Well, do you remember that passage in John 4 where the Bible says in verse 24, "God is a Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth." Now, just because you came into this building, plopped your bottom down in that chair and you've been present here for an hour, does that really mean that you worship God? No. It does mean you had your body in the right place at the right time, but it doesn't necessarily follow that you worship God. For he that worshipeth God must worship him in spirit and in truth. You must not only worship him in the Holy Spirit, but in your spirit. Your spirit must give and glorify God.
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There are so many today who will go into a church building, sit and listen to a sermonette, sing a few songs, flip a couple of quarters in the offering, and go out and think they've worshipped God. They haven't worshipped God. If we worship God, it's not just that our bodies must be in the right place. We must worship Him in our minds, with our spirit. We must love Him. We must give Him the honor and the glory that's due unto His name.
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Let me remind you of Isaiah 29 in verse 13. You don't have to turn there, but our Lord quotes this passage in Matthew 15 and in Mark 7. Listen to what he said. "Wherefore the Lord saith, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men." Notice what God says. These people honor me with their mouths, with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. So is it sufficient to come into a building and plop down, listen to a sermonette and go your way? The answer is no. Your heart, your spirit, your mind must be engaged.
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Now, let me give you the other side of the coin. I want you to turn in your Bibles to Romans chapter one. Romans chapter one. Watch carefully. Here's some people who say, well, I've just been praising the Lord all day long. And I go to church and I worship and I sing and I praise and my mind is engaged on him. But then they walk out of the doors. And they never even think of the Lord, or his word, until the following Sunday.
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How important is your body? Now look in Romans 1 in verse 9. Look what Paul says. "For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers." Now look what he said, "...for God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son." Was Paul serving God spiritually? Yes. Was his spirit worshiping God? Was his spirit obeying God? Yes.
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But let me ask you a question. Was it just Paul's spirit that was running all over the Roman Empire preaching and teaching? Was it? No. It was Paul's body. The spirit motivated him. But it was the body that took him where he needed to be to preach and teach. In other words, these two things must go together. True, we must worship God in our spirit, but we still must present our bodies, for it's our bodies that carry us and contain our spirit and exemplify whether or not we are truly reckoning ourselves dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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Let me give you what John Gill said. Romans 12 verse 1, here's what he said, "that you present your bodies, not barely that part of them commonly so called, for this is not to be understood of a mere presentation of the body in public worship, for though this ought to be, yet not without the heart engaged therein, otherwise bodily exercise will be of no avail, nor of a bare abstinence from grosser sins done in the body and against it, and which defile and dishonor it, much less a maceration and keeping under the body by watchings, fastings, and still less an offering of the body at death in a way of martyrdom, though this ought to be cheerfully complied with when called for, but by their bodies are meant themselves, their whole souls and bodies, all the powers and faculties of their souls and members of their bodies, and the presenting of them designs a devoting of them with all readiness and willingness to the service of God for his honor and glory."
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So what does he say? He's saying when you present your body a living sacrifice, it's the whole man. It's the whole body. Everything that you are. Spirit, soul and body.
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Now, go back in your Bibles to Romans chapter 12 very quickly. Romans 12 very quickly. Let me show you another truth. Here it is. Romans 12. I've showed you on the one hand what I'm going to call the negative aspect of presenting your body a living sacrifice. What's that mean? That means when you're tempted with sin in any way, you reckon yourself dead indeed unto sin and alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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But there is a positive side as well. If you are presenting your body to the Lord, you're not just simply abstaining from sin, that's what Gill will say, you are adding biblical attributes and characteristics to your life. Let me show you. Look in Romans 12, beginning there, verse 9. In fact, the rest of this chapter deals with this. Look at Romans 12 verse 9. "Let love be without dissimulation" or hypocrisy.
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"Abhor that which is evil. Cleave to that which is good." So now if you're presenting your body a living sacrifice, what are you doing? You're loving biblically. You're abhorring that which is evil. You're cleaving to that which is good. Watch verse 10. "Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love, in honour preferring one another." If I'm presenting my body a living sacrifice, I'm not only abstaining from sin and gross wickedness, I'm also learning to be kindly affectioned one to another in honour preferring one another. Watch verse 11.
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"Not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord." If I'm presenting my body a living sacrifice, whatever I do, whether I'm weeding a garden or digging a ditch or whatever I'm doing, I'm doing it faithfully as unto the Lord. I'm not slothful in business. I'm fervent in spirit serving the Lord. Watch verse 12. "Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing instant in prayer." Watch verse 13. "Distributing to the necessity of saints, given to hospitality."
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You can read the rest of this chapter and everything saying this is what you're to be doing positively. If you're presenting your body a living sacrifice. So it's not just the negative aspect. There's the positive aspect. So on the one hand, we know that we're presenting our bodies if we're abstaining from sin. On the other hand, we know that we're presenting our bodies if we're adding those attributes and characteristics that God demands.
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Now, one last thing, I want you to go back to Romans 12, verses 1 and 2. Watch this carefully. Let me make this one application. Watch Romans 12 verse 1. "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable, logical service." Are you ready? "And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." Here it is. Are you listening? Only those who renew their minds will present their bodies a living sacrifice. If your mind is not renewed, you will be conformed to the world. So, when Paul says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice," he's not only telling you not only to abstain from sin, but to positively add those attributes and those characteristics that are demanded in scriptures. You renew your mind and you present your body.
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The reason there's so little real, genuine, biblical presentation of our bodies in Christianity today is because there's very few who renew their minds daily, constantly, and continually. Your responsibility as a child of God is to present your body, the totality of it, and to live for Him since he died for you. He does not call us to die except to sin and self. And we live unto him by obeying his word. Let's pray.
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Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we ask for your blessing and your help and your grace. Would you pray, Father, for these that have been mentioned specifically on the prayer list today? I think of Sandra Crider and her needs, Lord, and for Jane Shifford, for Kathy Chandler, Mrs. Rhodes, Lord, Penny, others who have been named. Lord, we pray and ask that you would speak to their hearts. I pray for my own self and my own needs, Lord, physically, that you would help me. Help us, Lord, as Christians, to learn to present our bodies a living sacrifice. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.
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This program was produced by Dominion Ministry. For more information about Pastor Weaver's sermons, you may contact Dominion Ministry by mail at 7400 Abercorn, that's A-B-E-R-C-O-R-N Street, Suite 705, PMB 175, Savannah, Georgia, 31406. Or give us a call at 912-925-7000.
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You can also visit our website at www.dominionministry.com
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T22:05:52Z

How to Present Your Body to the Lord

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver expounds Romans 12:1-2, explaining that presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice means yielding ourselves wholly to God, abstaining from sin, and actively pursuing righteousness. He emphasizes that doctrine must lead to duty, and that this presentation is a constant, daily reckoning of ourselves dead to sin and alive to God, motivated by the mercies shown in the gospel.

Introduction: The Question of Practical Christianity

Romans chapter 12, beginning with verse 1 and reading through verse 2, the passage that all of us should know really and truly by heart. Romans 12, verse 1:

Scripture Reading — Romans 12:1-2

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

Doctrine Precedes Duty

The Duty Stated and Implied

Scripture Reading — Malachi 1:13

"Behold, you said also, behold, what a weariness is it that is serving God? And you have snuffed it, saith the Lord of hosts. And you brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick. Thus you brought an offering. Now look what God asks. Should I accept this of your hands, saith the Lord? But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing. For I am a great king, saith the Lord of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen."

God said, I'm a great king. I'm a holy, righteous, godly king.

For you are bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

" Notice what he says. You are not your own. You're bought with a price. Who owns us? God does. Body, soul and spirit. In 1 Corinthians 7, look in verse 23. Again, Paul says, "

You're bought with a price. Be not ye the servants of men." We're not to serve men, we are to serve Christ. Now, I want you to think about Romans 12, verse 1.

A Living Sacrifice: Dead to Sin, Alive to God

For you are bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

" Notice what he says. You are not your own. You're bought with a price. Who owns us? God does. Body, soul and spirit. In 1 Corinthians 7, look in verse 23. Again, Paul says, "

You're bought with a price. Be not ye the servants of men." We're not to serve men, we are to serve Christ. Now, I want you to think about Romans 12, verse 1.

Scripture Reading — 1 Peter 1:18-19

"Forasmuch as you know, you were not redeemed with corruptible things of silver and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot."

Notice, if you would, you were redeemed not with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation or conduct received by tradition, but with the precious blood of Christ.

Now let me try to explain this in several ways. First of all, the simple way. If you look back in your Bibles to Psalm 103. Psalm 103.

Scripture Reading — Psalm 103:20

"Bless the Lord, ye His angels, that excel in strength, that do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His word."

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 13:2

"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."

Hebrews 13 verse 2,

Scripture Reading — Hebrews 13:2

"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."

I don't know him. Every time an angel appeared in the Bible, he appeared as a man. It's just that simple. You could not tell him from anyone else.

Scripture Reading — Romans 6:11-19

"Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God, watch now, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law, that is, as a means of justification, but under grace.

Because Christ has already died for us, remember that now. He's now commanded we be a living sacrifice. What happens? Well, look in verse 12 of Romans 6.

Scripture Reading — Romans 6:11-19

"Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in the lusts thereof."

Illustrations of Presenting the Body

Scripture Reading — 1 Corinthians 6:13-20

"Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats. But God shall destroy both it and them. Now look what he says, now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body."

Whoa, stop right there. Why did God make your body? It was not for fornication.

Why? Because, first of all, our bodies are not our own. But secondly, our bodies are destined to be with Christ. We are part of his body.

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8

"For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that you should abstain from fornication, that every one of you should know how to possess his vessel, that is, his body, in sanctification and honor, not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles who know not God."

Now, wait a minute. Let me just stop right there for a moment. I'm going to come back and finish this passage just for a moment. But look in 1 Thessalonians 4 and verse 3,

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8

"For this is the will of God, even your sanctification."

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8

"That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter,"

he's talking about fornication still,

Scripture Reading — 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8

"because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified."

The Whole Man: Spirit, Soul, and Body

What do I mean by that? Well, do you remember that passage in John 4 where the Bible says in verse 24,

Scripture Reading — John 4:24

"God is a Spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 29:13

"Wherefore the Lord saith, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men."

How important is your body? Now look in Romans 1 in verse 9. Look what Paul says.

Scripture Reading — Romans 1:9

"For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers."

Now look what he said,

Scripture Reading — Romans 1:9

"...for God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son."

Was Paul serving God spiritually? Yes. Was his spirit worshiping God? Was his spirit obeying God? Yes.

So what does he say? He's saying when you present your body a living sacrifice, it's the whole man. It's the whole body. Everything that you are. Spirit, soul and body.

The Positive Aspect: Adding Godly Attributes

Weaver shows from Romans 12:9-13 that presenting the body is not only abstaining from sin but also actively adding biblical virtues like love, honor, diligence, and hospitality.

Conclusion: Renewing the Mind

How to Present Your Body to the Lord

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	118081318480
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Christian Duty, Authority, and Brotherly Peace
Genre	Sermon
Date	2007-12-16
Dictation Name
Book	Book 133: Romans: Christian Duty, Authority, and Brotherly Peace — Chapter 3
Source Timed Segments	85

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Question of Practical Christianity: Weaver introduces Romans 12:1-2 and poses the central question: what does it mean to present your body as a living sacrifice? He frames this as entering the realm of practical Christianity, where doctrine is applied.
Doctrine Precedes Duty: Weaver explains that Romans 1-11 is doctrinal, while chapters 12-16 are practical application. Our duty is always based on doctrine; zeal without knowledge is worthless. The mercies of God in the gospel motivate our service.
The Duty Stated and Implied: Weaver examines the implications of 'present your bodies': we belong to God, we are often reticent to obey, God demands holiness, this service is reasonable, and it declares our recognition that we owe God worship.
A Living Sacrifice: Dead to Sin, Alive to God: Weaver explains that a living sacrifice seems contradictory but means that because Christ died for us, we now live for Him. We are to reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive to God, refusing sin's reign and yielding our members to righteousness.
Illustrations of Presenting the Body: Using Romans 6, 1 Corinthians 6, and 1 Thessalonians 4, Weaver illustrates that presenting the body means actively refusing sin (e.g., fornication) and instead obeying God. The resurrection is mentioned in the context of sexual purity to show our bodies are destined for glory.
The Whole Man: Spirit, Soul, and Body: Weaver warns against two errors: thinking mere bodily presence is worship, or that spiritual worship can neglect the body. True worship engages the whole person. John Gill is quoted to emphasize that presenting the body means devoting the entire self to God.
The Positive Aspect: Adding Godly Attributes: Weaver shows from Romans 12:9-13 that presenting the body is not only abstaining from sin but also actively adding biblical virtues like love, honor, diligence, and hospitality.
Conclusion: Renewing the Mind: Weaver concludes that only those who renew their minds will present their bodies. The lack of genuine presentation in Christianity is due to a failure to renew the mind daily. He calls believers to live for Christ by obeying His Word.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Duty is based on doctrine

The practical commands in Romans 12-16 are grounded in the doctrinal truths of Romans 1-11; we cannot know our duty without knowing doctrine.

Weaver says, 'If you understand that chapters 12-16 are the application of chapters 1-11, then you understand this principle that our duty is always based upon doctrine.' (111.7-150.4s)

The mercies of God motivate our sacrifice

Paul beseeches believers by the mercies of God—the doctrines of grace—to present their bodies; our service is a response to what God has done.

Weaver explains, 'In light of this doctrine, says the Apostle Paul, it is your duty, therefore, to present your body a living sacrifice.' (235.6-293.6s)

Presenting the body means yielding to God's disposal

The Greek word 'parahistemi' means to stand alongside, ready to serve; it implies a constant, willing availability to obey God.

Weaver defines the word: 'parahistemi literally means to stand along the side of... to place oneself at the disposal of another.' (1288.2-1362.0s)

A living sacrifice is dead to sin and alive to God

Because Christ died for us, we now live for Him; we must reckon ourselves dead to sin's reign and yield our members as instruments of righteousness.

Weaver expounds Romans 6:11-13: 'Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God... yield yourselves unto God.' (1688.6-2053.3s)

Sexual purity is a key test of presenting the body

Paul uses the example of fornication to illustrate that our bodies belong to the Lord and are destined for resurrection; therefore, we must flee sexual immorality.

Weaver notes, 'In the context of 13 through 20, Paul is talking about fornication... And right smack dab in the middle of it, he mentions the resurrection.' (2272.9-2357.9s)

Presenting the body includes positive virtues

It is not enough to abstain from sin; we must actively add godly attributes like love, honor, diligence, and hospitality.

Weaver points to Romans 12:9-13: 'If you're presenting your body a living sacrifice, what are you doing? You're loving biblically. You're abhorring that which is evil. You're cleaving to that which is good.' (3397.5-3495.7s)

Mind renewal is essential for body presentation

Without a renewed mind, one will conform to the world; only by transforming our thinking can we truly present our bodies to God.

Weaver concludes, 'Only those who renew their minds will present their bodies a living sacrifice.' (3497.7-3589.5s)

Scripture References

Romans 12:1-2: The primary text of the sermon, calling believers to present their bodies as living sacrifices and be transformed by renewing the mind.
1 Corinthians 3: Paul refers to worthless works as wood, hay, and stubble; used to illustrate useless unbiblical activity.
Romans 10:2: Paul condemns zeal without knowledge; used to show that zeal must be guided by doctrine.
Romans 12:3-8: Duties of sober self-assessment and exercising gifts according to Scripture; briefly outlined.
2 Thessalonians 2: If any will not work, neither should he eat; used to caution that gifts must be exercised according to Scripture, not sentimentality.
Deuteronomy 19: God's command not to pity certain offenders; cited to show that mercy must be biblically informed.
Malachi 1:13: God condemns offering blemished sacrifices; used to show God demands holiness when we offer ourselves.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20: Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, bought with a price; therefore we are to glorify God in our bodies.
1 Corinthians 7:23: You are bought with a price; be not servants of men. Reinforces that we belong to Christ.
1 Peter 1:18-19: We were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, not with silver and gold; emphasizes the cost of our redemption.
Psalm 103:20: Angels excel in strength, doing God's commandments, hearkening to His word; illustrates standing ready to serve.
Hebrews 1:14: Angels are ministering spirits sent to serve; used to show angels do not have bodies.
Hebrews 13:2: Some have entertained angels unawares; used to argue angels appear as men, not with wings.
Romans 6:11-19: Reckon yourselves dead to sin, alive to God; yield your members as instruments of righteousness. Central to the argument of presenting the body.
1 Corinthians 6:13-20: The body is for the Lord; flee fornication; your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. Used to illustrate presenting the body in sexual purity.
1 Thessalonians 4:3-8: God's will is our sanctification, abstaining from fornication; possessing our vessels in honor. Shows the call to holiness.
John 4:24: God is Spirit, and worshipers must worship in spirit and truth; used to warn against mere bodily presence in worship.
Isaiah 29:13: People honor God with lips but hearts are far away; quoted to show that true worship requires the heart.
Romans 1:9: Paul serves God with his spirit in the gospel; used to show that spiritual service still involves the body.
Romans 12:9-13: Positive virtues to add when presenting the body: love, honor, diligence, hospitality, etc.

Historical References

John Calvin: Quoted on Romans 12:1, explaining that our body is offered as a sacrifice, implying we are not our own but God's property, and that the sacrifice must be living, holy, and acceptable.
John Gill: Quoted on Romans 12:1, emphasizing that presenting the body means devoting the whole self—soul and body—to God's service, not just bodily presence or abstinence from gross sins.
Pilgrim's Progress (John Bunyan): Weaver recounts the scene where Pilgrim meets Apollyon and refuses to return to his service, illustrating the believer's freedom from sin's dominion.

Important Quotes

Doctrine is absolutely necessary. Doctrine is wonderful and marvelous, but unless it is applied, it's absolutely, totally useless.

Emphasizes the central thesis that knowledge must lead to practical obedience.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

The foundational Scripture text of the entire sermon.

When you present your body, it means to place oneself at the disposal of another. To stand beside, or to stand near, or to stand present, or to stand ready, or to yield oneself.

Defines the key Greek term and the practical meaning of presenting the body.

Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

The core biblical command for living the Christian life as a living sacrifice.

Only those who renew their minds will present their bodies a living sacrifice. If your mind is not renewed, you will be conformed to the world.

The concluding application that ties mind renewal to practical holiness.

He does not call us to die except to sin and self. And we live unto him by obeying his word.

Summarizes the positive call of the living sacrifice: dying to sin and living in obedience.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

What does it mean practically to 'reckon yourselves dead indeed unto sin' in daily life?

[Context]

Weaver explains that this involves refusing sin's reign and saying 'no' to temptation because we belong to Christ.

[Question]

How does understanding the 'mercies of God' in Romans 1-11 motivate us to present our bodies?

[Context]

Weaver argues that our duty is based on doctrine; the mercies of election, justification, etc., compel our service.

[Question]

Why does Paul mention the resurrection in the middle of a discussion about fornication (1 Corinthians 6)?

[Context]

Weaver explains that our bodies are destined for glory with Christ, making sexual impurity inconsistent with our identity.

[Question]

What are some positive attributes we should add to our lives as part of presenting our bodies (Romans 12:9-13)?

[Context]

Weaver lists love without hypocrisy, abhorring evil, brotherly affection, diligence, hospitality, etc.

[Question]

How can we avoid the error of thinking that mere church attendance equals worship?

[Context]

Weaver warns that God desires worship in spirit and truth, not just bodily presence; our hearts must be engaged.

[Question]

What role does renewing the mind play in presenting our bodies, and how can we practice this daily?

[Context]

Weaver concludes that mind renewal is essential to avoid conformity to the world and to live as a sacrifice.

Applications

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