A Living Sacrifice
A Sermon on Romans 12:1-2
Originally preached Oct. 22, 1965
Scripture
1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove …
Sermon Description
In matters of Christian conduct, does one appeal to the mind or to the heart? These are often pitted against one another, but Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones does not believe the Christian should approach the Christian life by making an appeal to merely the intellect or simply the emotions. Instead, he says, one begins with doctrine –– who they are in Christ –– and then the proper conduct is deduced from the doctrinal truth. True doctrine always appeals to the emotions. In this sermon on presenting your bodies as a living sacrifice from Romans 12:1–2 titled “A Living Sacrifice,” Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds that there is no such thing as dry-as-dust theology. Humanism and legalism stand in opposition to the true teaching of Scripture. Humanism can only appeal to the intellect, whereas legalism appeals directly to the will of the person. The great motive of the gospel, which is God’s great mercy in Christ Jesus, lifts the whole problem of conduct to a spiritual level. He then works out the implications of the apostle Paul’s appeal to the mind and the heart in Christian conduct. He labors to demonstrate that Paul is presenting the entire physical body as a sacrifice to God who by His great mercy makes Christians participants in this glorious and wonderful salvation.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon begins by introducing the topic of living a Christian life according to Romans 12:1-2. Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that this is an important topic, especially in light of the popularity of humanism.
- Dr. Lloyd-Jones says that humanism will ultimately fail because it lacks power and sympathy. Only the gospel provides the power and motives to truly live a good life.
- Dr. Lloyd-Jones introduces Romans 12:1-2, saying that these verses summarize the Christian teaching on conduct and behavior.
- Dr. Lloyd-Jones breaks down Romans 12:1, focusing first on how Paul beseeches the brethren. This shows that living a Christian life is not a command but an appeal.
- The first motive for living a Christian life is understanding the doctrines of Christianity, summarized in Romans 12:1 as "the mercies of God." Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that mercy refers to God's pity for our condition. All the benefits of salvation come from God's mercy.
- The second motive is the heart, referring to emotions and feelings. The gospel appeals to both the intellect and the heart, unlike humanism which only appeals to the intellect.
- Dr. Lloyd-Jones introduces how to live the Christian life according to Romans 12:1-2. The principle is making a complete surrender of oneself - body, mind and spirit - to God.
- Dr. Lloyd-Jones focuses on presenting one's body as a living sacrifice. He argues that "body" refers to the literal, physical body, not the whole person. The analogy of Old Testament sacrifices and other verses from Paul support this interpretation.
- Dr. Lloyd-Jones says he will continue explaining this passage in the next sermon.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Sermon Questions and Answers on Romans 12:1-2
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones identify as the two main motives for Christian living?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, there are two grand motives for Christian living. The first is intellectual - understanding who we are in Christ and what God has done for us ("Therefore" points to all the doctrine explained in Romans 1-11). The second is emotional - responding to "the mercies of God" from the heart with gratitude. As he explains: "The will is determined ultimately by the mind and by the heart. There's no need to make too direct an appeal to the will. It's the outcome of having understood the truth and having felt it."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones distinguish between God's mercy and God's grace?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that "grace is that quality in God that disposes him to be kind to people who don't deserve kindness. Grace is gratuitous kindness." Whereas "mercy means the pity of God for our condition." He quotes a hymn that perfectly captures mercy: "He hath with a piteous eye looked upon our misery." Mercy is God recognizing our pitiful condition and doing something about it by His grace.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones believe that humanism fails to change human behavior?
Lloyd-Jones argues that humanism is an inadequate approach to changing behavior because it only makes intellectual appeals without addressing the heart. He says humanism has "no emotional appeal" and is characterized by "cold intellectual detachment." Humanists "can't help a poor sinner because they have no sympathy." Most importantly, humanism only gives knowledge but not power: "the whole problem of the human race is not the problem of knowledge, it's the problem of power."
What does it mean to "present your bodies" according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that "present" is the technical term used for placing a sacrificial offering on the altar. When we "present our bodies," we are making "a complete offering of ourselves to God" - surrendering ourselves "absolutely" and putting ourselves "unreservedly at the disposal of God." He believes Paul is specifically referring to our physical bodies (not just a metaphor for our whole selves), as evidenced by other scripture references where Paul distinguishes between body, soul, and spirit.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the Christian life as a form of "voluntary slavery"?
Lloyd-Jones explains that all humans are slaves - either to sin and Satan or to Christ. The difference for Christians is that we become "voluntary slaves of God and of his Christ." He illustrates this with the story of a dog that, when freed from its leash, chose to stay by its master's side, having learned this was best. Similarly, Christians choose submission to God because they understand it is "right for you and because this is best for you." As he quotes from the prayer book: "Whose service is perfect freedom."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones explain what makes Christianity different from other approaches to moral behavior?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones argues that Christianity is unique because it provides both the intellectual understanding and the emotional motivation needed for transformed behavior. Unlike humanism or other moral systems, Christianity doesn't merely tell people what to do but gives them the power to do it. Christianity addresses the whole person - mind, heart, and will - not just providing knowledge but transforming power. As he states: "There is nothing but the power that is given by this gospel that can ever enable men truly to live a decent life."
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say is the greatest way to show gratitude to God?
According to Lloyd-Jones, "there is no way in which we can show our gratitude to God more than by living this life" of holiness and obedience. He states that God is pleased when His people demonstrate "to the world the power of God into salvation." He explains that we should see sin not merely as irrational but as "base ingratitude" - taking God's blessings without thanking Him by living as He commands.
The Book of Romans
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.