ROM. xii. 1. “I beseech
you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present
your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which
is your reasonable service.”
DOCTRINAL discussions with Paul lead to practical con-
clusions.
I. The duty which Paul lays down. He asks for a sacri-
fice—not an atonement, but a daily oblation of gratitude.
We are to make the transformation of our souls mani-
fest through our bodies—our members the instruments of
righteousness.
II. Let us notice what qualities the sacrifice should pos-
sess. It must be—
1. Living, not dead like the Jewish sacrifices.
2. Holy.
3. Acceptable to God, by Jesus Christ.
4. Reasonable—one which it befits the Christian as a
rational being to render.
III. The motive by which the offering is enforced—”The
mercies of God.” He brings the entire motive power of
the Cross to bear on us.
W. M. Taylor, D.D.