Romans Chapter 12
IN THIS LESSON
One of the most powerful exhortations in the New Testament comes from Romans 12: “Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds” (Romans 12:1–2). But what exactly is a living sacrifice—and how is it different from temple sacrifices of the past? Paul draws a clear contrast between this present age and the age to come. What sets these two apart? And why does he warn us not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought (v. 3)? What did that mean in Paul’s time, and why is it just as urgent in ours?
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N. T. Wright, Romans for Everyone: Part 2, Chapters 9-16 (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2023), 39-42.