Is a Gradate of Northwestern University in 1911
POSSIBLY THE strongest appeal to a life entirely surrendered to God is in the following words: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual (real or logically expected) act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is God's will is -is good, pleasing and perfect will" (Romans 12:1, 2).
Here is a plea to the believer that his body be made a living sacrifice. The word sacrifice signifies change of ownership for the purpose of being consumed for the benefit of the new owner. It includes a complete surrender of self-will. This sacrifice is to be living, that is, continuous and productive of results. It is to be holy. It is to be acceptable to God. Furthermore, all conformity to this world is to end and the life shall be transformed through the mind's seeking the good, pleasing and perfect will of God. In this there is nothing left of self.
Paul does not make this strong appeal for a surrendered life without first stating very clearly and definitely the motive or incentive that prompts that kind of life. He does so in these words, "Therefore, I urge you, ... in view of God's mercy." The word "therefore" shows that he rests the whole argument on what he has in the preceding part of his letter taught about the mercy of God. These are the doctrines of the grace of God. This is always God's method. How different this is from the purely human and altogether unscriptural method of scolding and threatening Christians and using the element of fear that they may be lost, to arouse from worldly interests and to awaken interest in spiritual things!
As Paul pleads on the basis of the "God's mercy," it is perfectly clear that his appeal is without force until this mercy is known, understood and accepted. The better known and the more clearly understood these are, the greater is the force of the argument. On the other hand if the mercy of God is denied, then the force of the appeal is lost and there is no reason for heeding it.
Any appeal that is based on certain facts or conditions has force only in the same measure as is the certainty of those facts or conditions on which it is made. For years banks appealed to the public to make deposits because of the securities guaranteeing the repayment of the money. This appeal had force, and men, women and children, rich and poor, brought their savings. Why? Because the security of their funds was not questioned. But times changed, the banks' investments dropped in value, people began to question the security of their funds, deposits dropped off and withdrawals became greater and greater. The banks' appeals for deposits were without force because their argument based on safety was not accepted.
This is how it is in the Christian life. God makes his appeals to the saved to invest their lives, their all with him and offers his mercy as security. This mercy of God which he offers as security is guaranteed by the precious blood of Christ. Is it certain? As long as his blood is effective, this security is good. Thus it is highly important both to know what the doctrines of the grace of God are and to understand them. They are seldom taught and, as much of the meaning of these doctrines is lost by the denial of the eternal security of the believer, it is not strange that Christians these days do not sacrifice their bodies to God as they ought to do.
The all important thing then is to consider the "mercy of God" or the grace of God as explained in the part of the letter to the Romans preceding the appeal.
The first part of Romans (Romans 1:18 - 3:20) deals with the sinfulness of man and concludes that there is no righteous human and that the whole world is guilty in God's sight. Man or woman is shown to be incapable of doing anything towards his own justification. This is a prerequisite for the functioning of the grace of God.
Against this background of utter helplessness and absolute hopelessness on man's part, the mercy of God is revealed.
But there is a righteousness for man. It is not by doing what the law commands. It is of God and is revealed in the gospel (Romans 1:17). It is manifested in the life of faith that Jesus Christ lived, and is given to all that believe (Romans 3:22). It is a gift from God (Romans 5:17). Being a gift from God, this righteousness shall always be the possession of him who has received it through faith.
The one to whom this righteousness has been imputed is said to be justified by grace (Romans 4:24, 25). Inasmuch as justification is by grace, it is unalterable. Justification is made possible by the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:24). This again proves that it is unalterable, for redemption is eternal.
Those who have been justified henceforth stand in grace (Romans 5:2). They are no longer under the law but are under grace (Romans 6:14). One who is not under the law, which is the ministry of (and the only ministry) of condemnation, cannot be lost. There is no condemnation for them because they are in Christ Jesus. "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1). If you are in Christ Jesus at this moment, you cannot be condemned and lost.
Another aspect of God's mercy or grace is the provision that those who have been justified shall be saved from wrath. This is "much more" sure than the fact that Christ died for them while they were still sinners (Romans 5:8, 9). This is achieved by the present life of Christ (verse 10).
"As sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign ... to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:21). Therefore the one that is under grace is assured of eternal life. This eternal life is also said to be a "gift of God" (Romans 6:23), and therefore always remains in the possession of the one who has received it.
The bodies of all in whom the Spirit lives (and that includes all who have been saved) shall be given life, by the Spirit of God who lives in them (Romans 8:11).
Believers have been predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son. They are already glorified (verse 29, 30). No-one can condemn them, because Christ has died for them, and even intercedes for them (verse 34). Finally in the strongest language possible it is said to be impossible to become separated from the love of God (verse 35-39).
These are the aspects of God's mercy on which Paul rests his argument for a completely surrendered life in God's service. Every one of these mercies is absolutely unalterable. The security that God offers his children when he pleads with them to invest their lives with him cannot lose its value. That is why the full surrender of self is a "reasonable" (KJV) or "logical" (Concordant Version) service.
Those who deny eternal security discount the value of God's mercy and grace and deny the effectiveness of the shed blood of Christ. To them these have value only as long as the Christian does this or that which they themselves specify. Thus the whole appeal is lost, for the things added cause an appalling amount of uncertainty and confusion. In view of this, who is it that is responsible for the lack of sacrificial lives in the churches?
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