07 The Book of Romans-The Gospel Manifesto-Less of Me

The Gospel Manifesto in the Book of Romans

Pt. 7: More of Jesus

By Louie Marsh, 6-8-2025

 

Intro – 5 church sign pics – Holy Spirit entrance last one.

 

1) My response to the Gospel –MAKE a spiritual sacrifice.

 

¹  I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Romans 12:1 (ESV)

 

· Why should I do this?

 

Therefore – everything from this point forward in Romans is derived from what has come before.

 

Appeal = from (para) and (kaleo); to call near, i.e. invite, invoke (by imploration, hortation or consolation) :- beseech, call for, (be of good) comfort, desire, (give) exhort (-ation), entreat, pray.

 Basically means you are aiming at both the heart and the will.

 

Mercies of God = our motivation.

 

· How do I do this?

 

Present = a technical term for offering a sacrifice, though not in the O.T. Used of…

 

· Presenting the child Jesus in the temple: “²²And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem present him to the Lord” (Luke 2:22, ESV)

 

· Of the Christian presenting himself: “¹³Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.” (Romans 6:13, ESV)

 

· Of God presenting the saved: “²⁷so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” (Ephesians 5:27, ESV)

 

· Of Paul presenting mature believers: “²⁸Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.” (Colossians 1:28, ESV)

 

Bodies – containers of our soul

 

Living Sacrifices - Not a propitiatory sacrifice, but one of praise.

 

Spiritual Worship = "Your rational (spiritual) service (worship).". Logikos is from logos, reason. The phrase means here "worship rendered by the reason (or soul)." Old word, in N.T. only here and…

 

“²Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—” (1 Peter 2:2, ESV)