September 28, 2003
Chapter 12 – Study Questions
We have not spent a great deal of time on chapter 12, but I do hope that the time that we did spend was well spent.
If
anyone has in mind the literal sense, perish the thought [pun intended]! A hint to the fact that the meaning is not
literal is the fact that he calls it a living sacrifice. What does it mean, however? As we have talked in much, sometimes
tedious, detail, because of God’s sovereign grace, we have been added to His
family. The price for our adoption we
could not pay and so, God in His sovereign wisdom provided the means for
atonement. God set forth His Son as a
propitiation so that we could be declared righteous. You should be familiar
with the “great exchange.” Christ, the
spotless Lamb of God, became the sacrifice by which we were redeemed. The demands of God’s justice were fulfilled
in the flesh of the Son. So, the sacrifice
was brought and our redemption accomplished by Christ. Now, what kind of sacrifice is this that we
have to bring? It cannot be for
our sins (as I have mentioned already).
Why bring it? The sacrifice that
we are to bring is not one for atonement, but rather one based on gratitude;
it is a sacrifice of thanksgiving. Paul’s reasoning is simple.
“Given that you have just seen the tremendous nature of God’s love to
you, your gratitude should prompt you to live lives that please God greatly,
just like the peace offerings did in the Old Testament (Leviticus 7:11). Your life should be a sacrifice of sweet
aroma before God.” What does that mean
practically? Paul does not leave us up in the air. In verses 9 – 21 he gives a fairly comprehensive list of
attitudes and deeds that should characterize the life of a believer (see
question 4 for this J).
Another
important aspect has to do with the phrase “reasonable service”. If we were to put this in more colloquial
terms, this is what “you gotta do”. It
is the reasonable course of action.
Being a new creature, redeemed through the blood of the Lamb, the only
reasonable way to live your life is in a way that will please your
Redeemer. [You surely do not want to
follow a course of action described by the antonym of “reasonable” in this
context.] Living lives that will bring
pleasure to God and glory to His name among the people is not really a better
option; rather, it is the reasonable option for us, as believers.
First, it would be useful to talk about what it does not mean. Does this mean: do not wear the same type of clothes this world wears, do not eat the same food this world eats, do not drive the same cars that this world drives, do not listen to the same radio stations that this world listens to? In some cases, it might mean that, but on the whole it does not. If you do think that this is what Paul means here, there is a place where you would be most comfortable: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania – Amish country. Are we to seclude ourselves from this world? A resounding “no” should follow. According to one of our Lord’s prayers, we are to be salt and light in this world, which would be quite difficult to accomplish if we secluded ourselves from it. What we must remember is that we must be in the world but not of the world. How can God’s kingdom progress if His children live in their enclaves? We should agree that these verses do not have to do with separating ourselves physically from this world (even though, in some cases that might be a good idea).
Still,
what does it mean? The word used here in Greek is suschematizo (suscematizo) which means “to conform one’s self (i.e., one’s
mind and character) to another’s pattern”.
So, what we are called to is not physical separation from this world but
rather a refusal of the world’s standards and way of thinking. We are called to hold the Scripture forth as
the standard for living and way of thinking and not the wisdom of the world. What does that mean in practical terms? It
means that we should not be driven by the same beliefs or desires that the
world is driven by; we are not driven by the spirit of the age. A practical example, why do we work? The spirit of the age says, “Work until you
drop to make money for yourself so that you will be able to do whatever you
please.” What do we work for? Even our
work is a way in which we can praise God.
How? By doing the best job that you are capable of doing! Also, we
cannot ignore the material part of it (we are not all spirit). We do work to get money. But what is the purpose? First, the more you
make, the more you can give to God’s work.
Also, the more you make, the more you can help people. And the more you make, the more you have to
be aware that all that you make is God’s and you are but the unworthy
steward. It is God’s given to you for
temporary use.
In conclusion, we are called to
claim the Scripture as our only standard and to pray that, through the Holy
Spirit’s help, we become conformed to it.
In
verses 3-8, Paul employs an analogy to present his point. This analogy is also
used by Paul in 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 [Maybe numerology is not that
off-the-wall, after all. J]. What is this analogy? He is using the analogy of the body to
present the Church. What does this way
of presenting the Church accomplish? It shows forth clearly two of the
fundamental characteristics of the Church: unity and diversity. In 1 Corinthians 12:27, the Word says, “Now
you are the body of Christ, and members individually.” A similar idea is present in verse 5 of
chapter 12: “so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually
members of one another.” The Church
is one – the institution formed by God Himself to represent Him on this
earth. Also, the Church is made up of
many individuals. Unity and
diversity. We are part of God’s people
as individuals, but as individuals we are part of a whole. Ponder this for a bit.
The fact that this is not a question makes it mighty easy to answer. Verses 9-12 are rich in very practical teachings that do not yield too much to interpretation. We would be well advised to read them and take them to heart. If you have ever thought, “Oh, I wish God would just show me what to do” this is the section of the chapter for you.
We
are very thankful for this chapter and for the wealth of teaching that we were able
to gain from it. As always, thanks
be to God!
Sorin
Voicu-Comendant
Dallas,
TX
Soli
Deo Gloria!