Two dictionary definitions for the word “linchpin” are 1) “something that holds the various elements of a complicated structure together,” and 2) “the most important member of a group or part of a system, that holds together the other members or parts or makes it possible to operate as intended.” I submit that just as the Lord Jesus Christ is the “linchpin” of creation, Colossians 1:15 – 18; Hebrews 1:2 – 8, so the epistle of Romans is the “linchpin” of His Word. Romans looks back to the beginning, providing the key to how salvation was accomplished for Abel, Noah, Abraham, Moses and all true believers up through the Gospels and those in the Hebrew church led by Peter in the first part of Acts. And Romans looks forward to how Members of the Body of Christ are saved as it lays the foundation for the rest of Paul’s epistles.
We’ve finished the doctrine (teaching) presented in the first 11 chapters of Romans; included but not limited to the fact that the righteousness of God by faith of Jesus Christ belongs to all who believe, Romans 3:22 – 26; that the believer’s old sinful man is crucified with Christ and therefore we shall also live with Him, Romans 6:6 – 8; by assenting or agreeing that Jesus is Lord and believing that God raised Him from the dead, we are saved, Romans 10:9 – 11. True believers are assured of their salvation, nothing can separate them from the Love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, Romans 8:38 – 39. We now arrive at practical application to believers: “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.” Romans 12:1.
Believers are “… beseeched … by the mercies of God;” not ordered like Israel was commanded by the Law given through Moses about how to live and offer sacrifices in the Tabernacle/ Temple for their sin/s. “Beseeched” is to be “exhorted, encouraged, admonished, instructed or summoned.” And this “by the mercies of God,” such mercies being the manifestations of God’s pity or compassion for believers. Therefore, believers are exhorted or encouraged based on the fact God has been merciful to sinners deserving death. Believers are beseeched/ encouraged/ summoned to present their body as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is their reasonable service. The word translated “sacrifice” is from the same Greek word translated sacrifice in other New Testament (NT) passages referring to the animal sacrifices offered under the law. The sacrifices offered by Abel (Hebrews 11:4) and required by the Law of Moses were accepted by God only if they were offered in faith by the offeror, i.e., the offerors brought their sacrifices with a true heart acknowledging their sin/s, believing God’s Word instructing them to do so. Those sacrifices in and of themselves could not take away sin, but they pointed to the sinless blood shed by Jesus Christ, Hebrews 7:27; Hebrews 9:19 – 28. And after Christ had purged sins He sat down on the right hand of God, Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 10:1, which means that all work necessary to expiate anyone’s sin/s was completed, finished, with nothing else required.
In the phrase: “… present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” Romans 12:1, the Greek translated “reasonable” is “logikos” (G3050) meaning “rational (logical); – reasonable, of the word.” You can see this word is a form of the Greek “logos,” which means “word.” We get our English word “logical” from “Logikos.” It only occurs one other place in the NT; in I Peter 2:2 where it is translated “word.” The context, 1 Peter:2:1 – 3: (verse 1) “Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, (verse 2) As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: (verse 3) If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” The Greek word translated “service” in Romans 12:1 is “latreia” (G2999) meaning “ministration of God; that is worship; (divine) service.” So, it stands that our logical worship or service to God is to present our bodies as living sacrifices unto Him, i.e., believers worship God by presenting their bodies a living sacrifice to Him.
Our text in Romans continues: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Romans 12:2. Believers are not to be in the fashion of this world, which rejects God, but are to be “transformed” by the “renewing” of their minds. “Transformed” is from the Greek word “metamorphoo” (G3339) found only 4 times in the NT; first in Mark 9:2 where Jesus Christ was “transfigured” before Peter, James and John; His clothes were suddenly exceedingly white as He shown forth in His Glory, 2 Peter 1:16 – 18. We get our English “metamorphosis” from the Greek “metamorphoo,” thus, as the caterpillar metamorphosis into a butterfly, we are to metamorphosis by the renewing of our minds. “Renewing” is from the Greek “anakainosis” (G342) which means “renewal, renovation, complete change for the better.” The word “mind” is from the Greek meaning “the intellectual faculty, the understanding, etc.” To prove is “to test, examine, prove, scrutinize (to see whether a thing is genuine or not), as metals” what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Our minds do not renew or change just by thinking or praying (although prayer is necessary); the renewal/ change comes from study, gaining wisdom, knowledge and understanding of the Lord Jesus Christ; this is what Paul prayed for all believers, Ephesians 1:15 – 20. As with all Scripture, Paul’s epistles are inspired by God as profitable for doctrine (teaching), reproof and correction for instruction in righteousness, 2 Timothy 3:16. At the time of Paul, Rome was the seat of government of the known world; laws/ orders emanated or flowed out from Rome to the various provinces. In like manner, the epistle of Romans establishes the basic doctrine or teaching of the Gospel of Christ, i.e., the Gospel of Grace and the reasonable service of the believer. Romans is followed by the epistles to the church at Corinth where the true believers there needed reproof for their licentious, immoral lifestyles. They had to be reproved for straying from the teaching of Romans.
Many believers today are like the Corinthians and need the reproof Paul wrote them, for example, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” 1 Corinthians 6:19 – 20. “For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 12:12 – 13. Paul further explained to the Corinthians what he meant in Romans 12:1 – 5; “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:18. The phrase “beholding in a glass” is from one Greek word found only in this verse meaning “to make to reflect, to mirror.” Thus, believers are to mirror or reflect the Lord Jesus Christ and the fullness/ completeness they have in Him as their minds are renewed/changed.
Next comes the epistle to the Galatians who needed correction because they either added to or perverted Paul’s teaching of salvation by Grace alone. There are many believers today like the Galatians who want to add something to do in their own power to earn or keep their salvation. Among other things, they error when they look to Peter as Paul makes it clear that Peter ministered to the Jews who had to be circumcises and follow the Law while Paul ministered the Gentiles who were free from the Law, Galatians 2:7 – 10. Paul explains Romans 12:1 – 5 to the Galatians succinctly: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20. And he is deadly serious as by inspiration from God he wrote that anyone preaching any other Gospel than the Grace of Christ he preached is to be accursed, Galatians 1:6 – 8, i.e., they are to be doomed to destruction.
The book of Ephesians stands as the highest plateau of doctrine to the Church, the Body of Christ. It clearly teaches that God has blessed believers with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ, Ephesians 1:3, and you can’t find a higher plateau than heaven. Philippians and Colossians follow as reproof and correction to the teaching of Ephesians but even these 3 epistles are based on the foundation laid in Romans. Whereas Romans teaches us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy, acceptable to God, which is our reasonable service, Romans 12:1, Ephesians teaches to: “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.” Ephesians 5:1 – 5.
And Paul follows up the teaching of Romans 12:1 – 5 in his epistle to Titus: “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” Titus 2:11 – 14.
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