Romans 12:1

B. THE ETHICAL DEDUCTION: and PERSONAL CONCLUSION.

1. ETHICAL DEDUCTION, Romans 12:1 to Romans 15:14 .

I. THE ACT OF ENTIRE SELF-SURRENDERING FAITH IS THE GROUNDING FOR ALL CHRISTIAN HOLINESS OF HEART AND LIFE, 1, 2.

1. Therefore As the grand deduction from the great doctrine of justification and sanctification by perfect faith taught in the last eleven chapters, I beseech you, brethren, consecrate yourselves by full faith unto God’s perfect will. (Note on Romans 2:6; Romans 10:10.) Thus this ethical section becomes a full and beautiful expansion of chapter 6, in which the apostle denies that the doctrine of faith is conducive to sin, and shows theoretically that it is the powerful incentive to holiness. That production of holiness he now deduces from that faith.

By the mercies of God As revealed through the way of faith.

Bodies In spiritual parallelism with the body of the sacrificial victim. Yet not only is there parallelism, but there is contrast. The victim’s body is a dead body; the Christian’s a living, active body. The sacrifice of the victim was a mere animal service; that of the Christian is a rational one. And though both were alike holy and acceptable, yet there is an immeasurably higher gradation of the holy and acceptable in the Christian just because his is a rational service.