Delightful Direction

I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God Romans 12:1

For the next few days we will examine the teaching of Paul in Romans 12.  Sometimes we will have to look at the same verse several time, but rest assured, there is a lot to mine here.

Acceptable – I don’t like this.  Neither should you.  I don’t want to be “acceptable.”  I want to be wonderful, excellent, top-shelf or best.  In Paul’s day, the translation of euarestos could have carried the idea of acceptable because Paul thought of acceptable in terms of the sacrificial system of Israel.  But today this English word is unacceptable.  It doesn’t capture what Paul means.  It slips into the advertising lingo of “good, better, best.”  It makes us feel as though we just squeaked by.  That is clearly not what Paul has in mind.

First, let’s look at the Greek word itself.  Eurestos actually combines two words:  eu (well, in the sense of good, not healthy) and aresko (to please).  Literally, this word means “well-pleasing.”  At a slightly deeper level, aresko implies to be fitted to the task, to be just what is required.  God is well-pleased, says Paul.  It’s not that God finds us just good enough.  God finds us perfectly fitted for His purposes.  We delight Him.

Now let’s consider this Greek word from a Hebrew perspective.  What characteristics does God require of the sacrifice?  It must be spotless, the best, as perfect as it can be.  In fact, since no created thing is perfect, all that the sacrifices demonstrate is directional holiness.  Ultimately, the holy God had to be sacrificed.  He was and is and will be the only perfect being.  His sacrifice covers it all.  So, when Paul invokes the Hebrew imagery with the Greek word eurestos, he implies the directional perfection of the sacrifice of the Lamb of God.  It is “acceptable” all right, but not in the way that we think of acceptable.  In this context, acceptable means exactly what God requires.

So, are you exactly what God requires?  If you have presented yourself as a living sacrifice, you are!  Even though there was something wrong with you so that you were not consumed in the sacrifice, what was wrong has been completely covered over.  You can now be the perfectly fitted sacrifice that God intended because He has removed the obstacle of imperfection.

This is difficult to absorb even though it may seem simple to grasp.  There are plenty of times when you and I will not feel like we are perfectly fit for God.  We fall.  We sin.  All of our blemishes seem exposed, displayed as flashing neon signs to ourselves and the world.  Yet God says that we are perfectly fit for Him.  It doesn’t matter how you feel about this.  In fact, the more you dwell on your feelings of imperfection, the more your stained history will capture your attention.  Listen!  You and I are living sacrifices.  Of course we are stained.  That’s the only way we can be living sacrifices.  But God counts us righteous.  Who are you going to believe – the inner voice that keeps reminding you of your unworthiness, or God’s voice proclaiming His delight?  Be a Hebrew!  Act on what God says no matter how you feel.  Get up and do what the delighted Father tells you.  Let your actions demonstrate your acceptance of His proclamation.

Topical Index:  Transformation