“I 1urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” (Rom. 12:1) 1parakaleō: to beg or plead. “Presenting our bodies” was Paul’s way of explaining that as a redeemed people, we surrender our lives BACK TO JESUS in thanksgiving for ALL He has done. Jesus offered Himself as a onetime, FOR ALL TIME, single sacrifice and atoned for ALL OUR SIN.
“…the death that Christ died, He died to sin ONCE FOR ALL; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Likewise you also, reckon (consider) yourselves to be DEAD INDEED TO SIN, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore DO NOT LET SIN REIGN (have control) in your mortal body…” (Rom. 6:10-12) We come before God, no longer allowing sin to have control but we offer our complete self in gratitude and thanksgiving. We offer all the parts of our bodies- eyes, ears, lips, hands, feet, heart, mind, etc.- in service to Him and doing His will.
This is what we must do, “do not be conformed to this world, but be 2TRANSFORMED by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Rom. 12:2) 2metamorphoō: the word metamorphose, To change into a DIFFERENT FORM, to transform. Any individual of species going through metamorphose is going to have the same DNA. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a NEW CREATION; old things have passed away; behold, ALL THINGS have become new.” (2 Corin. 5:17) We are born with an Adamic nature, Adam and eve sinned, so all mankind inherited that sin nature. When we are “born again” we are transformed into Christ’s sinless nature and “…sin SHALL NOT have dominion over you…” (Rom. 6:14)
-Bill Stockham