十一章結尾對上帝的智慧、知識、判斷和蹤跡做了美妙的頌讚。祂有無上的主權，照祂的心意行做萬事。從第九章至十一章，我們看見上帝要向所有不順服的兒女施憐憫──包括猶太人和外邦人。鑑於上帝的慈悲，保羅就在十二章一節呼召我們完全委身與上帝：這種委身事實上就是我們「靈裡的事奉」。

        保羅直率的要我們獻上身體為祭──不是一個死的身體，乃是一個活的祭。強調「身體」有重大的意義。如果這個呼籲只是要求我們心智上的贊同，我們都會感到愉快些，但保羅說，我們的身體要和我們的信心同步。我們要付代價──選擇犧牲而非享樂。

        有人曾說，活祭的麻煩在於它常常會從祭壇上爬下來。非常正確。特別在一個自私自利的社會裡，過一種自我犧牲的生活早就是過時的觀念了。但如果我們要言行一致，並視耶穌為最高典範，就必須有所付出。

        有趣的是，保羅將身體的祭與心靈的事奉連結在一起，這是你絕對意料不到的，因為我們傾向將肉體與靈性分開──正如早期教會歷史裡的諾斯底主義。但事實並非如此，上帝看我們是一個整體，有身體和靈魂，物質和非物質──有完整且個別的人格。上帝非常看重我們的身體，有一天祂甚至要使我們的身體復活，得著榮耀。所以，不要將你的「屬靈生活」從你每天的肉身生活中分開。它們是密不可分的──因為上帝喜愛你以全人獻出的完整信心。

        主啊，求您使我們一生將身體獻上當作活祭，藉主耶穌寶血的遮蓋，過聖潔討您喜悅的生活。也求您幫助我們不要效法這個世界，而能心意更新變化。如此，靠著您在我們裡面大能的作為，我們就能察驗何為您善良、純全、可喜悅的旨意。奉耶穌的名，阿門。

English

        Chapter 11 concludes with a beautiful doxology praising God’s wisdom, knowledge, judgments, and paths. He is sovereign and does what He wants to do. And, in the context of chapters 9 through 11, we see He wants to have mercy on all children of disobedience – both Jew and Gentile. It’s “in view of God’s mercy” that Paul, in chapter 12:1, calls us to total commitment: a commitment that constitutes, in fact, our “spiritual worship” (NIV).

        Paul bluntly calls for bodily sacrifice – not producing a dead body, but a living offering. It is significant that the emphasis is physical. We’d all be much happier if the call was for mental assent, but he says we’re to put our bodies where our profession of faith is. We’re to pay the price – choosing sacrifice rather than pleasure.

        Someone has said that the trouble with a living sacrifice is that it keeps crawling off the altar. So true. Indeed, the very idea of sacrificial living in our self-absorbed western world seems painfully archaic. But if we’re to practice what we preach, and look to Jesus as our supreme example, then we’re certainly not to embrace a faith that costs us nothing.

        It’s fascinating that Paul links bodily sacrifice with spiritual worship: You wouldn’t expect this, for our tendency would be to separate the physical from the spiritual – just as the heretical Gnostics of early church history did. But no, God sees us as a totality, body and soul, material and immaterial – complete individual personalities. And He has such a high view of our bodies that He intends to resurrect and glorify them one day. So don’t separate your “spiritual” life from your everyday physical life. They’re inextricably linked – and God expects total faith from the total man.

        Grant that now and always, O Lord, we may present our bodies as living sacrifices, living holy lives acceptable to You through the cleansing of the blood of Jesus our Savior. Grant also that we may not be conformed to this world but transformed by the renewing of our minds. Thank You that then, by Your mighty working in us, we will prove what is Your good and acceptable and perfect will. In Jesus’ name, Amen.