The “Man in the Water” — Air Florida Flight 90 (1982)
A Boeing 737 crashed into Washington, D.C.’s 14th Street Bridge and the icy Potomac. Six people surfaced alive. As a Park Police helicopter lowered a rescue line, one survivor—Arland D. Williams Jr.—kept passing the line to others instead of taking it himself. Five people were pulled to safety; when the helicopter returned for Williams, he had drowned. He was later identified and posthumously awarded the Coast Guard’s Gold Lifesaving Medal.
The survivor’s response
One survivor, Joseph Stiley, has spoken often about that day and those who saved him. Reflecting on his life afterward, he said, “I’ve seen my children grow up and become parents and grandparents…”—words of gratitude that underline the cost others paid for his survival. He’s continued honoring the rescuers and recounting the story publicly.
Romans 12 marks a turning point in the letter.
After eleven chapters of explaining the gospel:
- Our sin (Rom 1–3)
- God’s grace (Rom 3–5)
- New life in the Spirit (Rom 6–8)
- God’s sovereign mercy (Rom 9–11)
Paul now moves to the application:
Romans 12:1–2
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.[b] 2 Do not be conformed to this world,[c]but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect
I. The Motivation – The Mercy of God
“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God…”
“Therefore” points back to all of Romans 1–11
- Romans 3:23–24 – Justified freely by His grace.
- Romans 5:8 – While we were sinners, Christ died for us.
- Romans 8:1 – No condemnation for those in Christ.
- Romans 8:38–39 – Nothing can separate us from His love.
God’s mercy is the wellspring of obedience
Titus 3:4–5
But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared,5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit,
Obedience naturally flows from gratitude more than guilt.
Before you try to “do more for God,” pause to remember what He has already done for you.
Daily rehearse gospel truth to fuel your surrender.
Like fuel in an engine—if you try to live for God without remembering His mercy, you’ll stall out or start flying in your own direction.
II. The Nature of the Sacrifice – Your Whole Self
”…to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God…”
A: Living – Unlike dead sacrifices in the Old Testament, this is ongoing.
- Galatians 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ…” yet I live.
- Luke 9:23 – Take up your cross daily.
B: Holy – Set apart for God’s purposes.
- 1 Peter 1:15–16 – Be holy as He is holy.
- Our lives are the temple where God’s Spirit dwells (1 Cor. 6:19–20).
C: Acceptable – God is pleased when we give Him ourselves, not merely rituals
Micah 6:6–8
With what shall I come before the Lord
and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly[a] with your God.
God doesn’t just want your Sunday mornings; He wants your everyday moments—work, relationships, habits, entertainment choices.
Is my life positioned on the altar or am I crawling off?
III. The Logic of Sacrifice – True Worship
”…which is your spiritual [or reasonable] worship.”
A: Reasonable (logikos) –
- primarily means reasonable, rational, or pertaining to reason/logic
- In light of His mercy, surrender makes sense.
2 Corinthians 5:14–15
For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15 And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
B: Worship – Worship is not just singing; it’s giving God your whole life.
John 4:23 – Worship in spirit and truth.
Evaluate: Does my life sing the same song as my lips?
Worship starts on Monday morning as much as Sunday morning.
Think of a soldier pledging allegiance—every action flows from the commitment made.
IV. The Mind of the Sacrifice – Be Transformed
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind…”
A: Don’t Be Conformed – Stop being squeezed into the world’s mold.
1 John 2:15–16
Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life[a]—is not from the Father but is from the world.
The world’s mold says: Self first, truth is relative, success is ultimate.
B: Be Transformed (metamorphoō) – Spirit-empowered change from the inside out.
Caterpillar to butterfly—change in essence, not just behavior modification.
Matthew 17:2 And he was transfigured (metemorphōthē | μετεμορφώθη | aor pass ind 3 sg) before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.
Mark 9:2 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured (metemorphōthē | μετεμορφώθη | aor pass ind 3 sg) before them,
- Romans 8:5–6 – Those who live by the Spirit set their minds on the Spirit.
- 2 Corinthians 3:18 – We are transformed into His image.
C: By the Renewal of Your Mind – Thinking God’s thoughts after Him.
- Colossians 3:2 – Set your minds on things above.
- Philippians 4:8 – Think on what is true, honorable, pure, lovely.
Media diet matters—what you watch, read, scroll shapes you.
Replace lies with truth: memorize Scripture, meditate on God’s promises.
V. The Result of Sacrifice – Discernment and Delight
”…that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
- Discernment – Ability to recognize God’s will in daily decisions.
Psalm 119:105 – His Word is a lamp to our feet.
- Delight – God’s will is good, pleasing, perfect—not a burden (1 John 5:3).
Don’t just ask, “Is it allowed?” Ask, “Does it align with God’s will and please Him?”
Train your conscience through Scripture so you can respond instinctively with godliness.
Like a musician whose fingers instinctively find the right notes after years of practice.
CONCLUSION
- Romans 8 told us we are secure in God’s love;
- Romans 12 tells us how to live in light of that security.
The altar is not a place of death for us—it’s where real life begins.
Jim Elliot’s famous words: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
Where is God calling you to climb onto the altar today?
Is there an area of life you’ve been keeping for yourself? Present it to Him now.
