Reasonable service and a renewed mind in the light of Rom 12,1-2

Exegetical analysis of propositio 12,1-2 and its rhetorical contextallows us to conclude that the overriding message is an encouragementto render “a reasonable service to God”. According to Paul, itrelies on the constant and absolute faithfulness of his will to sacrifice“himself” (sōma) in “a living, sacred and pleasant sacrifice”, that is, to the measure of the sinful humanity of mercy in the salvific workof Jesus; “according to the faith received from God” (12,3). For theApostle, the constantly “renewed mind with the Gospel” and thepower of the Holy Spirit is an absolute condition to fully know God’swill, “transform oneself” (sōma) and save it redemptive effectivelythrough God’s “goodness, perfection and love”. It is obvious to himthat only a man implanted in Christ through the Gospel, baptismand the Holy Spirit becomes his “image” also in the way of thinking(the mind), therefore he is able to constantly re-explore the sense of“reasonable service” to finally find out that it is “evangelical service”in the power of the Holy Spirit, modeled on Jesus himself. This isthe only rationally mature (according to the wisdom and justice ofGod) and worth of a “new creature” (Christian) the answer to Godfor the work of salvation made in Christ, who sacrificed himself toGod in the Passover as a sacrifice of the “good, perfect, living holyand the kind”