As I mentioned above, the “mercies of God” tap into the covenant blessings described in 3:21–11:36: justification, sanctification, and glorification, and so forth. Indeed, chapters 9–11 are devoted to the theme of the mercy of God in salvation history, for both Gentile and Jew. Therefore, I suggest that 12:1 is analogous to the covenant ceremony in Exodus 24:1–8 and Joshua 24. Christians are to accept the terms of the new covenant by dedicating themselves to God as living sacrifices. Christ died