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Thoughts on Today’s Verse…
The motivation for our holiness is God’s incredible mercy and grace. We offer ourselves to him because he has already shown us his love through the sacrifice of Jesus. As we offer ourselves to honor him, we are worshipping him. As we refuse to be molded into the lifestyle of the world, we offer him praise. As we consistently do these things with our lives, God’s will becomes even more clear. With the Spirit’s help, we are daily being transformed to be more like Jesus (2 Cor. 3:18) as we display more of the character of God (Gal. 5:22-23).
My Prayer…
Father, as the old hymn says, “Have thine own way Lord… mold me and make me after thy will!” I gladly offer you my heart, my life, and my future to use to your glory. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Bible References
12 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Romans 12:1-2
Therefore, I urge you brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing, and perfect will.
I truly believe that these verses are key to the child of God enjoying their life here on earth. God created us to surrender to His will and authority. When we do not offer our bodies/lives to Him we are in rebellion to Him and that will only lead to chaos and disaster in a believer’s life!
Romans 12:1-2 were life changing verses for me when I was a teen. Verse one of this chapter tells us to present our bodies as living sacrifices to God, in other words to live our lives to please Him and not ourselves. To do and say those things that are honoring and pleasing to God. To not take part in this worldly society that is determined to make themselves happy without God. This world hated Christ and it will hate His followers as well, especially when we seek through the indwelling Holy Spirit to live holy and pleasing lives to God, for He exposes the sin in their own lives making them feel guilty and very uncomfortable around us.
Then we arrive at verse 2 which tells us how we are to go about “living” for Christ, by not conforming and behaving like the unsaved around us. When a person accepts Christ as Lord and Savior a change happens, the Holy Spirit of God takes up residence inside of them. No longer can a person who has truly become born again continue to live in sinful ways and not be convicted by the Spirit for doing so. We will still sin, but when the Holy Spirit makes us aware of that sin we are to do as 1John 1:9 says and confess it to God.
We have all know people who claim to know Christ as Lord yet there is absolutely no evidence in their lives that they have ever been born again. They continue to behave exactly like the unsaved with no conscious thought of having sinned before God. Those are who Christ refers to in Matthew 7:21-23, they are perhaps very “religious” people, but they have never come to saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, they have a profession not a possession!
Those of us who call God Father through faith in Jesus Christ should purpose in our hearts and lives to live solely for Him. Turning our backs on the ways of the world, yet going into the world to share Jesus with them. We are to be IN the world but not OF the world. Our Master is God and our lives should prove it, when they look at us they should see a picture of Christ in our words and deeds.
Thank You Jesus for dying for me, thank you for loving me and for Your indwelling Holy Spirit. Help me to be a reflection of You each and every day; I love You so my Savior, the Author and Finisher of my faith! Amen.