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Romans 12:1-2
The Apostle Paul begins chapter 12 with instructions to, “present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service” (Romans 12:1d-h, NKJV). This passage, which has many parts to study, teaches us of the service we are to perform to God through His saving us from sin. As His children, redeemed through Christ Jesus, we are now responsible to conduct our lives as He guides us in shining the light of Christ Jesus throughout the world, as is in our own individual lives – together – covering the world.
As Paul has been teaching the Church at Rome that God is working through us all people, Jews and Gentiles alike, to salvation in Christ Jesus, and on the heels of Romans 11:36 in giving glory to God for all things, he cries out in Romans 12:1 to the Church at Rome as brothers in Christ, that by God’s mercy to them, that they would present themselves to God in holy lives as a “living sacrifice”. Paul declares that this is the reasonable response for one who has opened their heart to Jesus. He goes on in Romans 12:2 to instruct that, in Christ, one should not allow the ways of this world to shape their life, but that one should, “be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
This is a command, for those who have opened their hearts to Jesus, to live a life that is reflective of the salvation and righteousness that He provides.
This is an example of practical application in the life of a Christian.
Anywhere we read in the Bible, “the ways of this world,” is reflective of the sinful nature, or more directly, the way in which Satan desires to control us. This is never reflective of the way Jesus desires us to live in obedience to Him. That is the spiritual battle that goes on within each of us. The Apostle Paul teaches us in Ephesians 6:10-20 to put on the whole armor of God as we battle within the spiritual realm for the eternal destination of our souls. Satan wants us to believe that we will be just fine without opening our hearts to Jesus and the forgiveness that only He can give. But that is where we need to, as Paul teaches us in Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Dear LORD,
I pray today for a renewing of our minds in Christ Jesus; that You would work through Your Holy Spirit to teach us of the need to have a mind – to have thoughts that are reflective of a renewed life that You have given us in our forgiveness and salvation in Christ Jesus, who lived a life in physical form that we should strive to follow. We are all born into the ways of this world, but please lead us to a renewed life in Christ that is reflective of being born again as we learn in John 1:12-13, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” In Jesus name I pray, amen.