Our scripture this morning is Romans 12:1-2 (NIV).
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.
Paul had a pattern for most of his letters that involved teaching about heavenly concepts followed by practical instruction for applying what Christ said to our everyday existence. In this short passage he reminds us that our bodies and our lives are a gift from God and that offering them back to God as a “living sacrifice” is our “true and proper worship”. We must each make this choice for ourselves.
Paul warns us “do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind”. Those who have accepted Jesus as Savior must not allow worldly ideas and things lead us back into bondage to sin. Psychiatrist Carl Jung wrote “The world will ask who you are and if you do not know, the world will tell you”.
By defining ourselves as followers of Jesus we make a statement to the world and to ourselves. It is a statement we must make every day, choosing “His good, pleasing and perfect will” over anything the world claims to offer us. God waits for us, it is up to us to respond.
Heavenly Father, we are sorry for the times we allow earthly things to lead us astray. Help us to be transformed and renewed by Your love and share it with the world. Amen.
