Today during my quiet time, I studied Romans 12. Paul writes in chapter 12, verses 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 true 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."
"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 true 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."
So the appropriate way we respond to God's love and mercy (which I've heard described as "power of justice under control") is to offer our bodies, our lives as a sacrifice to God. It only seems befitting that we give ourselves as sacrifices since that is what Jesus Christ did for us. He gave Himself as a sacrifice, in our place.
As I read this, I recall a comment that I believe Rick Warren made in "The Purpose Driven Life." He talked about this passage and spoke of the living sacrifice, saying something like, the problem with living sacrificies is that because they are still living, they have the choice to remove themselves from the altar. Oh man. That's me sometimes. I can think of many a time where I have removed myself from the altar of sacrifice, intentionally or not. When I choose to be lazy, I remove myself from the altar. I decide that I don't want to give of myself as a sacrifice because I would much rather enjoy this thing that leads me farther away from Christ.
I think Paul continues in verse 2 about HOW we go about being the living sacrifices. It's all about the mind, a transformation of world-view says D.A. Carson in the The New Bible Commentary by IVP. It only makes sense, right? If we put trash into our minds, trash is going to come out. So as we feed our mind with Scripture our mindset becomes that of Christ's and we are able to freely be that living sacrifice. There's also another "benefit" we get from transforming our minds. We will then be able to test and know what God's will is!!!!!! Sooo many people I know desire so badly to know God's will, and I will add myself to that category. We can! As we renew our minds, then we can know and test God's will.
Goodness, to me that all makes sense. However, let's be real. I'm lazy and often selfish. I choose to take myself off the altar and to feed the worldview that isn't that of Christ. I fill my mind with music that is far from holy. I fill my mind with crap on tv. Why don't I fill my mind with the Word of God? And this is where I get stuck. It's like a cycle that repeats - that I can't break out of. I know what I need to do, but I can't bring myself to do it. Paul, I feel ya! Is it because deep down I'm totally lazy? Or selfish, I don't want to put in the time that I need to? What if I do, renew my mind by studying the Word? Then I will really have to live up to what's expected - what God wants, what He desires. I think I'm afraid to fail, that I won't be able to live up to what He expects.
This however, brings me to an issue I find my self struggling with almost everyday. The issue of grace. I can't work for God's love. Grace is a gift. It's free. There's nothing I do other than receive the gift and put my faith in Jesus. Well duh, Stephanie, if you know all this then why don't you live it out? I wish I knew ... I think it's just one of those things I need to keep working on. *sigh*
Well kids, the moral of the story is in order to be the living sacrifice that God desires us to be, we need to transformed by the renewing of our mind. What does that look like for you? How do you renew your mind? In what ways do you need to live more sacrificially before God, other Christians, the world?
