Today is the first teaching of the new year. Our message text is found in Romans chapter 12:1-2.
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 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.
Romans 12:1-2 NKJV
What is Paul encouraging those at Rome to do. First is to present our bodies as a living sacrifice.
What is a sacrifice. It is the act of surrendering a possession as an offering to God. What is that possession Paul said we need to sacrifice unto God? It is our bodies. It should be a living sacrifice. We know when the people of Israel offer up a sacrifice, the animal was killed. It was an animal that was without any blemishes, no defects. Paul is telling those in Rome to present our bodies as a living sacrifice. Meaning believers in Jesus and God, our bodies given unto God as living, not dead sacrifice. We give ourselves to God in a way that is holy and acceptable to God.
Did you know God wasn’t happy with some people’s sacrifices in the Old Testament. God might have said. You bring all this to the sacrifice, but it’s not what I truly want. I wasn’t the best of the best. I want you to understand the concept of a sacrifice. It means to give up your best in order to receive better from me. We as believers know that Christ was the sacrifice. He died to pay the price for our sins, also so we can be restored back into a relationship with God.
The main message from the first verse to how do we maintain a reasonable service unto God. Is to present our bodies as a living sacrifice. Within presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice, it shall be done in a holy way, that God would accept our sacrifice.
Verse 2 Paul letting them in Rome and us today, don’t conform to this world, but be transformed. As we know believers in Christ have been called. They were set apart or sanctified in Christ. No lover living into the sin of the world but unto God. How do we go about being that transformed person.
It starts in the mind, then in the spirit, so we can prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Each day it should be a sacrifice going on unto God and a renewing of the mind. Once this takes place we will know and understand the good acceptable and perfect will of God. What does it mean to have a renewed mind.
A mind that reflects the new blessing of God each day. A daily refreshing. Just as many in the old testament was a daily sin offering. Today for the believers by renewing your mind unto God, and offering up your body as a living sacrifice unto God we don’t reflect on the things of this world. We not conforming to the things of this world but transforming our lives unto God as an act of worship towards him. When we know this concept we can apply the later truth that Paul talks about vin the next few verses.
This week is about the believer and how important a believer’s life is unto God. Plus to see what we can do within our lives to make living for God greater and better. Continue to join us this week as we look into Romans chapter 12.
Givinhope Evangelistic Ministry with minister John Corum
Givin H.O.P.E. Ministry of Evangelism 