Romans 12:1-2
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – which is your spiritual worship. Do not conform any longer 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.“
As I understand it, there was once a chicken and pig who loved farmer Brown. Their talking led to a plan to honor this man who showed them such attention. In any kind of weather he would always appear to feed and care for them. By mutual agreement, they decided to prepare a fine breakfast for him. The hen said proudly, “I will provide the eggs for the breakfast, and you can provide the ham!” The pig thought for a minute and then replied, “That does not seem fair. Your eggs are nothing but an offering, but my ham would require a supreme sacrifice!”
When we read or hear of religious zealots who throw their lives away in suicide missions, we question, “Why are they doing this?” The answer is simply that they have the mistaken notion that they will gain heaven by dying for their cause. I shudder to think of their first moment in eternity when they find they have been deceived and will spend an eternity in Hell.
But what about believers in the Lord Jesus who have been called to give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord? It is interesting that Paul calls it “living sacrifices!” In Romans 6:11, Paul says we are to “. . . count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”
As we go about our day-to-day activities, how many times do we think in terms of eternity? I think that if we were honest, we would have to confess that our goals and objectives have to do with the things of this world–things which will pass away when we bid this world goodbye. Let me try to apply what Paul has written here–steps which will show that we are paying the cost of discipleship:
1. Consciously offer ourselves to God. “Offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.” Get all alone where there will be no distractions. Begin by talking openly with the Lord. Tell Him of your love for Him and your desire to be at His disposal. You may even want to hold your hands, palms up, in front of you, as you tell the Lord that you are presenting yourself to Him, to be used by Him in any way He chooses. Ask Him to let you know if you are taking yourself back out of His hands.
2. Recognize that this giving of ourselves to God is the highest form of worship. “ – which is your spiritual worship.” It is much deeper than singing a hymn, giving an offering, or listening to a powerful sermon. It is the one-on-one time alone with God, in total surrender.
3. Stop conforming to the world. “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world.” Boy! That is harder than it sounds. We have become so accommodating of the world’s value system that we seldom realize what we are doing. Ask God to show you the times you are living under the world’s values, not His. As soon as you see what you are doing, stop doing it!
4. “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” I remember when my son was young they had “Transformer toys.” A transformer is a small toy, like a car, that you would rotate in such a way that it became a fierce looking robot. That is not the transformation Paul is speaking about. It is the renewing of our mind to know what the good, acceptable and perfect will of God is for us.
We can only pay the price of true discipleship by spending quality time in the Word of God, and making a habit of being in prayer continually. If this sounds strange, it only means that we need to sacrifice ourselves to God. The mind is a fantastic thing. We can be talking with someone, and praying at the same time. We can be reading printed material and talking with God at the same time. We can be doing many necessary tasks, and all the while be speaking with the God we have yielded ourselves to.
Sound interesting? Do you want spiritual power that will change your world? Are you interested in being used by God in all you do and say? Follow the steps that Paul gives us!
Blessings dear hearts. Draw near to God today, trust Him completely and be a blessing!
– – – Pastor Cecil
