Be A Living Sacrifice

 

Scripture: Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)

I appeal to you, therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Devotion:

            In this well-known but seldom followed scripture, Paul practically begs his original audience and us to make a dramatic decision to follow Jesus regardless of the cost. The sacrifice Paul has in mind here does not necessarily involve dying for the gospel. (Although it may mean that, too.) The Holy Spirit, through Paul, asks us to be a part of the body of Christ—one living and life-giving sacrifice.

            Paul also wants us not to be conformed to the world. The 2,000-year history of the church is, unfortunately, one of capitulating to the world. The church and we as individuals in the church usually “go along to get along” every chance we get. We seem to have found somewhere in scripture where it says, “Thou must be nice.” Jesus, while He was not deliberately provocative most of the time, did end up carrying His own cross to His own crucifixion. The Romans while they could be violent and intolerant of dissent, as far as we know, never crucified a person for being nice or, for that matter, agreeable. This should challenge us to be different, to stand out, and to be a beacon of light in a dark world.

            Jesus knew that if the church was going to have a life-changing impact on the world, it would have to be significantly different from the culture of that time. The situation in our own time is the same. Today’s church needs a deep and transformative renewal of its corporate mind. This can only be accomplished by each member of the church having their own minds renewed.

            Prayer and the constant reading and meditation on the scriptures are not just methods, but powerful tools for renewing one’s mind. They offer hope and a way forward. We may need to sacrifice our ways of doing things to be renewed. The world is in desperate need of some organization to lead the way during these violent and dangerous times we are in. A renewed church holds the key to just such a renewal. No secular or governmental program will be able to change the perilous path we now tread. Let us pray for God to help us become an obedient church. A church renewed after the image of Jesus.

Prayer:

            Lord, we come to you willing to be a sacrifice, yet scared of the changes a renewed life in you might look like. Take us by the hand, dear Jesus, and reassure us that we can trust that you will change us in ways that are good for our eternal life with you. Let us listen to your call and follow wherever you lead. Glorify your name by renewing the church. The Latin phrase “semper reformada” has been the battle cry for millennia. May we live it out in our own day. Amen.