Potato Salad and a Turkey Fryer😋Transformation - Romans 12:1-2

Romans 12:1-2 —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 your true and proper worship. ² 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.

Today’s scripture verse is urging us to take action… to get involved...

And to build our life on this mercy. We are to sink our roots in this mercy and our new life will flow out with mercy.

Chapter 12 of Romans is all about mercy. “Show mercy with cheerfulness. . . . Let love be genuine. . . . Give to the saints. . . . Bless those who persecute you. . . . Weep with those who weep. . . . Associate with the lowly. . . . Repay no one evil for evil. . . . Never avenge yourselves. . . . If your enemy is hungry feed him.”

We are to build our lives on mercy and become merciful.

We are to study God’s Word not only to know what it says but we are to apply what it is telling us – by applying it to our own life.

In other words, when we learn the Word… we are to live the Word.

Just as James 1:22 instructs us – to be doers of the word, and not hearers only… otherwise we are just deceiving ourselves.

It is only when we become a doer of the Word - have we truly learned the Word.

Now, in verse 2 of our scripture today, we’re told: "Do not be conformed to the pattern of this world... "

You see, we must be careful not to allow the world to squeeze us into its own mold. Not to allow the world to influence the way we think or talk or act.

As 1 John 2:16 tells us, "For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world."

We must remember, that God's will is better than our own.

His will is good and acceptable and perfect.

Now I want you to look closely at what our verses today are and are not saying…

It is not telling us we have to get all cleaned up and get our lives straightened out in every way and become perfect before we can offer ourselves to God.

It says, “I urge you… in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,”

And that is what the Greek word here says — your bodies… not yourselves… “present your bodies, as a living sacrifice unto God.”  

Bring it, with all its problems. . .  with all the difficulties you have with it, and with all the temptations — bring it just the way it is! 

That encourages me greatly. . .  because all the other religions that I know of tell us that somehow, we have to straighten out our lives first, and then offer them to God. 

But our God, in His mercy and grace says, "You come to me just the way you are. I am the answer to your problems; for that reason, you must start with Me.

We cannot handle any problems on our own. So, don’t think you have to get them straightened out.

Our God says, “Come to Me, because I have the answers for your problems."

We are to let God re-mold our minds from within, so that we grow to live out the plan of God for our life… And His plan is always good!

I want to close this devotion with two statements from the apostle Paul.

First, his testimony of his own desire in Philippians 1:20: “It is my eager expectation and hope that . . . Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death”

And second, his exhortation to us from 1 Corinthians 6:19–20: “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So, glorify God in your body.”

In other words, “…offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.”

We are exhorted to show the worth of Christ by the way we use our body.

It’s only through the Word of God that we will be transformed.