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Good morning dear friends who are on the journey with me, “Walking with Jesus”, through Paul’s letter to the Christians in Rome, about 54ad.
Today we’re in Romans 12 and this chapter is another ‘home run’ or ‘touchdown’ or ‘goal’ depending on your favorite fall sport analogy. As with chapter 2, 5, and 8, notice Paul’s first word…“Therefore…” It means, of course, he’s draw a conclusion based on what he has written previously.
“Therefore, I urge you, friends, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of 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.” (Rom. 12:1,2)
You’ve read this verse many times, perhaps even memorized it and probably used it in conversation. So what does it mean to you? We’re in the first weeks of fall football season and this idea of ‘offering your bodies as living sacrifices’ kind of fits, doesn’t it? Every week football teams issue a list of players who won’t play that week, because their bodies are suffering injury. Too often we see talented players carried off the field due to injury.
Football is a contact sport and these highly trained athletes do all they can to protect themselves, but they are giving their all for victory, and sometimes injury happens. Can we make the application to you and me, in the normal course of everyday life, and Paul’s admonition to give ourselves fully to God?
We can see it with missionaries who pack up everything, leave home, and go live in a foreign country, eat strange foods, learn another language, risk life and limb. . .but what about you and me, here where we live and work our normal lives?
I think the key is found in vs 2&3. Can we clearly see this in the immoral, unethical, downward spiral of society all around us? Can we discern, where our being a son or daughter of Holy God, and Holy Spirit indwelt follower of Jesus, calls us to be a NON-conformist? I mean, not conforming to what we know is wrong all around us! Some of that is easy, right? No murder, no adultery… but what about not joining in the gossip or the slander conversation; or not going with the guys to that place you wouldn’t take your mother; or not texting and driving; or . . . What are the opportunities God gives you and me, regularly, to stand for what is right and God honoring?
Do you notice Paul challenges his Roman readers to see how important a ‘renewed mind’ is if you intend to live a ‘transformed’ life and be a ‘non-conformist’? And in vs 3, how important strangling pride is and living determined to “…not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment…”.
So let’s stop for just a moment and do a mind check. How well are our minds functioning in discerning where and when we need to be ‘non-conformists’, and discerning pride in ourselves? It’s a high standard for living isn’t it? But it’s the ‘walking with Jesus’ way, as we imitate Jesus! Right?
So how do you and I ‘renew our minds’ and how often? Oh my friends, I have found daily time in God’s Word is absolutely vital in mind renewal, and that’s why this “walking with Jesus” journey may be greatly used of God, in helping all of us renew our minds. What else my friends? Worship of course, and friends who will stimulate your thinking. But, what else have you found helps you ‘renew your mind’? I’d love to hear about it, if you’d take a moment and write me a note, perhaps you’ve discovered something that could help the rest of us!
Do you notice in 12:4-8 Paul revisits the theme he explained to the Corinthian Christians in 1 Corinthians 12:12-31? So that should be easy to remember, right? Romans 12 & 1 Corinthians 12 both explain this idea that we are wonderful, individual creations of God, gifted by His Holy Spirit, united together in the Body of Christ, each contributing something different but making a wonderful, God glorifying tapestry of diversity.
So, may I ask, can you see this beautifully in the local church you are part of? Do you see your strategic fit? Can you see what’s missing if you aren’t flourishing and using your gifts to the fullest, and continuing the development of those gifts?
The remainder of Romans 12 is almost like a locker room pep-talk at halftime, isn’t it? In rapid fire, Paul challenges us, in very practical terms, how to live our lives as followers of Jesus, in ways that will both bring Jesus into our relationships with other people, and our life situations, but also show everyone we know, the authenticity of our being filled with and led by the Holy Spirit of God.
So I urge all of us to read vs. 9-21 slowly, stopping after each statement that Paul makes, and asking ourselves this simple question… “is this me?” And then this question; “Holy Spirit, what fresh work would you like to do in me, that will further refine this attribute, this characteristic of Jesus in me?”
But of course, we don’t just ask the questions, do we? We then make plans to improve, right? May I especially urge us to ponder long and deeply on vs. 18 “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” Oh that’s powerful, isn’t it? What would be required for it to be true of all of us?
Hey friends, I have an idea. . .what if, as you read through this chapter, you ask the Holy Spirit to bring to your mind one or two people, who are really good examples of living some of these things really well. Then consider sending them a note of encouragement or calling them to tell them, that they help Romans 12 come alive for you, because they live it so well. Wouldn’t that be encouraging?
Now I hope you have a great day today my friends, you might want to read this chapter two or three times… and let’s really own it.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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