Be Ye Transformed

Be Ye Transformed

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:1, 2

In verse 1 Apostle Paul makes a powerful appeal for the Roman Christian to give themselves as an offering to God. His appeal is one of great urgency. He begs the people. He pleads with the people. From the depths of his heart he speaks to the people. But the words that he speaks are not from his mouth but the heart of God. Paul is saying, "I beg you, I appeal to you by the mercies of God please do what I am about to tell you." The Apostle doesn’t make his plea by the justice of God, but rather the mercies of God. Because justice demands the administering of deserved punishment or reward. Justice demands an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Mercy says no. Mercy pardons. Mercy forgives. Justice says the wages of sin is death, mercy says while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. And because Christ Jesus died for us we should now live for Him.

We are bought with a price. We are not our own. We no longer present the members of our body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but we present ourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and our members as instruments of righteousness to God. God wants living sacrifices. A living sacrifice is something that has its spirit in it and is of great value. A dead sacrifice is something that is worthless. It has no life. God wants us to give to Him that which has the greatest value to Him - our selves, our lives. Nothing else will do. God wants holiness. A separated life. A life consecrated, dedicated and devoted to Him. Nothing else is acceptable. Nothing else is satisfactory. Nothing else is pleasing. Nothing else is worthy. Nothing else will do.

My friend, God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). God is omnipresent. He is everywhere present. So our worship should be everywhere. At the supermarket, the gas station, at home, at the job. Everywhere we go we are in the presence of God and to worship God everywhere we go is our reasonable service.