March 17, 2022

Romans 12:1-8 (HCSB)
A Living Sacrifice
12 Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
Many Gifts but One Body
3 For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one. 4 Now as we have many parts in one body, and all the parts do not have the same function, 5 in the same way we who are many are one body in Christ and individually members of one another. 6 According to the grace given to us, we have different gifts: If prophecy, use it according to the standard of one’s faith; 7 if service, in service; if teaching, in teaching; 8 if exhorting, in exhortation; giving, with generosity; leading, with diligence; showing mercy, with cheerfulness.

Pastor H.D. Jones
 How many times in your life have you made a selfish decision? Paul reminds the church that we are all interconnected as the “body of Christ”. Too many times we have said “this is my life and I will do what I want.” The problem with that thinking is that your life is not an isolated event. The choices that you make will affect your marriage, your family, your community, your church, and, yes, your nation. Why do we expect the USA to be “one nation under God” when most of us don’t live our lives that way? How would it transform your surroundings if you presented your life as a “living sacrifice”? I can only imagine how that could transform our marriages, our families, and even our nation. Not to mention how that would please our heavenly Father.  Let’s work on being transformed.

How Can I Apply It?