Week 7 - Romans 12:1-2
Romans 12:1-2 (NLT)
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
A NEW WAY OF THINKING & LIVING
Having our minds renewed by the Spirit is a vital part of the Christian life. Many believers today never come to terms with this. We hope we will be able to live up to Kingdom standards while still thinking the way the rest of the world thinks. It can’t be done.
Sometimes people suggest that living a Christian life means not thinking things through for yourself, but rather by rules and regulations derived from ancient traditions. Of course, there are plenty of firm boundaries which Paul points to later in this chapter. But at the center of genuine Christianity is a mind awake, alert, and determined to understand why human life is meant to be lived the King’s way rather than our way.
It is our way that looks around at the shallow culture, with all its silly patterns of behavior, and copies it unthinkingly. King Jesus’s way is filled with depth, purpose and humility. Is it a sacrifice to live this way? Yes. A Great Sacrifice made this new way of thinking and living available to us. What Christ has done now allows us to become who we were always meant to be.
QUESTIONS
Ask God what ways of thinking are present in your life that He wants to transform. What are they? What can you replace them with?
How will this new way of thinking reshape your behaviors and customs?