Thought of the Day !!
I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:1-2 (NRSV)
Jewish Law required sacrifices to be made for the atonement of one's sin. Animals were brought to the altar and slaughtered. You might say that these became dead sacrifices. But Paul is speaking to the church in Rome telling them that this system is no longer necessary for the absolvement of their sins. Instead they (and we) are to become living sacrifices.
We are living sacrifices when we dedicate our lives to God's will for us...when we live lives of faith and out of faithfulness to Jesus. Instead of giving up an animal, we give up ourselves, placing God before us. And by doing this, we become holy and acceptable to God.
When we become living sacrifices to God, we will not sell out to whatever new fad or fashion or lifestyle this world is promoting. Instead we will be transformed by the renewal of our whole beings because Christ is at the center. And when Christ is at the center renewing us, we will understand more and more clearly what God's will for us is.
Let us live as living sacrifices to God today.
In the love of Christ,
greg
posted by Greg Hazelrig @ 7:05 AM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Greg,
Good thought for the day. Many days your scripture passages and reflections resonate within me throughout the day. Today's thought speaks to me as I'm seeking direction in making some ministry decisions. You said, "And when Christ is at the center renewing us, we will understand more and more clearly what God's will for us is." I believe that's just the prompting I need in making these decisions. Thanks!
Thank you very much for your kind words. My prayer today is that you are fulfilled by the Holy Spirit while making your decisions.
This passage came up a bit ago when I was talking with another marrow donor while we were working a recruitment drive. Both of us had come to the independent conclusion that both the actual donation and our subsequent involvement with our recipients and with the marrow program was, in a way, a physical manifestation of these words. The strugle is to apply it to the rest of life.
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