But Be Transformed

Romans 12:1 ESV

“I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” 

What are the mercies of God? God the Father sent his Son (God the Son) to the earth to be born to a human mother, conceived of the Holy Spirit, and not of man. So, God the Father was Jesus’ birth father. So, Jesus Christ was not born with a sin nature as we are, but he was still tempted to sin as we are, and he, in his flesh body, was capable of sin, also, yet he never sinned. And God the Father sent him to the earth ultimately to be our sacrifice for sin to take away the sins of the world that we might be delivered from sin.

Now Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah, walked this earth about 33 years. The last 3 years of his life on this earth he called twelve men to follow him as his disciples, and he trained them to be his followers. And they went with Jesus wherever he went, and they learned at the Master’s feet. And Jesus healed the sick and afflicted, raised the dead, comforted the sorrowful, performed many miracles, fed the hungry, and preached repentance for forgiveness of sins and obedience to his commands for eternal life.

[Matt 4:17; Matt 7:21-23; Matt 11:20-21; Matt 12:41; Matt 21:28-31; Mk 1:14-15; Lu 5:32; Lu 9:23-26; Lu 13:1-5; Lu 15:2-7; Lu 24:45-47; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 8:31-32,51; Jn 10:27-30; Jn 14:15-24; Jn 15:1-11] 

Initially Jesus had many people who followed after him wherever he went, largely because of the miracles that he performed and because he was healing the people of their infirmities. But many followed him superficially. So, when he taught them the truth that is in Christ Jesus regarding what it means to be a Jesus’ follower, many deserted him because they said his teachings were too hard. For Jesus didn’t teach the “light and fluffy” gospel message that so many are teaching today.

Jesus taught that if we are to come after him we must deny self, die daily to sin and to self, and follow him in obedience. He taught that to follow him meant giving up our former lives of living in sin and for self and to now die to sin and live to him and to his righteousness. And he taught that we must suffer with him, not only in death to sin, but in being hated and persecuted as he was hated and persecuted, and that we must leave our former lives behind us and go with him wherever he sends us.

And he taught that, if we will not give up our former lives to follow him in obedience, we are not worthy of him. And if we love our family members more than we love him, we are not worthy of him, and that when we take up that cross to follow him, there is no looking back. Following Jesus Christ with our lives means death to our old lives, and surrender to Jesus Christ and to his will for our lives, and going with him wherever he sends us, and doing whatever it is he commands us to do, for our lives are no longer our own.

[Matthew 5:10-12; Matthew 10:16-25,37-38; Matthew 24:9-14; Luke 6:22-23; Luke 9:62; Luke 21:12-17; John 15:18-21]

Now Jesus Christ gave his life up for us on that cross in order to put our sins to death with him so that we will die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness. He died, too, that we might now live for him and no longer for ourselves, and in order to buy us back for God with his blood (to redeem us) so that we would now be God’s possession and so that we would now honor God with our bodies (1 Peter 2:24; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:15,21; Romans 6:1-23; Ephesians 4:17-24).

Therefore, because of what Jesus did for us, we are to present our bodies (our lives) to God as living sacrifices to God on his altar. And by the grace of God we are live holy lives, acceptable to God. And to be holy is to be different from the people of the world, not like them, because as His followers we are to be becoming like him, being conformed to His likeness and no longer conformed to the flesh and the ways of man. And if you want to be a worshiper of the Lord, we do that by surrendering our lives to him.

Romans 12:2 ESV

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Since we are now to live holy lives, different from the world, because we are now being conformed to the likeness (in character) of Jesus Christ, if indeed we are, we are not to be conformed to (adapted, fitted, consistent with) the ways of this sinful world. So, we are not to look like, act like, sound like nor be like the ungodly in character, thought, words, and deeds (actions). We are not to be doing the same kinds of things as the ungodly, thinking the same thoughts, watching all the same TV shows, movies, and videos, and speaking the same words. But we are to be like Jesus in character.

So, instead of us conforming to the ways of this sinful world, we are to be those who stand out as different (odd, peculiar). The world should not love us as its own, but we should be hated by the people of the world and by the ungodly, even by the ungodly who give lip service to the Lord but who deny him by their actions (including by their thinking and attitudes). They should not accept us as their own, but we should be people of God who are being shunned, cast aside, rejected, snubbed and disliked. And this is because we are being transformed in heart and mind to be more like Jesus.

Constantly Abiding 

By Anne S. Murphy, 1908 

There’s a peace in my heart that the world never gave,

A peace it cannot take away;

Though the trials of life may surround like a cloud,

I’ve a peace that has come here to stay!

All the world seemed to sing of a Savior and King,

When peace sweetly came to my heart;

Troubles all fled away and my night turned to day,

Blessèd Jesus, how glorious Thou art!

This treasure I have in a temple of clay,

While here on His footstool I roam;

But He’s coming to take me some glorious day,

Over there to my heavenly home!

Constantly abiding, Jesus is mine;

Constantly abiding, rapture divine;

He never leaves me lonely, whispers, O so kind:

“I will never leave thee,” Jesus is mine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opnmojpwHb0

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