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. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Romans 12:1-5
Our text starts with a command, not one that leaves a believer an option for consideration. Why? There is something to this world, its structures, systems and conduct that demands a definite attitude of non-conformity. Consider the following statements of the Lord in the following verses of the scriptures:
- has a prince and both the prince and the world are judged (John 12:31, 32)
- the world gives peace that is different from the peace that God gives; and the prince of this world must have nothing in the believer (the Lord considered it so important for us to know that the prince of this world has no part in Him (John 14:27, 30)
- the believer is not of this world, not cut after its ways and conduct, and should expect to be hated because he has taken intentionally a stance different from the world’s (John 15:18,19)
- the world is judged on the grounds of defective righteousness, of sin and followership of the prince of this world. There is enlightenment and empowerment granted by the presence of the Holy Spirit for the believer to separate himself from the world (John 16:7-11); and
- Christ interceded and continues to intercede that the believer be kept from the evil in this world! (John 17:9-24).
With such abundance of warnings given with such clarity, why then are we still walking contrary to these warnings?
Photo by Lucian Alexe on Unsplash
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