My day begins with at least four songs of worship. Not being a great singer, they are at least a “joyful noise” and put me in a frame of mind ready to hear what God has to say when I sit down with the Bible. This morning, the songs were all about being delivered from sin and about belonging 100% to Jesus Christ. I thought of the times my faith went off the rails and He delivered me. I confessed being prone to wander, to think my way is a viable choice, and sensed again how the Spirit of God and my fleshy nature are in conflict. Choosing His way is often a struggle.
As if a script had been written, today’s devotional begins with this verse that echoes my thoughts as I sang . . . “You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5)
Then MacArthur writes how Romans 12:1 tells me to present my body to God as “a living and holy sacrifice which is an appropriate and acceptable act of worship.” Just as I had been thinking, he also wrote: “The problem with living sacrifices is that they tend to crawl off the altar.”
Being like Christ means sacrificial living. He gave Himself. That demands spiritual discipline and constant dependence on the Holy Spirit. I’ve been a Christian for half a century, yet I’m not always willing to do that. Scripture and this devotional remind me again that the motivation and ability for a life of self-sacrifice are found in the mercies of Christ.
Is this page long enough to list them? Romans 1–11 speaks of love, grace, peace, faith, comfort, power, hope, patience, kindness, glory, honor, righteousness, forgiveness, reconciliation, justification, security, eternal life, freedom, resurrection, sonship, intercession, and the Holy Spirit. Isn’t that enough to produce a glad surrender of all that I have to Him, to do His will and to live for His glory?
Romans 12:1 adds verse 2: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” One OT verse puts it this way: “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)
The word “heart” is vast, not just the center of a person’s thoughts (mind), but also volition/choices, emotions, and knowledge of right from wrong/conscience. This includes all my inner self; inclination, disposition; determination, courage; will, intention; attention, consideration, and reasoning. I need to pay attention!
My word for this year is FOCUS because guarding my heart does not come automatically. In fact, it is more like being at war, watching all the time for snipers, knowing that explosions will happen, keeping an eye out for enemies but also looking out for my fellow warriors and for the nearest medic in case any of us are wounded by the attacks on our spiritual well-being.
Being alert is an admonishment to pray for others and to live for Christ. Paying attention means keeping out of the line of fire. These thoughts remind me of a saying: There are three kinds of people in the world: those who make things happen, those who watch what happens, and those who say, “Duh, what happened?” I don’t want to be in the Duh group but can so easily find myself oblivious to others when I focus on myself and my interests instead of the will of God.
The Bible tells me to live according to my new life in Christ . . .
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you since you are not under law but under grace. (Romans 6:12–14)
This includes the obvious sins, but also my inner thoughts. Those are summed up in this verse:
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. (Philippians 4:8)
Guarding my heart means recognizing and refusing to think about lies, false teaching, anything that is shameful, unjust, impure, and instead be filled with praise for God and for all goodness that comes from Him. Just this brief list reveals the challenges of heart-guarding and the battle that all Christians have in presenting ourselves as living sacrifices.
PRAY: Jesus, because Your Spirit lives in me, and because the Bible says so, I have Your mind and can think Your thoughts. The issue is choosing that instead of my own ideas, and first knowing the difference. Fill me with your thoughts and help me be eager to make spiritual sacrifices that please and glorify You and that edify others.
PONDER: Read Romans 6 and consider who I am now and the choices God wants me to make.
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