“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:1,2)
Man is so created that the inner throne of life may not be occupied by himself, because it was made for God’s occupancy! Crowded hearts lead to crowded lives.
In far too many hearts, Satan has been allowed and even welcomed to take the place of where God should be!
God’s call is clear: “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:1–3).
What a person believes goes a long way to helping that person behave and conduct themselves. If it is a belief in evil … then evil will ensue … for the Bible teaches, “For as a man thinks within himself, so is he.” (Proverbs 23:7))
In the same way, if we have educated our heart to become a person who walks in the footsteps of Jesus … we will be more like Jesus of whom it was proclaimed, “… that He went about doing good” (Acts 10:38). The more we seek to know Christ, the more we become like Christ. In fact, one practical way to know how fully we know Christ is to examine how fully we exhibit Him to the world. (1 Corinthians 11:1)
Who would not want to be more like the Lord in all of their ways? How is that accomplished? The answer is actually more obvious than many would think. The apostle Peter along with the other disciples observed many leave the Lord’s presence and “walk with Him no more.” (John 6:66)
Jesus turns to them and asks a very direct and challenging question, “Do you also want to go away?” (John 6:67) Peter’s answer is the answer we should all strive to make and genuinely mean it, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (John 6:68)
Sometimes in our looking into God’s Book and evaluating our own spiritual level of maturity, etc. … if we are not careful we can make it so difficult to live in a way that pleases God that no one could attain it.
At the same time, we must not become guilty of lessening or in some way diminishing what He does require and expects of His people.
Therefore, we want to provide in both a simple way and yet the right way, how the Lord expects those of us who are “living sacrifices” (Romans 12:1,2) to conduct ourselves.
We may even look at the following as a “to-do” list from God for us to put into practice daily. It will, by no means be exhaustive, but it will be as the Lord has prescribed as our “Great Physician.”
Hate evil.
Cling to what is good.
Devote yourself to brotherly love.
Honor one another.
Be joyful.
Share with those in need.
Practice hospitality.
Rejoice with those who rejoice.
Mourn with those who mourn.
Avoid pride.
Do what is right.
Live at peace with one another.
Seek not revenge.
Do not be overcome by evil.
Overcome evil with good.
(Romans 12:9-21)
True conversion leads to changes in every aspect of our lives, for after all, “we are new creatures in Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Bill Fairchild, Jr.
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