Romans 12:1-2

Oh Romans, oh Romans, how you perplex my mind and how I desire to understand in more detail what you are talking about.

Romans 12:1-2 "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will."

I am not going to pretend like I am a deep theological writer, I am not going to pretend that I understand everything that these first 2 verses imply nor do I understand the full significance of them. I have a commentary sitting here next to me and honestly i don't fully understand what the commentator is even talking about. However, I am still going to try to place into my own thoughts what these first 2verses are trying to teach us.

In Bible college I learned that whenever a author placed the term "therefore" in front of a sentence that the author was continuing a previous thought process and placing emphasis on how what one has just read should effect their walk with God. The commentator suggests that Paul has laid the theological ground work to lead into practical application.

Paul urges his brethren (us Christians) that in view of Gods mercy to offer ourselves as living sacrifices to the Lord. I sense Paul's emphasis to remember who the Lord is and what he has done. The Gospel of Jesus Christ humbling himself and coming to the earth, living and ministering, dying on the cross, and resurrecting should not leave us unchanged. The Gospel of God's love and mercy towards sinners should change us and it seems like to me that Paul is challenging is brethren then, and now, to let us not be unmoved. He says we should offer ourselves as a living sacrifice. But what does it mean to be a living sacrifice?

I think that the example we have of Jesus Christ is perfect for us. Jesus gave of his time, his love, his energy, to serve and minister to others. He healed and fed. He also preached the hope that the world could have through him. And he willing gave his own life so that those who believe would live, both to have the spiritual blessing of eternity in fellowship with God, and also the physical blessing of living a peaceful life here on earth. And by peace I am not talking about a life free from pain and suffering but an internal peace, and comfort, never having to go through anything good, or bad, by ourselves. The picture of Jesus is perfect for us as we are not called to die literally on a cross such as he did but to die to ourselves, to give up our sinful desires, to at least fight them and give selflessly to others such as he did. As well as to live our lives in away that would please our Lord. By doing this on a daily bases we our worshiping the Lord.

 "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will."

vs 2 gets a little more complicated for me, not because it's particularly confusing but more because any christian could interpret it differently. What one Christian could say would be a "pattern of this world" another christian could say that it isn't. Some Christians say that other Christians that drink alcohol are conforming to the pattern of this world while others say that it really isn't. I think too often many Christians try to make this a black and white passage that a particular action or thought would equal a pattern of this world. I am going to try to take a more broader approach.

When I think about the "patterns of this world" I try to think about what is true for all of mankind. I see selfishness, people pleasing, pride, and prejudices. I see people that are willing to give up only things that won't significantly impact their lives and clinging on to "comforts." I see a thought process that is separate from what God would think and people who "reason" what they think to be God's thoughts.  I don't think that the issues of conforming to this world are simply black and white and thus this would be why Paul asks for a renewing of the mind to take place because without the thought processing changing the actions we are called to won't come; or at the very least they certainly won't be sincere.

Practical implications of this t.v. commercials. We live in a consumerist society and even I, as a strong Christian, can often by into the thought that my culture tells me that I need to have the next best sofa, the next best paint, the next best gadget, t.v., clothes, or makeup. All of these thing appeals to the patterned thought of this world  that myself being happy is what is most important in life and these things will make me happy (selfishness.) We see this thought process displayed in romance movies where the unhappy wife meets the handsome single man that treats her so well and the movie is made in such a way that makes the watcher want to cheer for the failing of her marriage so she can go and be with the man of her dreams (selfishness.) And oh how this issues is played out in dating relationships I want to be with who I want to be with no matter what God says or they choose to ignore what God says, or reason what God says, so that they no longer live with the guilt of going against what God says (selfishness).

And the people pleasing, I often care too much what others think of me to do what God calls me to do on a daily basis. What if i give money to that homeless man what if someone thinks I'm aiding an drug addict by doing so? What if I associate with a homosexual what if others think that I am approving of their lifestyle if I do so? What if I want to start a homeless ministry will others think I'm weird? What if I spend time at a bar with so and so others will think that I'm drinking? What if I share the gospel with someone I have no real relationship with and they think I'm a freak who needs to mind their own business?

The point that I believe that Paul is trying to make about all of these thought process is that we are supposed to change the way we think. We need to be praying and asking God to show us what he sees to teach us how to love like he loves, to stand for what he would stand for while being merciful what he has mercy towards. And unless we are submitting our thought process to God and going to him and asking him to change them we won't change, we won't be able to do what is "good and pleasing" in his sight. And Yes we will always have Jesus and we will continually be forgiven for even living in a sinful thought process but we won't truly be living sacrifices because a Living Sacrifice dies to them self and their desires.

I am learning until I meet Jesus in heaven I will always struggle with my thoughts and the challenge that reknewing my mind will be but I have hope that Jesus and the Holy Spirit can  change me.

I can't wait to see what verses 3-8 have in store for me.