"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God – this is your true and proper worship." — Rom 12: 1
Reflecting on the beautiful written appeal in Verse 1 above by St. Paul to the newly converted believers in Rome, reminded me of the verses from Romans 12:2, 9-18 - carefully selected and read by James, younger brother of Kate Middleton on her wedding to Prince William, the second in line to the British throne:
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds."
And included:
"Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord."
As the Hebrew writer had written in his appeal to all believers in Hebrews 10:23 to hold unswervingly to the faithful promise of God. Or the appeal of Moses to the nation of Israel in Deuteronomy 10:20 to fear God, serve Him, hold fast and take their oaths in His name.
In his appeal to New Testament believers in Corinth, St. Paul urged all believers to put on the mind of Christ. 1 Corinthians 2:10-16:
"The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who knows a person's thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for, 'Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?'
But we have the mind of Christ."
Therefore, we are urged to put on Christ in our daily words, actions, and deeds, and to die to our old sinful selves with the help of the Holy Spirit. This is why personally, I love this quote by Oscar Wilder from his paperback novel - A Woman of No Significance, which gives me hope as a sinner struggling with my sinful nature. "The only difference between the saint and the sinner is that every saint has a past and every sinner has a future."
I will close with this classic hymn penned by a former slave trader who gave up his sinful slave trade and laid down his life to serve the LORD.
V1
Amazing grace! how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch; like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
V2
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!
V3
The Lord hath promised good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.
V4
When we've been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we first begun.
Reflection on Romans 12:1-2 by Chris Tan
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