"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies 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).
The word "therefore" in Romans 12:1 means that this verse continues what was presented in the preceding verse, Romans 11:36. Since God is all-in-all, he deserves our total surrender, which is our reasonable service.
Paul appealed to believers in Rome to present themselves as living sacrifices to God, who had been so merciful to them. We must present our bodies as living sacrifices to the Lord. The difficulty in being a living sacrifice is remaining one. It is not a decision we make only once; we must intentionally follow through with that decision every day of our lives.
The English word "acceptable" is translated from the Greek word "euarestos," which means "fully agreeable" (Strong's Concordance). Being "fully agreeable" to God means living in agreement with Him. God isn't asking too much; this is only reasonable. Jesus died for us, and the least we can do is live for Him.
We can surrender our lives to the Lord for salvation but not yield to Him daily. Only when we surrender entirely in every area of our lives and become a living sacrifice, do we begin to see God's perfect will manifest in us.
"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 12:2).
The word "renewing" in this verse comes from the Greek word "anakainosis," which means "renovation" (Strong's Concordance). We don't need to "touch up" our minds; we need a complete renovation of our thinking that changes us from the inside out.
Some might think that meeting the conditions as a living sacrifice is enough. That is not the case. In Romans 12:2, Paul states that we must also renew our minds. Many of us who have made genuine commitments to the Lord but haven't renewed our minds through His Word needlessly suffer because we haven't agreed with Him.
The Greek word that translates as "conformed" in Romans 12:2 is "suschematizo." which means "to fashion alike, i.e., conform to the same pattern" (Strong's Concordance). The use of this word tells us that we should be different than unbelievers. Many Christians realize they should be different but just don't know how. This verse goes on to give us the answer. The key is a complete renovation of our minds. "For as he thinks in his heart, so is he," Proverbs 23:7 declares. If we think about the same things the world thinks about, we will get the same results as the world. We will deal with fear, unrest, and turmoil. But if we keep our minds focused on God through our study of His Word and fellowship with Him, we will have perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3).
The Greek word translated as "transformed" in Romans 12:2 is "metamorphoo," which is where we get the word "metamorphosis." It describes a thorough change in which what was before is no longer identifiable—just like a caterpillar changing into a butterfly. Aligning our thinking with God's Word will result in this complete transformation that no longer aligns with the old person we once were but agrees with the new person we are in Christ.
When people are born again, they become new creations in their spirits (John 3:6). Their spiritual salvation is complete in Him (Colossians 2:9-10). In their born-again spirits, they are full of faith, peace, and joy. However, it is not God's will that we only be changed on the inside. He wants to manifest our salvation in our physical lives, too. This change takes place through the renewing of our minds.
We each have a spirit, soul, and body (1 Thessalonians 5:23). As born-again believers, in our spirits, we are one spirit with the Lord (1 Corinthians 6:17). This means that we are the same as He is (1 John 4:17). But this is only true is our spirits. This truth doesn't miraculously change our thinking and how we live. The answer is in the renewing of our minds. If we begin to renew our thinking to believe what God says in His Word about who we are and what we have as a new creation in Christ, our souls will start agreeing with our born-again spirits. We will change from the inside out. However, if we fail to renew our minds, we can live our entire lives without experiencing the abundant life Jesus provided us (John 10:10).
The American Heritage Dictionary defines the word "prove" in Romans 12:2 as "to establish the truth or validity of (something) by the presentation of argument or evidence." "Prove" in this verse speaks of physically displaying God's truth. If we fulfill the requirements of Romans 12:1-2, we will prove God's good, acceptable, and perfect will. We will be changed from the inside out.
Romans 12:2 is a wonderful promise that we can prove God's will. Finding God's will for our lives is not difficult when we do what Romans 12:1-2 instructs us. Actually, God's will for us is to make a total commitment to Him as a living sacrifice. The particulars of how His will plays out in our lives are secondary. Once we intentionally commit ourselves to God as a living sacrifice and renew our minds, a more specific direction will come through the Word and Holy Spirit.
If you try to find God's will but don't completely surrender yourself to Him as a living sacrifice, you frustrate His purpose. God doesn't just desire your service. He wants all of you—spirit, soul, and body. Once God gets all of you, you will live for Him.
"Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Thessalonians 5:23).
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