"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." Romans 12:1-2
The Lord God is such a merciful God to us! He sent His own Son to die the horrid death on the cross for your and my sins! He also heaps undeserved and abundant blessings on us each day. He always protects us and is with us. In light of all this, our Scripture passage today in Romans 12:1 tells us, "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"
This means that the Lord needs to permeate every area of our lives. He must permeate our every action and our every thought! Our faith must be expressed in total obedience to the Lord. Our lives must be a "spiritual act of worship." Our lives must show that we have the new life of the Holy Spirit flowing though us. Our faith must not just be dead and empty ritual but must be based on a passionate love for the Lord. Our lives must be based on a zeal and passion to obey and do the Lord's will. All we do must involve our desire to love and serve the Lord with our heart, mind, and will! It involves more than our money, talents, and time but also the total giving of ourselves to the Lord. Jesus Christ gave His all for us on the cross. The only reasonable response on our part is the giving of our all to the Lord.
Romans 12:2 tells us that we must not "conform any longer to the pattern of this world." Rather me must be "be transformed" by the Holy Spirit. This can only be accomplished by a "renewing" of our mind. We must not follow the world's philosophies and ways of thinking. We need to think Biblically and must think the way the Lord wants us to think. We must pray to be transformed by the Holy Spirit in our thinking and our acting. We must pray and desire to become more like Jesus. We must pray to be transformed into a person who is pleasing to the Lord. Then you and I will truly "be able to test and approve what God's will is-His God pleasing and perfect will." Then we will be able to do what the Lord wants us to to do and not what our self-centered selves want to do in this life. His will is always good and "pleasing," because it glorifies the Lord. It also leads to our spiritual and moral growth. This is true even in difficult times when we do not understand the Lord's ways in our lives. No improvement can be made on the will of God. We must give our all to the Lord.
Our hearts and minds must be renewed and transformed by the Holy Spirit so that we are more and more in the center of His will. We must not be squeezed into the world's mold, but we must be shaped by God's will and thinking. We must prove in practice in our lives that His plan for us is good and moves us to spiritual maturity. We must prove in practice in our lives that we are totally committed to giving our all to the Lord. The Lord must be our master stylist! We must adjust our lives to His will and mind. Zeal for the things of the Lord must never be lacking in our lives. We must keep our spiritual fervor and excitement for the things of the Lord and for serving Him. We must be joyful in the certainty of His promises and patient with His will for our lives. We must also pray for the Lord's help in our lives. Our lives must be "living sacrifices" to the Lord. This is the reason for which we were created, and this is the only path to joy for time and eternity!
Wednesday, December 28, 2016
Thursday, December 8, 2016
Romans 8:30-39
"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord," (Romans 8:37-39)
As children of God we have victory in Christ Jesus, our Lord! We need to fear nothing, for the Lord is on our side! Nothing can separate us from the love of God! What an awesome thought, and what an awesome promise! In light of all this there should be overflowing joy in our hearts!
What wonderful victories, blessings, and promises we have in Christ Jesus, our Lord! God choose us and called us from eternity to be His own. Romans 8:30b says, "those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified." We not only have the forgiveness of sins, but we have a secure eternal future in Christ. This eternal future is so secure in God's plan for us that Romans 8:30b speaks of this eternal future as if it has already taken place!
We are secure in Christ for time and for eternity. Romans 8:31b reminds us, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" Sometimes we may feel as if everything is against us, but the Word of God teaches us that the great God of the universe is always for us and is always with us! Romans 8:32 says, "He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all-how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?" God proved His love for us by sending His only Son to die for our sins. Surely we can trust Him to provide us with everything we need for time and eternity. No one or nothing can ever oppose us as children of God and ultimately succeed. In the dangers, trials, and uncertainties of life we can rest in the Lord. We have the Lord God on our side, and we are victors in Him!
We have absolute security in Christ in all things, because He died for our sins and freed us from the guilt of our sins. Christ is also in heaven sitting at the right hand of the Heavenly Father in the position of power. Nothing can happen to us that is not in God's plan for our lives, so we need not fear. Finally, Christ is always interceding for His children. What a blessed promise!
In light of all this, Romans 8:35 says, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" The answer is that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ! No matter what hardship, trial, or trouble we may be experiencing in our lives at the moment, we are never separated from the love of Christ. In fact, trials in our lives are part of God's plan and purpose for our lives to mold us to become more like Jesus in our characters and attitudes. Romans 8:37 reassures us by saying, "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us."
We become conquerors through the trials of life by patiently enduring these trials and by being submissive to the Lord's will. We become "more than conquerors" by using these experiences to grow in our love and service for the Lord. Also God will always see us through these difficult times and bring us to ultimate victory. Victory is always assured for the Christian, if not in this life, then in eternity. Absolutely nothing will ever separate us from the love of God and the victory we have in the Lord Jesus Christ!
Romans 8:38-39 says, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Praise the name of the Lord for our victory in Him!
As children of God we have victory in Christ Jesus, our Lord! We need to fear nothing, for the Lord is on our side! Nothing can separate us from the love of God! What an awesome thought, and what an awesome promise! In light of all this there should be overflowing joy in our hearts!
What wonderful victories, blessings, and promises we have in Christ Jesus, our Lord! God choose us and called us from eternity to be His own. Romans 8:30b says, "those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified." We not only have the forgiveness of sins, but we have a secure eternal future in Christ. This eternal future is so secure in God's plan for us that Romans 8:30b speaks of this eternal future as if it has already taken place!
We are secure in Christ for time and for eternity. Romans 8:31b reminds us, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" Sometimes we may feel as if everything is against us, but the Word of God teaches us that the great God of the universe is always for us and is always with us! Romans 8:32 says, "He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all-how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things?" God proved His love for us by sending His only Son to die for our sins. Surely we can trust Him to provide us with everything we need for time and eternity. No one or nothing can ever oppose us as children of God and ultimately succeed. In the dangers, trials, and uncertainties of life we can rest in the Lord. We have the Lord God on our side, and we are victors in Him!
We have absolute security in Christ in all things, because He died for our sins and freed us from the guilt of our sins. Christ is also in heaven sitting at the right hand of the Heavenly Father in the position of power. Nothing can happen to us that is not in God's plan for our lives, so we need not fear. Finally, Christ is always interceding for His children. What a blessed promise!
In light of all this, Romans 8:35 says, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?" The answer is that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ! No matter what hardship, trial, or trouble we may be experiencing in our lives at the moment, we are never separated from the love of Christ. In fact, trials in our lives are part of God's plan and purpose for our lives to mold us to become more like Jesus in our characters and attitudes. Romans 8:37 reassures us by saying, "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us."
We become conquerors through the trials of life by patiently enduring these trials and by being submissive to the Lord's will. We become "more than conquerors" by using these experiences to grow in our love and service for the Lord. Also God will always see us through these difficult times and bring us to ultimate victory. Victory is always assured for the Christian, if not in this life, then in eternity. Absolutely nothing will ever separate us from the love of God and the victory we have in the Lord Jesus Christ!
Romans 8:38-39 says, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Praise the name of the Lord for our victory in Him!
Thursday, December 1, 2016
Romans 8:28-29
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers."
Romans 8:28-29
Romans 8:28 is a promise we can rest on and trust in when our world around us seems to be falling apart. It is a blessed promise, but it is also a promise with which we may at times struggle. We can believe and trust this promise, however, even when we are overwhelmed and puzzled by adverse circumstances all around us.
The writer of this devotional remembers first struggling with the promise of Romans 8:28 when her dad was suffering the excruciating pain of cancer and radiation. She wondered how "all things" could possibly be working for good in this case. What could possibly be "good" about cancer and severe pain? For that matter what could possibly be "good" about any pain or heartache or trial? Since that time long ago there have been other heartaches in this writer's life such as her own husband's neurological disease, decline, and death. She also fought breast cancer herself in the time period in which she was caring for her husband. How could God be working things for good in these situations?
But God's Holy Word tells us that God works "all things," not some things or even most things for our ultimate spiritual good; if we love Him. The key to understanding this verse is to realize that not all things are good in themselves. Sin has wrecked havoc with our world, and there are many experiences in this world that are not good or pleasant in themselves. God, however, works both the "good" and the "bad" events of our lives together for our ultimate good.
It has been said that life is like a tapestry. When you look at the backside of a tapestry it does not look beautiful. There are knotted off ends and threads that seem to have no meaning or beauty. When one turns the tapestry over, however, one sees a beautiful picture or design. When we see life's trials and difficulties we see the backside of the tapestry of life. God, however, is bringing all the threads or events of our lives together, both good and bad, into a beautiful tapestry. The Lord already sees the top part of our tapestry of life. The Lord already sees the beautiful end results of what He is accomplishing in our lives. When we do not understand the reason for the difficult circumstances in our lives we must simply trust that the Lord is working out all things in our lives for His glory and to accomplish His plan. He is also working out all things for our ultimate spiritual good.
The ultimate spiritual good that the Lord God is seeking to accomplish in our lives is that we might, as Romans 8:29 says, become "conformed to the likeness of His Son." It is God's purpose and plan for us that we become more and more like the Lord Jesus. He desires that we become more like Jesus every day in our thoughts, attitudes, and actions.
In order for this to happen there must be a conforming process taking place in our lives. This conforming process often can only occur during times of trial and difficulty in our lives. Gelatin is only able to be conformed or shaped to the mold into which it is placed after it has been dissolved in hot water. So we too often have to go through the heat of trials and difficulties to become more conformed to the image and likeness of Jesus Christ.
God has the pattern for our lives all figured out. He knows and understands the beautiful tapestry that He is weaving for our lives. He knows the beginning from the end. We must trust the Lord to do His beautiful work in our lives even in times when life's events and circumstances seen very difficult and overwhelming!
Romans 8:28-29
Romans 8:28 is a promise we can rest on and trust in when our world around us seems to be falling apart. It is a blessed promise, but it is also a promise with which we may at times struggle. We can believe and trust this promise, however, even when we are overwhelmed and puzzled by adverse circumstances all around us.
The writer of this devotional remembers first struggling with the promise of Romans 8:28 when her dad was suffering the excruciating pain of cancer and radiation. She wondered how "all things" could possibly be working for good in this case. What could possibly be "good" about cancer and severe pain? For that matter what could possibly be "good" about any pain or heartache or trial? Since that time long ago there have been other heartaches in this writer's life such as her own husband's neurological disease, decline, and death. She also fought breast cancer herself in the time period in which she was caring for her husband. How could God be working things for good in these situations?
But God's Holy Word tells us that God works "all things," not some things or even most things for our ultimate spiritual good; if we love Him. The key to understanding this verse is to realize that not all things are good in themselves. Sin has wrecked havoc with our world, and there are many experiences in this world that are not good or pleasant in themselves. God, however, works both the "good" and the "bad" events of our lives together for our ultimate good.
It has been said that life is like a tapestry. When you look at the backside of a tapestry it does not look beautiful. There are knotted off ends and threads that seem to have no meaning or beauty. When one turns the tapestry over, however, one sees a beautiful picture or design. When we see life's trials and difficulties we see the backside of the tapestry of life. God, however, is bringing all the threads or events of our lives together, both good and bad, into a beautiful tapestry. The Lord already sees the top part of our tapestry of life. The Lord already sees the beautiful end results of what He is accomplishing in our lives. When we do not understand the reason for the difficult circumstances in our lives we must simply trust that the Lord is working out all things in our lives for His glory and to accomplish His plan. He is also working out all things for our ultimate spiritual good.
The ultimate spiritual good that the Lord God is seeking to accomplish in our lives is that we might, as Romans 8:29 says, become "conformed to the likeness of His Son." It is God's purpose and plan for us that we become more and more like the Lord Jesus. He desires that we become more like Jesus every day in our thoughts, attitudes, and actions.
In order for this to happen there must be a conforming process taking place in our lives. This conforming process often can only occur during times of trial and difficulty in our lives. Gelatin is only able to be conformed or shaped to the mold into which it is placed after it has been dissolved in hot water. So we too often have to go through the heat of trials and difficulties to become more conformed to the image and likeness of Jesus Christ.
God has the pattern for our lives all figured out. He knows and understands the beautiful tapestry that He is weaving for our lives. He knows the beginning from the end. We must trust the Lord to do His beautiful work in our lives even in times when life's events and circumstances seen very difficult and overwhelming!
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