Romans 12: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
In Genesis we read that God created mankind in his image. As there are three parts to God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), there are three parts to mankind (Mind, Body, and Spirit). Here in Romans 12 Paul calls for transformation by pointing out the three areas of mankind and all three are interrelated and connect with one another. Due to this connection we are given a responsibility by which we are held to in order to live a productive life in our Lord. Sin has effected all three areas of our being and our life is a constant struggle to live according to the desires of our Lord.
Paul starts off with, “present your bodies as living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.” Our bodies are more than merely flesh, blood, and bones but is the temple the Holy Spirit which dwells within. When we are first born our focus is to sleep, eat, and be loved. We have no strength in our bodies to take care of ourselves but as we begin to grow we begin to explore and learn of the world around us. This exploration and learning exposes us to many influences, good and bad. As children we are full of energy. Our parents can hardly keep up with us and keeping an eye on us to keep us from getting into trouble can be taxing on them. As teenagers we stay up late and sleep in late, we can eat just about anything except what is healthy for us, always complaining why our parents are forcing us to eat the things we will come to enjoy when we get older. Somewhere in our 30’s we begin to slow down and then in our 40’s we wish we had the energy we had 20 years ago.
As a child and through my early 20’s I was lean and tall. After high school I went into the Army at 6’3” weighing 135 lbs. After my training my family could tell I had gained some muscles, my neck was thicker and shoulders broader and I could run two miles in just under 13 minutes. By early 2004 I was weighing 245 lbs. due to recovering from my injuries in Iraq. After my recovering I would go to the gym twice a day and by June I had lost 23 lbs. Now I am in my mid 40’s and pushing 290. This extra weight has caused me problems. I have high blood pressure, been tested for diabetes but have been found without, and my legs suffer a great deal of pain due to multiple surgeries in the military and my weight. I have also found myself getting tired easier but I continue to get up around 6 every morning and I do work hard. I enjoy to eat, especially red meat but I do like vegetables. I am not much of a sweats eater. My wife does make a few deserts that I highly enjoy; peach and apple dump cakes are my all-time favorites. I love peanut butter fudge, oatmeal raisin cookies (though I am picky about them), and maple nuts.
I know I need to lose weight, not just for myself but for my family as well. However, such discipline is a horizontal focus. To take care of myself is also a lateral focus. God gave me this body and I believe I am called to care for what I have been given. Though my body is subject to the elements of this world by choice or not I know that sin has affected my physical form. In Genesis 2:15 we see that when God created man and placed him in the garden everything was provided for him, yet, man did have a responsibility, he was to work. Too often there is this idea that the garden was a place of no responsibility, complete relaxation, and a free life. My body needs to be “holy and acceptable to God.” How can I make my body holy and acceptable to God? How do I present my body as a living sacrifice? Through discipline. By eating right and exercising are personal responsibilities. I don’t smoke and I will have a drink from time to time but not very much. At home I care for my wife by doing various task that she does not need to think about such cutting the yard, fixing different things when the need arises, kill the spider in the bathroom, love her as Christ loves the church, be a spiritual leader, and so forth. I also care for my neighbor. I feed the hungry, visit the sick in the hospital, help out a brother in need, and other things. James calls these acts “true religion.” (James 1:27) So my body becomes the very tool by which God acts out in this world. I have to be mindful of my body and take it’s ques when it is sick or in pain. I need to rest but I also need to discipline myself to maintain a healthy condition.
Paul describes this act as “your spiritual worship.” Here we learn that worship is much more than singing songs during Sunday service. In John 15:8 Jesus says, “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” The “by this” is to abide in Christ. As we abide in him we can do many things because of him and apart from him we can do nothing (v.5). Through our sacrifice we produce fruit that brings glory to the Father. In the end our deeds will judged by fire. Those things of value will remain and what is not of value will be burned away, leaving behind our reward. (1 Corinthians 3:10-15) By being spiritually disciplined we remain focused on what God has called us to do. His desires become our desires and we seek to do His will over our own will. The word of God become real in our life, prayer is meaningful, worship is encouraging, and our conversation is pure and holy. The idea of denying ourselves and taking up our cross daily brings more peace to our hearts even during times of tribulation, affliction, stress, anxiety, and depression.
Our spiritual well-being does and will affect the other two areas of our life; our bodies and how we think. Paul gives us guidance on how we are to think. Philippians 4: 8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Being mindful of these and meditating on the different areas will lead us to living a healthy life. Paul also tells us that during out struggles we have strength in him to maintain a healthy way of thinking. (2 Corinthians 10:4-5) When our thoughts and focus are on the Lord the struggles, temptations, and tribulations in our life become more manageable. This does not mean that we will not face trouble or temptations in our life. This means that we will be able to handle them more productively and the stress will not bring us down. Recall what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
To manage all three takes time and discipline. By working on various disciplines one day at a time they will become a normal part of our life. For the body we discipline ourselves by eating right, being active, getting just enough rest, know our limits, and think beyond ourselves. To be spiritually discipline we read God’s word, meditate on his work, study his word, pray, and apply this word to our life. These are just a few disciplines. To discipline our mind we remain focused on the Lord, change our way of thinking from the ways of this world to the ways of the Lord, and bring every thought to the obedience of the Lord. Finally, we cannot do this on our own. This is where discipleship is very important. Make yourself accountable to another Christian, go to them in your time of need when you are dealing with something that you need extra pray and support in.
In Genesis we read that God created mankind in his image. As there are three parts to God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), there are three parts to mankind (Mind, Body, and Spirit). Here in Romans 12 Paul calls for transformation by pointing out the three areas of mankind and all three are interrelated and connect with one another. Due to this connection we are given a responsibility by which we are held to in order to live a productive life in our Lord. Sin has effected all three areas of our being and our life is a constant struggle to live according to the desires of our Lord.
Paul starts off with, “present your bodies as living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.” Our bodies are more than merely flesh, blood, and bones but is the temple the Holy Spirit which dwells within. When we are first born our focus is to sleep, eat, and be loved. We have no strength in our bodies to take care of ourselves but as we begin to grow we begin to explore and learn of the world around us. This exploration and learning exposes us to many influences, good and bad. As children we are full of energy. Our parents can hardly keep up with us and keeping an eye on us to keep us from getting into trouble can be taxing on them. As teenagers we stay up late and sleep in late, we can eat just about anything except what is healthy for us, always complaining why our parents are forcing us to eat the things we will come to enjoy when we get older. Somewhere in our 30’s we begin to slow down and then in our 40’s we wish we had the energy we had 20 years ago.
As a child and through my early 20’s I was lean and tall. After high school I went into the Army at 6’3” weighing 135 lbs. After my training my family could tell I had gained some muscles, my neck was thicker and shoulders broader and I could run two miles in just under 13 minutes. By early 2004 I was weighing 245 lbs. due to recovering from my injuries in Iraq. After my recovering I would go to the gym twice a day and by June I had lost 23 lbs. Now I am in my mid 40’s and pushing 290. This extra weight has caused me problems. I have high blood pressure, been tested for diabetes but have been found without, and my legs suffer a great deal of pain due to multiple surgeries in the military and my weight. I have also found myself getting tired easier but I continue to get up around 6 every morning and I do work hard. I enjoy to eat, especially red meat but I do like vegetables. I am not much of a sweats eater. My wife does make a few deserts that I highly enjoy; peach and apple dump cakes are my all-time favorites. I love peanut butter fudge, oatmeal raisin cookies (though I am picky about them), and maple nuts.
I know I need to lose weight, not just for myself but for my family as well. However, such discipline is a horizontal focus. To take care of myself is also a lateral focus. God gave me this body and I believe I am called to care for what I have been given. Though my body is subject to the elements of this world by choice or not I know that sin has affected my physical form. In Genesis 2:15 we see that when God created man and placed him in the garden everything was provided for him, yet, man did have a responsibility, he was to work. Too often there is this idea that the garden was a place of no responsibility, complete relaxation, and a free life. My body needs to be “holy and acceptable to God.” How can I make my body holy and acceptable to God? How do I present my body as a living sacrifice? Through discipline. By eating right and exercising are personal responsibilities. I don’t smoke and I will have a drink from time to time but not very much. At home I care for my wife by doing various task that she does not need to think about such cutting the yard, fixing different things when the need arises, kill the spider in the bathroom, love her as Christ loves the church, be a spiritual leader, and so forth. I also care for my neighbor. I feed the hungry, visit the sick in the hospital, help out a brother in need, and other things. James calls these acts “true religion.” (James 1:27) So my body becomes the very tool by which God acts out in this world. I have to be mindful of my body and take it’s ques when it is sick or in pain. I need to rest but I also need to discipline myself to maintain a healthy condition.
Paul describes this act as “your spiritual worship.” Here we learn that worship is much more than singing songs during Sunday service. In John 15:8 Jesus says, “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” The “by this” is to abide in Christ. As we abide in him we can do many things because of him and apart from him we can do nothing (v.5). Through our sacrifice we produce fruit that brings glory to the Father. In the end our deeds will judged by fire. Those things of value will remain and what is not of value will be burned away, leaving behind our reward. (1 Corinthians 3:10-15) By being spiritually disciplined we remain focused on what God has called us to do. His desires become our desires and we seek to do His will over our own will. The word of God become real in our life, prayer is meaningful, worship is encouraging, and our conversation is pure and holy. The idea of denying ourselves and taking up our cross daily brings more peace to our hearts even during times of tribulation, affliction, stress, anxiety, and depression.
Our spiritual well-being does and will affect the other two areas of our life; our bodies and how we think. Paul gives us guidance on how we are to think. Philippians 4: 8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Being mindful of these and meditating on the different areas will lead us to living a healthy life. Paul also tells us that during out struggles we have strength in him to maintain a healthy way of thinking. (2 Corinthians 10:4-5) When our thoughts and focus are on the Lord the struggles, temptations, and tribulations in our life become more manageable. This does not mean that we will not face trouble or temptations in our life. This means that we will be able to handle them more productively and the stress will not bring us down. Recall what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
To manage all three takes time and discipline. By working on various disciplines one day at a time they will become a normal part of our life. For the body we discipline ourselves by eating right, being active, getting just enough rest, know our limits, and think beyond ourselves. To be spiritually discipline we read God’s word, meditate on his work, study his word, pray, and apply this word to our life. These are just a few disciplines. To discipline our mind we remain focused on the Lord, change our way of thinking from the ways of this world to the ways of the Lord, and bring every thought to the obedience of the Lord. Finally, we cannot do this on our own. This is where discipleship is very important. Make yourself accountable to another Christian, go to them in your time of need when you are dealing with something that you need extra pray and support in.
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