Transform

In the first 11 chapters of this letter, Paul has explained all that God has done for us. Today, he begins recommending an appropriate response.


Romans 12
1 And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice - the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.
2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.



Transform. I have to confess ... I love these two verses. They compose one of my favorite passages in the Story of God. I love how his response almost begins with a sigh ... “And so”. I love the fact that Paul “pleads” instead of commands. I love the way he defines “worship” ... surrendering our whole lives to God as a “living ... sacrifice”. I love the challenge to not “copy ... this world”. And most importantly for me, I love the hope that he offers ... the hope that God can “transform” me. I plead with you to reread it a couple of time. Then, offer a short, simple prayer, “Father, teach me how to worship you with my life ... show me how to avoid the life this world offers ... transform me.”