Monday Devotional: August 21, 2023

Bible Reading: Romans 12:1-2 (NRSVUE)

¹ I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, on the basis of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable act of worship. ² Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect.

The word sacrifice normally has negative connotations. As a verb, sacrificing entails giving something up. If I want to lose weight, I must give up some unhealthy foods I enjoy.

As a noun, a sacrifice is a thing. The Old Testament is filled with examples of sacrifices — from animals to grain offerings. In pagan ceremonies, the sacrifice could be a person.

Paul changes the idea of a sacrifice by telling us we are living sacrifices. Under the old sacrificial system, sacrifices didn’t live but were slain on an altar. Believers, however, are living sacrifices. We sacrifice (verb) ourselves by giving ourselves to our heavenly Father through a faith relationship with Jesus Christ. Thereafter, we become a living sacrifice (noun) for God. We put ourselves on the altar but then get up and do what a sacrifice is designed to do.

Paul even tells us how to be a living sacrifice through a two-step process: We avoid conforming to the world, and we renew or transform our minds daily.

The “world” is not the physical planet but rather the system of thoughts and actions that run contrary to God’s principles and command. If we conform to the world, we’ll find ourselves disobeying God. We win our spiritual battles — we are transformed — by renewing our minds, which means changing how we think. Since actions follow thoughts, we must think about those things that are pure, honest, just, and good. When we follow Paul’s directives, we will experience spiritual victory.

Prayer

Merciful God, I ask for spiritual victories over sinful thoughts and actions. Amen.

By Martin Wiles, The Upper Room Disciplines 2023, page 283.