Bible Studies
LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE As A Member OR Visitor
Message Writer
Hire Writer
Report Article
IN VIEW OF GOD'S MERCY
"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper 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.
"When you see a "therefore", ask what it's there for!" Ever heard that one?
"Therefore" forms the bridge between what has gone before and what follows. True to Paul's way, his practical application follows his presentation of what God has done. In this letter, he has carefully set out the legal foundation for God's mercy - His justice based on His righteousness in which He both dealt with sin and acquitted the sinner.
Therefore, what God has done demands a suitable response from those who have received His gift of righteousness? Our response depends on the purpose for which He went to the trouble of removing our sin and absolving us of guilt - so that we can be reconciled to Him and return to His original plan for human beings.
It's no use saying, "Thank you very much," putting His pardon in our back pockets as a passport to heaven and continuing to living in our old way as though nothing had happened. This attitude makes a mockery of His mercy and is the worst form of ingratitude.
God went to great lengths to redeem us. For what purpose? To bring His wayward children back to Himself so that, once again, we can be His family and He can be our Father.
"What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of God, As God has said: 'I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.'
Therefore 'Come out from them and be separate,' says the Lord. 'Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.' And, 'I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters,' says the Lord Almighty." 2 Corinthians 6:16-18.
If God is our Father, then we as His children should resemble Him in His nature, since we have been born of Him. The sinful nature in us has to be subdued so that we can be restored to what He made us to be in the beginning - holy, set apart for God; and righteous, doing the right thing in every situation, just as He does. That means, caring more for others than for ourselves and being generous in every way towards all people.
The problem is that, in order to change our behaviour, we have to change the way we think. But how? First of all, by relinquishing our right to ourselves. Paul put it this way: give God your body as a living sacrifice - not literally, of course, but present the members of your body to Him to direct what you do with them. Give Him your head - the control centre of your life. Give Him your arms and legs - what you do and where you go; give Him your tongue, your eyes, your ears etc., so that He can be in charge of what goes in and what comes out. Get the picture?
Hand-in-hand with your body must go your mind. Your thoughts are selfish, corrupted and contrary to God's thoughts about Himself, you and others. Your behaviour will change as your thoughts change. But it doesn't happen overnight. It's a slow, lifetime process of reading, understanding and absorbing God's word, re-evaluating the way you think and respond to your life's experiences in the light of what God's word says, gaining a new perspective on life from God's point of view and replacing self with God and others.
Does this sound like an impossible demand? It is - unless we see it as a partnership between the Holy Spirit and us. We can't do it alone but the Holy Spirit in us changes us as we do our part.
"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed - not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence - continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfil His good pleasure." Philippians 2:13.
What is our part? Choose to do the right thing in line with what God says, and the Holy Spirit in you will provide the power to do it.
Acknowledgement
THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
PLEASE ENCOURAGE AUTHOR BELOW LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE AS A MEMBER OR VISITOR
This article has been read 375 times < Previous | Next >
Free Reprints
Main Site Articles
Most Read Articles
Highly Acclaimed Challenge Articles.
New Release Christian Books for Free for a Simple Review.
NEW - Surprise Me With an Article - Click here for a random URL
God is Not Against You - He Came on an All Out Rescue Mission to Save You
...in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them... 2 Cor 5:19
Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. Acts 13:38
LEARN & TRUST JESUS HERE
FaithWriters offers Christian reading material for Christian readers. We offer Christian articles, Christian fiction, Christian non-fiction, Christian Bible studies, Christian poems, Christian articles for sale, free use Christian articles, Christian living articles, New Covenant Christian Bible Studies, Christian magazine articles and new Christian articles. We write for Jesus about God, the Bible, salvation, prayer and the word of God.